So far this year, I’ve been behind the wheel of more than 80 vehicles — ranging from practical family crossovers like the Toyota RAV4 all the way to supercars like the Chevrolet Corvette. There are also a dozen electric cars that continue to impress me with their ridiculous performance, such as the Audi RS e-tron GT and Porsche Taycan. Yet, out of everything I’ve tested, the keys I was most reluctant to hand back belonged to none other than the Mazda MX-5 Miata.
On paper, there’s a lot to love about this featherweight roadster. From its $43,135 as-tested price tag to the cool factor of dropping the roof for an open-air cruise, it commands attention everywhere it goes. But there’s far more to the 2026 Mazda MX-5 Miata RF Club 6MT — and after spending a solid week with it, I regret not buying one years ago. Here’s why.
Arguably, the biggest reason the Mazda MX-5 Miata is my favorite drive of the year comes down to the gearbox: it’s only the second manual car I’ve ever tested. I locked down the basics with the Toyota GR Corolla a few months back, so the learning curve wasn’t nearly as steep this time around.
While the GR Corolla was an exhilarating trial by fire, I had a noticeably easier time working the Miata’s clutch. Finding the bite point in first gear felt intuitive, and subsequent shifts grabbed onto each gear with confidence. Unlike my past experience sweating bullets trying to launch on a steep incline, hills were a total breeze.
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