Is the Mazda MX-5 reliable?

The Mazda MX-5 scores 95/100 on Forecourt's MOT-based reliability measure, ahead of 64% of the cars we track. That is computed from 2,550,019 real DVSA MOT test results.

How much does a used Mazda MX-5 cost?

A 2023 Mazda MX-5 with around 17,157 miles is worth roughly £17,150 today (typical range £15,500–£18,800). Dealer forecourt prices sit higher and part-exchange offers lower; newer or lower-mileage examples cost more.

How quickly does the Mazda MX-5 depreciate?

A new Mazda MX-5 typically loses about 36% of its value over the first three years, then depreciates more slowly. Buying at three to five years old avoids the steepest part of the curve.

What insurance group is the Mazda MX-5?

The Mazda MX-5 sits in insurance group 40 of 50 — the more expensive end of the scale. Exact premiums depend on the trim (some versions sit a few groups higher or lower), your age, postcode and no-claims history.

What goes wrong on a used Mazda MX-5?

The most common age-related issues we track for the Mazda MX-5 are: brakes (typically around over 100k miles, £150-£500 to put right); suspension (typically around over 100k miles, £150-£450 to put right); lighting & signalling (typically around over 100k miles, £15-£120 to put right). A full service history and a recent MOT with no advisories are the best protection.

What does the Mazda MX-5 cost to run?

Expect around 47 mpg combined on the 1.5 Skyactiv-G 132, £200 a year in road tax, about £185 for a standard annual service. The full cost-of-ownership table above breaks this down per year and per mile for the exact year and mileage you choose.

Is the Mazda MX-5 ULEZ compliant?

Most petrol Mazda MX-5s from 2006 and diesels from September 2015 meet the Euro standards for London ULEZ and other UK clean-air zones, so they are generally exempt from the daily charge. Pure-electric versions are always exempt.

How many Mazda MX-5s are on UK roads?

About 79,572 Mazda MX-5s are currently taxed and on the road in the UK, from DfT vehicle-licensing data.

Ranked #175 car in the UK · Convertible · 1,753 units sold last year

Mazda MX-5

The Mazda MX-5 is the world's best-selling roadster and one of the purest, most affordable driving experiences money can buy - light, rear-wheel drive and beautifully balanced rather than outright fast. The current ND generation (2015 on) keeps the recipe, with a folding-hardtop RF alongside the soft-top. Cross-shop the Toyota GR86, used Audi TT and BMW Z4.

How these figures are sourced — the valuation is anchored to a researched used-market price for this model (AutoTrader median, 2023 at 30k miles). Reliability, mileage and variant data are real DVSA MOT records. Dimensions, tyre sizes and costs, servicing figures and the insurance group are segment-level estimates rather than sourced per car, and are being replaced model by model.

Body: Convertible
Years: 2018–2026
Fuel: Petrol
Economy: 47 mpg
Insurance: Group 40

The short version

69/100

Forecourt score

Reliability 98 · Insurance 10 · catalogue percentiles

The Mazda MX-5 is dearer to run than most. Its MOT-based reliability is excellent — an MOT score of 95/100, ahead of 64% of the cars we track.

The Forecourt score blends how this car ranks against the catalogue on value retention, reliability and insurance cost (weighted 40/40/20) — the from-new ownership picture. Higher is better; running cost is not yet folded in.

Pick your version

Estimates are tuned to the version you choose.

Fuel

Petrol · 1496cc

Power

132 ps

Drivetrain

RWD

Cam drive

Chain

Quoted MPG

47 mpg

The volume MX-5 (ND, 2015-). 1.5 Skyactiv-G, 132 PS, manual, RWD, ~47 mpg. The lightest, most balanced MX-5; many people's pick over the 2.0. Chain-driven.

Tell us about the one you're looking at

Year of registration2023

20182026

Mileage on the clock17,157 mi

0Expected: 17,157180k

Conditiongood

PoorFairGoodExcellent

Tidy and well looked-after for its age — the typical car.

Region

Remembered as you browse other cars.

Know the registration?

Optional — fills in the exact year and ULEZ status for your specific car. The registration isn’t stored.

Estimated market value

£17,150

Range £14,450 – £20,100

medium confidence

When new (2023)circa £28,000Age-based value£17,600Mileage adjustment+£0Condition & region-£1Market calibration+£701Forecourt price£18,300Private sale£16,000Part-exchange£14,100

Holdthis 3-year-old

Fair value — depreciation is moderating.

