TAPS AFF For Less This Summer

Mercedes-Benz's new SLC roadster hits showrooms next month. As the German marque's compact sports car, it's almost certain to be a fixture on UK roads when (or if) summer arrives this year. But with prices starting at £30,495 is it the best option for taps-aff countryside fun?

Let's first look at what you get for your money. £30k plus 2 years of pocket money is enough for the bottom-of-the range SLC200, a 2-litre petrol pocket rocket with 184bhp reaching the rear wheels through a 6-speed manual 'box, plus more than a pocket's full of standard equipment - including DAB radio, LED running lamps, 17" alloys and it's trademark folding metal roof, which should add to refinement when the weather isn't so nice.

At the other end of the range is the SLC 43 AMG, with Merc's new 3.0 V6. This seems a very attractive proposition with 367bhp and a quoted 0-60 of 4.7 seconds, but is all that really necessary in a sports car this size? Plus, once specced up, the little car with the bigger engine will be pushing £50k, which seems a lot when realistically there's only going to be 2 days in June per year you can get it out with the top down.

A typical example of the outgoing SLK in the wild

If you're in the market for a compact, 2-seat sports car but are repelled by the baby Merc's pricetags, fear not; there is another way...

Mazda's new MX-5 may not have anything like the aluminium origami of the swish SLC, but what it lacks in prestige it makes up for in peppy performance. The 2-litre MX-5 may only produce 158bhp, but that still gives a 0-60 time of 7.3 seconds, keeping close to the Mercedes' 7 seconds flat.

In the corners, the Japanese car should have the edge. Mazda's engineers have continued the weight-saving mentality they're so renowned for, which results in their roadster weighing almost half a ton less than the equivalent SLC. It's old-school fabric roof should help in keeping the centre of gravity nice and low, and the high tensile steel body manages to be both lighter and more rigid than the previous model.

The interior might not quite have the same premium feel as the entry spec Merc, but the 2l SE MX-5 comes with a 7" touch screen with app connectivity, and DAB radio and Garmin sat-nav are speccable options, not that you'll be able to hear them over the wind noise when you're making the most of the miles and miles of sky that come as standard.

A new MX-5 (thanks Michael R Perry of Flickr)

I've sadly not had a chance to test drive either of the current models of these cars, but I do have experience with previous iterations of each in their base specs. Whilst the SLK I drove felt sturdy and direct on the road, the 6-speed box in that car let it down and the whole thing felt a bit too lumbering for a sports car. The MX-5, on the other hand, felt nimble and effortless, it's lack of bulk more than making up for it's slightly lower power output.

So far as I can see, there's only one major difference between the two. If you can put up with having slightly less badge then you could save yourself a pretty penny. A base spec 2-litre MX-5 on the road will cost just £20,755, almost ten grand less than the Merc. With that difference, you could afford a decent set of waterproof clothes for you and your passenger, so you can enjoy top-down driving all year round - with a whole lot of change left over for petrol and 'oh, let's just stop at this country pub for a spot of lunch' motoring.