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The Best Cars of 2009Fort Worth Star-TelegramBy Ed Wallace 2010 Mazda3 — Base price: $16,045 Poor little Mazda gets so little respect. It’s a line of cars that is never compared as equals with bigger Japanese cousins Honda or Toyota. Yet Mazda often has the best in class vehicle. Even the Ford Motor Company has been spinning PR stories lately about having saved Mazda from failure over the past 15 years. |
If you know a bit about the automotive industry, you know that that well may be true; but it’s equally true that Mazda’s engineers have also been responsible for some of Ford’s biggest hits of the past decade. In balance, I believe that Mazda has done more for Ford than Ford has done for Mazda (as you will see in pick No. 3), but it is fair to say that cooperating has yielded exceptional vehicles for both companies. The updated Mazda3 is not a vehicle that people ask about when they are comparing the Honda Civic (best interior) or the Toyota Corolla (most improved small car). But that may just be ignorance of the fact that for years it has actually been the Mazda3 that has set the standards on what an exceptional compact car should be. I didn’t have to drive the new Mazda3 for more than a couple of blocks to understand that the body’s structural engineering puts it in a class with the Mercedes models of the early to mid-nineties – when that company set the standards for auto body construction. Unbelievably rigid, its body structure is properly tuned: You don’t get the residual noise from different road conditions coming into the cabin. The dash layout was expensive looking and logically designed, easy to operate. When I reviewed this car for Fox Four’s Good Day, I summed up by saying that if the Mazda3 had been the new entry-level Lexus, it could have carried a $35,990 window sticker – and Lexus dealers would immediately become sold out of this car for two years. I can’t think of any higher praise for this exceptional small car, except maybe this: If there were a compact car in my future, the Mazda3 would own the top spot on the list. |
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The five most memorable drives of 2009Auto Broker ExaminerBy Isaac Bouchard Mazda CX-7 2.5i Who would have thought that by taking out the turbo engine and four-wheel drive, Mazda could make such a great Honda CR-V rival out of its sporty crossover? Not I, certainly. |
But its brilliant chassis, which combined excellent ride and composure in the curves, detailed steering feel, a willing engine and amazing fuel economy, made this Mazda a rare surprise. That it packed in a lot more standard goodies than the Honda at a lower price, yet looked better and was just as practical, sealed the deal for me. View Complete Article >> |
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Behind The Wheel: 2010 Mazda MX-5 Miata - Not Your Sister's MiataGear PatrolBy Bradley Hasemeyer Mazda MX-5 Miata But what this car will do is have you spending every minute of free time driving it. The MX-5 Miata is one damn fun car. For the 2010 model, the engineers at Mazda utilized the Japanese mantra, “Jinba Ittai”, which translates into “horse and rider as one.” |
Whether it is the intentional structural implementation of aluminum, including the roof, trunk, engine block and cylinders, or linking the engine, transmission and differential to one power plant, creating a perfect 50/50 front and rear weight ratio (by actually factoring in the driver’s weight), everything Mazda engineers did was to bring the Miata and it’s diver into a harmony not seen since Boyz II Men ruled the airwaves. This car exudes balance. Driving with the six-speed close-ratio short shift manual, left me with nothing but smiles. Flicking the car around corners, drifts onto on-ramps (sorry Mazda), lane flicks under tractor trailers (sorry again Mazda), the Mazda doesn’t just make you want to drive, it makes you the drive. View Complete Article >> |
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Best New Cars of 2010About.com GuideBy Aaron Gold America needs to start using less fuel, and the best way to do that is to switch to smaller cars. The problem is that while today's compacts have the space of yesterday's mid-sizers, they lack the amenities. At least they did until now. |
Mazda's Mazda3 compact can be had with features we're used to seeing in premium mid-size cars -- things like high-quality leather, navigation, keyless ignition and rain-sensing wipers -- plus it's fuel-efficient and great fun to drive. If all small cars were this good, I bet a lot more Americans would buy them. Read Review >> |
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