Unless you're trying to move a couch, it's nearly impossible to have a bad time behind the wheel of a Mazda Miata. That's the belief baked into the enthusiast community's favorite phrase: Miata Is Always the Answer. But the 2026 Mazda MX-5 RF Club adds a catch—a power-retractable hardtop that brings extra weight, extra cost, and the kind of coupe silhouette that sometimes fools even the passengers climbing in.
The Drive's own Cyril Soliman recently spent a week with a fully optioned RF Club in San Diego, using it for daily errands and back-road runs, with the top down as often as possible. His history with Miatas includes a 2002 NB, and he has owned convertibles long enough to know the soft-top maintenance dance. That background raised three questions he wanted the RF to answer: How does it stack up against his old NB? Is the hardtop worth the premium? And would he rather have a Toyota GR86?
A Decade Later, the ND Still Holds Up
The current MX-5 generation is more than 10 years old, having launched in March 2015. Rather than looking dated, the ND's styling has aged into something sharper than its predecessors, with what Soliman describes as a pinch of aggression that early Miatas lacked. Part of that presence comes from the retractable hardtop's fastback-like profile. People who don't know the MX-5 lineup often assume the RF is just a coupe—one passenger in the review had no idea the roof could move until Soliman pressed the button, and the transformation blew her mind.
Dressed in Aero Gray paint with the front air dam in place, the RF Club reads as an athletic, focused machine even when the roof is closed. That visual payoff helps explain why the RF has been part of the ND family since 2017, offering buyers a choice between the classic fabric top and the powered hardtop.
The Retractable Hardtop's Long Road
The RF didn't invent the idea of a hardtop Miata; it perfected a compromise that enthusiasts have been searching for since the first-generation cars. Soliman's own experience with convertibles includes a second-generation MX-5, and he knows the fabric roof's shortcomings: a soft top is light and folds in seconds, but it remains a maintenance item prone to ripping and fading over time.
Hardtops on the early Miatas solved the durability issue but created another problem. They were a pain to install solo, and when not on the car, they consumed a serious chunk of the garage. The third-generation NC split the difference by introducing a power-retractable hardtop that gave drivers the top-down experience without sacrificing storage space. The ND generation, including this 2026 RF, carries that torch forward, and it looks damn good doing it.
Soft Top vs. Retractable Hardtop: The Trade-Offs
- Traditional soft top: light, easy to operate, but more vulnerable to wear and tear
- First- and second-gen hardtops: durable, but difficult to install alone and require storage space when removed
- NC/ND power-retractable hardtop: combines coupe security with convertible flexibility at the push of a button
Club Trim and Performance Content
The 2026 tester arrived in the enthusiast-focused Club trim, and it was loaded with every performance option Mazda offers. That means the Brembo/BBS performance package came along for the ride—a substantial bundle of braking and wheel hardware. For buyers choosing a non-RF model, that same package is a $5,050 add-on, making the RF Club's standard equipment seem almost reasonable by comparison.
Even without a spec sheet in hand, the Club's intent is clear. The Aero Gray paint and front air dam complete an athletic appearance that matches the RF's sharper roofline. Inside, the MX-5 shows its age gracefully, with Alcantara covering most of the cockpit and carbon-fiber-style trim wrapping the window controls. It's not a luxury interior, but the RF has never tried to be one; it wants to feel purpose-built, and it does.
Open Air, Without the Soft-Top Worry
Soliman's week in the RF included the usual mix of commuting, grocery runs, and weekend driving, and he spent nearly all of it with the top down. That's the whole point of a Miata, after all. What surprised him wasn't the open-air joy—that's expected—but how convincingly the RF masquerades as a fixed-roof coupe when the top is up. Its proportions look right from every angle, and the power-retractable mechanism adds a layer of theatre that the soft top can't match.
The RF's added mass and price are real considerations. The hardtop mechanism has to live somewhere, and the car carries extra structural hardware compared with the base soft-top model. It's a compromise that has been central to the RF's identity since it joined the lineup, and it's also the reason some enthusiasts will still choose the lighter, simpler soft top. But for drivers who want the security of a hardtop and the freedom of a convertible in one garage-friendly package, the RF makes a strong case.
The Verdict: Still the Answer?
After a week of San Diego back roads, daily errands, and one passenger's shocked reaction to the roof's transformation, Soliman came back to his three original questions. The 2026 MX-5 RF Club isn't just a Miata with a party trick; it's a reminder that the ND platform still has a sharp edge after more than a decade on the market.
Is a Miata always the answer? If the question involves moving a couch, no. But for the question of whether a heavy, pricey hardtop can still deliver the unfiltered roadster experience, this RF makes a persuasive argument. Whether the hardtop premium is worth it depends on how much you value the coupe look and the weatherproof convenience. One thing is certain: with the top down and a good road ahead, the answer still feels like Mazda's little roadster.
This article is based on reporting by The Drive. Read the original article.
Originally published on thedrive.com
