While digital music and electronic book services have freed up the burden of carrying peeving compact discs and heavy hardcovers, the digital trend will never be able to fully replace the feeling you get when holding on to a product of effort, love and hard work in your hands.
And it's pretty much the same when it comes to automobiles. Modern cars have overcome problems from older cars by coming up with automatic gearboxes, power steering, electric seats and tailgates, which make life a lot easier for drivers and passengers alike. But these modernised conveniences don't necessarily make driving more enjoyable.
That's where the new Mazda MX-5 comes in.
The iconic two-door roadster has always been about unadulterated driving enjoyment for purists whose budgets aren't big enough for, say, a Porsche Boxster. And at $159,888 (as of 16th December 2015), the fourth generation manual variant of the MX-5 continues this very trend.
Up close and Personal
The lightness of this spanking eye-catcher is something to relish. At just over a tonne, the MX-5 is some 100kg lighter than before, which also makes it more fuel efficient. On first glance, you could mistake this for a roadster that's penned by an Italian designer, thanks to sleek headlamps and a rather large grille that form an aggressive and menacing, yet cheeky fascia.
The sheet metal flows coherently, too, with edges joining nicely to ensure an overall design that's easy on the eyes, with or without the roof in place. Speaking of which, the manual roof is a cinch to operate once inside. You release a cache, fold it down behind you and, voila, you're all set for the wind-in-your-hair experience.
And it's pretty much the same when it comes to automobiles. Modern cars have overcome problems from older cars by coming up with automatic gearboxes, power steering, electric seats and tailgates, which make life a lot easier for drivers and passengers alike. But these modernised conveniences don't necessarily make driving more enjoyable.
That's where the new Mazda MX-5 comes in.
The iconic two-door roadster has always been about unadulterated driving enjoyment for purists whose budgets aren't big enough for, say, a Porsche Boxster. And at $159,888 (as of 16th December 2015), the fourth generation manual variant of the MX-5 continues this very trend.
Up close and Personal
The lightness of this spanking eye-catcher is something to relish. At just over a tonne, the MX-5 is some 100kg lighter than before, which also makes it more fuel efficient. On first glance, you could mistake this for a roadster that's penned by an Italian designer, thanks to sleek headlamps and a rather large grille that form an aggressive and menacing, yet cheeky fascia.
The sheet metal flows coherently, too, with edges joining nicely to ensure an overall design that's easy on the eyes, with or without the roof in place. Speaking of which, the manual roof is a cinch to operate once inside. You release a cache, fold it down behind you and, voila, you're all set for the wind-in-your-hair experience.
At 3,915mm long, 1,735mm wide and 1,230mm high, the roadster is a compact machine that doesn't compromise on comfort or driver-centricity. Main controls to the car's settings as well as infotainment system are within reach on the steering wheel while the entire interior is brought up to date with Mazda's MZD Connect infotainment system.
The lack of rake adjustments for the steering wheel or the height alteration for the driver's seat may be an issue to most but not to this pint-sized driver. For someone slightly over the height of 1.6 metres, you sit in nicely with a clear view of the road ahead while maintaining sufficient headroom with the roof in place.
Materials used are a notch above what you'd expect for a car that focuses mainly on driving. Hence, it does come as a surprise the moment you strap yourself in. Like its exterior, there's a form of harmony to the layout and design that's somewhat lacking in its predecessor.
The lack of rake adjustments for the steering wheel or the height alteration for the driver's seat may be an issue to most but not to this pint-sized driver. For someone slightly over the height of 1.6 metres, you sit in nicely with a clear view of the road ahead while maintaining sufficient headroom with the roof in place.
Materials used are a notch above what you'd expect for a car that focuses mainly on driving. Hence, it does come as a surprise the moment you strap yourself in. Like its exterior, there's a form of harmony to the layout and design that's somewhat lacking in its predecessor.
The Drive
The Mazda MX-5's performance figures of 158bhp and 200Nm of torque are modest compared to the Toyota 86's 200 horses and 205Nm of twisting force. But it feels more blistering in real life driving and the century sprint figure does show it. It takes 7.3 seconds for the MX-5 to smash through the 100km/h mark while the 86 takes a second longer.
In that sense, weight has a lot to do with it. Weighing some almost 200kg lighter than the Toyota, the MX-5 feels extremely light on its feet, which gives it that extra dose of playful panache when tackling a series of bends - accompanied by a deliciously rorty exhaust note to put a grin on your face.
There isn't any guesswork required here with the manual variant. The clutch, although it isn't as meaty as we'd like it to be, is easy to handle. As such, it's never a chore to use or a tiresome activity to do, even in heavy traffic. Coupled with the fact that the six-speeder is a mechanical cracker to meddle with, keeping the MX-5 in its sweet spot on the rev counter becomes as easy as breathing.
On expressways, where you'll be cruising more than bruising, the car does appear to be noisy, with wind and road noises intruding the cabin. But more often than not, you'd be too busy trundling around town or focused on carving corners to take notice of external noises.
The Mazda MX-5's performance figures of 158bhp and 200Nm of torque are modest compared to the Toyota 86's 200 horses and 205Nm of twisting force. But it feels more blistering in real life driving and the century sprint figure does show it. It takes 7.3 seconds for the MX-5 to smash through the 100km/h mark while the 86 takes a second longer.
In that sense, weight has a lot to do with it. Weighing some almost 200kg lighter than the Toyota, the MX-5 feels extremely light on its feet, which gives it that extra dose of playful panache when tackling a series of bends - accompanied by a deliciously rorty exhaust note to put a grin on your face.
There isn't any guesswork required here with the manual variant. The clutch, although it isn't as meaty as we'd like it to be, is easy to handle. As such, it's never a chore to use or a tiresome activity to do, even in heavy traffic. Coupled with the fact that the six-speeder is a mechanical cracker to meddle with, keeping the MX-5 in its sweet spot on the rev counter becomes as easy as breathing.
On expressways, where you'll be cruising more than bruising, the car does appear to be noisy, with wind and road noises intruding the cabin. But more often than not, you'd be too busy trundling around town or focused on carving corners to take notice of external noises.
More significantly, the well-weighted electric assisted steering provides ample feel and feedback, which gives you that bounteous confidence needed to practice hooliganism in a rather fashionable way on public roads.
Conclusion
The Mazda MX-5 is your back-to-basics rear-wheel driven car that's extremely rewarding car to drive. There are no trendy turbochargers or complex engine systems, no dual-clutch gearbox or even an electric roof - just a simple two-seater manual soft-top roadster with a 2.0-litre four-pot powerplant that's mated to a six-speed manual gearbox.
Perhaps its desirability can be attributed to the simple element that it's rather affordable in today's context, reliable and sensible, which means people like you and me may still be able to afford one in a couple of years' time when it appears on sgCarMart's used car page.
So if you're still struggling to save up for that Porsche Boxster you've been eyeing on, you may want to consider this instead.
Conclusion
The Mazda MX-5 is your back-to-basics rear-wheel driven car that's extremely rewarding car to drive. There are no trendy turbochargers or complex engine systems, no dual-clutch gearbox or even an electric roof - just a simple two-seater manual soft-top roadster with a 2.0-litre four-pot powerplant that's mated to a six-speed manual gearbox.
Perhaps its desirability can be attributed to the simple element that it's rather affordable in today's context, reliable and sensible, which means people like you and me may still be able to afford one in a couple of years' time when it appears on sgCarMart's used car page.
So if you're still struggling to save up for that Porsche Boxster you've been eyeing on, you may want to consider this instead.
