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Mazda Mazda3 News & Reviews

   2010 Mazda3 Sedan GT Road Test Review

As the years trickle along, cars keep getting better and better. Back in the '90s we thought by the year 2010 we would all be

The 3s uniquely shaped grille foreshadows the car's grin-inducing driving dynamics. (Photo: Canadian Auto Press)

in computer driven electric cars that ran on green energy captured from rainbows. This technology exists, except the rainbow thing  (it is rumored that Toyota is working on it), however, consumer demand has kept automakers improving the standard car recipe, rather than replacing it with something else.

People still enjoy their cars, and take pleasure in driving. The success of the first Mazda3 was a testament to that. It looked great, was well built, and the feeling you got from the driver's seat was nearly good enough to compare it to similar sized cars from premium brands.

The new 2010 model takes everything the old Mazda3 was good at and pushes it even further. It makes you wonder how they possibly could make the next one better and still make money. <Read More>

   2010 Mazda3 GS Road Test Review

The Mazda Protégé's successor, known in North America as the Mazda3, has proved to be a best-selling vehicle not only within the Mazda lineup, but in the compact segment of the automotive market.

There's no mistaking the Mazda3, with its big, smiling grille and sweet lines. (Photo: Canadian Auto Press)

One thing (among many) that I think makes the 3 so appealing is - as shallow as this may sound - its looks. For a car that starts at under $16,000, it's tough to find a more attractive sedan on the inside or out.

The 2009 models were already good looking cars, but now that the completely redesigned and reengineered 2010 sedan and hatchback (aka Sport) have hit the streets, the Mazda3 has been taken to a whole new level of awesomeness. By nipping and tucking, leaning and lifting the fascia, rear end, interior, and pretty much everything else, the all-new Mazda3 has all the qualities of a superstar car.

What then does being a superstar car entail? Well, it has to perform! Looks aren't everything, although the flashy 16-inch alloy wheels (with P205/55R16 all-season tires) and snazzy interior did add to the overall appeal of my red Mazda3 GS test car. Under the hood is a more powerful 2.0L, 16-valve, I-4, DOHC engine which produces 148hp and 135 lb-ft of torque. That's not too shabby considering this compact car is, well, a compact car. <Read More>

   2010 Mazda3 Sport GT Road Test Review

I'm not going to waste a lot of time with a crafty intro so I'll get right to the point: the new 2010 Mazda3 is a fabulous car,

Hot looking car that lives up to its sporty styling. (Photo: Canadian Auto Press)

and probably the best in the compact class. So you can stop reading now and head to your Mazda dealer, or you can stick around for a few minutes to find out how I came to this conclusion.

My tester wasn't outfitted the way I'd configure it if this were truly mine. Don't get me wrong, I'd buy the sportier liftback version and I like the white paint, and its fully loaded features list would suit my luxury-sport pampered lifestyle better than a barebones model, but I wouldn't opt for the automatic and that was the only car on hand while taking it to the streets in and around Monterey, California, and later up at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.

I got out of town quickly and stole up one of my favourite roads, Laureles Grade that scales the mountain between Salinas Highway (right next to the track entrance) and Carmel Valley Road, which is ironically more of a highway than Salinas. If you're not familiar, Laureles Grade is a twisting mountain pass that's <Read More>

   Mazda passes 900,000-unit milestone with MX-5 Miata

While other sports cars come and go, Mazda's MX-5 Miata maintains a steady albeit speedy ascent up the record charts as it adds

Mazda has produced more than 900,000 MX-5 Miatas since 1989. (Photo: Mazda)

yet another milestone mark to its "best-selling two-seat sports car of all time" credentials. The new number is 900,000 units sold, and it's taken the tiny roadster 21 years and 10 months since its April 1989 inception to do so.

"More than 20 years have passed since the first-generation Mazda MX-5 was born," said Seita Kanai, Mazda's executive officer in charge of development. "During this time, society and vehicles themselves have changed significantly. Responding to environmental issues and the depletion of the Earth's natural resources has become increasingly important for all automakers. As part of its environmental efforts, Mazda announced its new SKYACTIV technologies last year. Currently, we are pushing forward with development of future products that will incorporate these technologies. Many of the elements that go into our SKYACTIV technologies, such as comprehensive weight reduction, grew from the long years of development work that have gone into the MX-5. Indeed, the guiding principle behind the SKYACTIV technologies – to build cars that are fun to drive – is perfectly embodied by the MX-5."

While <Read More>

   2012 Mazda5 headed to Los Angeles Auto Show

When the next-generation 2012 Mazda5 hits the dealership floor early next year it will have been seven years since the current model

The new Mazda5 pulls styling cues from the Nagare concept. (Photo: Mazda)

arrived on the market with only a minor facelift in between, which is a great deal longer shelf life than most cars enjoy.

Since the 5 first arrived Mazda has overhauled the majority of its lineup to conform to its new Nagare design language, with only the Ford Escape-based Tribute, Ford Ranger-based B-Series pickup truck (and this one is on its way out), and Mazda5 soldiering forward relatively unchanged. The new 5, as seen in these photos, will get the swoopy lines already incorporated into the 3, 6, CX-7, CX-9, and, at least in the grille, the MX-5, which will likely breathe new life into sales.

