MAZDA (14)
With each new model year, even if there aren’t wholesale changes, any Mazda vehicle needs to continue to demonstrate some key abilities in order to maintain the brand’s reputation -- and chief among them is a stout driving performance.
I recently spent some time in the 2018 Mazda CX-5, a vehicle that has long been a favorite of mine in the mid-size SUV category, and I’m back with a full report on how it holds up to expectations.
LOOKS
While not a lot is new in the 2018 CX-5 due to a significant remodel one year ago, you do get some changes for the new year, including a standard leather-wrapped steering wheel.
This exacerbates an already well-appointed interior in the CX-5, not at luxury level but sharper looking and more comfortable than most vehicles in the segment. You’ll find mostly soft surfaces, high-class touches on the dashboard. and leather-trimmed seating. A power moonroof is offered for a nice visual touch.
Every brand has its calling card.
For some in the auto world, the focus is all about safety (i.e. Volvo); For others, it’s power (see: Dodge); For some it’s about reliability (Toyota, for one).
And then there’s Mazda, a smaller brand but one with many diehard fans -- and for a very good reason. They have perhaps the best calling card of all -- their vehicles are a blast to drive. Period.
They’re not the most powerful brand, wouldn’t win a drag race, and are far from the fanciest or most high-tech. But the overall experience of driving the Mazda lineup ranks well against any of the competition in the non-luxury segment of modern vehicles.
While their lineup comes in many sizes -- from Miata sports car up to CX-9 three-row SUV, in this review I’m going to focus on a couple vehicles on the smaller side of their lineup that I recently got to spend some time in -- the 2018 Mazda compact sedan, and the 2018 Mazda CX-3 subcompact SUV, which is essentially a raised-up version of a Mazda2 sedan.
The general thoughts of someone buying a three-row SUV tend to focus on things other than power and the ride quality -- Buyers seek out storage space, they want maximum seating and they want safety features on the family vehicle. Often, people will settle for a disappointing ride if the other boxes are checked, since their priorities have changed due to that thing called family.
Luckily, they don’t always have to make that sacrifice, as evidenced by vehicles like the 2018 Mazda CX-9, which I was recently able to spend some time in. Despite being a three-rower with capacity for seven, the experience of driving the CX-9 is not what you would expect -- in a good way..
Mazda was not the first brand to get into the compact SUV segment -- far from it in fact.
But when they did arrive in the segment, they brought a unique angle to the game: An enjoyable ride.
While other brands focused on the utility of the vehicle while often ignoring the need for a strong performance, Mazda decided it could do both with its crossover, the CX-5.
And while its sales numbers are nowhere near segment leading, the CX-5 has still been a remarkable success due to the fact it’s been able to offer that driver satisfaction in a package where that’s normally not found.
After spending some time in a CX-5, i would say it’s easily one of the best handling and most fun to drive SUVs available.
If I were to say the words “midsize sedan”, there are probably some bigger names that would come to your mind than the Mazda6. But as Goliath once found out, bigger is not always better.
Having driven pretty much every midsize sedan on the roadways, from Camrys and Accords to Fusions and Malibus, I find they all have their strong points (reliability for some, design for others) but most of them can’t claim to be a vehicle that I could call truly enjoyable to drive. I can say that about the 2017 Mazda6t.
LOOKS
The Mazda6 seats five passengers comfortably -- two in front and three in the rear.
Its exterior isn’t what I’d call visually stunning, but I can say it’s among the better looking sedans in the class, including an understated but classy looking grille design.
Inside, the leather-trimmed seating in my test vehicle was quite high-end, better than I thought I would get in a Mazda, and heated seats were also included, along with a moonroof. The design of the tech setup was also very intuitive, but more on that later.
The little car company that could, amid a sea of bigger and more dominant competitors, Mazda always has an uphill battle when battling for market share.
But when I drive their vehicles, I often wonder why. The experience they offer is among the best I’ve found after testing vehicles from all continents and in all classes.
Among the company’s more enjoyable offerings is the compact Mazda3 sedan, which I recently got the chance to test, and I’m back with a full report of where it stands in the grand scheme of small cars (a busy group that includes the Toyota Corolla, Hyundai Elantra, Chevy Cruze, Ford Focus and Honda Civic).
Several years back, led by the Nissan Juke and other vehicles, the subcompact SUV category became a big thing -- and it’s been exploding every since, with manufacturers clamoring to join the segment. Last year, Mazda got involved with the CX-3 offering, and that offering is back again unchanged for its second year with a 2017 model, which I recently had a chance to test.
For those unfamiliar, these things are simply tiny SUVs; they ride higher than a regular car and area bit heavier, but interior space isn’t much bigger than a small sedan. Every year, more and more them appear.
The CX-3 can technically fit 2 people in front and 3 people in back, but the space is so tight in the rear, I wouldn’t want to sit there. Maybe small kids will be OK.
Numbers on the CX-3 are 18 cubic feet of cargo volume, and it can accommodate a max load of 850 pounds. The vehicle is 168 inches long, 70 inches wide, 61 inches tall, and weighs 2,945 pounds. In addition to the tiny back seat, your cargo space isn’t much to talk about.
On the plus side, the interior design is among best in the segment.
Target buyers for this vehicle would be couples who won’t be transporting children, or folks who generally travel alone or with one passenger, and want to upgrade from a typical small sedan at a reasonable price.
Mazda’s powers-that-be must be big Monty Python fans, because the first thought in my head when I saw and drove the new 2016 Mazda CX-9 three-row SUV was “And now for something completely different … “
Often new model years bring little to no change to a vehicle, but this is the polar opposite. I remember driving the 2015 CX-9 and not being very impressed with the performance vs. other three-row SUVs, but the 2016 model invites much warmer feelings. I recently drove a 2016 CX-9 and here are the key takeaways I have from my week in the car.
When you talk about convertibles, there are a few names that come to mind -- and one of those is the Mazda Miata. Around for two and a half decades, this vehicle has been popular from the start, and for good reason -- it’s damn fun to drive and looks great.
I recently tested a 2016 Miata and I’ve back with a full report.
When you’re battling established names in the automobile business, it can be tough sledding. You’ve got to come out with guns blazing, with a strong vehicle with impressive specs and performance that can battle those giants without fear.
That’s what Mazda is aiming to do in the midsize sedan market, as its new 2016 Mazda6 aims to shoot down some of the biggest vehicle nameplates in the business with its looks and performance and overall driving experience.
I recently spent some time in a 2016 Mazda6, and I’m back with a full report on what the vehicle has to offer and if it’s up to the task.
More...
Kelley Blue Book’s KBB.com has named the 2015 Mazda5, 2015 Mazda6 and 2015 Mazda MX-5 Miata as winners of its “2015 5-Year Cost to Own Awards” in the van/minivan, midsize sedan and sports car categories, respectively. Kelley Blue Book uses its data to find and award vehicles whose cost of ownership is lowest in their respective segments, taking depreciation, insurance, fees, maintenance and fuel costs into consideration.
With so many crossover SUVs on the market, it’s tough to stand out and not get lost in the crowd. The 2015 Mazda CX-5, which I recently was able to spend some time in, doesn’t have that problem.
Between it’s attractive look, strong safety record, high mpg rating and impressively low price, it’s one of the compact crossovers that should gain quite a few fans in 2015. Here’s a full report on what the vehicle has to offer:
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