Two seat convertible, 50:50 weight distribution, rear wheel drive, six speed manual, BBS wheels, Bilstein shocks, and Brembo brakes. Sounds like a serious sports car to me. But then you walk up to the diminutive 2026 Mazda MX-5 Miata RF and see its cheeky face and wonder how this all makes sense.
Don’t mess with a good thing
The Miata hasn't changed much since the current ND platform debuted in 2016, and is now on its third iteration of the modern platform. In fact, the Miata hasn't changed all that much since it hit the scene in 1990. It's still a small, naturally aspirated two seat roadster that weighs under 2,500 pounds, even today and even in this heaviest targa body style, the RF. That's an absolutely crazy weight figure, just a couple hundred pounds more than the original, despite having to carry significantly more active and passive safety features.
Style
The Miata has a cute-ish look to it, with signature cat-eye headlights and bulbous front fenders that carry into the hood, lending an exotic car feel from behind the wheel. The rear end is short, highlighted by circular tail lights that look almost Ferrari-esque.
Our tester has the optional sport package which nets gunmetal BBS 17-inch wheels that sit in front of red Brembo brake calipers, adding a nice performance attitude to the otherwise happy looking roadster. It works well, and especially in RF form, with the buttresses that taper down from the roll hoops behind the seats. The best evidence I can give you is the sheer amount of adoration the car receives from onlookers of all ages.
Cabin & tech
The interior stays true to the driver's-car formula, with a thin rimmed steering wheel and an eight ball style shift knob. This GS-P with the sport package adds leather-lined Recaro seats with alcantara inserts, alcantara on the dash and centre console, with paint-matched upper door panels giving a little extra visual pop; in this case, they're a subdued metallic Aero Grey. It's spunky without being overbearing. The seriousness of the interior is reflected in the central analog tachometer, something even Porsche has since abandoned. True sports car indeed.
It feels funny talking about tech in Miata, but it is 2026 so you can’t be without it. The MX-5 soldiers on with Mazda's iDrive-esque HMI rotary controller that is intuitive and easy to use, and fits in with car's whole theme of tactitilty. For those who prefer to touch screens, you can do that as well, although I found it to be pretty unresponsive at times. Wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are now standard on the GS-P trim.
You also get some active safety features like lane departure warning, blind spot monitoring and rear cross traffic alert. It won’t drive for you though, but why would you want that in a car like this?
On the road
The magic is on the road because the Miata is made to be driven. The controls feel organic in nature, with a shifter that has that old-school vibration, as the shift linkage drops straight into the transmission below, with no shift cables to neuter the feel. There's also an honest to goodness handbrake, which is surprisingly satisfying to use in the most nostalgic way. The steering is direct, but as is the case with most modern cars, granular feel is a little lacking. It's direct and quick, making the Miata feel appropriately go-karty, as any Miata should.
Suspension tuning is something that's a bit of a mixed bag. Due to the short wheelbase and stiff suspension, the ride can feel a bit rough over broken pavement, yet in corners there's more body lean than you would expect. Despite this oddity, the Miata gives you oodles of confidence on the road, allowing you to trust its road holding ability and performance credentials. There aren't many vehicles out there that I’d rather be hustling down a backroad.
You may have noticed I've left the powertrain to the end, and it's not me saving the best for last, it's saving what might just be the most unimportant part of the Miata. Yes it's still the same naturally aspirated 2.0L four cylinder engine, and it makes the same 181 horsepower and measly 151 foot-pounds of torque, with horsepower peaking at 7,000 RPM. It can barely break its tiny 205-size tires. But somehow it all just works.
There's enough get up and go on account of the low weight, and it sounds pretty good, once you appreciate the purity of it. If you’re a keyboard warrior bemoaning the lack of power, you either haven’t driven one or certainly don’t understand its purpose. A bonus to this powertrain (and lack of weight) is that I averaged 7.6L/100 km despite driving it rather spiritedly all week.
Wrap
The price has crept up over the years, but I’m still befuddled at how Mazda charges less than $50K for this thing when seemingly everything else is north of that number these days. Our 2026 MX-5 RF GS-P with sport package rang in at $47,400, a great value in my books. And its purpose may not be as a serious performance car, but it's certainly a serious driver’s car. If you enjoy the art of driving, do yourself a favour and get behind the wheel of a Miata, any Miata, and you’ll get it.