2006 Mazda Miata Mx-5, 35k Miles, 1 Owner, Clean Carfax , Must See, No Accidents on 2040-cars

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VW Finds CO2 'Irregularites', SEMA Recap, and More | Autoblog Minute

Volkswagen's diesel emissions scandal gets a new wrinkle, US regulators hit Takata Corporation with a substantial fine, and we head to Vegas for a look at tuner paradise at the 2015 SEMA show. Autoblog Senior Editor Greg Migliore reports on this edition of Autoblog Minute Weekly Recap. Acura Chevrolet Honda Mazda Mitsubishi Toyota Autoblog Minute Videos Original Video Acura Legend

Long Road Racing will build you the Miata that Mazda won't

One of the frustrating things about new cars today is that many features are exclusive to this trim level, or that package. Even the enthusiast-friendly Miata has many restrictions how you can configure one, which can make choosing one a bit tricky. You can't have the cheapest one or the leather-clad one with a limited slip differential, for example. And adding aftermarket parts on your own runs the risk of voiding your warranty. Long Road Racing, however, has a possible solution for creating the ideal, warranty-covered Miata. You may not be familiar with Long Road Racing, but you probably heard about one of its most-publicized products, the MX-5 Cup car. The car was developed by Mazda with the intention of creating a global spec series, and Mazda reports that about 140 of the cars have been sold so far. Every single one of those cars went to Long Road Racing to be specced out for racing before reaching their customers. So the company is familiar with the car, and has applied its expertise to its "Ultimate MX-5" program. The way the program works is, once you've purchased a 2016 or 2017 Miata, you can send it to the company to have it customized to your needs. The company has an extensive list of parts to choose from, all of which have been selected by the company to work well together. But if you need something outside of its offerings, or just need help choosing from the list, you can get in touch with the company to discuss how best to achieve your goals. Long Road Racing will also customize any trim level of Miata, and can even create a Miata Mazda didn't offer. For instance, you could have a Grand Touring with the leather interior, but also with the limited-slip differential and Brembo brakes from the Club model. All of these parts are fully warrantied by Long Road Racing for the length of the OEM warranty, and they don't void the factory warranty. We had the opportunity to try out a car customized by Long Road Racing at the M1 Concourse track in Pontiac, Mich. The car was there to sample alongside some of the MX-5 Cup cars as well as several of Mazda's stock road cars to drive on course. The road-going Long car started as a Grand Touring model, and it retains its heated leather seats and automatic climate control.

2019 Subaru Ascent vs. 2018 Mazda CX-9: Driving two class leaders side-by-side

As the de facto replacement for the family sedan, we expect a lot out of modern crossovers. They need to excel at family-hauling duties while delivering reasonable performance and fuel economy. They have to offer all-wheel drive and the latest safety technology. They ought to be ruggedly handsome, and they can't be so prohibitively expensive that the families they are targeting can't afford them. It's a tall order, and some automakers have hit closer to the proverbial bullseye than others. By some stroke of luck, we managed to snag a 2018 Mazda CX-9 Grand Touring as our chariot to take the four-hour drive from Seattle to McMinnville, Ore., where we got our first drive of the 2019 Subaru Ascent. As one of our favorite vehicles in this class, the CX-9 would serve as a good comparison to the Ascent. And, on paper, the similarities are abundant: Both come from automakers with a clear, go-your-own-way approach to vehicle engineering, are powered by turbocharged four-cylinder engines, and offer three rows of seating in a relatively compact package. Put simply, we expect the Ascent and CX-9 to be cross-shopped by a lot of new-car buyers looking for a new family car. What we found is that the CX-9 is the better choice for the buyer who values a sporty driving experience above all else, while the Ascent is probably better for families looking for a healthier dose of practicality. Either option will ably serve the suburban American family they are targeting, but the ways they go about that life of servitude are quite different. It's worth noting that pretty much every automaker in America is selling a vehicle in this class, which means there are a heck of a lot of vehicles from which to choose. For a few other options, check out this spec-sheet comparison here, and for anything else, be sure to visit the handy Autoblog compare tool. With that out of the way, let's break it down a bit more granularly. Styling: View 36 Photos Looks-wise, we prefer the Mazda. A crossover is going to be generally box-shaped, but that doesn't mean it has to be boring. The CX-9's bodywork flows gracefully from nose to tail, with just the right amount of flashiness in the form of headlights that take the form of cat-like eyes, a five-point grille surrounded in chrome, and gently arcing bodyside lines. It all works to form what we think is the most attractive midsize crossover overall. We don't hate the Subaru Ascent's looks, but it's definitely more boring than the CX-9.