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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  MPV 2004 - 2004 Mazda MPV
  By Mims - April 11 - 4:26 am

  Horrible performance with this vehicle. Has been in for service 7 times within 2 years. 4 times requiring tow. Very dissatisfied with vehicle.

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  Less than reliable - 2001 Mazda 626
  By Drewp - February 22 - 6:16 am

  This car might have been better as a 5 speed manual. I personally would never build a 4 cylinder car with an automatic transmission. It was underpowered and noisy from the beginning. At about 59,000 miles I needed a major tune up and now it has a broken boot and front drive axle and the car has only little more than 70,000. The handling in any weather conditions is sleepy at best. It may be a front drive car but it should be able to control its back end a bit better.

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  never buy a tribute - 2002 Mazda Tribute
  By Angel Pereira - November 27 - 12:50 pm

  I had just bought my 2002 tribute 4 weeks ago and it started losing power and this past Saturday it cot on firer totaled the vehicle luckly everyone got out ok had pregnant daughter 4 year old grandson and would of had my 9 month old granddaughter thank god her mother got off work early that day now stuck with no money no transportion and lots of head aches come to fined out its a manufactory defect

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  Worst car ever - 2002 Mazda Protege5
  By NEVER buy a Mazda - November 23 - 10:00 am

  My husband and I have owned our Protege 5 for almost 6 years now and it has been nothing but a headache. The sub frame has rotted practically off the car and has been fixed twice already. There are recurring problems with the check engine light and the dealer cannot determine what the issue is exactly. "spend $1000s and still not know if the issue(s) is fixed". Mazda does not stand behind their vehicles AT ALL. Sub frames rotting are a real safety issue and maybe they should look at how Toyota solved this problem. Our other car is a 2000 Pontiac Sunfire and it does NOT have rust issues. The Mazda has even been undercoated more than the Sunfire! Do not waste your money!

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  Mazda 6 is a lemon - 2011 Mazda Mazda6
  By aleigh - November 20 - 5:27 pm

  This is the worst car I have ever purchased. I never knew when the engine would turn over. Countless times I had to call road service, and the service dept. said everything was fine. You want your car to be reliable, and this was a piece of - - - -. I wanted to return it, but of course the dealership, Ralph Thayer of Livonia Michigan, would not allow it. In addtion, a minor detail is that the cup holder was not deep enough to hold a mug of coffee, so I always has to hold it while driving. I doubt this car even got 19 MPH. It cost me a small fortune filling up with gas every other day. My lease is up in 2 months, and I can hardly wait. Do yourself the biggest favor in the world and consider

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  MAZDA DISAPPOINTS. - 2007 Mazda Mazda5
  By albert36 - October 15 - 5:13 am

  The automatic transmission in our late model Mazda 5 failed at 74,000 km. Needless to say we were both surprised and disappointed to have the transmission fail so pre-maturely. Mazda dealerships claimed it was out of their hands and directed us to Mazda Canada. Mazda’s Head Office in turn said even though the mileage was within warranty, the expiry date had recently passed, therefore no remedy or compensation would be forthcoming. No, not even goodwill. Mazda Canada was unwilling to acknowledge that if a vehicle fails at 74,000 km, its not unreasonable to consider the cause might be a manufacturing defect in that vehicle. How many cars would any auto manufacturer sell if their transmissions have such a short life expectancy? There were various reasons given for lack of help including no service records in the Mazda database, despite our submission of service records. It seems that the service work of licensed mechanics in Canada is not good enough for Mazda. Apparently they need to be employed by Mazda authorized -dealers. As new transmissions are not available from Mazda, the dealerships offer rebuilt transmissions for $2,900.00 with a one year warranty, no extended warranty available. A nationwide transmission company has quoted $2,000 for the same work and will extend the warranty to three years for about $400 more. Despite not employing the service of Mazda mechanics, the national transmission chain is confident enough in their workmanship to offer a non-prorated warranty that’s 3 times longer than Mazda ‘s! We went back to Mazda Canada, requested that they make up the $800 difference and have the work done at one of their dealerships. We believe our request for some compensation was fair and reasonable. The answer back from Mazda was no. We’ve been told that auto manufacturers are only interested in selling new cars. Fair enough. If Mazda had even offered a $1,000 or so rebate on a future purchase of a Mazda vehicle, that would have been acceptable. That purchase of a future Mazda would still net Mazda a profit even after the rebate was applied, the company would retain the loyalty of a Mazda driver while we would have the comfort of knowing that we are dealing with a manufacturer that stands behind their products and values us as long term customers. As it turns they now have a Mazda family that does not have a good story to tell and will likely never purchase a Mazda again.

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  rides like a truck - 2004 Mazda Tribute
  By smashingk - September 26 - 10:00 am

  steering went out at 9000 miles. Altogether performance isnt that great. The ride is very uncomfortable and when you lower the windows, you can hear loud buzzing noises.

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  2005 tribute problems - 2005 Mazda Tribute
  By diverdan1 - September 20 - 1:28 am

  since buying this vehicle i have had 7300.00 warranty work done on it and heaven alone knows how much apparently my problems i have spent on it. it is the worst vehicle i have ever owned and suggest to anyone to do some thorough research before ever buying a mazda ford tribute. apparently my problems are not over yet according to my mechanic. buyer be aware when purchasing one of these.

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  What a lemon - 2001 Mazda Tribute
  By Dewey - September 17 - 8:43 pm

  I had one of these, and have put several hundred dollars a year into it since it was about 2 years old. Its had at least three recalls. One of them caused all the power to shut off as I was driving down a hill; could barely work the power steering to get pull it off the main road. Struts have burst, things are leaking and broken that should not be. Am getting rid of is ASAP.

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  BIGGEST MISTAKE - 2005 Mazda RX-8
  By Regret - September 17 - 1:40 am

  I had the car in the shop 8 times during the first year. The car would not start and none of the Mazda mechanics at the dealership could tell me why. I had to contact the Mazda corp. in California. They literally told me that the "RX8 is not to be used to drive short distances under 20 miles consecutively. It is meant for roadtrips and long commutes" I told them that they need to put that on their website and that it was a scam. So if you need to take it get groceries or drive to work under 20 miles one way, you are out of luck. HEED MY WARNING!!!!!! DONT BUY THIS CAR!!!!!!!