1994 Mazda Miata M Edition No Reserve on 2040-cars

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NHTSA releases updated Takata airbag recalled cars list, but it still has errors

Unfortunately, the government's list still contains errors.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has issued an updated list of vehicle models that it's urging owners to repair under the mushrooming Takata airbag inflator recall. The latest version adds vehicles from new automakers like Subaru and Ford that are missing from the original announcement, and it also removes erroneous entries from General Motors, leaving only the 2005 Saab 9-2X (a reskinned Subaru WRX), and the 2003-2005 Pontiac Vibe, a joint project with Toyota.

The Miata gives me a new perspective on the world

The Miata: making everything a new experience and turning low-beam headlights into high-beams since 1989. That's what happens when you're basically sitting on the ground, something I've become intimately familiar with when driving our long-term 2016 MX-5 Club. I am not a tall person. Far from it. In most cars I drive, I crank the seat height up close to maximum as soon as I get in. That's easy in the Miata because there's no height adjustment at all. Couple that with the facts that the seat is thin and the car barely hovers off of the pavement, and my eyes end up sitting at the height of most car's exhaust systems. That results in a lot of examining other cars' bumpers in traffic. And one day recently, it almost led to me missing my exit from Interstate 94, part of the route I take every day to work. Everything just looks different from down here – it is quite literally a different point of view from what I'm used to. And then there's the issue of night driving. When you're this low down and stuck in traffic, the headlights of cars following look extremely bright (and incredibly close). They're not, of course, you're just lower than every other driver on the road so it seems like you're staring down high-beams in the rearview mirror. I still love the Miata. It's just not the best commuter vehicle, which should come as a surprise to precisely no one. But when a hole opens up in traffic, the Miata and I are the first to fill it. I just hope the other cars see me. Related Video: Mazda Long-Term Garage Convertible Lightweight Vehicles Performance

2021 Mazda CX-30 2.5 Turbo starts at $31,000

In our review of the Mazda CX-30, we said that this crossover is so gifted dynamically, it was practically begging for more power. Mazda answered by adding a new turbo engine for 2021, and now we know how much the extra grunt is going to cost. Mazda has released pricing for the more potent CX-30, and the Turbo model opens at $31,000 (including the $1,100 destination charge), putting it above even the top-trim base-engine version. The turbocharged 2.5-liter engine makes 227 horsepower and 310 lb-ft of torque on regular gas, or 250 horses and 320 lb-ft with 93-octane (against 186 hp and 186 lb-ft for the standard 2.5-liter). Besides the extra output, the CX30 2.5 Turbo also comes standard with all-wheel drive, which is $1,400 extra on the regular CX-30. Other standard features of the CX-30 2.5 Turbo include adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go capability, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, lane-departure warning, lane-keep assist, automatic high-beams, and a driver alertness monitor. Also, heated seats, a sunroof, leatherette upholstery, 18-inch wheels with a black finish, a gloss-black grille and door mirrors, roof rails, LED exterior lighting, keyless entry, rear A/C vents, and an 8.8-inch touchscreen with smartphone mirroring and a Wi-Fi hotspot. That features list is considerably longer than what you'll find in the $23,000 base model and puts the standard 2.5 Turbo somewhere between the regular CX-30's Select ($25,000) and Preferred ($27,400) trims. Only the $28,550 Premium has more kit. From there, the CX-30 2.5 Turbo can add the Premium Package for $33,400, which brings leather, navigation, a head-up display, a heated steering wheel, a power liftgate, adaptive front lighting, satellite radio, Bose 12-speaker premium audio, and shift paddles. At the top of the heap is the CX-30 2.5 Turbo with Premium Plus Package for $35,000. Its finery includes a 360-degree-view monitor, parking sensors, automatic braking for the rear cross-traffic alert, Traffic Jam Assist (semi-automated lane-centering at speeds under 40 mph), auto-dimming side mirrors, and Homelink. Even with the Premium Plus Package, the CX-30 2.5 Turbo is less expensive than the CX-5 with the same engine. To get the turbo engine in the larger CX-5, you're looking at $36,385 for the Grand Touring Reserve. The CX-30 2.5 Turbo also represents a savings over the similar-sized and similarly powerful BMW X2, which starts at $37,595 with front-wheel drive and $39,595 with AWD for 2021.