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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  Could use some fine tuning - 2002 Mazda MPV
  By JZA_459 - May 23 - 6:00 am

  We have had the van for about 9 months now with no real issues. I was looking more for an SUV but my wife fell in love with the roll down rear passenger windows, and power opening rear passenger doors. Also, it was easy enough to get the overhead DVD system in even with the large moonroof.

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  Most fun I have had ever driving a car! - 2002 Mazda MX-5 Miata
  By Pugman - May 22 - 10:00 am

  To all considering buying this car and worried about hp or interior comfortability, need not worry! My wife and I were considering a BMW Z3 but decided to go with this hot little #. It handles great, bose system is fantastic, and very peppy. I drive the car everyday to work and watch others driving into work with boring looks on their face and find myself smiling and thinking if they would have only bought a Miata! I am 6ft tall and I have ample room when driving. I go through the gears very fast and you get .4 cut off the 0-60mph with a 6 spd. I previously owned a Mustang GT conv. and love this car more by 10 fold.

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  CX-3 -- what the reviews dont mention - 2016 Mazda CX-3
  By redward - May 21 - 3:06 am

  The CX-3 Touring looks great in all the reviews -- the long snout , SUV styling, AWD, loud exhaust note, nice price, etc. But after driving one for 6 months, I find that it is loaded with badly executed features and controls that are a continuing source of irritation and discomfort. The long hoodline is eye-catching but it translates to a back seat that barely has room for a young teenager, much less for a tall adult, and the rear cargo area is minimal compared to my previous hatchback, a Hyundai Elantra GT hatchback. The GT was far superior to the CX-3 in roominess, interior styling, controls, handy features and lots of storage areas. The CX-3 has almost no functional front storage areas -- the cupholders are underneath a squeaky, creaky cheap plastic armrest, which is in the drivers way whether its raised or lowered -- lots of fun to tackle when youre driving and you want a sip of your coffee. Nav system graphics features maps that are almost unusable -- road names, instead of being placed alongside or within each street they are featured in big white boxes with an arrow pointing to the street. In a crowded area, the screen is a mess of white boxes, obliterating any sense of where you are, floating aimlessly across the screen — totally amateur graphics unlike any Ive ever seen. Mazda also gets demerits for being one of the few manufacturers that did NOT include Apple CarPlay software in the 2016 CX-3 which enables you to hook up an iPhone and use it through the audio system. Mazda software takes forever to boot up on starting, showing not even a simple clock until your journey is well underway. The accelerator is jumpy and gives jackrabbit starts, which hotshot reviewers seem to love, but in heavy bumper to bumper traffic, hair-trigger acceleration is an accident waiting to happen. The brakes are fine, but grab as you come to a stop -- making it seem like youve stopped too short. The interior is filled with cheap, low quality plastics that are noisy and flimsy -- sunglasses in the overhead holder rattle like crazy since there is no rubber cushioning to absorb the considerable road vibrations. Two deep cubbyholes in the front doors allow full access only if you get down on the floor and reach backwards to retrieve the objects that have rolled back there. The standard floor mats are made of thin, tacky spun material. Cabin noise levels on smooth surfaces and low speeds are acceptable, but increase rapidly on asphalt/gravel combination roads which are common in our area. Road noise combines with considerable wind noise at turnpike speeds to make music listening or conversation a chore. The controls for the audio system are located just UNDER the front of the armrest, requiring you twist your hand down and back in order to connect with them — a really stupid design. The cool sounding exhaust becomes a screeching bellow when you hit the gas for strong acceleration -- I suspect it may be artificially enhanced since the CX-3 is not a high performance vehicle. The automatic transmission is set up to downshift even on slow accelerations -- another attempt to add "zoom zoom" to your driving experience, like it or not. Stupid things like the windshield washers hitting low on the windshield, preventing the right 1/3 of the windshield from ever getting cleaned, leaving annoying streaks every time. Two dealers checked them and said there is no way to correct the aim, and checking other vehicles showed the same problem! The drivers’ side all weather rubber floor mat pops off the guide pins repeatedly, causing the mat to shift around and tangle with the pedals -- a potentially serious safety problem. Again, two dealers checked it and said "Yup, the mat doesnt fit the pins." A new set of mats showed the same problem since the pins, attached to the floor of my car, are off by almost ½ inch, causing the mat to spring loose. (Neither dealer offered any further action on these items.) The dashboard information is conveyed by intense white LEDs creating tiny lettering that is difficult to read while driving. The intensity control for lighting is a strange, raw metal post sticking straight out of the dash that offers only too high or too low light levels. Most important information is displayed by tiny, sometimes incoherent icons that are difficult to read -- dozens of them, and their minuscule size escapes notice if you are not constantly scanning the blacked out icon area to see if anything has appeared there. None of these problems are game changers, but they add up to a car that seems like it was rushed into production without much checking to see how the ergonomics of the design worked out. The Hyundai GT had many more convenience features that were all nicely designed and rendered -- for instance, a smooth power roof compared to Mazdas cheap plastic manual slider with a glass roof panel that rises just an inch and produces too much wind noise. The Elantra GT was a lot more car for the same money.

