A Week With the 2026 Mazda MX-5 Miata Club: Stick Shift Joy From a Datsun First Car to 7,500 RPM
Some cars are transportation. Others make driving feel like a conversation between driver and machine. This was tested September 15–22, 2026. images illustrate the MX-5; they are photos of Seth’s test car. This review focuses on the Mazda MX-5 Miata Club model.
For one week, from September 15 to September 22, 2026, I drove a Mazda MX-5 Miata Club with a six-speed manual transmission. It brought back a memory I didn’t expect to revisit so clearly: my first car was a Datsun. I won’t pretend the cars are identical. But getting back behind the wheel of a stick shift connected the Miata to the simple joy I remember from that first car.
My short verdict? The manual made the week fun. On fuel economy, I saw lower results in the city and better results on the highway. I don’t have exact mileage figures to share, and I’d need more time to understand the Miata’s best-efficiency sweet spot.
A week in the Miata MX-5 Miata Club: city economy, better highway results
The EPA rates the 2026 MX-5 with a six-speed manual at 26 mpg city, 34 mpg highway and 29 mpg combined.
| Official EPA estimate | MPG |
|---|---|
| City | 26 |
| Highway | 34 |
| Combined | 29 |
My experience followed a different pattern from a single blended rating: economy was lower in the city and better on the highway. That’s my qualitative observation, not a set of measured figures. So I’m not going to turn it into a precise comparison or claim a particular amount above or below the EPA estimates.
There are sensible reasons city and highway driving can produce different results. Stop-and-go traffic means more slowing, starting and clutch work. Short trips can also affect fuel economy because the engine spends less time fully warmed up. By contrast, steady cruising can suit a small-displacement engine. But without exact mileage and a trip log, I can’t say which factors explain my results.
A week gave me real time with the car; however, it definitely wasn’t enough to find its efficiency floor. In fact, a longer test could help separate city and highway driving, short trips from longer ones, and different shift points and engine speeds. Additionally, tire pressure and seasonal temperatures would also matter when comparing results. Overall, those are things I’d want to track rather than guess at.
The Mazda MX-5 Miata stick shift is the heart of the experience
The part that stayed with me wasn’t a fuel-economy number. It was the simple pleasure of using three pedals again.
Mazda fits the Club with a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine, rear-wheel drive and a six-speed manual. In this setup, the engine makes 181 horsepower at 7,000 rpm, with a 7,500-rpm redline. Now, those are specifications, not a claim that I spent the week driving at redline. Instead, the appeal is that the car gives the driver a direct role: you choose a gear, work the clutch and decide how to use the engine.
That engagement brought me back to my Datsun. I won’t guess at its model or claim it drove like the Miata. Instead, the connection is personal: both memories bring me back to the appeal of a small, simple car that asks you to participate.
The Miata’s long-running character rests on that kind of focus. It doesn’t need an enormous engine or a long list of performance and capability claims to make a manual roadster appealing. And in a market where new manual sports cars have become less common, there’s something worth celebrating about a car that still puts the gear lever at the center of the experience.
Manufacturer press image of an earlier model-year MX-5 cockpit; shown for illustration, not as a photo of Seth’s test car.
The Club adds hardware for drivers who want a sportier setup, including Bilstein dampers and a limited-slip differential. Those details help explain the trim’s enthusiast focus. Yet the most meaningful feature for me was simpler: I got to enjoy driving a stick shift again.
What the Miata’s fuel economy says, and doesn’t say
An EPA estimate gives shoppers a useful reference point. It isn’t a promise of the mileage every driver will see. My week with the Club reinforces that distinction. My city results were lower than the EPA city figure, while my highway results were better than the EPA highway figure. Without exact numbers, I can’t say how much better or worse the results were, nor can I draw any broader conclusions from that single week of testing.
It’s also worth being precise about manuals and efficiency. A manual transmission can make a driver more aware of engine speed and gear choice. That awareness can encourage thoughtful driving, but it doesn’t guarantee better fuel economy than an automatic. EPA figures for the 2026 manual MX-5 are 26/34/29 mpg. The automatic version is rated at 26/35/29 mpg. The automatic is available on Grand Touring models, while Mazda offers the Club with a manual.
So this Miata is definitely not a case for claiming that a manual always saves fuel. It’s a case for paying attention to driving and gathering real-world numbers. In addition, it about being honest about what a short test can tell us.
The green-living case: small, light and worth keeping
Let’s be clear: the MX-5 Miata Club is a gasoline sports car. Therefore, its not a hybrid or an electric vehicle. Its green relevance is also really more modest, and more useful, than pretending otherwise.
First, its compact, lightweight design reflects a sound efficiency principle in everyday vehicle operation. A vehicle needs energy to move its mass. Keeping a car small and light can help limit that demand, though weight is only one part of the equation. Driving style, speed, aerodynamics, maintenance and the vehicle’s powertrain matter too.
Second, longevity definitely deserves a place in any conversation about a car’s footprint. Keeping and also maintaining a car for many years can definitely avoid the manufacturing impact of replacing it sooner. Yet an EV definitely has less maintenance than a gas car. Now, that does not mean every older car is automatically the greener choice. It’s also about the condition, fuel use and what the vehicle replaces all matter. But buying something you enjoy and care for may make it easier to keep it on the road.
That idea connects to a bigger lesson I often return to in sustainable transportation: choose the right-sized vehicle for the job. Not every driver needs a large vehicle, and no one powertrain solves every transportation need. If someone must have a gasoline car and wants a sports car, the Miata makes a more thoughtful case than a much larger, heavier performance vehicle.
Manufacturer press image of an earlier model-year MX-5; shown for illustration, not as a photo of Seth’s test car.
The verdict: a week was enough to fall for the stick shift
My week with the 2026 Mazda MX-5 Miata Club gave me a clear personal takeaway: I had fun shifting gears again. The feeling reached back to my first car, a Datsun, without needing to pretend the two cars were the same.
On efficiency, I have a useful observation, not a complete test. City economy was lower. Highway economy was better. I’d need more time and exact figures to explain the gap or find the car’s best results.
That balance is the honest verdict. A week was enough to appreciate the manual and the Miata’s focused purpose. It wasn’t enough to map out its efficiency sweet spot. I’d happily take more seat time, and see what careful tracking could show.
The stick shift from my Datsun days still delivers a smile. The Miata adds a 7,500-rpm redline to the story.
For more environmental and vehicle coverage, visit Green Living Guy.
Sources
- FuelEconomy.gov: 2026 Mazda MX-5 fuel economy
- Mazda USA: 2026 MX-5 specifications and Club features
- Car and Driver: 2026 Mazda MX-5 Miata Club features and specifications
Acknowledgment: This review is based on Seth Leitman’s week-long test drive and reported fuel-economy observations. Official ratings and vehicle specifications provide much further context.
