The world's best-selling roadster, the Mazda MX-5, has added another accolade to its many awards by earning the title of 'Best Sports car' in the highly-regarded 2010 JD Power vehicle ownership satisfaction survey, published last week.

In total more than 17,000 car owners across the UK took part in the annual survey. Owners of Mazda's iconic two-seater sportscar gave their cars top-scores for appearance, exterior and interior quality and mechanical reliability, performance, running costs and also for dealer service.

Ultimately, the Mazda MX-5 notched up a satisfaction rating of 82.3 percent - beating the Mercedes-Benz SLK, VW Eos and Audi TT rivals to claim the 'Best-in-Class' honours.

It is not the first time that the Mazda MX-5 has won a JD Power award and reporting this year's survey results WhatCar? magazine stated: "If there is one car that always does well in the sports category, it's the MX-5. It has a trophy cabinet full of JD Power awards and now adds this year's title, too." The latest survey confirmed that MX-5 owners are particularly happy with the soft-top's quality and reliability. The exterior design got top marks and the car was highly rated for how it drove.

The Mazda MX-5 soft top is accompanied by the Roadster Coupe featuring a retractable hard top. The roof opens and closes in just 12 seconds; one of the fastest in the segment. When the roof opens it does not take away any boot space ensuring it is a sports car you can use every day.

"Ownership experience of the Mazda MX-5 echoes that of all our other models in the Mazda range. Our customers enjoy outstanding driving performance, the highest levels of reliability and build quality, matched by low running costs," comments David McGonigle, MD Mazda Motor Ireland. "The success in this year's JD Power Survey confirms the proposition of Mazda ownership as one of the most attractive in the marketplace.