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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  Fun car - 2007 Mazda Mazda3
  By Lori - October 17 - 9:06 am

  After having a very disappointing experience with my previous cars performance and reliability (2001 VW New Beetle) I am very pleased with how my Mazda3 drives and the quality of the vehicle. It just seems to be built better better than the VW. Its a fun car to drive and I get a lot of compliments on it.

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  over 101000 miles and no breakdowns! - 2002 Mazda 626
  By RLC - October 17 - 7:36 am

  My 02 626 (4 cyl) just reached its 101000 mile. I am writing a review only to say that I have owned this car since it had 20,000 miles and have NEVER been let down! the engine runs great and all mechanics have run normally. This would make a great used car if you are considering a purchase. Also, the swinging air vents are always a conversation piece.

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  Our new 6 - 2009 Mazda Mazda6
  By Clif - October 16 - 9:40 pm

  Well, after 5 years and 76000 trouble free miles we traded in our 2004 Mazda6s for the new 2009 Mazda Grand Touring. Weve only had it 2 days but love it. Its as rock solid as our 04 but bigger, more comfortable and very powerful. We love the options like the navigation, Bluetooth, Bose system, Blind Spot Monitoring etc etc. It is much more comfortable than our old 6, but a bit bigger. Mazda managed to retain the sportiness and fun to drive aspect. I just hope it is as dependable as our 04 was. It was easy to return to Mazda, Weve owned 5 Mazdas in the last 20 years and they have been great with no issues. We havent had a bad one and look forward to our new long term test drive!

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  Regrets -- I have a few. - 2005 Mazda RX-8
  By Glenda - October 16 - 8:16 pm

  I have a 2004 RX-8 & its the worst car Ive ever had. I had an RX-7 for years & loved it; sadly the RX-8 does not come close for several reasons. The car has broken down (and been towed) 5 times in the last few months - the car floods itself! This past week the car began to shake violently - the end result being it needed new left and right motor mounts installed. The heat did not work this winter and 3 months later Im still waiting for a back-ordered part! The only saving grace not having heat was that I couldnt use the car in the first place because the slightest dusting of snow on the ground renders the car inoperable. Long story short, its fun to drive but TOTALLY unreliable.

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  3 Series to CX-5, no regrets! - 2013 Mazda CX-5
  By emanuscript - October 16 - 6:35 pm

  We loved our 2006 330i dearly - but we were conscious about the spiralling fuel costs as well as ptential maintenance cost for the bimmer though we were yet to have any. My wife and I were int he market for a long time and I had 3 cars that I was considering - GMC Terrain, Honda CRV and well, a used Q5. And that is when I drove the CX5. I new that the 2.0 litre engine will never satisfy coming from the 3 litre Bimmer V6. I was just hoping that it does not disappoint me completely. I must say I was pleasantly surprised with the capability of the mazda powertrain. I could live with it. For my priorities this was the overal winner.

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  Enjoyable - 2004 Mazda Mazda6
  By Ryan - October 16 - 7:13 am

  My 6 is now 3 yrs old, and has over 65k miles on her. She still drives great, handles superbly, and has yet to have any "major" work (knock on wood) done on it. The only real draw back is the crappy fuel economy.

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  My experience has been very poor - 2014 Mazda Mazda6
  By oblithian - October 15 - 1:31 pm

  The Mazda 3 arrived after the 6 and has had who knows how many infotainment updates, yet the 6 still hasnt had one in North America, and as a result a lot of the features run into problems (like playing songs not associated with the title displayed, dismally slow connectivity times). Mine has had transmission problems since I bought it, with many appointments and now resolution. The interior bits (especially the tilt steering adjustment) have started vibrating on even smooth roads. rear brakes clunk when releasing. Poor sound insulation. However, it handles nicely and gets pretty good fuel economy.

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  So Far So Good - 2011 Mazda CX-9
  By 2011cx9sport - October 14 - 3:04 pm

  I bought this car at the start of February, 2011 after a good bit of research and do not have any major complaints so far. I got the sport model with power heated seats. It drives very much like a sedan and you never get the feel that you are driving a large seven passenger vehicle. I have been putting 1000 miles/mth; the mileage definitely could have been better, but i knew what i was getting into. Getting about 18.5 miles/gallon with an about 50/50 city/highway driving. I have been hearing wind noise sometimes on the highways and also there is a strange smell that shows up every few days and lasts for few minutes. Will have it checked during the first service appointment next week.

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  Quick Study - 2002 Mazda Protege
  By markbt73 - October 14 - 10:00 am

  Zoom-Zoom, indeed. Ive only had it for a month, and I love it already. The new car smell is gone, its badly in need of a wash, due for an oil change, and what Im left with is an all-around terrific car. It just does everything well, whatever I want it to do, whenever I want to do it. Im glad they decided to use the 2 liter engine in all models this year; it makes my humble DX as quick and fun as the more expensive versions. Mine is a 5-speed, which I recommend. Seating and visibility are great, ride is a bit stiff, but boy, does it handle.

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  Not Satisfied - 2005 Mazda Mazda3
  By Tom - October 13 - 7:13 pm

  Seats are very uncomfortable on trips over 4 hours. Steering is too light, comes off center too readily and has too much oversteer. Switches are not easy to operate or intuitive. Rear cargo area has very limiting width. Dashboard displays are gimmicky. Engine, transmission and A/C are rather noisy. Owners manual is lacking on important details but abounds with information on overly elaborate audio system. Fuel consumption is mediocre. Clutch engagement is not easy from a start, especially on hills. Gear selection is difficult. I have driven manual transmissions for 40 years, this is the worst. Sorry I bought this car and will dump it in 3-4 years. It is highly over rated.