| Pros | Cons |
| ✓ An absolute cherry of a roadster | ☓ Definitely not the most practical car for the money |
| ✓ RF is a sweet looking option (if you can afford it) | ☓ Infotainment is getting long in the tooth |
| ✓ Club trim offers what enthusiasts want | ☓ What do you mean $43K for a Miata!? |
| ✓ Still the answer, but… | |
Overview: The 2026 Mazda MX-5 Miata is still as good as it ever was, and I’m going to miss this generation.
Hard to believe, but it’s already been a full decade since Mazda launched the ND MX-5 Miata — the fourth generation in a line of famously driver-focused roadsters. Small, lightweight, agile and focused, it’s brought smiles and satisfaction to more than 1.2 million drivers since the original first launched back in 1989. This current model has gotten a few tweaks over the years to keep it relatively fresh, with the so-called ‘ND3’ model hitting the scene for 2024. No major changes are in store for 2026, but you know how the saying goes. “Miata is the answer”, and every once in awhile you need a solid reminder of what exactly that means…and whether that’s actually true.
In a nutshell, lest you’re just here for validation and want to get on with your day: It is. As so many cars just get bigger, more cumbersome and more technologically complicated with age, Mazda hasn’t strayed far from the formula that’s made its halo so successful over so many years. From the form factor to the styling — particularly with the hardtop RF — to the rear-wheel drive handling to the absolutely perfect gear changes, the latest Mazda MX-5 Miata is an absolute cherry of a driver’s convertible. In fact, not only did my recent week in the Miata remind me just how much I love this car, but it’s also making me a bit wistful that the ND will almost certainly come to an end soon, and (perhaps unnecessarily) nervous on what the future holds.
For now, here’s what you generally need to know. The 2026 Mazda MX-5 Miata is still available as a softtop model in three trims (Sport, Club and Grand Touring), or as a ‘Retractable Fastback’ in Club or GT flavors.
A 6-speed manual is the default, and best, way to experience a Miata, though you can get the Grand Touring models with a 6-speed automatic instead if you’re looking for more of a laid back, top-down cruiser. I’ll still praise Mazda’s engineers for how snappy that 6-speed auto is, too — it’s not a bad transmission at all, but most folks will likely go for the manual because the three-pedal option in this car is just better.
Mazda’s little roadster isn’t out-and-out fast, but you just don’t care.
Under the skin, the 2026 Mazda MX-5 Miata is the same as it’s been these past several years. You still get a 2.0-liter naturally aspirated four-cylinder engine kicking out 181 horsepower to the rear wheels. In a straight line, it’s definitely not going to win you any drag races.
But speed isn’t the point, as much of a cop-out as that sounds. Over the past decade, Mazda’s four-pot has proven to be a rev-happy unit, and when you couple that to absolutely perfect steering, shifting and throttle inputs, even the “heaviest” ND Miata is eager to engage with you. Seriously, if you want to know what a great manual transmission should feel like from your hands to your feet, shifter throw to clutch feel, this is the car you should drive.
Now, if you go for the Club with all its bells and whistles — Brembo brakes, limited-slip differential and sport-tuned Bilstein suspension — the MX-5 Miata is definitely on the firm side. Despite being tiny by modern standards, though, this 2,450ish-pound roadster at no point feels uncomfortable. If anything, the Recaro seats available as a $5,050 package on the softtop Club and standard on the RF are the least comfy part of the experience, if you’re like me and are packing some extra height and heft.
As much combing and nitpicking as you absolutely should be doing in your research, though, there’s just no getting away from the fact that the Miata is just straight-up fun. The controls feel direct and engaging to the point where even your routine commute can put a smile on your face, and that’s always a mark of a good car.
At the end of the day, the 2026 Mazda MX-5 Miata also sips fuel, managing up to 35 mpg on the highway, and I’ve done over 40 mpg on highway drives with that manual transmission.
The Miata’s interior is, as you’d imagine, on the tight side.
