THE hard-top on Mazda’s Roadster doesn’t appear to have affected handling or performance, and has added security and protection, as well as not taking up much more room than the cloth top.

CAP reckons the Roadster will be worth £700 more used than the standard model, although it costs £1,700 more new.

The question is this: even though it loses more in total than the soft-top, is that extra £1,000 cash lost worth it for its extra practicality during its fleet life?

MAZDA MX-5 CONVERTIBLE 2.0i SPORT
PRICE NEW £18,722

Mileage Age (months) Predicted value Money lost
20,000 12 £12,375/66% £6,347
30,000 18 £11,175/60% £7,547
40,000 24 £10,125/54% £8,597
50,000 30 £9,150/49% £9,572
60,000 36 £8,300/44% £10,422

MAZDA MX-5 ROADSTER COUPE 2.0i SPORT
PRICE NEW £20,482

Mileage Age (months) Predicted value Money lost
20,000 12 £13,425/66% £7,057
30,000 18 £12,125/59% £8,357
40,000 24 £10,975/54% £9,507
50,000 30 £9,925/48% £10,557
60,000 36 £9,000/44% £11,482

Source: CAP Motor Research