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:

• 

  what a dissapointment - 2002 Mazda Tribute
  By ears - April 17 - 2:00 am

  Like may of the other people who posted comments, I too liked my Tribute when I first purchased it. With under 10,000 we had to have a new trans put into the vehicle. Since then its been in the shop 4 additonal times (another major problem was the rack, which had to be replaced). The final straw was when the vehicle stalled in traffic. Ive contacted a Lemon Law attorney.

• 

  hate this car - 2003 Mazda Mazda6
  By cindy - March 25 - 7:23 am

  Have had far too may problems for a new car. Have been to dealer at least 10-12 times for defects, only to be told there arent any - none have been fixed. Dealership not very cooperative, they have a tendency to blame to consumer. My 5 speed does not shift properly - a lot of grinding and jerking, which the dealer blamed on my inability to downshift properly. I have driven 5 speed for 21 years - Ive got it down. The CD player skips even when driving over a stone. It was allegedly replaced - am taking to another dealer to have it "replaced" once again. Had several recalls, which I was only made aware of because I called Mazda headquarters. All in all, wish I never bought it.

• 

  In the shop alot - 2003 Mazda Tribute
  By paula - March 19 - 10:00 am

  From the very first day we purchased the vehicle its been in the shop about 1 1/2 months. It stalls, safety restraint system fails, clutch went out, and ignition switch busted. Plus other little things. The list is too long to write all of it.

• 

  Worst Car Ive yet to own! - 2007 Mazda CX-7
  By mtbrider1 - March 4 - 6:59 am

  Hmmm.... lets see.... how many people have had happen the EXACT same thing as I have--Bad VVT causing timing chain stretch? Started to happen at 62k miles and thus Mazda is not standing behind the car. Luckily I caught it before it caused a snapped chain and ruined engine. Timing chains are supposed to last MUCH longer, and yet Mazda acts like it is a rare occurrence. I also struggled with the turbo lag. At first I fooled myself into thinking that it was normal for a turbo-until I owned a TDI Jetta--not even close. The unsettling lag and then surge in power at times was almost comical. The longer we owned it, the less an less we liked this car--sold it off for a new Subaru!

• 

  Poor Quality - 2011 Mazda CX-7
  By greats32 - February 15 - 1:06 pm

  I purchased my CX7 the day before Thanksgiving last year. Overall I am not impressed with this vehicle. It has already spent a total of three weeks in the shop because of air conditioning issues as well as electrical issues. For this vehicle not even being a year old I am VERY disappointed to see the plastic lenses getting cloudy on the head lights. This is something I would expect from a 8 to 10 year old vehicle. When I asked the dealer about it I was told this is normal. This vehicle practically lives in a garage, while at home it’s parked in the garage, and when I am at work it is parked in the underground parking – never really sitting out in direct sun light enough

• 

  2006 Mazda 5 - Not for Canadian Winter! - 2006 Mazda Mazda5
  By Robert - February 5 - 12:00 am

  This car is not made for Canadian winters! After 15 minutes of idling with defrost on, interior of windows need scraping. Moreover in cold cold weather the door latches freeze. There is no way this car was ever tested for performance in Canada in the winter. I dislike the car and will sell it ASAP because I would rather take a loss on a car that will give me heartache than go through the heartache.

• 

  Unreliable, lots of annoyances, poor mileage, noise - 2011 Mazda Mazda3
  By wschloss - January 19 - 1:41 pm

  This car is annoying and high maintenance and sorry I bought it. It does have good power and sporty handling and can be fun at times, but "low profile" tires, counter-intuitive controls, and features that sound good on paper but are poorly implemented, make it expensive and annoying to drive on a daily basis. Gas mileage is quite poor. For instance steering wheel radio controls dont have the ability to "seek" or "scan" stations, only to go to the next or previous programmed channel. Cargo area is REALLY small, tie-downs are poorly placed, and the opening mechanism poorly implemented. Key-less remote is non-tactile and not illuminated. Very disappointing.

• 

  Bad Experience. Good Timing - 2002 Mazda Tribute
  By doreen - January 17 - 10:00 am

  I just want everyone to know, I test drove a brand new Mazda Tribute that only had 35 miles on it and it stalled while I was in the car with the salesperson. That is not good

• 

  Engine Failure - 2008 Mazda Mazda3
  By jrl6 - December 31 - 10:11 am

  Beware of Mazda engine. Our story is like many others I am reading, and if only I were aware of the problems with Mazda engine, I would not have experienced such a financial loss. I bought the 2008 Mazda 3i for my graduate student daughter from a known party, well maintained at 61000 miles. We continued the routine service/small repairs for the last year. at 74000 the engine timing chain broke on the freeway, engine overheated and car is a total loss. Dont go near Mazda, we left the Mazda lot and walked into the Honda dealer, where I have many years of reliability. Never again Mazda! You can google the issue and we are not alone.

• 

  sudden unintended accelaration - 2016 Mazda CX-3
  By yeshim nemirovsky - November 17 - 8:08 am

  On January 27th 2016, I got into a very bad car accident while parking with my new Mazda CX3. That day I drove 20 minutes from home to work, and when I entered to parking lot I was may be 15 miles an hour! After I made my 90 degree turn into parking stall with a very slow speed, I pushed the brake to fully stop! Car almost stopped but suddenly something extraordinary happened and car suddenly accelerated! I could not do anything! It stopped by hitting the snow bank and another car parked in another stall! Lots of damage on both cars! Luckily I was OK physically and there was nobody in the other car. As soon as I can, I called Mazda CEC, filed a claim and made the car towed to the dealership where I purchased it. Both dealership and Mazda engineer inspected the car, they think there is anything wrong with the car however there is NO explanation regarding how this sudden acceleration happened when data from car also tells that my feet was on brake during the incident! I did lots of research, talked to lawyers who are very familiar with sudden unintended acceleration and found that there are similar cases, involving "sudden unintended acceleration" with many accidents involving bad injuries and sometimes death, but to the best I can figure out, it is difficult to prove causation by car malfunction. It leaves no trace and it is very hard to prove car has a problem. Even NHTSA did not find a vehicle-based cause of those incidents but some manufacturers still needed to pay millions of dollars to people who had sudden acceleration with their cars for their lost! Because it happens even though we don’t know why! Mazda CEC wants me to take the car back and drive it to replicate the incidents while all facts out there tells that sudden acceleration happens with unknown reason and kills people! Does Mazda really want me to prove with my life that this car has a defect?