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Why the 38-mpg 2014 Mazda6 is on dealer lots, but you can't drive it

If you stop by your local Mazda dealer this month, with any luck, you'll see the much-anticipated 2014 Mazda6 parked in the showroom - there are already a few hundred of them out there. That's quite an accomplishment in light of the fact that it isn't even calendar year 2013. The move is part of a strategic decision by the Japanese automaker, which is hoping to capitalize on holiday showroom traffic. (The last five days of the year are typically among the busiest dealer days all year).
If you happen to spy the rakish sedan, you may notice something missing - a window sticker. That's because Mazda (like other automakers) can't legally display the Monroney on a 2014 model year vehicle until January 1, 2013. According to Autoblog sources, Mazda dealers are legally prohibited from letting you test drive until the start of 2013, so it's more of a sneak preview than anything else. Even so, we reckon shoppers will be impressed when they finally get a look at those window stickers - Mazda hasn't announced fuel economy figures yet, but Autoblog has learned that the 2014 model will carry a pair of impressive numbers: EPA estimates of 27 miles per gallon in the city and 38 mpg on the highway using regular gas.
Mazda dealers are legally prohibited from letting you test drive until the start of 2013, so it's more of a sneak preview than anything else.

Junkyard Gem: 1992 Mazda MX-3

Back in the early 1990s, American car shoppers could choose from an extravaganza of sporty-looking front-wheel-drive coupes. The Geo Storm GSi may have offered the most performance per dollar, but the early Mazda MX-3 made a lot of sense as a reasonably fun commuter car. The MX-3, based on the 323/Protege chassis (and thus a close cousin to the Ford Escort of the same era) could be purchased in the United States for the 1992 through 1996 model years, and junkyard examples have become very hard to find. Here's a '92 in a Colorado Springs yard. MX-3 buyers could get a 1.8-liter V6 with 130 horsepower in 1992, but this is the SOHC 1.6-liter four with just 88 horses. Dual-overhead-cam versions of this engine went into the Miata and most members of the 323/Escort family. With an automatic transmission, you had a sedate, sensible commuter appliance that looked fairly sharp in the business-park lot. With the DOHC 1.6-liter engine (available for the last few years of MX-3 sales here), these cars were quick. In the early days of the 24 Hours of Lemons, a team with a pair of MX-3s dominated the Southern races for several years. They didn't have much power, but reliability and predictable handling wins endurance races. Not very close to the magical 200,000-mile mark. Another in my series of Junkyard Car With Pikes Peak photographs. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Such an adventurous car. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. The small-displacement V6 was a big selling point in Japan. Related Video:

Updated Mazda6 Wagon to look lovely in Geneva

For the 2018 model year, Mazda updated the Mazda6 sedan with some design and mechanical tweaks. It will take the stand for its European debut at the 2018 Geneva Motor Show. There, it will be staged alongside the Mazda6 Wagon, which will be getting its own global debut at the Swiss expo. Unless there's some sort of miracle, we won't be getting the five-door version here in the United States, which is a shame, because it's a beautiful wagon. Customers here — apart from a handful of die-hard fans and, perhaps, the entirety of the American automotive press — prefer something with a bit more elevation to it. Ask a Mazda dealer in Michigan or Arizona for a Mazda6 Wagon, and they'll probably try to sell you a CX-5 instead. That frustrates the wagon fans. "It's gorgeous," said Autoblog Associate Editor Joel Stocksdale. "It kills me that we don't get it." The Mazda6 Wagon, like the new sedan, features an updated exterior and interior design, new seating, better performance, and improved driving dynamics. The Mazda6 Wagon will be on the show floor with a number of other beautiful cars, including the Mazda Kai and Vision Coupe concepts, which bowed at the Tokyo show. Mazda will also showcase its new gasoline-powered Skyactiv-X spark controlled compression ignition, which we were recently able to test in a prototype vehicle. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Design/Style Geneva Motor Show Mazda Wagon 2018 Geneva Motor Show mazda6 wagon