Automotive News, Car Reviews, and Podcast
A Mazda patent published July 2 shows flip-up butterfly doors on a small sports car. Read closely, it is a crash-structure filing, and it may not be the MX-5.
Read moreMazda confirmed the next MX-5 Miata will be electrified. A look at the SkyActiv-Z engine, the sub-one-tonne weight target, and why a hybrid Miata may not be bad.
Read morePodcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 42:41 — 58.6MB)Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | MoreAfter nearly 20 years at Consumer Reports, Jon Linkov is an expert among automotive experts. The Deputy Auto Editor, Linkov is our guest this week on The Weekly Driver Podcast to discuss one of the publication’s most popular features: its annual most reliable cars list. Join co-hosts Bruce Aldrich and James Raia as we discuss with Linkov the “Top 10 Most Reliable Cars For 2022.” “What we do is survey our members, our millions of members, and ask about their experiences with the cars they own or have owned,” said Linkov of the most reliable cars list. “We just don’t look at current vehicles,
Read moreThe Mazda MX-5, then called the Mazda Miata, arrived as a diminutive, lightweight roadster in 1989. It’s now reached relic status, a near automotive dinosaur. With its attractive design and low-to-the-ground driving, the MX-5 became the best-selling, two-seat sports car in history in 2000. The one-millionth MX-5 sold 16 years later. Key Takeaways Test car: the 2022 Mazda MX-5 Grand Touring RF, with a 155-horsepower, 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine. $36,105 total price. 0-60 mph in 6.4 seconds. 26 mpg city and 34 highway on the figures in the review. Standard safety: forward collision warning, blind-spot monitor and rear cross-traffic alert. Driving: The MX-5 Miata is at its best while advancing on winding country roads with the top down. The 2022 Mazda
Read moreFor consumers seeking the most reliable car brand, Mazda has received top honors, again. U.S. News & World Report has named Mazda the “Best Car Brand” for the sixth consecutive year. The manufacturer won on the strength of its Mazda3, Mazda6 and MX-5 Miata. The publication reported the Mazda3, Mazda6 and MX-5 Miata offer superior performance and handling and feature premium, quality and upscale interiors. The Mazda3 and Mazda6 are sedans; the Mazda MX-5 Miata is a hardtop and convertible two-seat sports car. It’s the best-selling car in history in the sports car segment. “All three models have top-notch performance that puts an emphasis on direct, sporty handling, as well as quality interiors that are more upscale than their price
Read moreThere’s little room, the trunk is tiny, body and cargo space minimal. It’s difficult to enter and exit, and it’s loud. Welcome another edition of the Mazda MX-5 Miata, nearly everyone’s favorite 32-year-old lightweight roadster. For 2020, the best-selling sports car in history is a continuation of the fourth generation introduced in 2016. It’s stayed much the same, with a few refreshes along the way. The two-seater is available in Sport, Club and Grand Touring trims, all propelled by 2.0-liter, four-cylinder engines with 181 horsepower. A six-speed manual transmission is standard on all models and a six-speed automatic transmission is optional. The standard transmission option shifts smoothly and propels the sports car from 0-to-60 miles per hour in 5.7 seconds.
Read moreEvery vintage car collector has great stories to share about their vehicles. Andy Harris recently added to trend as a guest on The Weekly Driver Podcast. Harris lives and works in Sacramento, California. He’s owned United Attorneys’ Services for many years, and he shares two of the same pastimes as the podcasts’ co-hosts. Harris is a veteran long-distance runner and a vintage car collector. Harris is our guest on Episode #19 of our weekly video conversations about all things in the automotive industry. Co-hosts Bruce Aldrich and James Raia discuss with Harris the particulars of the four vastly different cars he owns. How about a 1959 Crown Imperial? Or consider Harris’ 1973 Citroen SM or his 1991 Mazda Miata. And
Read moreAndy Harris lives and works in Sacramento, California. He’s owned United Attorneys’ Services for many years, and he shares two of the same pastimes as the co-hosts of The Weekly Driver Podcast. Harris is a veteran long-distance runner and he’s a vintage car collector. Harris is our guest on Episode #91 of our weekly conversations about all things in the automotive industry. Co-hosts Bruce Aldrich and James Raia discuss with Harris the particulars of the four vastly different cars he owns. How about a 1959 Crown Imperial? Or consider Harris’ 1973 Citroen SM or his 1991 Mazda Miata. And for a daily driver, how about Harris’ choice of a 2013 Fiat 500 Abarth? While all of his cars attract attention,
Read moreThe new, top-line trim of the 2019 Mazda CX-5, the carmaker’s compact crossover SUV and its best-selling vehicle, was unveiled at the recent Seattle Auto Show. The new Signature SUV includes the turbocharged SKYACTIV-2.5T engine and new G-Vectoring Control Plus. It incorporates premium materials, such as Caturra Brown Nappa leather and genuine layered wood trim. Other features in the 2019 Mazda CX-5: Apple CarPlayTMand Android AutoTM compatibility, a reconfigurable 7.0-TFT gauge display, heated and ventilated front seats, heated rear seats, heated steering wheel, a BOSE 10-speaker premium sound system, windshield-projected Active Driving Display head-up unit and a 360°View Monitor with front and rear parking sensors The powertrain lineup adopts the SKYACTIV-2.5T direct-injection turbocharged gasoline engine also found in the Mazda
Read moreThe Mazda MX-5 Miata is the best-selling and most polarizing roadster in history. It’s driving nirvana for its vast fan club. For others, it’s a too small, overrated phenomenon. But the MX-5’s numbers give credence to its enduring popularity. Since its debut in 1989, sales have averaged slightly more than 37,000 units per year through 2016. That’s minimal compared to top yearly sellers like the nearly 800,000 Ford F-150 trucks sold last year. Key Takeaways Test car: RF trim with a 2.0-liter four-cylinder, 155 horsepower and a six-speed automatic. $33,825 MSRP and $34,960 as tested. 0-60 mph in 6.5 seconds. 26 mpg city, 35 highway and 29 combined with the automatic. Retractable hardtop: Mazda says it retracts in 13 seconds.
