2026 Mazda MX-5 Miata Gets Price Bump Still Starts Under $31k

January 27, 2026 Andrew Beckford

The bad news is that the Mazda MX-5 Miata is going up in price for 2026. The good news is that the MSRP bump is relatively small and still keeps the MX-5 as one of the best bargain sports cars money can buy. Let’s crunch the numbers.

2026 Mazda MX-5 Price

Across all trims, the 2026 Mazda MX-5 Miata is getting a $900 price increase. That means the entry-level MX-5 Miata Sport 6-speed manual soft top will now start at $30,430. Considering other sports cars in its class, despite the increase, the MX-5 remains the best bang-for-buck sports car on the market. Take the $42,000 Honda Prelude, for example; it has sharp looks and more horsepower than the MX-5, but it’s also front-wheel drive, has a complex hybrid powertrain, and is only available with an automatic transmission that simulates manual shifting.

While the MX-5 vs Prelude isn’t exactly the best apples-to-apples comparison, it illustrates how impressive it is that Mazda can still keep its MX-5 at a reasonable price.

Moving down the trim line, the MX-5 Club 6-speed will start at $33,930 for the soft top and $41,900 for the RF hardtop. The Grand Touring trim with the manual transmission will start at $35,730 for the soft top and $38,450 for the RF. An automatic transmission on the Grand Touring soft top adds $920 to the price, while the automatic option for the Gran Touring RF adds $970. The tan Nappa leather option for the Gran Touring remains the same price at $300.

All four optional paint colors: Aero Gray Metallic, Snowflake White Pearl Mica, Soul Red Crystal Metallic, and Machine Gray Metallic, will set you back $595.

What do you think of the 2026 Mazda MX-5 Miata pricing? Is $900 a reasonable increase? Or is it a smidge too far? Let us know in the comments or on Threads. We’d love to hear what you think.