Mazda CX-7 Review

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As impressed as I am with the Mazda CX-9, the smaller Mazda CX-7 may be the better vehicle for the largest number of people.

Shorter and seating five rather than seven, the CX-7 is a strong alternative to small SUVs and more expensive crossovers.

Mazda's attention to detail and focus on fun are what seal the deal. Not to mention economic factors. Opt for a CX-7 and $22,340 buys you a 16-valve four with a five-speed automatic transmission, independent front suspension, dynamic stability control, traction control, four-wheel anti-lock disc brakes, 17-inch alloy wheels, power locks, windows and mirrors, air conditioning, Bluetooth, a multi-function information display, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, remote keyless entry, and a better-than-average four-speaker AM/FM/CD/mp3 audio system.

I'll repeat. That's standard. For the base price of $22,340. Stop there, pay the $750 delivery fee and you've just barely crossed into $23,000.



Mazda sweetened the press tester with a cargo net, fog lights, a retractable cargo cover, Sirius Satellite Radio, scuff plates and a convenience package that included heated front seats, a moonroof, a rear-view camera, power driver's seat and an upgrade for the air conditioning to automatic climate control.

And the bottom line was still only $25,990.

This, my friends, is a deal.

But wait! There's more!

As in five-star frontal and side crash ratings, four for rollover....and an EPA estimated 20 city, 28 highway miles per gallon.

And because of that fun factor I mentioned earlier, it's like driving a sports sedan. The CX-7 breezes onto the TireKicker Top 20 Cars list. It's that good.

UPDATE: Just did a week in an uplevel turbo version of the CX-7...yeah, you're boosting the bottom line to $30K or better...but you're also boosting the horsepower to 244...which makes a major difference in the fun factor. And you're only giving up 2 mpg city and 3 highway (18/25).

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Mazda CX-9 Review

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As the tide turns from traditional truck-based SUVs, a lot of people are discovering the larger crossovers (sport-utes based on car, rather than truck, platforms). It's turning into a crowded field (including four from General Motors alone)...but there are standouts, and one is the Mazda CX-9.

As noted in previous entries here at TireKicker, Mazda doesn't make bad cars. And the CX-9, based on the very good previous-generation Mazda 6, is a strong contender.

The CX-9 is big enough for three rows of seats accomodating seven passengers. The weight of the vehicle, people and stuff is pulled (yep, front-wheel drive) along by a 273 horsepower 3.7 liter V6 with a six-speed automatic transmission. The six speed helps nudge the EPA estimated mileage into respectable territory...16 city, 22 highway.

Ordered in Grand Touring trim, as the test vehicle I drove was, the CX-9 shows up with 20-inch aluminum alloy wheels, automatic Xenon headlights, leather-trimmed seats (including an 8-way power heated driver's seat), Bluetooth hands-free capability for your cell phone, a three-zone climate control and a six-speaker AM/FM/CD audio system. Price: $33,355.

Options on the tester included Sirius Satellite Radio, a blind spot monitoring system, a package including a moonroof and a 277-watt, 10-speaker Bose surround sound sytem with a six-disc changer in the dash, a towing package and a GT Assist package...including navigation, rear view camera and power rear hatch. That propels the bottom line (with delivery charges) to $39,405. ..which puts it right in the hunt with a similarly loaded GMC Acadia.

Safety's a plus here, too, with the CX-9 getting a five-star rating from the government for frontal and side crashes for the driver and passenger, and a four-star rollover rating.

As a smaller manufacturer, Mazda often gets overlooked. In this case, that would be a big mistake.

UPDATE: Just finishing a week and a few days in the base-level CX-9 Sport...one without any options whatsoever. And it's brilliant. How? Because the basic goodness of the CX-9 as above is there...but the lower standard equipment level (not lower by much) and lack of options keeps the price just a nick under $30,000 as tested. That's ten grand below the sticker price above....for the same basic vehicle. Go. Drive. One. Now.

Post Title → Mazda CX-9 Review

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Mazda Cars Gallery

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Mazda MX-5 Miata PRHT Grand Touring Review

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This may be the first car I've driven where the name, if put on a badge, would be longer than the car itself.

It is the heaviest and most expensive Miata I've driven in 13 years of professional TireKicking, but I can't say I love it any less (for just how much that is, see last year's review here). And that's because Mazda is now doing the kind of magic that used to be solely the province of Honda.