At 17,157 miles it’s about the ~19,509 typical for a 3-year-old.

Seen one for sale?

A data-led guide from the depreciation curve, UK parc trend and reliability — not financial advice.

The depreciation curve

How a 2023-registration Mazda MX-5 loses value over time.

Marker = your selection
Dashed = mileage either side

What it costs to own

Over

Based on the 2023 car with 17,157 miles you entered above — worth about £17,150 today — here is the cost of owning it for the next 5 years, at roughly 5,719 miles a year.

5-year total

£15,450

Per year

£3,090

All-in per mile

£0.54

Fuel per mile

16.9p

If a company carAround £356/mo Benefit-in-Kind tax at the 40% rate (£178/mo at 20%) — 35% band

Depreciation£2,251

Fuel / energy£4,834

Servicing£1,765

Road tax£1,000

Insurance£5,600

If you're a company-car driver

At 35% BIK, a 40% taxpayer would pay about £356/month in company-car tax (£178/month at 20%) — on top of the running costs above. Full BIK table below for context.

Best age to buy — around 5 years

A 5-year-old example loses roughly £2,050 a year — 54% less than the £4,450 a one-year-old sheds. The steepest drop is behind it.

Uses current UK pump and home-charging prices (DESNZ weekly), typical-driver insurance and manufacturer service intervals. "Fuel per mile" is just the energy input — so an EV at ~9p and a diesel at ~22p make running-cost comparison direct. A guide; your own costs will vary.

How it compares

Where this car ranks against the 285 vehicles in our index — higher is better.

Reliabilitybetter than 98%

Fuel economybetter than 46%

Cheap to insurebetter than 10%

Percentile rank across our full index. A measure is shown only where the data spreads meaningfully across the index.

Petrol, diesel, hybrid or EV?

How the available versions compare on price, running cost, and the headaches each tends to develop.

1.5 / 2.0 Skyactiv-G

World's bestselling roadster ever. Mk4 (ND) facelifted 2024 with new Track mode. Cross-shop Fiat 124 Spider (sister, discontinued), Toyota GR86 (coupe), Porsche 718 Boxster (premium). 2.0L Homura is the proper performance MX-5 — Bilstein/Brembo. RF for hard-top security.

New price: circa £30,000
Annual fuel / energy: £1,450
3-yr depreciation: 30%

Watch for

·Minimal — Mazda reliability strong
·Soft-top can leak in extreme weather (rare)
·1.5L underpowered on motorway
·Strong residuals — MX-5 holds value

Fuel/energy costs based on this week’s UK averages (w/c 03/08/2026) · Petrol 159.9p/L, Diesel 179.2p/L, Electricity 27.0p/kWh · DESNZ

Estimated insurance

Group 40 of 50 (high — premium bracket) · Comprehensive · 3 years NCB

Indicative annual comprehensive premiums for this car, by driver age band and risk profile. Pick the combination closest to your circumstances.

No-claims bonus3 years

0 yearsBaseline: 3 years15+

Risk profile:

Estimated annual premium · typical, age 33-39

£1,120/ year

Roughly £93 per month

Typical

Average UK driver — 3 years NCB, average postcode, no recent claims.

Age band	Lower risk	Typical	Higher risk
Age 17-25	£2,552	£3,191	£4,148
Age 26-32	£1,332	£1,567	£1,912
Age 33-39Selected	£985	£1,120	£1,321
Age 40-49	£836	£929	£1,078
Age 50+	£746	£828	£978

How we estimate this

Indicative annual comprehensive premium estimates. The 'Typical' figure represents an average UK driver in each age band; Lower and Higher risk show the realistic spread driven by factors UK insurers legitimately price on (postcode, occupation, claims history, NCB, voluntary excess, modifications). Based on 10,000 miles/yr, £250 voluntary excess, and the no-claims bonus selected above. Always get individual quotes before buying.

Expected annual costs

Adjust the annual mileage to match how you'll actually use the car. Insurance is what you selected above (age 33-39, typical risk, 3 yrs NCB).

Annual mileage5,719 mi/yr

2,000UK avg for this model: 5,71930,000

Routine service

£185

Annual main-dealer service

Major service

£210

Every 2 years, annualised

Road tax

£200

Standard rate, post year-one

Fuel

£884

47 mpg, £1.60/L

Insurance

£1,120

Age 33-39, group 40

Clean-air zones

✓ ULEZ compliant

All petrol variants meet Euro 4 standards and are ULEZ compliant.

