2026 CarExpert Choice winner: Best Affordable Sports Car

The Mazda MX-5 has been named Australia’s best affordable sports car in the 2026 CarExpert Choice Awards.

It beat out the Subaru BRZ/Toyota GR86 twins, as well as the Hyundai i30 N.

The MX-5's reputation precedes it. For four generations now, this small convertible has been the very definition of an excellent affordable sports car.

Mazda has never lost sight of the simple formula that made the original 1989 NA MX-5 a bona fide hit: a lightweight and balanced chassis, rear-wheel drive, a four-cylinder engine, and an available manual transmission. It's so simple, and yet precious few other brands have tried to tackle it over the years.

The current ND MX-5 is now over a decade old, but despite a serious lack of direct competition, Mazda has kept its affordable sports car fairly fresh. A 2024 update, for example, brought a new infotainment system.

And honestly, even if it didn't have a modern infotainment system or other gadgets and gizmos, we can't say we'd be too mad. The whole point of the MX-5 is that it's a simple, honest, fun-to-drive sports car, and an affordable one. To that end, the MX-5 lineup opens at $42,640 before on-road costs.

You can opt for the pricier RF with its power-retractable targa roof, but we think the MX-5 works best in roadster form with its purer wind-in-your-hair thrills. Likewise, opt for the manual transmission over the auto, though that probably goes without saying.

It's testament to the MX-5's brilliance that over 10 years into the run of its latest generation, it's just as impressive as ever.

2026 CarExpert Choice – Best Affordable Sports Car

• Winner – Mazda MX-5
• Finalist – Subaru BRZ/Toyota GR86
• Finalist – Hyundai i30 N

To see all the CarExpert Choice winners, click here.

MORE: Explore the Mazda MX-5 showroom