Mazda3 Promises Earth-Friendly Zoom-Zoom
You might think Mazda using a word like "SKYACTIV" to describe its products might mean it has come up with a practical flying car. You'd be wrong, of course – not that Mazdas can't fly along the road in their own right. They do, after all, offer "Zoom-Zoom."
But for 2012, Mazda is adding SKYACTIV technology to its line, the first example to come across our driveway being the wonderful 3, the small four door sedan I've come to know and love over the years. SKYACTIV promises to add more eco-friendliness to the "Zoom-Zoom" equation, through reduced emissions and better gas mileage. more...
Mazda's Fun Fours – SPEED3 and MX-5
Mazda's MAZDASPEED3and MX-5 are definitely a couple of "Zoom-Zoom" treats for fine, summer driving. And what could be more fun than that after a seemingly endless winter and wet spring?
The nice thing is that, thanks to the SPEED3's "conventional" four door wagon configuration, and the MX-5's snug retractable hardtop, they'll also provide entertaining drives in the winter. more...
Mazda6 V6 Ups the "Zoom-Zoom" Ante
Mazda's largest sedan continues to be a compelling drive as it reaches about the middle of its life span.
The Mazda6, like the Toyota Camry, Hyundai Sonata and about a thousand other models, actually occupies the "mid-size" rather than the "full-size" niche – and is, in my never humble opinion, one of the most attractive sedans on the market these days. It's not only easy on the eyes, though, it also performs its function as a practical four door family car very well.
It's fun to drive, too. more...
Mazda CX-9 "Crossover" SUV – Big and Comfy, with "Zoom"
They've upgraded its looks and features a bit for 2010, but at heart the Mazda CX-9 is the same big SUV it has been since its introduction. And that's a good thing.
Not a lot needed to be changed. Heck, my chief complaint is that they still use red illumination on the instruments, and that is not only about as minor a beef as you can have, but whether or not it's even a beef at all is something clearly in the eye of the beholder.
So what we're left with is a 2010 CX-9 that's still big, still roomy, still comfy, and still fun to drive. Okay, it doesn't give the driving joy of a Porsche Cayenne, but it's definitely a Mazda and that means it has their famous "Zoom-Zoom" in its DNA, even if the vehicle is the size of a guest house. more...
Mazda CX-7 and Mazda6 – Can Less Zoom-Zoom Be a Good Thing?
Can downsizing a vehicle's specs supersize its appeal? Mazda hopes so.
For a company that has prided itself on the concept of "Zoom-Zoom" for many years, Mazda may seem to be doing a silly thing by "down-powering" its CX-7 SUV. Yet that's exactly what it has done for the 2010 model year. Likewise, Mazda's lovely 6 sedan is also available with engine choices – either a four banger or a V6. What surprised me was just how competent its four cylinder engine is; the V6 would really be a case of gilding the lily, not that I mind gilded lilies! more...
Mazda 3 and MX–5 A little – and a lot of – Driving Fun
Mazdas are a blast, even if you don't go beyond their most basic entries. And if you do go beyond – to the fabulous MX-5 roadster, for example – it's a blast heard around the world.
The most basic entry is the Mazda 3, the Sport version of which I reviewed a few months ago and fell madly in lust with. more...
2010 Mazda 3 - Long Live "Zoom-Zoom"!
You certainly can't accuse Mazda of false advertising for using "Zoom-Zoom" as their slogan.
The phrase captures the Mazda driving experience beautifully, whether you're behind the wheel of the RX-8, MX-5 Miata, the CX-7 and CX-9 crossovers or, the topic of this piece, the little Mazda 3.
The previous 3 was a huge success for Mazda. According to them, it sold nearly 1.8 million vehicles in over 100 countries since its 2003 launch and won more than 90 automobile awards, including the 2004 "Canadian Car of the Year".
So it was with gusto that I tackled the brand new Mazda3 Sport, the souped up, wagon version of the base 3. It sports a fresh new look and a list of standard and optional equipment that made my head spin considering the car's price. more...
Acura RDX Vs. Mazda CX-7 – a Head to head Matchup
Which is better, luxury performance, or classic "Zoom-Zoom"? Or perhaps more accurately, which of these popular SUV's turned my crank the most after spending back-to-back weeks with them: the Acura RDX or Mazda CX-7?
I drove the Acura RDX first, a vehicle I like very much and which would be on my short list if I were looking for a machine in this class. It's a little higher end than the Mazda CX-7, with more technology and stuff. Naturally, it's also a few grand dearer. Not that the CX-7 is some kind of dinosaur. more...