Based on London ULEZ standards — Birmingham, Bath, Bristol, Sheffield, Glasgow and other UK clean-air zones generally follow the same rules.

Total expected£2,599 / year

Excludes depreciation and unscheduled repairs (see next section).

Unexpected costs

What out-of-warranty repairs typically run, by mileage band. Your selected mileage is highlighted.

0-30k miles

£80

per year · low risk

30-60k miles

£240

per year · low risk

60-100k miles

£520

per year · medium risk

100k+ miles

£900

per year · high risk

Tyres

235/40 R18 · 245/35 R19

What a full set of four will cost you (including fit and balance), and which brand each tier of buyer should pick. A typical set lasts about 15,000 miles.

Budget

£400

set of 4, fitted · £85 per tyre

Mid-range

£580

set of 4, fitted · £130 per tyre

Premium

£840

set of 4, fitted · £195 per tyre

What to fit

Optional extras worth paying for

Factory options ranked by how much of their original cost they recover at resale. Anything above 70% return tends to make money back; below 40% is paying for your own enjoyment.

Option	New cost	Added used value	Return
Tow bar (factory-fit) Niche, but the buyers who want one will pay for it.	£650	£450	69%
Parking sensors & reversing camera Near-expected now — its absence costs more than its presence returns.	£500	£300	60%
Heated seats / cold-weather pack	£450	£200	44%
Metallic or premium paint Almost universal — an unusual colour is the bigger resale risk.	£600	£200	33%
Panoramic / opening roof	£1,100	£350	32%
Larger alloy wheels	£700	£200	29%

Parts most likely to fail

Drawn from owner reports and warranty data. Filtered for relevance to 17,157 miles.

Watch now

Failure typically happens around your current mileage.

Upcoming

A known weak point — but you haven't reached its usual mileage yet.

Already due

Past its usual failure mileage. Either already fixed, or about to.

BrakesUpcoming

Typical at over 100k milesCost £150-£500medium severityParts high

Recorded in 13.0% of MOT tests over 100k miles — from 2,521,960 DVSA MOT tests analysed.

SuspensionUpcoming

Typical at over 100k milesCost £150-£450medium severityParts high

Recorded in 10.2% of MOT tests over 100k miles — from 2,521,960 DVSA MOT tests analysed.

Lighting & signallingUpcoming

Typical at over 100k milesCost £15-£120medium severityParts high

Recorded in 10.4% of MOT tests over 100k miles — from 2,521,960 DVSA MOT tests analysed.

Tyres & wheelsUpcoming

Typical at over 100k milesCost £80-£500low severityParts high

Recorded in 4.5% of MOT tests over 100k miles — from 2,521,960 DVSA MOT tests analysed.

EmissionsUpcoming

Typical at over 100k milesCost £150-£800medium severityParts high

Recorded in 6.4% of MOT tests over 100k miles — from 2,521,960 DVSA MOT tests analysed.

Driver's viewUpcoming

Typical at over 100k milesCost £60-£300low severityParts high

Recorded in 4.2% of MOT tests over 100k miles — from 2,521,960 DVSA MOT tests analysed.

"Parts low/medium/high" indicates how easy the replacement part is to source — discontinued or specialist parts mean longer workshop time and bigger bills.

MOT outlook

How this model fares at its MOT as it ages — from 2,550,019 real DVSA test records.

MOT pass rate by age

90% at 3yr → 70.3% at 25yr

A 3-year-old MX-5 passes its MOT 90% of the time; by 25 years that has slipped to 70.3%. The y-axis is zoomed to this model’s range so the trend is readable.

Longevity

96%of 8-year-old examples are still taxed and on the road — a useful read on how well the model lasts.

From 4,387 vehicles registered in 2018.

Survival by registration year

96% of 2018 cars still on the road

Each point is one registration cohort. Older cars on the left, newer on the right. A flatter line means the model holds up over time; a steep drop means cohorts disappear from UK roads faster.

What fails at the first MOT

The defect categories a MX-5 registered 2020–2023 fails on at its first MOT, from 4,798 first tests. Every car here is the same age and the same generation, so these are the faults that show up first - not the wear a high-mileage older example collects.