Retractable hardtops, while offering security from knife-wielding thieves and a lower level of cockpit noise, usually add weight and cost and steal a large chunk of what little trunk space the ragtop version of a car has in the first place.

But Mazda has kept the weight gain to 80 pounds...lighter than putting a passenger onboard. And because of how it folds into place, it takes up less than one cubic inch of trunk space.

That, folks, is just plain brilliant.

Cost? Yes, it's more. In the case of the Grand Touring model, going with the PRHT (let's just call it the "retractable" from here on out) adds $1860 to the tab.  And while $1860 is $1860, that's less than most cars charge for a nav system that will be obsolete by the time you need new tires.

So the starting point for the retractable Grand Touring is $28,400. Yeah, that's a chunk for a Miata, especially when the base Miata Sport softtop starts at $22,960. But here's what you get by going with the Grand Touring:

• 
  
  Run-flat tires
• 
  
  Xenon headlights
• 
  
  Automatic climate control
• 
  
  Advanced keyless entry
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  Leather-trimmed  heated seats
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  Bose audio system
• 
  
  Sirius satellite radio
• 
  
  Bluetooth hands-free phone capability
• 
  
  Dynamic stability control
• 
  
  Traction control system

In short, a seriously loaded luxury Miata. And Mazda added the Suspension Package (a sport-tuned suspension, Bilstein shocks and limited-slip differential) for $500....which just enhances this real-life version of a slot car. Bottom line: $31,300 including delivery charges.

                   

If you have never driven a Miata, you owe yourself at least a test-drive. They are addictive cars...delivering what the old MGs, Triumphs and Austin-Healys only promised...embarrassing the earnest efforts of the now-dead Pontiac Solstice and Saturn Sky. If you've dismissed them as merely cute, or a "chick car", you're wrong, pure and simple. 68 percent of all Miatas are bought by men, and it's because they are the next-best thing to a Porsche Boxster at a fraction of the price. They reward energetic, involved driving...20 minutes on a winding road will put a smile on your face that will last all day.

Go.

Buy.

Drive.

Post Title → Mazda MX-5 Miata PRHT Grand Touring Review

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Mazda 6 Diesel: 43 MPG Highway?

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Mazda's CEO is telling The Detroit News that its new diesel engine will get hybrid-like numbers "without any electrification." 

As in 43 MPG highway in the 2012 Mazda 6.

Full story here.

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Mazda To License Prius Hybrid Technology From Toyota

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You'll see Mazda hybrids on the street in 2013, but there'll be Toyota technology helping to power the new Mazda Sky engine.

Full story from The Detroit News here.

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Mazda 6 Touring Plus Review

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Unconditional recommendations are hard to come by these days...especially about cars. But here's one:

If you're looking for a family sedan, you have to...absolutely have to...test drive the Mazda 6.

For years, people's defaults have been Toyota Camry and Honda Accord. Both fine choices. But like the Subaru Legacy, the Mazda 6 seems to get left off the shopping list, and sales are a fraction of the Toyota or Honda.

They're missing out. Mazdas are much more involving...driver's cars...and as a bonus, they're usually a little bit less expensive besides.

Example: The Touring Plus model I tested for a week recently. 170 horsepower 4 cylinder engine that feels like a lot more since the 6 is light (for its class) and responsive. 17 inch wheels, moonroof, power drivers
seat, a 6-disc AM/FM/CD/mp3 system with 6 speakers and a bunch more...all standard for a base price of $23,750.

And the tester had only two options....California and New York emissions ($100) and satellite radio ($430). Total with delivery charges: $25,030. That's strong value for a very, very good car.

It's getting hard to pick a winner in this segment. There's something to recommend in Accord, Camry, Legacy, Altima, Fusion/Milan and Malibu. The 6 has earned a place in that pack.

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Mazda CX-9 Recall: Seat Heaters Could Catch Fire

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Mazda's recalling its 2010 model year CX-9 because of a defect that could cause the seat heaters to overheat and maybe even catch fire.

The official NHTSA recall report is here.

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Mazda 3 Sport Review

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If we're all headed for compact cars (um...Mr. President, a follow-up question?), then this is the way to go.

Early and/or thorough TireKicker readers will remember I gave the last-gen Mazda 3 a glowing review in one of the first TireKicker posts. Every word still applies, but the 2010 Mazda 3 is a game-changer.

