I have to agree with Omedon. But as the original question was if solo / open world content gets better, then yes it does.
It still is miles away from how easy some other classes are. As an example: a Demon hunter will have an easier time than a mage doing anything solo / open world related. And most things they will have an easier time being significantly worse geared.
Also anyone mentioning kiting / rooting / etc as a tactic to make it easier:
- Yes, this makes some things doable as a mage
- Also, most other classes can do the same thing without having to kite / root / etc
Overall, mage is one of the worst solo / open world classes in WoW.
It's designed around being in group content.