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Mazda MX 5

Live market prices, listings, and how many are still on the road.

Recorded sold-price history for this model is coming soon. Meanwhile, see the live market and how many are still on the road below.

Still on UK roads

Licensed in Great Britain 78,249 as of 2026 Q1
Declared off-road (SORN) 35,099 stored, restored or resting

Vehicle counts contain public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0 — DfT/DVLA vehicle licensing statistics (table VEH0120, Great Britain), grouped by generic model. Counts cover all body types and fuels registered under this model name.

MOT pass rate & common faults

MOT pass rate 79.2% of 158,861 tests, 2024
Typical MOT mileage 61,000 median recorded, miles

MOT pass rate by year — improving, up 2.3 points since 2020:

Most common failure areas — share of failed tests citing each area (a car can fail on more than one), from 33,020 sampled fails:

Suspension 25.5%
Brakes 22.0%
Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment 15.1%
Noise, Emissions and Leaks 12.9%
Body, Chassis, Structure 8.4%

MOT figures contain public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0 — DVSA anonymised MOT tests and results (Great Britain), class 4 (cars & light vehicles), 2024. Pass rate is measured across first (initial) MOT tests only; a pass counts a certificate issued outright or after minor repair at the station. Grouped by generic model.

Live UK market — what they’re listed at

Median asking £3,900 midpoint of live UK listings
Listings live 43 range £499–£14,700
Listing type 91% classified · 9% auction

What’s for sale by price — how the live UK listings split by asking price:

Price bandListingsShare
Under £5k 28 65%
£5k–£10k 7 16%
£10k–£20k 8 19%

Asking figures are live, de-duplicated statistics from the eBay UK and dealer listings we currently track for this model — the same cars shown in “for sale now”. Asking prices are not sold prices.

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Every car listed for sale right now; priced-car medians below are de-duplicated to one row per car.

About the Mazda MX-5

The Mazda MX-5 is the best-selling roadster ever made, and for good reason: light weight, front-engine/rear-drive balance and near-bulletproof mechanicals make it the most fun-per-pound sports car on the market. Four generations — NA (1989–1997), NB (1998–2005), NC (2005–2015) and ND (2015 on) — share the same recipe, with a huge parts and specialist network behind them. The main enemy is rust: check sills, arches and rear chassis rails, because on an MX-5 condition matters far more than mileage.

Live market snapshot — 2 August 2026

72 live UK listings tracked, duplicates removed · median asking £4,490 (range £595 – £25,000)

EraLive listingsMedian asking
1990s10£3,825
2000s28£3,625
2010s17£9,250
2020s3£18,429

Median of live UK asking prices in our database on the date shown, duplicates removed. These are asking prices, not sold prices, and a model-wide median hides a wide spread between the best and worst cars.

Mazda MX-5: FAQs

Is the Mazda MX-5 reliable?

Very. It is mechanically simple, cheap to run and superbly supported by specialists, with abundant, affordable parts. The main thing to check is corrosion — sills, arches and rear chassis rails — rather than mileage.

Which MX-5 generation is best?

The NA (1989–1997) is the purest and most collectable, the NB (1998–2005) offers similar feel for less, and the NC/ND are more modern and usable. All are rewarding; buy the best-maintained, rust-free car you can.

How much does a Mazda MX-5 cost?

The MX-5 is one of the cheapest ways into rear-drive motoring, spanning cheap projects up to cherished, low-mileage cars. See the live figures above and our price guides for current values.