Anytime we get a Miata in the office, you’d think I’d be the first one to grab the key and peel off with it, being the TFL team’s resident Mazda fanboy. I hesitate though, because the interior is pretty tight for two full-sized adults and…well, I can’t help think that I look a little ridiculous in a little car like this.
That’s my failing, though, and not the car’s. Once you do settle in, you’ll notice an 8.8-inch touchscreen, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto (which can be wireless, if you get the Club or GT), and a Bose stereo system on the upper trim. The MX-5 is still rocking the older version of Mazda’s infotainment system driven by a command dial, which can be a bit wonky to operate at times. You also still get largely a largely analog, partially digital gauge cluster, manual climate control and only a small cubbie between the seats for storing anything at all. The trunk, at just 4.48 cubic feet on the RF, is equally tiny.
You do get automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring and adaptive cruise control. The latest Miata is bereft of any more advanced driver assistance or AI-powered features. Really, it’s all the better for those omissions, as this little roadster is about the closest you can get to a “no-frills” driving experience these days.
So…should you buy a new MX-5 Miata?
Even though this generation of Miata is a decade old now, you just can’t help but still love its no-nonsense approach to driving. Front-engined, rear-wheel drive roadster with a manual transmission has been a winning formula for Mazda’s halo for decades, and that’s still certainly the case here.
Yes, in case you were wondering, Miata is still the answer…with a caveat.
See, the base 2026 Mazda MX-5 Miata Sport, with softtop, is about $31,665. Sure, you get an open rear differential and no Brembo brakes, Bilstein shocks or Recaro seats for that kind of money, but you still get the essence of the experience.
If you want the Club RF model like I have here, you’re looking at a bill of at least $43,215. I’m sorry…what? $43K for a Miata? It’s a great little car, but you’re asking me to pay nearly as much as a Ford Mustang GT, Honda Civic Type R or a 400-horsepower Nissan Z for a 181-horsepower roadster?
Indeed, Mazda is asking that much for the enthusiast trim of its enthusiast’s car. If you want the targa roof and all the upgrades, you’ll have to cough up some money to make it happen. Even among Miatas, it is the most satisfying option, but would I pay $12K more or even $8K more than a Toyota GR86? That’s a tough call.
If you are shopping a 2026 Mazda MX-5 Miata, I’d probably try going for the softtop Club model instead. That will cost you a more palatable $35,245, and you can spend the extra $5,050 to spec it up with the BBS wheels, upgraded brakes, Recaro seats and aero kit if you want to.
At any rate, the Miata still makes a strong case for itself as a fantastic little driver’s car, even if I did wince at the price tag for this example.
What about the next Miata?
I mentioned earlier being nervous about the Miata’s future, and there’s a reason for that. I obviously love what this car is, and so far Mazda has been able to dodge bringing its halo into an electrified future.
When it comes to everyday family haulers like the Toyota RAV4 or Honda CR-V, I totally get the sense in that. But when it comes to sports cars, I’m also with you guys on hybridization fouling up the purity of what a sports car should be.
Mazda has hinted at a platform that could support electric or hybrid options, if they need to go there. That’s…a bit of a mixed bag, given the company’s track record with models like the MX-30 (it wasn’t a runaway success, was it?). Even with cars like the CX-70/CX-90 PHEV and the CX-50 Hybrid, you get the sense that Mazda will be dragged into the new era kicking and screaming, and as such, there’s fear that could spoil what the Miata has been to so many all these years.
All that said, we’ve also spent that same time among the serious engineering know-how and passion Mazda has at its disposal. While the brand has broadly moved toward a more premium SUV lineup, that passion comes through most clearly with the MX-5 Miata. If there’s one car they can’t screw up, it’s the MX-5, and they know it. So my jitters about changing up the formula could well be entirely misplaced.
We’ll have to wait and see what the Mazda team comes up with for the NE-generation MX-5 Miata, and I’m hoping it will be the best one yet.