Mazda 5: A little Van with a little "Zoom-Zoom"
Other than some tweaking of options, Mazda’s little six seater hasn't changed much for 2009 – and that may be 'cause this miniature minivan didn't need much changing anyway.
Although if I had my druthers (and obviously I don't), I'd like to see the 5 come with just a little more "zoom zoom." more...
New Sedan Ups Mazda's "6 Appeal"
One of the best looking and most fun to drive Japanese sedans is even better for 2009.
It's the Mazda6 , which the company says is all new from stem to stern and top to bottom – and which surely looks and feels that way. In fact, so far as its looks are concerned, this is one of the best-looking sedans on the road today, sporty and modern and lovely to behold. And that's saying something; the previous 6 was one of the nicest styling jobs around, yet park it next to the fresh 6 and the previous generation looks positively frumpy. more....
Mazda Tribute a Blast from the Past
Mazda's Tribute small SUV is one case in which the manufacturer's famous "zoom zoom" slogan doesn't quite apply. It's probably because the vehicle is a victim of time – it's from an era now past. more....
Mazda MX-5 Tops Its Own Act!
Mazda's little bundle of joy was reborn about a year ago, moving beyond the loveable and classic Miata with a new look, new power, and a new, shorter name: just plain MX-5. At heart, it's still the joyful little Miata, and now, with the addition of an optional power-operated retractable hard top, it's even better. more....
Mazda CX-7 Hauls People, Stuff, Butt
Minivans are out, at least if you're Mazda, and that may not be too bad a thing. more....
Big Mazda "Crossover" SUV - "Zoom" with a Bird's Eye View
It's big, it's comfy and it's roomy. Oh yeah, it's also a Mazda and that means it's pretty nice to drive.
"It" is the Mazda CX-9, the company's new flagship SUV, er, crossover. It's basically a bigger version of the CX-7, and features a windshield raked steeply, big, multi-spoked wheels and three rows of seats meant to hold up to seven people. Mazda describes the CX-9 as being aimed at "couples and families who want to drive a stylish, smart vehicle that fits their lifestyles" and says the CX-9 combines "the practicality of an SUV with the outstanding performance and luxury of a sports car." more....
Mazdas 3 - a Zoomy
Sedan and a ZOOMY! Wagon
No matter what flavor you choose for it, Mazda's 3 is a slick little car that offers a lot of fun wrapped up in a lot of practicality.
The 3, nee Protégé, is available in three flavors: four door sedan, five door
sports wagon (the Mazda3 Sport) and the Mazdaspeed3, the really hot version
of the wagon. Mazda claims on its website that
the 3 is a combination of "exhilarating driving performance, emotional styling
and high levels of craftsmanship". more....
Mazda MX-5 -
Talkin' 'bout Regeneration
Once it was called the Miata, and it turned the automotive
world on its ear. The little two seat roadster took all that
had been great about open top motoring as personified by
the classic British sports cars and added new technology
and the legendary dependability of Japanese cars. It was
an instant hit and has continued to be a wonderful and popular
fun-mobile ever since then.
But nothing stands still, and now the Miata's just the MX-5 and, though it probably
won't have the impact on automobiledom that its previous self did, Mazda's little
bundle of joy has been reborn as an even more terrific open top sports car. more...
Mazdaspeed 6 – Family
Sedan or Road Rocket?
Take one of the best looking four door sedans on the market,
add a turbocharger and a bunch of other tweaks and what do
you have?
Very nearly driving heaven, if sporty performance is the
Holy Grail for which you’re searching.
So it is with the Mazdaspeed 6, the hottest version of Mazda’s
terrific mid-sized sedan. Like the Mazdaspeed Miata I drove
last summer, the hopped up Mazda 6 loves to perform – and
this time it does it without forcing you to leave the kids
and the luggage back home. more...
Mazda 5: A People and Stuff Mover
with “Zoom-Zoom”
Mazda’s new six seater looks like a mini-minivan (a
microvan?), but Mazda prefers to call it “the Zoom-Zoom
MAV.”
MAV is yet another in a long series of acronyms or nicknames
companies use, perhaps to avoid the “soccer mom” image
minivans and other utility vehicles have gotten over the
years.
Thus we have “sports tourers” such as Mercedes
R class, “CUV” Crossover Utility Vehicles such
as the Subaru B9 Tribeca, “CSV” Crossover Sport
Vans such as the Saturn Relay, “SAV” Sports Activity
Vehicles such as BMW’s X5. Next maybe we’ll get “PASH-V’s – People
And Stuff Hauling Vehicles. more...