Read moreThe tall, lanky guy getting into the car parked next to mine contorted his frame into a 2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata. I unfolded my body to exit another MX-5, the same year and color. Both vehicle’s rag tops were down. “You’re a tall guy for a small car,” I said during the parking lot exchange. ”Yeah, I’m 6-4, but it’s worth every second of it,” he said, as we both smiled while acknowledging our twin vehicles. Key Takeaways Test car: the top-line Grand Touring with a 2.0-liter, four-cylinder engine that makes 155 horsepower and a six-speed manual transmission. 0-60 mph in 6.2 seconds, with a curb weight below 2,000 pounds. 27 mpg city and 34 highway on the figures in
Read moreIn April this year, worldwide sales of the Mazda MX-5 Miata surpassed one million since the two-seat roadster debuted in 1989. The 2017 MX-5 Miata continues the tradition of the little sports car that can. The MX-5 Miata was re-designed for 2016, but exterior and interior tweaks for 2017 keep the roadster’s current competitors (including offerings from Nissan, Mini, and BMW) searching for ways to infiltrate the little wonder’s dominance. Key Takeaways Test car: the Grand Touring trim, with a 2.0-liter, four-cylinder engine making 155 horsepower and a six-speed manual transmission with a short-throw shifter. 0-60 mph in 6.2 seconds. 26 mpg city and 33 highway on EPA estimates for the six-speed manual. Soft top: manually retractable and black, with
Read moreA guy in a shopping center parking lot looked over at me and said, “Nice car.” He then pointed to his identical 2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata parked about 50 feet from my test vehicle. “You’re taller than I am,” I replied. “Is it hard for you to get in and out of the car?” “I’m 6-4 and it is, but it’s worth it,” the guy responded. And so it is for Mazda MX-5 enthusiasts. The best-selling roadster in history has a new generation for 2016 and it’s among the most talked about vehicles in the industry. Key Takeaways Test car: the Club trim with the six-speed manual, a 2.0-liter four-cylinder with 155 horsepower and the Brembo/BBS package. $28,600 MSRP and
Read moreThe 2016 Mazda MX-5 continues the legacy of the best-selling roadster in history. It’s been re-engineered and is being marketed as offering 25 percent improved gas mileage. Additionally, the 2016 Mazda MX-5 is lighter and quicker than its predecessor, according to the manufacturer. The new Mazda has an EPA-estimated 27 mpg city/34 mpg highway/30 mpg combined when equipped with the standard SKYACTIV-MT six-speed manual transmission. With an optional six-speed automatic the 2016 Mazda MX-5 is rated at 27 mpg city/36 mpg highway/30 mpg combined. The increased gas mileage averages, highlight the benefits of Mazda’s SKYACTIV technology, according to the carmaker. “SKYACTIV Technology is more than a catchphrase for Mazda; it’s a total effort to increase efficiency, improve performance, safety and
Read moreNow beginning its second quarter century, the 2015 Mazda MX-5 Miata retains its long-time status as fairly priced, fun-to-drive, two-seat sports car. The formula has worked so well, it’s the best-selling roadster in history. The Miata had its top sales year in 2006 (nearly 17,000) with subsequent sales in some years falling drastically. Beyond trim “tweaks,” most notably in 2013, the just-announced 2016 edition is the first new generation in a decade. The car is approaching one million units sold. Key Takeaways Test car: the top-line Grand Touring, one of four trims, with a 2.0-liter four-cylinder making 167 horsepower, a six-speed manual transmission and the optional retractable hardtop. $29,450 MSRP and $32,935 as tested. 0-60 mph in 6.7 seconds. 21
Read moreWith events held simultaneously in California, Spain and Tokyo, the 2016 Mazda MX-5 was unveiled Sept. 3 as a lighter, more angular fourth generation of the best-selling two-seat roadster in history. Introduced 25 years ago, the Mazda MX-5, formerly known as the Miata, had reached total production of 940,000 units in July to correspond to the car’s 25th anniversary. The Mazda MX-5, which is expected to go on sale next year, is also expected to make its North American debut at the 2014 Los Angeles Auto Show in November. According to a report in the Los Angeles Times, Mazda didn’t announced many details despite its three-city extravaganza. Engine specifications, for example, were not available. But the roadster is expected to
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