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  Feels more expensive than it is, still... a few bugs - 2013 Mazda CX-5
  By leda1 - May 20 - 11:24 am

  Fully loaded CX5 GT AWD is fun to drive and feels higher lux than youd expect. 19" wheels give a stiffer ride than I hoped - Mazda should offer 18"s I think as an option. Since April 2012, 28 MPG city. Need to carefully modulate gas pedal to optimize performance without slipping into passing gear, but even so, good accelleration. Overall, nice. Problems: A/C fuse blown at purchase - blew warm air at idle- Fixed. Noticed a gear slip, momentary RPM redline, and "clunk" when engaging passing gear at highway speeds - Not Fixed yet. Ordered rear sensing system - beeps constantly in Reverse - Not Fixed yet. Could use better TomTom nav controls (zoom lock) and a constant compass readout somewhere.

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  The "ONE" - 2006 Mazda Mazda5
  By P. Narro - May 20 - 10:16 am

  Aside from the recall the experience has been nothing short of amazing! We were given a minivan to use during the recall and it only strengthened my argument against buying one. Thats right, I dont classify the 5 as a minivan because of the way it handles. Built on the 3s platform, Mazda succeeded in keeping the "soul of a sports car" intact. I was driving on a two lane highway and a car who was waiting to pull out onto the opposite lane begins to pull out into the opposing lane and stalls out half-way between my lane and the shoulder. I swerved to the left and there was an on-coming truck and before I knew it I was safely back in my lane.The 5 saved our lives.

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  Versatile and Fun, but MPG way off! - 2010 Mazda Mazda5
  By gliese876d - May 18 - 4:23 am

  In general I really love my Mazda5. It is fun to drive and highly versatile for my growing family. What I loved most was that I did not have to give up a manual transmission to get a mini-van, and assumed I could get good gas mileage given the advertised 22-28mpg, especially with a 5-speed. That was an important selling point to me because I was trading in a fuel efficient sedan, and did not want to sacrifice fuel efficiency. But so far this car has yet to deliver anywhere close to the adverstised gas mileage. It has not yet *once* even gotten the lowest value of 22mpg since I purchased the vehicle almost 3 months and 3200 miles ago. It is usually an abyssmal 19.5 mpg.

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  Best compromise - 2010 Mazda Mazda5
  By vicenac - May 17 - 1:03 pm

  Weve got the GT for its leather seats. It is much easier to clean milk spills off of them. We have two kids, 5 and 0.3. A minivan is something way too big for us, but we did want 3 raws seating. This is the best compromise we could find. Besides Ive been in love with the looks since I saw it the first time. Its a little cramped. Fitting the rear facing baby seat in the second raw, makes the third raw unusable (almost). Loaded with all of us (plus grandma) there is not much room for stuff. A roof carrier is a must. All in all we feel we struck gold with this one. It fills all our needs and its easy to park and fun to drive. And it looks cool

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  MPV still Zooms - 2000 Mazda MPV
  By Cysfans - May 16 - 5:40 pm

  Purchased new because it was NOT a big minivan and had a fold-under 3rd row seat. Handles better than some cars of similar weight and size. Power is adequate or better in most situations. @ 90,000 miles and 7 years, has original brakes and battery, no light bulb has ever burned out. No problem with any major system. MPG rated 23 highway, 18 city, all-around experience is about 22 MPG; have gotten 25+ on highway. Can easily remove 2nd row seats and fold under 3rd row for versatility. No power seat, but ergonomics are very good. Smaller outside dimensions means easy to maneuver.

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  Beauty is in the Eye of Beholder. - 2008 Mazda Mazda3
  By joe mc govern - May 16 - 5:00 pm

  Car drives excellent on dry pavement. This car isnt a daily commuter if you have snow, the OEM RSA eagles slide all over in 2" of snow. Get snow tires. The car is well worth the money, but a lot of plastic and styrofoam in front end. Insurance is high on this car, but so is the Civic. The 2.0 engine is more frugal on gas than its 2.3 liter. I rented the 2.3 liter HB but it wasnt worth the extra gas money. This car is a sports sedan with the low pro tires and sits higher than a mini and Civic, thats why I bought it. However next year its history Im going with a car that has real carpets, and a more rigid build for safety.There are not enough options on a 2.0 also.

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  Bang for the Bucks - 2006 Mazda Mazda6
  By chgoride6 - May 16 - 9:43 am

  I traded in an 04 6i so the S model was a wonderful step up. Great handling and acceleration; with the 6 speed "shiftable" sport auto trans. Nice dashboard, and features on this model with HID, 18" wheels and factory heated leather seats. Really nice dual storage compartment. Sad to see this model depart for 2007. Have had a few minor problems. #1) Drivers side lumbar support just broke and #2) front rotors warping for no apparent reason. Both issues being warrantied by selling dealer no questions. Nice car for mid $20s with all rebates.