Turbocharger Widens the Smiles as Miata eats up the Miles
Well, is my face red. For a happy reason: a week
spent under the hot summer sun behind the wheel of Mazda’s
turbocharged Mazdaspeed MX-5 Miata. I spent so much time
roaring around the back roads with the roof down that I ended
up being broiled medium well, which for a guy who doesn’t
go outdoors except to drive cars, is quite something. And,
other than the sunburn, I loved every minute of it!
The Mazdaspeed Miata takes everything that makes the basic
Miata wonderful and ups the ante to move the little critter
from being a great fun car to being a great and
fast fun car. more...
Well, they certainly aren’t kidding.
I mean, Mazda’s “zoom zoom” slogan can be
applied in the real world to the experience of driving such
fun cars as the Miata and even the 6 sedan. But take it to
its ultimate expression and you have to be talking about
the RX-8, the latest generation of the company’s rotary-powered
sports cars and an absolute blast to take out on the highway.
The gorgeous RX-8 follows on the heels of the popular RX-7,
but ups the ante over that great car in several ways. First,
it features a new generation of the rotary engine, which
Mazda calls “RENESIS.” This power plant is nothing
short of remarkable: in my top-of-the-line test RX-8, Mazda
manages to get 238 horses and 164 lb.-ft. of torque from
an engine comparable to 1.3 litres! Incredible – and
don’t let those power/torque specs fool you; they may
not be as high as some of the competition, but this car is
no slouch by any means. more...
Can a station wagon be cool? Can it be sporty?
You bet! The days of a station wagon being a stodgy family
hauler are long gone and some of today’s wagons are
wonderful blends of function with form. Take the Mazda 6
Sport Wagon, for example.
The Mazda 6 has been winning awards ever since it was introduced
for the 2004 model year, and the new wagon version copped
the 2005 AJAC (Automobile Journalists Association of Canada)
Car of the Year Award for
“Best New Station Wagon”. I can see why. The 6
Sport Wagon is a blast to drive – and you can haul stuff
with it, too!
For what more could anyone ask? Well, possibly a manual
transmission for those who don’t want to be accused
of being shiftless
– but even there Mazda has thrown “purists” a
very nice bone in the form of a terrific 6 speed automatic
with a pretend manual mode that’s almost as good as
an honest to goodness manual tranny with a clutch. Almost.
more...
In a market segment that features such venerable Japanese
entries as the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry, carving out
a market share is going to require more than just a great
car.
It has to be a great car that's different from its direct
competition.
And that’s what Mazda has done with its terrific 6
four door sedan. It goes head to head with Accord and
Camry (and others, of course), but whereas those other two
models are refined and fully featured and all-round excellent,
the 6 also adds its own substantial measure of “fun
to drive” to the mix. And that makes a
big difference. more...
Mazda Tribute
and B4000
Mazda's "cute ute" Tribute is a nice small SUV
with good performance both on and off the road, plenty of
features, and good value overall.
I first had a chance to drive the Tribute when it debuted,
at a media event where they sent us out off roading up a "road" I probably wouldn't have even tried walking up if given my
druthers. That experience showed me that the Tribute is truly
happy to perform off road as on city streets.
Most people don't do serious off roading in their SUV's
however, so my recent week with the 2005 Tribute was spent
on asphalt, in urban and rural driving that would probably
match most of what the Tribute would experience in the real
world. And it reinforced my earlier opinion that the Tribute
is a good SUV. more...
The Mazda Protegé is far more fun to drive than it
has any right to be.
After all, it’s Mazda’s entry level vehicle, a
supposed econobox that competes with the likes of the Honda
Civic, Toyota Corolla, Hyundai Accent and the rest. Yet when
you get behind the wheel and take off, even if the car’s
handicapped by an automatic transmission as my tester was,
you find yourself having a really good time driving the thing.
Go figure.
Actually, this is exactly what Mazda wants you to discover
about the car. The first page inside its brochure for the
Protegé reminds you, however ungrammatically, that “fun” is
both a noun and a verb, and that it’s time to put your
foot down. more...
Mazda's Protegé 5 is a definite success story.
After having driven a bumblebee-colored sample when the
car was brand new on the market, I was very impressed and
figured the car would sell boatloads. And it has; it's hard
to drive very far near where we live without seeing multiple
examples of the little wagons “zoom zooming” around.
And deservedly so; Protegé 5 is a nice car.
For those who may not have yet experienced such sightings,
the Mazda Protegé
5 is the attractive five door hatchback/station wagon that
appears to have spawned (or at least beaten to market) a
host of imitators including the Toyota Matrix/Pontiac Vibe
and Suzuki Aerio. It's probably the most subtle and attractive
of them all, styling-wise, and that isn't a bad thing – though
beauty, of course, is in the eye of the beholder. more...