I get the same feeling from the new 3 that I got when I got behind the wheel of my 1984 Honda Civic...and I wasn't alone then. Jean Lindamood of Car and Driver (now Jean Jennings of Automobile) ended her review thusly:

"Damn, she's a fine one. Our orders are in."

It inspired me to take a test drive that led to a 14-year ownership of said Civic.

Well, I sat right down in the driver's seat of the new Mazda 3 4-door Sport and felt the same way. While Honda's gone too techno for its own good, the 2010 Mazda 3 keeps it simple and direct...everything is where it should be, falls easily to hand, performs its function and never...never...distracts the driver from...well, driving.

And yes, there's driving to be done in the 3. It almost feels like the Mazda engineers passed on the Corolla, Civic and Sentra and rustled up an old BMW 2002 tii to benchmark for handling and sheer fun to drive.

The incredibly low price of $18,740 gets you a 2.5 liter DOHC 16-valve four, a six-speed manual, dynamic stability control, traction control and and independent front and rear suspension.

17-inch alloy wheels come standard with the sport, as do supportive and comfortable cloth seats, an AM/FM/CD/WMA/MP3 audio system, bluetooth, air, power locks and windows and a bunch more.

The tester had Sirius Satellite Radio and the Moonroof/Bose package...which ups the audio ante to a 242 watt Bose Centerpoint 10-speaker audio system and an in-dash 6-CD changer...and a moonroof.

Total price, including destination charges; $21,235.

EPA estimates: 21 city/29 highway.

I would absolutely buy one if I were in the market. If you are, you owe yourself at least a test drive.

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Mazdaspeed 3 Review

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Looking for the most fun you can have involving four wheels and a five-figure price tag?

You just found it.

The Mazdaspeed 3 has been a hot ticket for quite a while...but they keep making it better and better...and the new 2010 model just pegs the fun meter all the way.

Turbocharged. Intercooled. 263 horsepower...96 more than the stock Mazda 3.

Put your foot in it and hang on.

Best of all, Mazda's not only making each Mazdaspeed 3 faster, but more civilized.

You might expect a punishing ride. You'd be wrong.

You might expect bargain-basement surroundings (or else how could they sell so much power for $23,195 base?). You'd be wrong.



The Mazdaspeed 3 is so well equipped (18 inch wheels, halogens, cloth & leather seats, killer audio system, Bluetooth, dual-zone climate control) that you could buy it absolutely stock and have a winner.

As it was, the test car only had one option...the Mazdaspeed Tech Package...an audio system upgrade, navigation, alarm and keyless start for $1895. Anything that gets nav alone below 2 grand has to be considered an advancement.

With delivery charges, $25,840...and a bargain in every way.

EPA estimates: 18 mpg city/25 highway. Five star crash ratings, except four for side crash rear seat. Four star rollover.

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Mazda MX-5 Miata Review

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After 20 years, we should all be so over the Mazda MX-5 (Miata).

But we're not. At least, I'm not.

Equipped with a new, larger, smiling grille, the slick little two-seater hugs you until you love it. It's quick, handles better than most any other car you could name, and makes a strong value argument. Base price for the top of the line Grand Touring model is $26,350. The base model? $21,305.

Even optioned to the max, the Grand Touring I drove managed to slide in under $30,000(at $29,170).

It's the modern-day equivalent of the Austin-Healy I wanted as a kid. Only better. Way better.

EPA says 21 city/28 highway. I say go drive one.

Post Title → Mazda MX-5 Miata Review

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Mazda 6 Grand Touring Review

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Automotive journalists, yours truly included, have shouted ourselves hoarse over the years about the merits of the Mazda 6...without much influence on the sales charts. It's not a stiff, but it's not any threat to Accords, Camrys or even Altimas when they total up units sold at the end of each month.

The new Mazda 6 is every bit as good as the last one...and manages to pull off that trick (difficult because so much of what we like in the 6 is its sporting character) while getting quite a bit larger (in an effort to attract Accord, Camry and Altima cross-shoppers).

$24,910 buys a 2.5 liter 16-valve four-cylinder with 170 horsepower. Doesn't sound like much, but it drives like a 250-horsepower six. There's a six-speed manual transmission...17-inch alloy wheels, rain-sensing wipers, leather-trimmed seats (the driver's is an 8-way power adjustable and both front seats are heated) and a bunch more. Standard. For $24,910. And that's the Grand Touring model. There are less expensive trim lines.

