2006 Mazda MX-5

Mazda MX-5

Mazda’s MX-5 sits in a lonely spot on our roads: a rear-driven, two-seat cabriolet that’s all but vanished from new-car showrooms, yet still draws a devoted crowd. You’ll see the comparisons to the Toyota GR86 and Porsche Boxster, but let’s be honest — at R169,900, the MX-5 is in a class of one. That single classified ad says it all: there’s just one 2.0 Soft Top up for grabs, petrol only, manual only. No automatic, no hardtop, no “special edition” badge. That’s not a bug — it’s what the MX-5 should have been from the start. The manual ’box is the whole reason for this car’s existence. This lone listing is a 2006 model with 149,119 km, which sounds hefty until you remember how bulletproof Mazda’s twin-cam engines are if you keep them serviced. The people still hunting for these cars aren’t looking for gadgets or low mileage; they want real driver connection — that quick, direct gearshift, perfectly weighted steering, a kerb mass that means you actually feel the road. You just don’t get that from a Starlet or even a Polo GTI, not at this money. No fresh imports on the horizon, no “new” MX-5s about to arrive. If you want one, this is your shot, because these don’t stick around. And that matters.