By John Heilig
SPECIFICATIONS

Model: 2012 Mazdaspeed3
Engine: 2.3-liter turbocharged I4
Horsepower/Torque: 263 hp @ 5,000 rpm/280 lb.-ft. @ 3,000 rpm
Transmission: 6-speed manual
Wheelbase: 103.9 in.
Length/Width/Height: 177.6 x 69.7 x 57.5 in.
Tires: P225/40R18
Cargo volume: 13 cu. ft. (est.)
Fuel economy: 18 mpg city/25 mpg highway/26.8 mpg test
Fuel capacity: 15.9 gal.
Curb weight: 3,281 lbs.
Sticker: $27,545 (includes $795 delivery charge, $3,050 in options, mostly for the Mazdaspeed tech package)

Five reasons to buy this car
1. Street racer
2. Economical
3. Surprise your friends
4. Impress the teenagers in your neighborhood
5. Have a …

By Don Hammonds
There are times when older is better.
This is one of those times.
Compact cars have been redone, reiggered and renovated like crazy over the last few years, yet one of the very best of the bunch is one of the older designs: the Mazda3.

Consider. It handles better than just about any of the other compacts we’ve driven this year, rivaled only by Ford’s Focus–a car which doesn’t share Mazda3′s straightforward, sporty, yet elegant interior. It shifts smoothly, again, better …

By Don Hammonds
The hardest tightrope to master isn’t the one under a circus tent, it’s the one that carmakers have to manage once it’s time for a changeover of a popular model.
Does the company risk big styling changes? Do othey risk introducing new features that might turn off current customers? And what’s everybody else doing in the particular market in which the model competes?

This year, it was “that time” for the Mazda5,  Mazda’s increasingly popular small minivan. In some parts of …

By Don Hammonds
One thing you can count on from Mazda: The company knows who it is and how to translate that to the cars it makes.

Case in point is the new upcoming CX-5 small crossover based on  the company’s Minagi concept that was shown at the New York International Auto Show. Somehow Mazda’s translated its legendary zoom-zoom ambiance into a product that looks unique, muscular and “on the move”  and quite unlike anything else on the road.  If the company’s …

By Don Hammonds
For the record, we really like the Mazda2.

If you like lively, sporty driving and prefer your ride to be glitz-free–just the basics please–you’ll love the Mazda2. The driving experience isw blessedly pure, with no complicated accessories, unnecessary gadgets to distract you, and it really puts a smile on your face as you corner and hit the tight curves.
Still, we wonder.
Mazda2 is coming in the midst of a near-revolution in the compact car field. Rather than driving small cars …

For ages, the auto industry has been afflicted with ‘me too syndrome” when it comes to styling and design.
Just as soon as one car company launches a successful styling departure from the norm, eve4ryone rushes to copy it, and before long, we are awash in designs that look an awful lot like each other.
During the 1960s,. everybody clamored for a two door coupe with a “Thunderbird” roofline. The 1970s heralded a race to opera window heaven. The 1980s brought us …

Consistency and a solid brand identity are crucial these days for survival in the auto industry.
Arguably one of the car companies that does the best job of knowing themselves and their image well, is Mazda. Everybody knows it’s the “zoom zoom” brand, and little kids can be heard humming the theme.
From its Mazda5 minivan to the CX-9, each is imbued with  a sense of sporty affordability and a strong sense of individuality in styling and content. They are what they …

SPECIFICATIONS
Model: Mazdaspeed3 Sport
Engine: 2.3-liter turbocharged 4
Horsepower/Torque: 263 hp @ 5,500 rpm/280 lb.-ft. @ 3,000 rpm
Transmission: 6-speed manual
Wheelbase: 103.9 in.
Length/Width/Height: 177.6 x 69.7 x 57.5 in.
Tires: P225/40R18
Cargo volume: 17.0/42.8 cu. ft. (rear seat backs up/down)
Fuel economy: 18 mpg city/25 mpg highway/22.3 mpg test
Fuel capacity: 15.9 gal.
Curb weight: 3,245 lbs.
Sticker: $23,195 (includes $750 delivery, processing and handling fee plus $1,895 in options)

The Bottom Line: Despite the fact that the Mazdaspeed3 is designed to appeal to a different demographic than the one I …

Word is that Mazda5 will be undergoing a dramatic transformation with a design that pays homage to the popular minivan’s heritage and the company’s expressive design themes.  You’ll get your first look at the new Mazda5 at the upcoming Geneva International Motor Show.
The design theme, known as “Nagare,“ has been seen on a number of Mazda’s concept cars over the last few years, and the Mazda5 is the first new product from Mazda that embraces the full effect of the …

SPECIFICATIONS
Model: 2010 Mazda6 Grand Touring
Engine: 3.7-liter DOHC V6
Horsepower/Torque: 272 hp @ 6,250 rpm/269 lb.-ft. @ 4,250 rpm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Wheelbase: 109.8 in.
Length/Width/Height: 193.7 x 72.4 x 57.9 in.
Tires: P235/45R18
Cargo volume: 16.6 cu. ft.
Fuel economy: 17 mpg city/25 mpg highway/21.1 mpg test
Fuel capacity: 18.5 gal.
Sticker: $33,220 (includes $750 delivery, processing and handling fee; $100 LEV-2 ULEV emission package; $2,000 navigation system; $1,980 technology package
Bottom line: If you can get past the (not bad) generic styling, the Mazda 6 is an excellent mid-size …