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2019 Mazda3 Review and Buying Guide | Redesigned and exceptional

The Mazda3 has long been a darling of car enthusiasts for its sharp styling and sharper driving dynamics. So when it was redesigned for 2019, there was some collective anxiety as to whether Mazda could continue the magic. From our experience, Mazda certainly has, and has improved its compact sedan and hatchback in many areas such as design and refinement. As a result, the 2019 Mazda3 is easily the most fun car in its segment to drive, barring specifically performance-oriented compact models, and now has materials and looks to rival entry-level luxury cars. Its only real faults are a slightly tight interior and a character that might put off fans of cushy cruisers. What's new for 2019? Pretty much everything. The Mazda3 has been completely redesigned for the 2019 model year. It's down to one engine for now — a lightly updated 2.5-liter naturally aspirated four-cylinder with or without cylinder deactivation — but a high-efficiency spark-controlled compression-ignition engine is coming later. And for the first time, the Mazda3 has available all-wheel drive on both sedan and hatchback body styles, making it one of only two cars in the segment with such a feature. 2019 Mazda3 AWD View 24 Photos What's the Mazda3's interior and in-car technology like? While the interior of the previous Mazda3 was one of the finest in the segment, the new model is vastly superior. In fact, it feels about on par with actual luxury cars in the top Premium trim. The dashboard has a sleek, modern look with subtle air vents, surfaces wrapped in a soft leather-like material, and an elegant steering wheel has nicely integrated buttons. All of the switchgear has a solid, crisp feel. The driving position is excellent, allowing the driver to sit either low or high and keeping all the controls and displays perfectly centered. Mazda also redesigned its infotainment system for this car. A major change is that there is no touchscreen functionality whatsoever, which is also partly why Mazda has moved the infotainment screen farther up the dash and more into the driver's line of sight. The entire menu layout has been revamped as well with options listed vertically instead of horizontally. The system runs substantially faster and smoother than the previous version, though it's not as easy to use due to additional layers of menus. It still isn't as complex as systems found in German cars, though. Mazda has also finally made Apple CarPlay and Android Auto standard features. How big is the Mazda3?

Red Bull RX-7 goes drift crazy on New Zealand's Crown Range

For the first time ever, the Crown Range, New Zealand's highest paved road, was closed off for the drifting pleasure of one man. That man is Mad Mike Whiddett, and the machine he's piloting is a heavily modified Mazda RX-7 sponsored by the energy-rich crew from Red Bull and powered by a 750-horsepower quad-rotor engine. There will be smoke. Lots and lots of smoke.
Mad Mike hits speeds in excess of 140 miles per hour over the course of the road's six and a half miles, which boasts 47 individual corners at over 3,500 feet of elevation. Scroll down for all kinds of fire-belching, tire-squealing and smoke-inducing action. Or, as Mad Mike himself puts it, "A dream turned into reality."

2017 Mazda CX-9 packs turbo power, fresh style

After nearly a decade of sales, Mazda finally introduces the second-generation CX-9 crossover. It delivers a comprehensive interior and exterior overhaul, blessing the CX-9 with a powerful, efficient Skyactiv powertrain, and instilling even more of the sporting character that makes Mazdas so darn charming. Like every other vehicle in Mazda's catalog, the CX-9 now wears the handsome, suave stylings of the company's Kodo design language. We think it looks great, but feel free to disagree in Comments. The second-generation CX-9 is the perfect example of Mazda's growing interior design prowess. As is so often the case, it's not so much the style but the choice of materials that stands out. Nappa leather can be paired with real Japanese rosewood and aluminum accents to craft a cabin that feels far more expensive than what you might expect from Mazda. The quality is impressive, even on the pre-pre-production prototypes we tested (drive impressions coming soon). The other headline, aside from the gorgeous interior, is the powertrain. The heart and soul of the operation is a new 2.5-liter, turbocharged Skyactiv engine. Although it only produces a modest 250 horsepower, that figure is complemented by a whopping 310 pound-feet of torque. Importantly, torque is easy to access in the lower part of the rev range, with peak twist coming in at just 2,000 rpm. It drops off rather suddenly north of 4,000 rpm, but as Mazda tells it, most consumers rarely venture above that figure. Mazda expects the CX-9's core market to be perfectly happy with the robust low-end output. A six-speed automatic is responsible for doling out that grunt, and is meant to play nicely with the same i-Activ predictive all-wheel-drive system found in the CX-5 (although the two cars don't share any AWD components). Using 22 different sensors, the system measures road conditions 200 times every second and will even send up to half the engine's power to the rear axle. The entire car, meanwhile, rides on the same Skyactiv architecture as the CX-5 and Mazda6, meaning a multi-link rear suspension has been paired with MacPherson struts up front. Eighteen-inch wheels will be standard, although 20s will also be on offer. You can expect to hear much more on just what the new CX-9 is like to drive next week. Until then, enjoy the official images from Mazda, and keep an eye open for live shots from the LA debut, headed your way soon.