Overview & Reviews

There are affordable cars, and then there are cars that offer thrilling performance. Rarely do the two ever converge, but Japanese automaker Mazda has made it a tradition of coming up with vehicles that combine both of these eminently desirable traits.

The Toyo Cork Kogyo Company, founded in 1920 in Hiroshima, Japan, used the name "Mazda" for its first three-wheeled truck, built in 1931. Company founder Jujiro Matsuda chose the word "Mazda" because it was the name of the Zoroastrian god of good and light. Work on a small sedan began in the late 1930s, but development was halted so the company could pitch in with Japan's war effort. In the wake of World War II and the rebuilding that followed, the company refocused its efforts on car development and manufacturing.

By 1960, the first Mazda automobile -- the R360 coupe -- was developed, and the company's foray into the production of passenger vehicles began in full force. Other landmark developments were soon to follow. In 1961, the company entered into a technical partnership with NSU and Wankel to develop and produce rotary engines, a union that led to Mazda's distinguishing itself as the only manufacturer to offer three engine configurations: conventional gasoline piston, diesel and rotary. The '60s also saw the introduction of the company's first pickup, the B-Series 1500, as well as its first rotary-engine vehicle, the 110S Cosmo Sport.

Mazda began selling cars in the U.S. in 1970. In the early part of the decade, the automaker rolled out the RX-2. Powered by the noted 12A rotary, the RX-2 introduced America to Mazda's effort to build cars that were affordable and fun to drive. The decade also saw the introduction of the RX-3, RX-4 and now iconic rotary-powered RX-7 sports car. In 1979, Ford Motor Company purchased a 25 percent stake in Mazda after the Japanese company encountered a number of financial difficulties.

The 1980s was a decade of rebirth for Mazda. The company officially took on the Mazda name (though all its vehicles since its launch in the '20s have carried that brand). It also witnessed an upswing in sales sparked by successful new products like the 323 (which was first called the GLC in the American market) and 626. The 1990 model year saw the launch of a car that would prove a huge hit for Mazda: the MX-5 Miata. Lauded for its ultra-responsive handling and affordability, the drop top has been a consistent favorite, and now holds the distinction of being the world's best-selling roadster.

Mazda began the 1990s with a bang by winning Le Mans with the 787B; it was the first time a Japanese automaker had won the prestigious race, and marked the only win for a rotary engine. Vehicles like the RX-7 and MX-5 Miata scored kudos from automotive journalists, and landed on many top 10 lists. However, save for the Miata, the company's vehicles experienced declining sales in the U.S., and the company's fortunes suffered as a result.

The new millennium has seen Mazda regain its stride, as the automaker has invested in new development. Models like the Mazda 2 and CX-9 have broadened the lineup and won over a whole new generation of fans, while the enthusiast-oriented RX-8 and Mazdaspeed performance models have exemplified the company's spirited philosophy. Most recently, Mazda has focused on designing its cars to be as fuel-efficient as possible while also still being fun to drive and affordable to own.

User Reviews:

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  No more Mazda for me. - 2007 Mazda Mazda5
  By Mario - August 19 - 10:00 am

  I hope Mazda fixed the issue where the car has too much camber & causes rear wheels to wear quickly and cause excessive noise. Like on 2007 models. Weve gone through 3 sets of tires and the car only has 40,000 miles on it.

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  You Get What You Pay For - 2003 Mazda Tribute
  By Riason - August 15 - 2:00 am

  Loaded except for Moon Roof. COuld not justify $15000 more for luxury SUV I really wanted but you know what they say about hindsight. Looks and handles great and no mechanical problems but long trips are unbearable due to road noise, no cruising range (300 miles max), and occasional luggage rack vibration. IF you seldom drive more than 100 miles each trip then you cannot beat this for a mini SUV. Great for younger crowd. For longer trips or boomers, look elsewhere.

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  Couldnt stand it! - 2010 Mazda CX-7
  By sunnyrocks - July 24 - 4:29 pm

  The CX7 is a beautiful vehicle and thats what drew me in, but man do I regret buying it! This is the car that actually made me hate driving. I bought my CX7 new in 2010 when I had to retire my 2000 Cougar, which I had had for 10 years. I thought the CX7 would be a good fit for me since it kind of seemed like a bigger version of the Cougar! It took about 6 months for me to totally hate the CX7, but I had to keep it for 2 years before finally being able to afford trading it.