The Mazda5 has virtually no competitors in the compact mini-minivan segment, which is surprising considering its relative success in a market that is downsizing overall. Most rival automakers offer mini-minivans (or MPVs as they're referred to in Europe) in <Read More>

   Weird and wonderful 2011 Mazda BT-50 pickup debuts in Australia

If you want a compact pickup truck for lighter duty hauling there are few options in this country. Toyota's best-selling

Would North American buyers go for a mid-size Mazda pickup? (Photo: Mazda)

Tacoma is more of a mid-size model, as is its Nissan Frontier rival and the once top-selling Dodge Dakota. Honda's unorthodox Ridgeline falls into that category too. No, if you want a compact truck you're going to have to choose between four of the oldest models on the market, the Chevrolet Colorado, GMC Canyon, Ford Ranger and Mazda B-Series.

In reality, these four trucks are actually only two vehicles under the skin. Except for unique grilles and some other trim details the two GM models are identical, and Mazda's B-Series is really a Ford Ranger in drag. Both GM and Ford/Mazda models offer very good value, but compared to their rivals they're showing their age.

Updates to the Ranger/B-Series have been long-expected, being that their current designs date back to 1998, but instead the Ranger soldiers on as is for 2011, its final year, and the B-Series, which was dropped from the U.S. market at <Read More>

   2010 Mazda6 GT I4 Road Test Review

Mazda has used the "Zoom Zoom" tag tirelessly to promote their vehicles.  The emphasis of their marketing has always been

The Mazda6 is a great looking road car with performance characteristics to match its sleek lines. (Photo: Mazda)

that the Japanese automaker manufactures vehicles that offer tons of driving excitement, coupled with sensible value in the form of low prices for their cars.  If you've ever driven a Toyota Camry and a Mazda6 back to back, you'll quickly understand that Mazda's marketing is no mere hype.

The reason is the cars they offer compete well with sports sedans from Europe.  Not quite in the luxury department, but certainly in the performance and handling departments.  Case in point is a recent test vehicle, the 2010 Mazda6 four cylinder.

Four cylinder?  Compete in performance and handling departments?  Surely you jest Brian…

Actually, I'm quite serious.  <Read More>

   2010 Mazda5 Road Test Review

What they need to do, whoever "they" are, is to build a car that can haul like a minivan, is easy and fun to drive while still getting

The Mazda5 is not your everyday minivan. It's compact and therefore much thriftier, but still seats six. (Photo: Mazda)

good fuel economy, and price it within reach of the average customer. That would be perfect. That's what they ought to do.

Have you had this conversation with yourself? Well, don't look now but the "they" you're looking for is Mazda, and the car you're looking for is the Mazda5. Five years after its Canadian introduction, I'm often surprised at how many of my active, stuff-carrying acquaintances who hate their minivans and SUVs are completely unfamiliar with Mazda's micro-minivan.

So for their benefit, and yours, let's introduce you all again.

Known as the Premacy in Japan, the Mazda5 looks at a glance like a 7/8ths scale minivan. The reduced size and weight translate to a much better <Read More>

   2011 Mazda2 Road Test Review

The Mazda2 subcompact has been selling in Europe, Japan and Australia since 2007 and has earned countless awards. It even

The new 2011 Mazda2 gives the Japanese brand a much-needed subcompact model. (Photo: Canadian Auto Press)

captured the coveted title of 2008 World Car of the Year. And now it's North America's turn to experience Mazda's little subcompact that could.
 
With an eye-catching design and an upbeat personality, it's no wonder why there have been over 400,000 units sold worldwide. Upon first glance at the 2, the most notable feature is its styling. Mazda wanted to stray from the box-like designs that comprise a good portion of the "B" segment cars and design something aerodynamic and sporty at the same time. Well, they did a great job. With shortened body overhangs and trimmed corners, the Japanese auto manufacturer's popular subcompact is, well, compact but also visually appealing. The styling also portrays a sense of motion, even when idle, thanks to its sporty wedge shape and strong shoulder and character lines. And to add more zest to the exterior, there is the choice of seven available colours. <Read More>

   2010 Mazda RX-8 R3 Road Test Review

Mazda's "fun-to-drive" rotary-powered, four-door, four-seat RX-8 sports car first bowed in 2003, and has since won 52 global

One hot four-seat coupe, the RX-8 is totally and completely unique in the sports car market. (Photo: Canadian Auto Press)

awards.  To date, nearly 158,000 RX-8s have been sold around the world. 

The RX-8 for 2009 evolved further, receiving a freshened exterior and interior design as well as enhanced performance.  Add to those improvements a new R3 model aimed at the true driving enthusiast. 

The design continued to reflect an athletically sculpted exterior with a unique sense of originality, but with restyled front and rear bumpers and front fascia, sporty, LED headlights and taillights and larger exhaust pipes.  A new 10-spoke wheel design was offered in a motif that symbolized the rotary engine.  The "freestyle" four-door design remained with its unique "suicide" rear doors.  The muscular <Read More>