Autocar UK – 28 August 2019

FINAL SHOOTOUT BBADC 2019

28 AUGUST 2019 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 55

usability is the filter through which

any dynamic superlatives must soak

and drain before becoming truly

meaningful in this test.

However, there was simply no

denying, suppressing or qualifying

the primacy of the MX-5 for the four

out of five on the judging panel who

put the little Mazda top overall in

their scoring. Davis summed up its

app e a l v e r y w e l l w he n he not e d how

much he loved that “on the road,

you feel like you can use everything

it ’s got , a nd on t r a c k , t he s c op e it

provides for playing silly buggers

i s i mp o s si ble not t o t a k e a sh i ne

to.” For Calo, it was “a purist’s

dream – and if it wasn’t for the

curry I’d eaten for lunch starting to

repeat on me, I’d have stayed out on

track in it all afternoon.” See how

insightful we can be?

What do you mean you want

more detail? Well, for this tester,

the process of remembering and

anatomising what makes up such

a wonderful driving experience is

a l mo s t a s muc h f u n a s s a mpl i n g it

in the first place – and will always

fe e l l i k e a pr i v i le ge. It s t a r t s w it h a n

abiding sense of compactness: the

MX-5, like the Abarth 595 and a little

like the Mini but unlike anything else

he r e , f it s i n side U K l a ne m a rk i n gs

with space to breathe – and when

it comes to enjoying a car on a daily

basis and on any trip, that’s a really

laudable quality.

The car’s performance level is so

perfectly matched to its outright grip

level and its reserves of body control

t h at t o d r i v e it at br i sk i sh r e a l-w orld

road pace – between 60mph and

80mph on undulating A- and B-roads

• i s t o fe e l l i k e y ou’r e e x p e r ie nc i n g

the MX-5 at its absolute best. Nothing

else in this field gives you that sense

ne a rl y a s c le a rl y. O v e r t a k i n g me a n s

wringing that 2.0-litre atmospheric

engine out right to the 7200rpm

redline in second and third gears,

which is made joyful by the car’s ◊

Top three cars soon

became a top two

in the judges’ eyes

Stability and poise

allow high cornering

speeds in the Civic

HONDA CIVIC

TYPE R

RICHARD LANE

Still the ergonomic

master. The driving

position is so good

that with your eyes

closed you’d assume

you were sitting in a

serious rear-driven

sports car, not a front-

drive hot hatch with

steadfastly practical

roots. And it only gets

better from there.