(Image credit: John Velasco / Tom's Guide)

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.…