Key Points
- Pricing for the 2026 Mazda MX-5 Miata starts at $31,665 (all prices include a $1,235 destination charge).
- No major changes
- Pure driving fun and 29 mpg combined
The modern world may complicate the quest for inner peace, but the principles of its pursuit largely remain the same. So it is with the Mazda MX-5 Miata, available with a soft top or a folding hard top Mazda calls RF (for Retractable Fastback). The fourth-generation car enters its 11th year in 2026 with the only change being some new synthetic suede interior trim in the Brembo/BBS/Recaro Package. Few buyers want anything more; Mazda’s affordable two-seat roadster remains everything you need for inner peace behind the wheel.
Related: 2024 Mazda MX-5 Miata Review: Treat Your Senses
Release Date and Pricing
The 2026 Mazda MX-5 Miata will go on sale later in the year. Full pricing is as follows:
MX-5 Miata
- Sport: $31,665
- Club: $35,165
- Grand Touring: $36,965
MX-5 Miata RF
- Grand Touring: $39,685
- Club: $43,135
Trim Levels and Safety Features
The entry-level Sport trim is only available with the soft top. It rides on black 16-inch aluminum wheels and features LED exterior lighting, keyless entry and start, cloth upholstery and a six-speaker audio system. Its 8.8-inch infotainment screen is normally controlled by a knob, but it has touch capability when occupants are using Apple CarPlay or Android Auto.
If the Club trim level makes you think of the phrase “Club Sport” or private country-club racetracks, that’s because it should. Mazda hones the Club with a front shock-tower brace for sharper responses, Bilstein shocks for more controlled handling, a limited-slip differential for better traction out of corners and an induction resonator for a more pleasant engine soundtrack. A DSC-Track mode for the stability control system loosens the reins to allow for more sliding before intervention. Sharp-eyed fans can distinguish the Club by its 17-inch wheels, chin spoiler and rear lip spoiler, all finished in black. The Club also includes heated cloth seats with suede inserts, synthetic leather interior trim, a nine-speaker Bose audio system with head restraint speakers, and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
Standard on the RF Club and a $5,050 option with the soft top, the Brembo/BBS/Recaro Package bundles upgrades from its eponymous aftermarket suppliers: Brembo front brakes (with red front and rear calipers), dark-gray 17-inch BBS wheels and heated Recaro sport seats. In addition to the standard Club’s black exterior trim, cars equipped with this package include black side sills and a black rear bumper skirt.
The only Miata to offer an automatic transmission, the Grand Touring gains heated leather seats, automatic climate control and navigation. Without the automatic, it comes with the Club’s dynamic upgrades but not the Brembo/BBS/Recaro Package.
Mazda’s i-Activesense suite of driver-assistance systems is standard on the 2026 MX-5 Miata. It includes forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking, lane departure warning, blind spot monitors, rear cross-traffic alert and a driver-attention monitor. The Grand Touring adds adaptive headlights that turn with the steering wheel, road-sign recognition and automatic high beams. When equipped with the automatic transmission, the GT also gets adaptive cruise control.
Read More About the Mazda MX-5 Miata on Cars.com:
- 2024 Mazda MX-5 Miata Gets Performance and Tech Upgrades, Price Upcharge
- Mazda Announces 35th Anniversary MX-5 Miata; Only 300 Coming to US
- 2019 Mazda MX-5 Miata RF Increases in Price, Power
- 2019 Mazda MX-5 Miata: 3 Things You Need to Know
- Research the Mazda MX-5 Miata
Powertrain Specs and MPG
The 2026 Mazda MX-5 Miata is powered by a 181-horsepower, 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine making 151 pounds-feet of torque. A six-speed manual transmission is standard, and a six-speed automatic is available as an option on the Grand Touring trim level; it costs $920 with the soft top and $970 with the folding hard top. All Miatas send their power to the rear wheels.
Official EPA fuel-economy ratings for the 2026 model are not yet available, but they’re unlikely to change from 2025, when the Miata returned an EPA-rated 26/34/29 mpg city/highway/combined with the manual transmission. The automatic gained 1 mpg on the highway and is rated at 26/35/29 mpg.
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