2026 Mazda MX-5 Miata Grand Touring: Green Brook Buyers Guide

The only automatic in the lineup, and what comes with it

This is the one decision point that actually splits the MX-5 Miata lineup in two: Sport and Club are manual-only, full stop, while Grand Touring is the single trim where a 6-speed automatic — with paddle shifters and manual-shift/sport modes — is even an option. It doesn't replace the manual; the standard 6-speed SKYACTIV-MT is still there for buyers who want it, and the automatic is an upcharge implied by the MSRP spread (worth confirming the exact number at order time, since Mazda doesn't always publish it as a standalone line item). Choosing the automatic also unlocks Mazda Radar Cruise Control, which isn't available on manual-transmission Miatas at all — a detail that matters for anyone planning real highway miles on top of weekend driving.

Comfort and lighting upgrades that separate Grand Touring from Club

Beyond the transmission fork, Grand Touring's equipment list reads like the "long-distance comfort" trim: heated leather-trimmed seats as standard, with Tan Nappa Leather available for an extra $300 if the black-leather-only look isn't the goal; automatic climate control instead of manual controls; and an Adaptive Front-lighting System that swivels the headlights into a turn rather than pointing straight ahead through it, which is genuinely useful on the unlit curves off Route 22 after dark. Traffic Sign Recognition and High Beam Control round out the available equipment list. None of this changes the 181-hp SKYACTIV-G engine or the near-50/50 weight distribution underneath — Grand Touring is about who's driving it and how far, not a faster car.

What Empire Mazda of Green Brook buyers say about the top-trim decision

Adam Krauze's experience shopping the Miata at Empire Mazda of Green Brook — cross-checking several other dealers first — is the kind of conversation worth having before settling on a trim: "Mark, Victor, and Semir spoke to me like a human being and not just another schmuck to pawn a car off onto. They went out of their way to make sure I got the Miata I was after, for the price I wanted." For a Grand Touring shopper specifically, that conversation is worth having around the manual-versus-automatic question in particular — it's not a small decision on a car this focused, and a genuinely helpful salesperson will walk through both rather than push whichever one happens to be on the lot.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Grand Touring the only MX-5 Miata trim with an automatic transmission?

Yes. The 6-speed automatic with paddle shifters is exclusive to Grand Touring. Sport and Club are manual-only at every price point.

What does Grand Touring add over the Club trim?

Heated leather-trimmed seats, an Adaptive Front-lighting System, automatic climate control, and the option of the 6-speed automatic transmission (which also unlocks Mazda Radar Cruise Control). Club's Bilstein-tuned suspension and Bose audio carry forward.

Does the automatic transmission change the MX-5 Miata's fuel economy?

Slightly, and in the automatic's favor on the highway: 26 city / 35 highway / 29 combined versus the manual's 26 city / 34 highway / 29 combined — the same city and combined figures, one extra mpg on the highway.

Where can I see a 2026 MX-5 Miata Grand Touring in Green Brook, NJ?

Empire Mazda of Green Brook, 220 US-22, stocks Grand Touring MX-5 Miatas in both manual and automatic; check current inventory or call 732-658-9288 to confirm which is on the lot.