Category: Roadsters 
Price Range: £15,000 to £19,695
Fun to drive, auto's quick changes, looks great, huge levels of grip, decent ride.
Auto doesn't 'hold' gears, cramped cabin, noisy on the motorway.
Manual is more engaging, but the auto MX-5 remains an involving sportcar.
Mazda may have lost the plot.
In an act of pure insanity, the Japanese firm has seen fit to saddle its sublime-driving MX-5 roadster with a power-sapping automatic option.
Ignore the exciting-sounding 'Powershift' tag: the new 'box is a traditional slushmatic, rather than a fast-shifting trick twin-clutch jobbie.
And it gets worse. The automatic version ditches the traction-boosting limited slip differential and fantastic Bilstein dampers that are standard on even the entry-level 2.0-litre. It seems Mazda has turned its back on real drivers.
But not so fast. Mazda is especially good at making enthusiastic autos and has a wealth of experience with automatic versions of the MX-5, available in non-UK markets ever since the car was conceived over 20 years ago.
Combine this with a car that combines rear-wheel drive, a near 50:50 weight distribution, and exotic front double wishbone and rear multi-link suspension and you still have the foundations for a damn fine sportscar.
Read on to find out if a roadster that can change gears for you still has the ability to move you.
Latest Readers' Drives About the Mazda MX-5
wrote on 12 09 2007
wrote on 27 02 2007