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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  Good purchase - 2010 Mazda Mazda6
  By chris - December 13 - 10:00 am

  Had the car about a month --major complaint is the pick up -could be better. If you have the extra $$$ go for the bigger engine --other than that, it is an excellent car so far

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  Perfect Solution Vehicle - 2012 Mazda Mazda5
  By ruddyduck67 - December 8 - 8:26 am

  With a newborn and 4 year old we ran into the issue that you have NO ROOM for a 5th passenger in a standard car with the 2 car seats, (we had a Civic and a Outback Wagon). Looked around for somthing to carry the occasional 5-6 passengers and found a limited market. Considered the standard Odessey/Sienna and even the RAV4 with tiny back bench. Anyway...the full size vans seemed to be overkill and were reaching 40K so I looked at the 5. Wow! We love it. Comfortably fits six, drives like a sporty sedan and fits in the tightest spots. Looks small on the outside but is roomy inside.

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  Duanes RX8 - 2005 Mazda RX-8
  By Duane - December 8 - 5:00 am

  Fun to drive, the car handles the road nicely. My last car was a 5 series BMW and I thought it handled extremely well, but Mazda did not let me down one bit. It holds the road tight, but is still quite comfortable. Had a few parts fall off of it in the first couple days, so I am not highly impressed with the quality, but the issues were minor. I drove a couple business clients back to their hotel and one was a very large man (I put him in the passenger front, and the other average sized gentleman rode comfortably in the back seat behind me. The back seat really is usable by adults and certainly by children. I wish the 20 mpg in mostly highway driving was better.

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  Why I Like my Mazda Tribute - 2001 Mazda Tribute
  By Phil Henderson - December 7 - 1:06 pm

  I researched all SUVs in this category and bought the Tribute based on specific criteria. I wanted a front wheel drive (traction in snow), not 4WD (maintenance risk and mileage), head room (Im only 6 tall and if I pitched forward in an accident in the Sante Fe, it would have hit the ceiling - Tribute has lots of room), 6 cyl, rear gate opens up, carry 4x8 sheet of plywood through the rear window, carry 8 ft 2x4 inside with the doors closed, internal storage of spare tire, fits in the garage, styling interior and exterior, elevated rear seats, visibility for the driver, and excellent driving feel.

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  I agree with everybody else! - 2001 Mazda Protege
  By randomo - December 7 - 2:00 am

  Wow, is the handling great! Tight, zippy -- just crisp, clean fun. Too bad they couldnt have given it more horses. I test drove a Protege LX a few years ago, and it was woefully underpowered; the much bigger engine in this ES seemed as if it would overcome that hurdle. Sad to say, it needs to go into 4th gear well before 40 mph, and into 5th in the high 40s. It strains a bit to maintain 65-70 on highways where that is the dominant speed of traffic flow. Give this car a 6th gear and youd have something truly great! ;-) My only other concern is the dashboard illumination. The red glow works great in the dark, but at dusk the instruments are hard to read.

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  Not too bad - 2004 Mazda Mazda6
  By treed67 - December 7 - 1:16 am

  Bought car new. I think the automatic shifter is a little sloppy. When traveling at slow speed (like slowing down to turn) if I give it the gas to zip through my turn it will kinda lag. Or not downshift as I feel it should. Note if in manual mode no issue whatsoever. At 73000 miles my wheel bearings went. This turned into a month long nightmare with another area dealer trying to fix it. Took 4 return trips for them to finally figure out that one wheel bearing they replaced was bad. And by that point they also had to replace a hub as well. But they did get it fixed and not charge me any extra to fix. All in all I do like this car. If you like playing twister then getting into car should be ok

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  A Good Pal - 2002 Mazda MPV
  By joe4prez - December 6 - 2:00 am

  Bought our MPV new in 2002 and now have 82K miles. Weve had a good experience with the van with very few issues. The only problems were replacing 3 coil packs at 65K miles and the fan module at 72K miles. Cost us about $500 for both. After 8 years the car is still solidly built, no electrical or mechanical issues, and no rusting. So far so good.

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  Could be great but few issues mar the experience - 2014 Mazda Mazda6
  By estwest - December 4 - 10:54 pm

  Got it about a month ago; put 1500 miles so far. Nice-looking, spacious, comfortable interior. Has been averaging 33 mpg (mostly highway on weekends, in-traffic during the week). Decent audio with Tech Package. Mediocre TomTom GPS. Very buggy infotainment system; visiting dealer for the second repair. First was the Bluetooth/USB/Phone dying completely - was "fixed" by unplugging the battery, so the bug is still there and who knows when its going to strike again. Second - one of the buttons on the "joystick" control got stuck making it unusable. But the biggest issue -serious road and wind noise at highway speeds. Make sure to test drive it at 65-75 m/h if you plan to drive on highways a lot

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  Great Value - 2002 Mazda Tribute
  By Crockins - December 3 - 2:00 am

  I guess you would call this a 30,000 mile report. I am very pleased with my purchase of my 2002 Mazda Tribute. I have used it for long trips, camping, skiing and have not had one problem with it. All I have done is the routine maintenance. The only annoying little thing is the rear window creaks when going over bumps in the road. When I take it in for service next time I will have them check it out. Other then that I have been very pleased with it.

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  So far so good - 2002 Mazda MX-5 Miata
  By Daiquiri27 - December 1 - 10:00 am

  Ive only had my new Blazing Yellow Special Edition Miata for a month, but so far so good. Its quite the headturner. I also bought the detachable hard-top and it really completes the look. People are constantly asking me "What kind of car is that?" Or one fellow said, "Thats the best-looking Miata Ive ever seen." Thats nice to hear!