Zoomy Little Mazda Rocks
The brand new 2002 Protegé 5 is a cute five door
hatchback/station wagon that appears to be aimed at the youth
market.
How do I know? Well, the bright "vivid yellow" model I drove,
which came complete with black racing stripes running its
length (giving the overall impression of a giant bumblebee),
pulled in more stares per mile than any vehicle I've driven
recently, and most of the admiring gazes came from teen and
twentysomething females.
So if you want to be a real babe magnet, this may be your
car, but I felt like a mid-life crisis guy trying to look
cool. It was quite embarrassing…
The bright yellow would also be a magnet for traffic cops,
especially if you drive the Protegé 5 with any kind
of elan. more...
Mazda’s First Sport Ute a Legitimate “Mazda-piece”
Mazda’s first time at bat in the SUV market has resulted
in a home run. The Tribute feels as at home on the mountainside
as on the city streets. I know this because, while the weather
(and my nerves) didn’t allow for any off-roading during
my week and a half with the 2001 Tribute ES, I had the opportunity
to go four wheeling in one at a media junket last fall.
At that event, we were given a mountainside – you can’t
call it a road – on which to test the Tribute’s
mettle. To make a long and humiliating story short, I chickened
out long before the Mazda did; in fact, the Tribute never
lost a beat as it handled the mud, gravel, boulders, and
inclines of what turned out to be a real torture test. more...
Mazda Miata - Going Topless with a Fair-weather Friend
Any car that's this much fun must somehow be bad. But Mazda's
MX-5 Miata sure feels good!
The Miata has been around for over a decade, and has almost
single-handedly re-carved the niche made famous by those
honored British sports cars of decades past. Except the Miata
has the advantage that it not only gets you where you're
going, IT GETS YOU BACK AGAIN!
What a concept! I've owned three MGB's and loved them very
much, though since I'm not mechanically minded I ended up
on the side of the road with a dead "B" so many times that
I finally gave up on such junk. My last
"B," bought brand new, was by far the worst and turned me
off British cars for years. I've never owned a Miata, unfortunately,
because when it was introduced the kids had come along and
the Miata wasn't practical for our lives. more...
New Millennia for the New Millennium - Luxury Sedan Top
of the Line
Mazda’s newly-styled 2001 Millennia is a comfortable
luxury sedan that offers a lot for the price.
I first drove the Millennia for about half an hour at a
media junket, and I liked it. I had it for a week this time,
which gave me a much better feel for the vehicle. It's the
first of three Mazdas I'll be driving over the next few weeks
and, from my experience with the Millennia, it should be
a treat.
The handsome and stylish Millennia S (my tester was a lovely
metallic red with a beige/gray leather interior) is powered
by a 210 horsepower, 2.3 liter, 24 valve DOHC V6 that uses “Miller
Cycle” technology. The base model Millennia has a more
conventional, 2.5 liter V6.
Patented in the 1940’s, the Miller Cycle is said to
give the power of a 3 liter V6 with the fuel economy of a
2 liter. It uses a Supercharger (which forces extra air into
the engine) and compresses the air inside the cylinders differently.
The result is said to be a 15 per cent increase in power.
I can't attest to the fuel mileage (I tend to have a heavy
foot) but the power’s certainly there. It's smooth,
too, coming on quickly and evenly; from a standing start
I'd be at 50 m.p.h. before I knew it.
This was embarrassing in playground zones… more...
Mazda Minivan a Comfy People Mover - 2001 Model Pleasant
and Powerful
The minivan market is nothing if not crowded, so it pays
for a marque to offer something unique if it wants to make
its mark.
Fortunately for Mazda, it has never been reluctant to tread
its own path, as witnessed by its embrace of such non-mainstream
stuff as (for example) the rotary and Miller engines.
The 2001 MPV is a fairly straightforward example of the
minivan species, but it boasts a few things that set itself
apart from the pack. Add them all together and you end up
with a thoughtful and comfortable family vehicle. more...
Mazda Pays Tribute to Sport Utes
- 2001 Model Line Intros SUV
Mazda has finally jumped into the SUV market.
The Japanese carmaker’s first Sport Ute is the 2001
Tribute and,
judging from the test drives in which I participated, it’s
a fine unit that’s surprisingly apt off road.
A Mazda media junket to Vancouver, British Columbia, to
premiere its 2001 model year lineup was my first opportunity
to see the Tribute up close, and I was quite impressed.
Tribute is a “cute ute,” a small SUV in the vein
of Toyota’s RAV4. It comes in two basic configurations:
a four banger, 5 speed manual and a V6 with a four speed
automatic. Both offer front and four wheel drive, though
4WD is optional on the entry level DX. more...
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