The tester I drove for a week added a nav system for $2,000 (I'd have skipped it...if you have to have one, you probably already do...in your cell phone. If not, TomToms and Garmins are a fraction of this price) and $1,760 for a Moonroof & Bose Package...with a moonroof (duh!) and a Bose audio system with 6-disc CD changer and Sirius Satellite Radio. I'm not big on moonroofs (less headroom, more distraction, violation of structural integrity), but my wife is, so I'd probably say yes. Especially since the audio system is a really good one.

Even swallowing the nav system, the bottom line is a reasonable $29,440. Drop the nav and it's $27,440, which is a strong value proposition for a car with great performance, five-star crash ratings in every category and an EPA estimated 20 city/29 highway miles per gallon.

I'm getting hoarse again. Please, just drive one.

Post Title → Mazda 6 Grand Touring Review

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Mazda RX-8 Grand Touring Review

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Time, development and refinement. Those are three things that can improve a car, and the Mazda RX-8 has benefited from all three.

Like most people, I was wowed by the look of the RX-8 when it first came out a few years back (making its screen debut in the "X-Men 2" movie)...but a bit underwhelmed when getting to know it in person. The suicide-style four door arrangement looked cool in photos, but was awkward in person. The body's proportions never looked just right from any given angle...and, frankly, it wasn't that fun to drive.

Well, the doors are still dorky (not much can save that but a restyling and possibly a return to two doors), but a bump up to 18 inch wheels has solved the proportion issue handsomely, and the engineers have obviously been working overtime to make the Zoom-Zoom a little zoomier.

The Grand Touring level comes standard with a six-speed manual transmission coupled to a 1.3 liter rotary engine making 232 horsepower. Not a monster, but more than adequate. You also get a sport-tuned suspension (which gets a lot of credit for the increased fun factor), high-performance tires (ditto), and nice stuff like a power moonroof, air conditioning, a 300-watt Bose audio AM/FM/6-disc CD changer audio system, Bluetooth, leather-trimmed seats, and a bunch more for a base price of $31,670.

The tester had only two options, Sirius Satellite Radio ($430)and a navigation system ($2,000), taking the price with delivery charges to just under $35,000, and making it prime competition for say, a loaded Nissan 350Z.

Mileage has never been a rotary engine strong suit...the RX-8's EPA estimate is 16 city/22 highway...which is midsize SUV mileage these days. Props, though for stellar safety ratings...four stars for the driver in a frontal crash, five for the passenger, as well as four stars for front seat and rear seat protection in a side crash and five stars for rollover.

The RX-8 isn't an instant must-have, but Mazda's been working hard to make sure that if you give it a chance, it will make a better than average case for itself.

Post Title → Mazda RX-8 Grand Touring Review

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Mazda 5 Review

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The other day in traffic, I pulled up next to a remarkably well preserved first-generation Chrysler minivan (from 1985 or so). What struck me, apart from its condition, was how small it was.

Over the past 23 years, minivans have lost a lot of their mini. They're mostly huge, heavily-equipped, thirsty beasts with sticker prices well into the $30,000 range. Get carried away with the options and $40,000 is within reach.

The lone exception is the Mazda 5...a minivan so small it resembles a stretched Honda Fit. The 5, based on the compact Mazda 3 platform, is a delight to drive in city traffic. Handling's a breeze, parking's a snap...snicking into turn lanes partially blocked by trucks and SUVs slopping over from the adjacent lane is no sweat.

And, with a 2.3 liter four-cylinder engine and a 5 speed automatic, the EPA says the Mazda 5 is good for 21 miles per gallon in the city, 27 on the highway.

5s come as cheap as $17,000 and change. Our tester was the top of the line Grand Touring...which still commands a base price of only $22,675, and is so well equipped (17 inch alloy wheels, rain-sensing wipers, third-row seating, leather, a second-row fold-out table, automatic climate control with rear vents, an AM/FM/6-CD audio system with six speakers, cruise control, a moonroof and a Bluetooth hands-free phone system) that ours had no options apart from a rear bumper step plate ($50). That and delivery brought the bottom line to $23,395.

Room for six people (though third-row passengers would be too close to the tailgate for my comfort), great maneuverability, decent performance and very good fuel economy make the Mazda 5 a sensible minivan alternative.

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