And now, just when you thought your relationship with the world's best selling roadster was ticking along quite nicely, there's another suitor on the horizon for your affections. It's got all the attributes and foibles you've got used to over the years as you've driven around in your MX-5. Only now, with its retractable hard top that takes just 12 seconds to transform it to top up or top down motoring, it'll happily be your partner all year round.
For a car that's had cult status since it was launched back in 1989 there have been surprisingly few changes over the years.
The car launched just a year ago at the Geneva Motor Show was only the third incarnation, hence giving credence to the phrase 'if it ain't broke don't fix it'. It's in the Guinness Book of Records as the most successful open two seater vehicle ever, with over 750,000 sold. The concept then has worked well. 50:50 weight distribution, north south engine placement, classic two seater design with a long bonnet and short rear end and its manually retractable soft top. But we all get a bit lazy with age, don't we? It was no hardship to raise or lower the soft top, especially on the latest version launched last year, when you literally just threw it back and it all fell into place.
But in a major concession to the, quite frankly, lazy motorist, all you have to do on this model is release the latch and press a button. Simple as that. Mazda are convinced they will expand their world wide fan base of the MX-5 with this version, appealing to those who've never owned an MX-5 but find the thought of open top roadster fun quite appealing, with the fall back of the added comfort a hard top offers. Where it scores big time is in not needing to take up valuable boot space, which is at a premium in a car like the Mazda anyway. The hard top drops into the space behind the two comfy seats, leaving the boot volume the same as the soft topper. Spatial economy or what?
Our test car dished up plenty of fun during its spell and even thought the weather was typically British we still managed a spell of top down running as the sun made a short and quite frankly feeble attempt to cheer everyone up. With the aircon not even on high setting and with the side windows up, the roadster showed what a great fun car it is to drive, its punchy six speed gearbox picking the ratios with a satisfying click, and the car displaying its inbuilt ability to corner swiftly and safely.
There's a choice of three powertrains - 1.8i or 2.0i with five speed gearbox, or the 2.0i Sport with six speed box. Prices start from ?18,210 on the road, which represents a relatively modest ?1,200 premium over the soft top model. Every model has stylish alloys to give it the premium appearance it deserves, and every model has an ipod connector in the glovebox which is linked to the steering wheel mounted audio controls. So you can listen to your favourite tunes through a top drawer BOSE sound system while driving your favourite roadster. Top up or top down. Great fun.
Cons Year Round School
The front yard
If you know in the fall that you might be selling in the spring, be sure to plant bulbs in the fall so you'll have some beautiful blooms come springtime. Many homeowners focus so much on things like paint, organizing the kitfchen, and arrangement of furniture that they forget that the yard will be the first thing that potential buyers will see when they come to view the home. A well groomed yard will go a long way towards getting buyers to believe that your house is the right house for them.
Your "honey-do" list
Get your "honey-do's" out of the way when contractors are more readily available in the off-season. Painters are usually extremely busy in the summer so negotiating a painting contract in the winter months will allow you to paint your home (especially the inside) for a better price. The same goes for hvac contractors and renting storage space.
Listing photos
How your home is photographed could mean the difference between standing out from the hundreds of other homes competing for a buyer, and not getting noticed at all. One of the best things you can do to get your home ready for sale is to keep a camera handy for taking pictures when your home won't be washed out and colorless because the picture was taken at high-noon. Murphy's law says that if you wait until you put the sign in the yard to take a picture for your home, it will be raining every day your agent shows up to take a picture.
Even if you're not planning on selling in the immediate future, the next time after it rains, see if you can take a picture of your home that just happens to be right under a rainbow. Come springtime, make sure to get an early morning picture with the gentle glow of the sun shining down on your gorgeous flowers on your front porch. It's those little touches that make a big impression.
Store it, sell it, or donate it.
Rent a storage locker well in advance, and start making occasional trips to it with the stuff you don't need. Tackle your kitchen, garage and basement first since those tend to accumulate the most unnecessary clutter. If you don't use that coffee pot taking up space on the kitchen countertop more than a couple times a week, put it away or store it. (Even if it does get regular use, if it could be easily stored out of the way - store it!) The less "stuff" is cluttering up your countertops, the roomier your kitchen will feel. If there are unused toys that are sitting around the family room, have a yard sale or donate them to godwill! The less stuff you have around in your home, the bigger it feels!
With just a little foresight, you can really enhance the experience of selling your house.
Both R Auchterlonie & Joel Mcdonald are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
