The nights are drawing in, the mercury is falling, and clouds are gathering. You know what that means: it’s time to start trawling the classifieds for convertibles. It’s a good time to buy one, with prices typically falling as colder weather approaches – but, more importantly, a characterful yet cheap roadster can inject some fun into what can be a dull season for motoring. Instead of sitting on the sofa, grab the keys, drop the roof, and revel in winter’s crisp air on your road of choice.
But keeping things fun means keeping things simple. A bargain-basement Porsche Boxster is all well and good until you have to spend the purchase price again to bring it up to scratch; a Mercedes-Benz SLK leans more towards the refined and relaxed GT end of the spectrum; the third-gen Toyota MR2 can be annoyingly impractical and difficult to find in good condition. There are other convertible options, but with ease of ownership and thriftiness in mind, you’ll probably end up gravitating towards the world’s most popular two-seater sports car: the Mazda MX-5.
In particular, it’ll probably be early examples of the third generation – the NC, which arrived in the UK in November 2005 – that prove the most tempting. They’re numerous, affordable, and they tick a lot of boxes: a choice of soft-top or powered retractable hard-top, a straightforward four-cylinder engine with a timing chain, rear-wheel drive, and a manual transmission. There’s even an automatic option in later UK cars, probably best avoided. Heated seats and air conditioning are available too, improving all-weather usability. And, of course, they have a reputation for being painless to live with and fun to drive.
