The car

It's a 2016 'ND' Mazda MX-5 1.5 GT finished in Meteor Grey Metallic, featuring dealer-fitted Eibach sports springs and mudflaps. Bought new, the car has only covered 47,000 kilometres so far.

The owner

Thomas Fleming is a married scientist, living in a large town on the outskirts of Cork city.

"I started driving late in life, my late 20s. Growing up, and all through college, I lived in a city and all my friends had cars, so driving wasn't really a priority for me. My first car was a 00-reg 1.0-litre Polo 6N2. It served me well, but had no real power, or brakes, to speak of. When I started my first 'proper' job I treated myself to a new 2011 Volkswagen Scirocco 1.4 TSI with every bell and whistle VW could fit to the car at the time. It was built like a tank, very comfortable and started my love of slightly odd cars.

"In parallel to all of this my wife has owned a bunch of cars. Since I've known her, there's been a second-generation Fiat Punto, Ford Fiesta, my old Polo hand-me-down, a mk5 Polo, Skoda Rapid and now a Kia Niro EV. All very sensible."

So, what made Thomas go from the Scirocco to the MX-5?

"The Scirocco was out of warranty and there were rumblings on the forums that the timing chains were not the most robust on that engine. So, the thoughts of driving around in an expensive timebomb was in the back of my mind. The Toyota GT86 was out in the world, and the hype for the MX-5 was growing. I test drove the 86 and just didn't like it; the interior was very plastic, the front wallowed and that mid-rev power drop was very noticeable.

"That left the MX-5. I remember travelling up to Charleville and testing it around the country roads. There was absolutely torrential rain, I remember the steering being so precise and direct. I loved it and placed an order on the spot."

The ownership experience

Although the MX-5 is technically Thomas's daily driver, he doesn't cover a lot of mileage as he works from home:

"There's nothing better than blasting down a twisty country road at 80km/h, roof down on a late summer's evening.

"I'm a bit of an enthusiastic driver. I've done the usual Mondello Park and Stunt Drive Ireland experiences. The MX-5 encourages late braking, then add in some heel-and-toe gear changing to make the most of the limited power available and to maximise the amount of momentum carried through corners."

He hasn't been shy about making a few changes, either, adding Android Auto ("which meant taking apart most of the interior"), wheel spacers, a dashcam and even altering the induction system.

We asked him what he liked about the car:

"If you are the kind of person that enjoys driving, I couldn't recommend it more. Every time I hop in it puts a smile on my face, and it's more practical than you might expect. From personal experience I know that the boot can manage two carry-on bags and two laptop bags with room to spare. There are no drive modes. No eco, sport, nor sport plus. It has one job, and it does it well. Just push the starter button and go."

While his wife thinks it's noisy, the only thing Thomas would change about the MX-5 now is the addition of a limited-slip differential.

Problems experienced:

 "Since the car was so new and an early one off the production line, the good folks in Hiroshima hadn't quite ironed out all the 'quirks and features'."

Fixed under warranty/recall:

• The headliner detached from the rear window.
• The seatbelt retaining clips on shoulder of the seats were redesigned and replaced.
• The roof had an odd harmonic rattle.
• The roof required realignment.
• The window seals needed to be replaced as they squeaked.

Fixed under good will:

• At the first NCT (year four) the car failed for "rear suspension system - link condition worn - offside rear and nearside rear". This was a shock on a car with 40,000km on it at the time. This required replacing both hub carriers as the bushings are integrated into them and can't be replaced, it was going to cost thousands. After a lot of frustration with the dealer and Mazda UK (pre-Brexit) they agreed to cover 2/3 of the cost.
• Last year the infotainment touchscreen started to delaminate, though Mazda Ireland covered a replacement. Their social media rep on Twitter was excellent at sorting that with no fuss - though the dealer wasn't so happy about doing the work...

Fixed out of pocket: the driver-side window regulator stopped working and needed to be replaced.

Fixed by Thomas: rattle in passenger A-pillar due to loose wiring harness.

Average fuel consumption: "Efficiency is very much a matter of driving style but figures of between 5.9- and 6.5 litres/100km are not uncommon."

Advice to prospective buyers

"If going for a second hand one, from my experience don't go for a year one 'ND' car, or at least make sure that all of the recalls have been done and there's a full service history.

"This is not a car for anyone that:

• Is over six-foot tall.
• Does lot of motorway driving - it's probably not for you since the cabin is loud at speed.
• Does not want attention, as it still turns heads even to this day.

"On the plus side, I've driven many sports cars and supposedly sporty cars on and off track and although the MX-5 is not a fast car by any means, you'll not find anything that's more fun to drive, cheap to buy, or economical to run... other than an old MX-5."

What next?

"I'd love something like a GR Yaris or an Alpine A110. Both are pretty much unobtanium. Besides, given how expensive they are I'd have to ask myself are they really two times better than an MX-5. Would another MX-5 be crazy? Perhaps the 2.0-litre ND2 RF GT?

"Realistically, the MX-5 may be my last internal combustion-engined car, but I don't want or need a 2.5-tonne electric SUV in my life. The Polestar 2 looks pretty nice, way more appealing than a Tesla, and I'm eager to test one of them when they're available. Although, along with my wife's car most of my current commuting needs could probably be fulfilled by an e-bike."