Tyres & wheels1.5%
Brakes1.0%
Driver's view0.3%
Identification & other0.2%
Suspension0.1%
Emissions0.1%

Share of first MOT tests recording at least one defect in that category. DVSA test-item categories, not parts: “Driver’s view” covers mirrors, wipers and glass.

Typical mileage by age

The average odometer reading for a MX-5 at MOT, by age — measured from the same DVSA records, not assumed. A useful yardstick for whether a given car has done more or fewer miles than its age suggests.

3 yr19,509
4 yr25,366
5 yr31,002
6 yr36,846
7 yr42,662
8 yr48,562
9 yr54,153
10 yr59,361
11 yr64,292
12 yr68,862
13 yr73,651
14 yr78,061

Mean recorded mileage at MOT by vehicle age, from DVSA test records. Ages below three are not shown: the first MOT is due at three years, so the few cars tested earlier are a self-selected minority rather than a representative sample. Ages with at least 10 tests shown.

Reliability

95/ 100

Excellent

First-MOT pass rate and defect rate for cars registered 2020 onward (4,798 first tests), with cohort survival — high confidence.

MOT outlook · age 5 years

87%first-time pass rate

64th percentile — About catalogue average

Based on 118,006 MOT tests · ranked against 248 catalogue models with comparable data

Where this car sits in the catalogue

Pass-rate distribution across 248 catalogue models

Things owners say

01Bought for driving joy, not practicality - it's a two-seater with a tiny boot; check that suits.
02Light weight is the magic - the smaller 1.5 is arguably the sweeter engine; the 2.0 adds pace.
03Watch for corrosion on older cars (sills/arches) and check soft-tops for wear; the ND generation is generally robust.

Safety recalls

Manufacturers occasionally issue safety recalls to fix a fault free of charge. You can check whether the Mazda MX-5, or your exact vehicle, has any outstanding recalls on the official DVSA service.

Check on GOV.UK

Opens the Driver & Vehicle Standards Agency recall checker. Choose the make, model and year of manufacture — no registration needed.

Theft risk

A general indicator from UK 2025 theft data and this car’s characteristics — not a prediction for any one vehicle.

Whole-car theft

Around average

Theft risk is around the UK average. Like most modern cars it has keyless entry, so relay theft is the method to guard against.

Parts theft

Around average

Parts-theft risk is around average — catalytic-converter theft is the main thing to be aware of on any petrol or diesel car.

Worth doing

Keep keys in a Faraday pouch and away from the front door to block relay attacks.
Park in well-lit, busy areas, and consider a tracker for faster recovery.

Clean-air zones

Whether driving a Mazda MX-5 into a UK clean-air zone will cost you anything. Rules use the same Euro standard across most zones — petrol from 2006 and diesel from 2015 onwards are exempt; pure electric is always exempt.

Charging zones for cars

City	Area	Daily charge	Likely outcome
London	All of Greater London (within the M25)	£12.50	Likely exempt Petrol from 2006 meets Euro 4.
Birmingham	Inside the A4540 Middleway	£8.00	Likely exempt Petrol from 2006 meets Euro 4.
Bristol	City centre and part of the Portway	£9.00	Likely exempt Petrol from 2006 meets Euro 4.
Glasgow	City centre	—	Likely exempt Petrol from 2006 meets Euro 4.
Edinburgh	City centre	—	Likely exempt Petrol from 2006 meets Euro 4.
Aberdeen	City centre	—	Likely exempt Petrol from 2006 meets Euro 4.
Dundee	City centre	—	Likely exempt Petrol from 2006 meets Euro 4.

Zones that don't charge private cars

Bath — City centre (Private cars and motorbikes are not charged).
Bradford — Outer ring road and the Aire Valley (Private cars are not charged).
Sheffield — Inside the A61 inner ring road (Private cars are not charged).
Newcastle & Gateshead — City centres and the Tyne, Swing, High Level and Redheugh bridges (Private cars are not charged).
Portsmouth — Part of the city centre (Applies to taxis, PHVs, buses, coaches and HGVs only).

Model-level guidance only. To check a specific registration, use the official gov.uk clean-air zone checker. Zone charges and boundaries are set by local councils and change over time.

Company car tax

What HMRC's Benefit-in-Kind charge looks like if you ran this Mazda MX-5 as a company car, by tax year and income-tax band. Calculated from a CO₂ of 148 g/km, using £30,500 as the P11D value.

