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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  Granny tranny - 2001 Mazda 626
  By sucker - January 29 - 3:30 am

  Needed rebuilt tranny at 65k. Needed another rebuild 20k later. Trunk leak created by factory defect - leaked water into spare tire well which would soak insulation and cause mildew. Starting to rust around rear tire well. 8k in maintenance and repair costs since I bought it used with 38k mi.

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  Fail! - 2010 Mazda CX-7
  By Lori - December 29 - 10:42 pm

  I bought my 2010 Mazda CX-7 new. I was generally satisfied, though pretty annoyed with the fact that I was constantly being pulled over and told that one of my headlights was out - like every couple of months. This turned out to be a "known issue" for Mazdas according to one of the garage mechanics I talked to because I wasnt about to go to the dealer to have them replaced at several hundreds of dollars (they take off the front bumper or something) - the guy at the garage would sometimes have to spend 20-30 minutes fiddling around to manipulate the gasket to replace the bulb, but they never charged for more than the cost of the bulb. Anyway, I religiously change the oil with synthetic per recommendations and yes, it has 108,000 miles on it now, but just 2 months ago I replaced the wheel bearings in the rear drivers left side and put new front brakes in it to the tune of $800+ at the dealer. So, it would have been nice to have a heads up that is a significant chance that the turbocharger might fail and that if it does that it could lead to catastrophic engine failure. But no, instead that happens on one of the coldest nights of the year during rush hour. And they cant tell me if the turbocharger failure resulted in a blown engine which means the car is basically a hunk of junk or not. The dealer recommends that rather than spending the money on replacing the turbocharger since he doesnt know if that will fix it, I look to trading it in. Well, NOT on another Mazda! Grrrrr.

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  Mazdas worst car. - 2003 Mazda Protege
  By thejackal86 - December 26 - 8:46 pm

  The transmission went out early on, which started a chain reaction of other problems months to follow. This car was nothing more than a money pit and certainly not one worth investing in. Ive replaced just about everything in the car besides the engine, which I hear is something Mazda actually does fairly well. I ended up finally trading the car in at around 153k miles. It seems like a lot, but not considering maintenance costs. In addition to the reliability issues, the interior was cheap and started to literally fall apart. Poor mpg as well. The only positive thing I can say about the car is that it was kind of fun to drive and had nice acceleration. It felt like a go-kart.

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  Find a cliff - 2000 Mazda MPV
  By findacliff - December 18 - 8:16 am

  worst vehicle I have owned! would rather drive my 88 VW Jetta with 302,000Km than this minivan. Did my research before I bought it two years ago and have been disappointed ever since. Issues started a year after I bought it with the alternator going dead. Though it was an older battery and bought a new one. Turns out the alternator was not working and left my wife and family stranded. Towed to Pacific Mazda in Victoria who wanted to charge $700 for the alternator and tried to convince my wife that she needed a new battery. This is a blatant rip off as the battery was 2 days old! I sourced a reman alternator (Bosch) for less than $300 and sent it to the dealer.

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  Get a Honda instead - 2007 Mazda Mazda5
  By sofienyc - December 16 - 3:10 am

  Please look elsewhere for a family van. You will encounter cheap materials, uncomfortable seating and a noisy rear suspension with no fix from Mazda. It does get good gas mileage but besides that it is only good for short trips to the store under 30 minutes or so, otherwise it is not a car you would want to take on a long trip. It does hold a lot of stuff but the noises it makes will think you bought a used Yugo! Stay away from it

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  Over-Hyped - 2010 Mazda Mazda3
  By Zack Harmon - November 29 - 11:23 am

  These vehicles are not well-made. My paint on the hood and whole front clip is chipping off whenever anything hits it from a bug to a grain of sand. The gearshift knob spins. The tilt/telescope wheel doesnt stay where you set it. It is very hard for me (5-10" and 205 lbs) to get comfortable. There is no ergonomic way to use the armrest while you drive. It is really loud in terms of road noise transmitted up into the car. Now there is a shake in the front end at highway speed. It is simply an over-rated piece of junk. I hate this car more than any other I have ever had. It has 7,000 miles on it, I can only imagine how bad it will be at 20,000.

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  Very Disappointed - 2007 Mazda CX-7
  By abnmedic - November 29 - 2:00 am

  In 2007 i purchased the cx7. It already had 200 miles on it when i took it off the lot. It was fully loaded. I found that programing the nav system was very complicated, so i ended up buying a garmin. Would you believe it costs $200.00 to buy a new navi disk every year? After 36,000 miles the a/c compressor went out. That cost me $600.00 to replace. Then the fuel valve out and that was going to cost me another $600.00. Hey, my payments were over $600.00 as it was. I just dont have that kind of money to keep putting it in for repairs. So i traded it in for a 2010 Jeep Compass with a life time warranty. I am so sorry i wasted my money for three years.

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  Service queen - 2007 Mazda CX-7
  By harry d - November 18 - 7:46 am

  Bought CX-7 last Dec after many great reviews and prior experiences with a mx3. This will susequently be the last. CEL came on first week, followed by an electric control motor of some kind. Next we began to discover several oil spots resulting in a week stay at the dealer for differential leaks. Last week, the cx7 was diagnosed with needing a new transfer case due to new leak problems. Very dissatisfied and will more than likely avoid Mazda in the future. In addition, rust is beginning to bubble thru the chrome trim around windows. What next?

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  Rent it dont buy it - 2007 Mazda CX-7
  By zoomzoom - October 26 - 7:03 pm

  This car has some major issues and I dont have to repeat all what has been said by others. This car has amazing brakes and speed. It can take off like it was sports car.. not bad for 2 ton SUV. Every thing else is rubbish, the ride is very harsh, the tires are crap, and AC is not cold at all. I sold mine and got ML350 and I can tell the difference in the built quality.

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  Save Your Money-Spend it Elsewhere - 2002 Mazda Tribute
  By Mazda-Hater - October 7 - 10:00 am

  Actually I have a 2002 Mazda that had to have a new transmission at only 18,000 miles. The dealership was very unhelpful. First they stated that compressor for the air conditioner came in but, after a week they stated not all the parts were there (who knows why it took them a week to discover this). Then they did not have the tool to fix the car (I would think that they had tools to fix the cars they sold). They had our car for two weeks and still did not fix two of the three problems (one was supposed to be fixed by the new transmission). I would not recommend this car to my worse enemy! We are currently looking to replace the car.