Talking Cars 507: Driving the 2026 Mazda MX-5 Miata

Main theme: In this podcast episode, we discuss in animated detail how much we love the cheeky Mazda Miata roadster. (And, no, not once did we call it an “MX-5”… so there, Mazda). We borrowed a 2026 Club version from Mazda, blissfully fitted with the six-speed manual transmission. It came with the Brembo BBS Recaro package and retails for $40,810.

The panelists raved about how the Miata’s handling, responsive drivetrain, and overall fun factor can’t be beat. But, seeing as CR is balanced in its reporting, they also admitted that it comes with a fairly brutal ride, super-challenging access, and otherworldly levels of noise endemic to this low-slung sports car.

However, there’s no getting around that this podcast was a love letter to one of the greatest sports cars ever made.

Audience question: My friend recently took a Tesla for a one-hour test drive in full self-driving mode. He said FSD did an excellent job the entire time and even managed to handle a police officer directing traffic at a set of traffic lights that were out of service!

My question to the team: How long do we have before the insurance industry and government safety regulations ban people from physically driving? That is, how many years do my ‘97 Miata and I have left?