The Finnish prices for the new generation Mazda MX-5 were recently announced. I’ve been eagerly waiting for the final prices, even if I’m the kind of guy who only brings in dirt at a new car dealership. But since there’s a Miata in my life, I’m keen to observe where the model line is going. And technically I’m slap bang in the middle of the focus group, as I’m an enthusiast who rarely needs to transport more than one passenger. And when the need arises, I have alternative transport waiting in the wings. It’s not preposterous to consider the ND as the ideal new car on the market.
As a prelude of sorts, the German-market cars start at 23 000 euros at their most basic, 1500 cc “Prime Line” version. You get electric windows, manual A/C and so on; stuff to keep practically anybody happy, but nothing outrageous. If you want more kit, there’s the Center Line specification for a grand more, and the two-litre engine is available on the Exclusive Line and Sports Line, at 27 000 and 29 000 euros, respectively. This makes a fair bit of sense, as if you want a base car and want to focus on the car’s abilities themselves, you can do that.
Not so in Finland.

The cheapest 1.5-litre car is priced at 35 000 eur after taxes (27 000 as tax-free), and it features the following:
• Keyless Go with start-stop
• Automatic climate control
• Hill Hold Assist
• Cruise control
• 7″ TFT
• Lane Departure Warning System (… on an MX-5…)
• Leather seats
This baffles me. If there was an honest base car without any of this, the entry-level price could easily be pressed under 30 000 euros. It almost feels like the equipment is fitted to lure gadget-hungry people into showrooms, into the cars, from the comfort of their CUV:s and small premium hatchbacks, to consider the small, nimble, driver-focused MX-5 instead.
But why? If you’re a person who buys a 35 000 euro BMW 1-series, for example, you most likely need the rear seats and solid roof that the Mazda will not offer, and the engine variant will be the 120i with 175 horsepower. The pricier MX-5 versions cost 38 500 eur and 43 300 eur, so the jump to a two-litre car isn’t that steep, but still – why price the 1500cc car this high? A BRZ is 35 000 eur, and there’s quite a bit more power in one of those.
I’ve viewed the ND MX-5 as a 2015 car that’s still somehow 1989 in spirit. It features the kind of body structure engineering and safety features that are necessary for a modern car, with the engine as efficient, frugal and clean as is regulated, but still – it’s only as new as it has to be, if a generic new car is the kind of personal bubble that’s as detached from the road as the infotainment will take you. Why would a small, direct roadster need a LDWS setup, cruise control and automatic climate control as standard equipment?
Truth be told, I’d like to see these cars as just a launch edition of sorts. With the ND MX-5 comfortably on the market a little while from now, there could be a stripper model introduced later on, that’s more directly aimed at someone who just wants the car and nothing on it. Here’s hoping.