Ivory Soap used to advertise that its product was 99 and 44/100ths-percent pure.
Mazda could have said the same thing about the Miata when it was introduced in 1989. The first Miata was about as pure as sports cars could get, offering only the bare necessities of transportation so that it could focus on its core mission: fun for the driver. Read more…
Serious Zoom-Zoom
There are other turbocharged performance sedans on the market but the two we think of first, the Mitsubishi Evo and Subaru WRX, are considerably more manic than the thoroughly upgraded MazdaSpeed 6 we had the pleasure of driving a few weeks ago. We recently tested the Evo and were—not surprisingly—impressed by the sheer power of the tiny 2-liter and the fierce acceleration it provides. But the Evo is tuned heavily toward hardcore and not everyone wants to sacrifice a decent ride, sound insulation, and luxurious interior accommodations in the name of horsepower. Some will willingly trade a few tenths of a second in the 0-60 mph dash for something that can serve family sedan duty at the drop of a hat. Those people will find such a ride at their Mazda dealer. Read more…
Second Time Around, Twice The Charm
Recently we had the chance to sample two cars in Mazda’s lineup that, while unique in their own regards, still carried a bit of familiarity with them. The Mazda6 and MPV have both been welcomed into our fleet in the not so distant past, but we again open arm embraced these two like long lost friends. The MPV has little news to speak of since our last rendition in ’04, while the 6 5-door is altogether a different model in the 6 family. Speaking of families, that is exactly who we put to work in these vehicles. Lets check them out! Read more…
When most people wake up in the morning, they probably don’t get excited about driving a low-priced compact car to work.
That’s only because most people don’t have a Mazda3 in their driveway.
Unlike many economy cars that are good for a daily commute but totally uninspiring from the driver’s seat, this new Mazda is actually a car you can get excited about taking for a spin every day. It’s like the Miata put on a few pounds and grew a back seat. Read more…
Blueberries In My Lunchbox
Like kids on recess we scramble out to the garage to collect our toys. My latest being a little blueberry-hued Mazda. Sliding the shift lever into D, I scoot off for the weekend. Did I win or did I lose; considering the prized H1 Alpha was now in the hands of Exec Dye who was already rolling over all manner of boulders and compacts in his path. It’s the sandbox for me, my little ride possessing neither the clearance nor the desire to hop more than the Meijer parking lot curb. Read more…
The 6 Gets A 6-Speed
The Mazda6 has been a shining example of what a sport sedan from a mainstream automaker should be. We’re not talking BMW or Infiniti here. This is Mazda, purveyor of increasingly desirable, affordable cars with sporting intentions. And the 6 has been near the top of our favorite sport sedans list since its debut as a 2003 model. Since then it has offered plenty to like, (sharp style, 220hp, available manual) all for around $25k. Luckily, Mazda knows not to let a good thing go bad. So for 2005 they’ve upped the ante in the midsize sport sedan market by including the segment’s first 6-speed automatic transmission. The only people not happy about this? Mazda’s competitors. Read more…
A Grocery Getter With Attitude
Yes, we realize that this space just a short while ago was graced by none other than Mazda’s icon sports car, the RX-8, and that following such a hot item with a standard run-of-the-mill soccer wagon could be considered a crime against humanity in some regards. However, that is how the cards fell for us, and we couldn’t possibly deprive our reader faithful from any of the emotions yours truly and the rest of the AT staff felt. So here it is in titanium gray, the story of a minivan, just looking for love. Read more…
The Best Car Under $20,000?
It’s not hard to find a publication that will rave about the latest supersedan from Audi, BMW, Mercedes or Lexus. After all, those cars cost $60,000, $80,000, even $100,000. For that many greenbacks the car had better give us something to be excited about. That kind of money buys you a high-quality interior, a delightful driving experience and styling that is clean and upscale. Imagine our surprise, then, when we found all of these things and more in a sub-$20,000 compact from Mazda. We’ll warn you, this review contains ego-enhancing praise galore. Mazda, don’t let this go to your head. Read more…
Finally A Sports Car For Full Nesters
Not everyone has bags of disposable cash sitting around after their kids have moved out to pursue family, fame and fortune. Some people have responsibilities at home in the form of children, who are more interested in passing next week’s spelling test than working up the corporate ladder. And unfortunately—due to the need to transport their respective bundles of joy—mom and pop’s inner enthusiast just isn’t being satisfied by the sport-package equipped minivan. It would be nice if there were a sports car that could seat more than two people and be affordable at the same time. Nevertheless there are rules to the world we live in and that anomaly just doesn’t exist—does it? Well we’re happy to report it does, and it’s available at your local Mazda dealer for less than most minivans. Read more…
