The sports car that proves that you don’t have to choose between fun and reliability

Sports cars are bought primarily for fun, and their high performance often means more power and sometimes more complex powertrains. Complexity means a higher chance of something breaking, but you can trust that the Japanese make mechanically simple machines, to the point that their sports cars are some of the most reliable cars on sale today.

For today’s article we will discuss a sports car, the maintenance and reliability of which hardly differ from those of the sedans and crossover SUVs of this brand. This is a sports car that proves that you don’t have to choose between fun and reliability, because thanks to its mechanical simplicity, this car is bulletproof, reliable and affordable to maintain. It may not be the most powerful sports car on the market, but it is one of the most fun.

Miata is always the answer

If you were expecting the Miata to be the main topic of this article, you’re right. And perhaps to no one’s surprise, the Mazda MX-5 Miata combines excellent reliability with a high degree of fun for every occasion.

The most reliable Mazda

In 2020, Mazda was ranked based on Consumer Reports as the second most reliable car brand, just behind Lexus. For each model the MX-5 Miata ended up being the most reliable car, period. Today, in 2026, the recognition of the MX-5 Miata’s reliability remains the same. In reality, iSeeCars ranks the Miata as the most reliable Mazda you can buy today. iSeeCars also released its latest study, titled “The Most Reliable New Cars for the Money for 2026,” and while the Civic’s affordable price and 13.5-year average lifespan put it at the top of the study, the MX-5 Miata’s reliability record is even more impressive.

That’s because the MX-5 Miata has a reliability rating of 8.9 out of 10, thanks to its whopping 16.7 years or 115,002-mile average lifespan, along with a 3.5 percent chance of reaching 200,000 miles. We don’t know exactly why iSeeCars left out the MX-5 in their study, especially considering that a less reliable and more expensive Mini Cooper was on the list, but oh well.

And also easy to maintain

The MX-5 Miata’s solid reliability means you hardly have to think about this vehicle when it comes to mechanical problems, but when they do arise, they are very easy to solve. Because the MX-5 Miata’s 2.0-liter Skyactiv-G four-cylinder is similar to the one that powers a plethora of Mazda 3s, CX-5s and CX-30s in other markets, this engine is built around ease of maintenance.

You see, many of the important components in the MX-5 Miata are easily accessible, meaning that many maintenance checks and routines can be performed yourself without the need for any special equipment. Furthermore, the commonality of their parts across models means that even spare parts are plentiful. Except for the i-ELOOP capacitor for regenerative braking – which is an expensive consumable part – spare parts for the MX-5 Miata are relatively affordable.

What makes the MX-5 fun

As mentioned, this article focuses on why this sports car offers both fun and reliability, and in this section we will talk about why the MX-5 is one of the most fun sports cars you can buy.

There is no need to ignore speed limits

There’s a reason why James May once said it’s more fun to drive fast in a slow car than to drive slowly in a fast car. The Mazda MX-5 Miata has just the right amount of power. Its 2.0-liter four-cylinder produces “only” 181 hp and 151 Nm of torque, and it is mated to a six-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission. Remember that a car is light, so you don’t need a lot of power to make this car exciting.

Actually, everything it has is correct. Those 17 inch wheels? They are not necessarily the widest. The power? Just right: even when you dig into the accelerator, it feels exciting enough, but not so bad that you end up in jail within a few seconds. The suspension? Not too stiff, because the inherent lightness means you don’t need a very stiff suspension to flatten an MX-5 corner. Actually, an MX-5 Miata exhibits a certain amount of body roll, and that’s by design. This allows drivers to feel how the MX-5 Miata flows through corners and adjust their driving accordingly, like a horse and rider as one. Combined with the precise steering and excellent shift quality of the available six-speed manual transmission, the MX-5 Miata is a vehicle whose accessible driving limits are easy to understand.

It’s the kind of driving experience that rewards the act of simply being outside and driving. It’s also a brilliantly designed little machine, proving that a sports car doesn’t have to be powerful to qualify as one.

-William Clavey for TopSpeed

Beyond Jinba-Ittai

That horse-and-rider principle is what Mazda calls “jinba-ittai,” which is their driving development philosophy. The driving feel of the Mazda MX-5 Miata isn’t just about marketing, it’s also about tactility, and that’s reflected in most Mazdas on sale today. What’s also nice about the MX-5 is that its inherent lightness also makes it a usable car for everyday use.

2026 Mazda MX-5 Miata Specs

Because the suspension does not have to carry much weight, it does not have to be stiff. Therefore, the driving behavior is sufficiently compliant for a sports car. The inherent lightness also has another advantage: fuel efficiency. The 2.0-litre four-cylinder doesn’t have to work hard to carry much weight, and so if I keep an MX-5 press car for a week it can easily achieve more than 11 km/l (25 MPG) through a mix of sedate and enthusiastic driving. If I drive purely sensibly, I can even achieve 14 km/l or 32 MPG. The only drawback that may keep you from using the MX-5 on a daily basis is its small size. The trunk is small and the interior is just right for my height of 6 feet, so anyone taller than me might struggle.

What’s new for 2026

The Mazda MX-5 Miata last received a mid-cycle facelift in the 2024 model year, so for 2026 the updates are all aimed at revising the equipment levels for each variant.

Now a ten year old design

We’ve officially reached a point where the current ND-generation Mazda MX-5 Miata is ten years old. With this, the design has evolved incrementally to keep up with the times and Mazda’s changing design direction. For 2026, it retains the LED headlights with integrated LED daytime running lights that were introduced in 2024. These are combined with new LED taillights and new front and rear bumpers.

The base Sport trim comes with a black fabric top and 16-inch wheels. Step up to the Club and you now get the new 17-inch wheels in black, along with a subtle body kit. As an option, the Club trim can be equipped with the optional BBS Brembo Recaro package, which adds Brembo front brakes with red calipers, dark bronze BBS wheels and, of course, Recaro seats for the interior. However, this optional package is standard on the RF Club. Finally, the Grand Touring focuses on elegance and comfort as it adds adaptive LED headlights, automatic high beams and traffic sign recognition. Here you also get those 17-inch wheels, but with a two-tone finish.

Improved features for 2026

Stepping into the 2026 Mazda MX-5 Miata, buyers will appreciate the 8.8-inch Mazda Connect infotainment that was introduced in 2024 and comes with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and Alexa Built-In. All variants also get the range of Mazda i-Activsense safety features, although only Grand Touring models with an automatic get adaptive cruise control. Opt for the Club models, and here you get wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, cloth seats with suede inserts, a Bose sound system or the aforementioned optional Recaro bucket seats. Finally, the Grand Touring, the top model in the range, gets leather upholstery, which can be made even richer if you opt for the nappa leather ones.

As for the interior design itself, it remains largely the same as what we’ve become accustomed to over the past decade, although since the recent facelift the interior has more leather or leatherette surfaces for a premium feel. Notable handling features include asymmetrical LSD, Bilstein dampers, induction sound amplifier and front shock tower brace on Club models and above. However, these features are reserved for the manual, which is essentially your sign telling you which transmission option to choose for the MX-5.

Sources: Mazda, iSeeCars, AutoEdge