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  Not Meeting Expectations - 2014 Mazda Mazda6
  By jtb82 - July 22 - 10:58 am

  The car has a great appearance and seemed to be a decent value, but the fuel economy has not even come close to the averages seen on the window sticker. The sticker averages were 26 mpg in the city and 38 mpg on the highway. My car is averaging 24 mpg and I drive mostly on highways. Would not recommend!

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  On the fence - 2012 Mazda Mazda5
  By maeby101 - July 21 - 6:50 am

  Ive had this car for almost a year and 10.5k miles. There are many things I like about it, but I would trade it in if I could. I was coming from an 05 Outback, which had its share of problems over 100k miles, but I loved that car from the start. I cant say the same about the 5. I chose this car because of the ability to put an adult in the backseat with our two little kids. But we only need to do this on long trips, which is maybe twice a year. I miss having AWD (though the 5 was fine with winter tires in last years very mild winter). Something about it just feels cheap. After 10k miles, one of the sliding doors has begun to rattle at slow speeds. Thats just wrong.

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  A question of Mileage - 2008 Mazda CX-7
  By Hedonistic - July 14 - 3:10 am

  Bought my cx 7 in March and I am happy with my purchase. The exterior and interior are wonderful and innovative. However, the gas mileage is atrocious. Turbo lag takes away from the performance, and the car has a very slow pick up without the turbo kicking in. Mazda has yet to prove its reliability in the crowded Japanese market. They offer a six cd changer but no ipod jack?

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  Great if you love to purchase tires !! - 2006 Mazda Mazda5
  By kd3004 - July 13 - 6:23 pm

  I was excited about this car at first because of the manual option with six passenger seating. That was short lived once I realized that this car gets horrible gas mileage for a 4cyl. I average around 20mpg. This is a 50/50 combo of highway/city. Then, the tires/suspension/alignment problems... I am at 67,000 and bout to purchase my 3rd set of tires! This will be the fourth set on the car itself. I had suspension problems right away and it was taken to the dealer 5-6 times. The last time I thought it had been fixed!! The noise was gone!! But the tire wear was unreal!! Buyer beware!! Factor in yearly tire replacement!!!

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  Never Again - 2005 Mazda RX-8
  By scullymo - June 16 - 6:48 am

  This has bee one of my worst car buying experiences. Its hot, and fun to drive and all that, but the air conditioner never works. I have taken it to dealers in 3 states and they all say the same thing, "thats just the way it is, get used to it." I will never drive another Mazda because their customer service everywhere is awful!

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  Bought Brand new in Jan 2007 Let me tell you what I know to date! - 2006 Mazda Mazda5
  By goodnplenty - June 13 - 12:54 pm

  The tires are rediculous on this car, you have to rotate them with EVERY oil change because this car only requires you to get an oil change every 5,000-6,500 You cannot get non Mazda Shocks on this car and apparently noone but Mazda can seem to get the shock to work for than a 8months even if your machanic gets the shocks from mazda. I put after market shocks on my car from 2 diff. mecahnics and they both busted a block down the road. then they replaced them with Mazda shocks and they worked for a while, now Im waiting to see if Mazda will warranty the one that isnt good less than a year later. I drive my car about 60 miles a day back and forth on the Turnpike mostly highwy

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  Beauty & the BEAST - 2000 Mazda Millenia
  By JonathanA - June 8 - 10:00 am

  I purchased the Millenia in March of 2002 and ever since Ive had nothing but troubles with the car. Since March 2002 I am in dealership twice a month. The master brake cylinder went in 3- months owning car, driver side mirror motor bad, the rear struts was replaced, door not closeing properly, ignition switch malfunction car not starting, transmission regulator malfunctions cant make mind up, wires and plug are bad and needs replacing,my rear window defoster cracked and entire rear windshield was replaced, driver seat rear panels fall off, fog lights needs adjusting every 2-months, paint is cracking all over and April 2003 my transmission went.