Tax year	BIK %	Tax @ 20%	Tax @ 40%	Monthly @ 20%	Monthly @ 40%
2025-26	34%	£2,074	£4,148	£173	£346
2026-27	35%	£2,135	£4,270	£178	£356
2027-28	36%	£2,196	£4,392	£183	£366
2028-29	36%	£2,196	£4,392	£183	£366
2029-30	36%	£2,196	£4,392	£183	£366

P11D value is approximated from the latest new price; the exact figure on your tax code will depend on options fitted. The 4% diesel surcharge applies only to non-RDE2 (pre-2021) diesels — we assume RDE2 compliance for current models. Bands and rates from HMRC's Autumn Budget 2024 confirmation through 2029/30.

Servicing & the dealer network

How well-supported Mazda is across the UK — a practical read on how easy servicing, parts and warranty work will be to find.

Franchised UK dealers

~120

Large network

Mass-market

Network size relative to the UK's largest (Mazda is 2.7% of all franchised outlets)

Servicing, parts and warranty work are easy to find UK-wide, and most independent garages know the brand well — which keeps maintenance competitive.

For context, the UK has roughly 4,500 franchised car-dealer outlets in total, plus about 15,500 independent garages.

Approximate figures, curated from public UK industry sources (NFDA, Car Dealer Magazine). Franchised networks shrink year on year — these indicate network size, not an exact count.

Dimensions & weight

These are segment estimates, not manufacturer figures. 296 of 325 catalogued cars share one of 14 identical dimension sets, so they describe a class rather than this particular car. Sourced figures replace them model by model.

Length

4,400 mm

Width

1,850 mm

Height

1,300 mm

Kerb weight

1,500 kg

Boot

280–320 L

Fuel tank

48 L

How many are still out there

How the UK Mazda MX-5 fleet splits: taxed and on the road, parked off the road on a SORN, and gone from the register where that figure is available.

Total ever registered

123,348

Currently taxed & on road

79,572

65% of all registered

SORN (off road)

36,872

30% of all registered

Scrapped or exported

6,904

UK fleet trend — 2014 to 2025

-2.2% vs 2024

97,37179,572

Source: DfT VEH0124 vehicle licensing statistics (year-end 2025) · Updated 29 Jul 2026

Common questions

Mazda MX-5, answered from the data

Is the Mazda MX-5 reliable?: The Mazda MX-5 scores 95/100 on Forecourt's MOT-based reliability measure, ahead of 64% of the cars we track. That is computed from 2,550,019 real DVSA MOT test results.
How much does a used Mazda MX-5 cost?: A 2023 Mazda MX-5 with around 17,157 miles is worth roughly £17,150 today (typical range £15,500–£18,800). Dealer forecourt prices sit higher and part-exchange offers lower; newer or lower-mileage examples cost more.
How quickly does the Mazda MX-5 depreciate?: A new Mazda MX-5 typically loses about 36% of its value over the first three years, then depreciates more slowly. Buying at three to five years old avoids the steepest part of the curve.
What insurance group is the Mazda MX-5?: The Mazda MX-5 sits in insurance group 40 of 50 — the more expensive end of the scale. Exact premiums depend on the trim (some versions sit a few groups higher or lower), your age, postcode and no-claims history.
What goes wrong on a used Mazda MX-5?: The most common age-related issues we track for the Mazda MX-5 are: brakes (typically around over 100k miles, £150-£500 to put right); suspension (typically around over 100k miles, £150-£450 to put right); lighting & signalling (typically around over 100k miles, £15-£120 to put right). A full service history and a recent MOT with no advisories are the best protection.
What does the Mazda MX-5 cost to run?: Expect around 47 mpg combined on the 1.5 Skyactiv-G 132, £200 a year in road tax, about £185 for a standard annual service. The full cost-of-ownership table above breaks this down per year and per mile for the exact year and mileage you choose.
Is the Mazda MX-5 ULEZ compliant?: Most petrol Mazda MX-5s from 2006 and diesels from September 2015 meet the Euro standards for London ULEZ and other UK clean-air zones, so they are generally exempt from the daily charge. Pure-electric versions are always exempt.
How many Mazda MX-5s are on UK roads?: About 79,572 Mazda MX-5s are currently taxed and on the road in the UK, from DfT vehicle-licensing data.

Answers are generated from this car's Forecourt data — DVSA MOT records, DfT licensing statistics and our valuation model — and update with the weekly data refresh.