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 - 2002 Mazda MX-5 Miata
  By steveh - October 20 - 10:00 am

  great preformance and fun for the bucks

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  Not your Mamas Mini-Van - 2002 Mazda MPV
  By TrueBeliever - October 19 - 5:40 pm

  This is the mini-van for you if youre looking for space but dont want to sacrifice sportiness. Its fun to drive and extremely comfortable. Handling is more car-like than you can imagine. Its loaded with convenient features. Mazda scored a BIG hit with this MPV. I highly recommend a test drive.

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  Better than Pilot - 2016 Mazda CX-9
  By Steve - October 19 - 12:02 am

  Great for 3rd row access with 2 car seats in 2nd row. Honda did not think of this for the pilot

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  Mazda3 Review - 2006 Mazda Mazda3
  By pmoney - October 18 - 10:36 am

  The manual car is fun to drive. Sometimes changing the gear is not smooth. The fuel economy is not so great but you forget about it once you start driving the car. The interior design is better than Civic and Corolla in my opinion. The price is reasonable compared to a Civic.

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  2 years and still loving it - 2008 Mazda CX-7
  By Lisa - October 18 - 8:56 am

  I bought this car on an impulse the day before I moved to Colorado from Texas. I had driven a Mazda 6 for a few years before after converting from Honda, and was really impressed with the company, so decided to give the new sporty SUV a try...it was a great choice! I normally dont like driving SUVs or trucks because they feel too big, and the CX-7 is a perfect fit for me! I have the black on black model and adore driving it. I take it to the mountains all year and it handles great, even in thick snow and icy conditions. Im always the one volunteering to drive when its time for road trips and such, and I usually hate driving. Overall, its a great car with solid looks and performance.

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  Sweet car for the class - 2004 Mazda Mazda3
  By motonole - October 17 - 10:00 am

  Right off the lot it has impressed. Its still new, but the fit and finish is excellent. Also, see favorite features.

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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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  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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  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.