Miata With Bmw Z4 Stylings - Low Reserve- on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Mazda CX-5 diesel gets EPA fuel economy ratings

Mazda has been promising that it will bring the Skyactiv-D diesel engine to the United States pretty much since the last Mazda6 redesign for the 2014 model year. And even in the wake of delay after delay, the company has insisted it will happen. Well, it looks like we may not be far from the fulfillment of this promise, since the EPA and DOT's FuelEconomy.gov website now has numbers for the diesel-powered Mazda CX-5. What's surprising, besides the existence of hard numbers, is that those numbers aren't actually that big of an improvement over the gas engine. In fact, highway numbers are the same as the gasoline versions. The front-drive CX-5 diesel gets 31 mpg on the highway, and the all-wheel-drive one gets 30 on the highway. The diesel does see improvements in the city. The front-drive model gets 28 mpg versus 25 for the gas equivalent. The all-wheel-drive model gets 27 mpg rather than 24 for the gasoline version. Also concerning is the fact that the CX-5 diesel isn't the only diesel in the segment. The Chevy Equinox is available with a diesel, too, and while city mpg is about the same, it can hit 38 mpg with all-wheel-drive and 39 with front-drive on the highway. With this in mind, Mazda will probably market the engine as more of a performance upgrade, and maybe something with a bit of extra towing capacity. This is because the engine is expected to make a bit over 170 horsepower and 310 pound-feet of torque. The power number is a smidge below that of the 187 from the 2.5-liter naturally aspirated gas engine, but the torque number is much higher than the gas engine's 186 pound-feet. We've also reached out to Mazda for comment on this development. A representative offered no further comment beyond the company staying committed to diesels. Related Video:

Leaked images show digital gauge cluster for Mazda3

Most everything divulged about the 2019 Mazda3 so far has focused on the trick Spark Controlled Compression Ignition (SPCCI) Skyactiv-X engine. If a series of photos posted on a Chinese website are accurate, it looks like Mazda has novel plans for the cockpit as well. The three images show a three-color, all-digital gauge cluster in two different configurations. The first configuration places a three-digit speedo in the center of a blue-ringed tachometer, with gear indicator and water temp displays on the left, fuel range calculator and what appears to be a funky clock on the right. The second configuration splits the tachometer to the left and the speedo to the right. In between them is what looks like a road surface display for automatic cruise control. Trip info lies just under the blue-banded road, while water temp, fuel gauge, gear indicator and range info line up across the bottom. A swath of empty space on the left could be where Mazda's relocated the current car's passel of warning signals. Of note: Everything around the digital gauges appears to come straight from the current Mazda3. The instrument panel surround, the steering wheel and buttons, the stalks, all of it is lifted from today's car. If the photos are what's headed our way on some trim of the 2019 Mazda3, though, they show a clean, handsome evolution of the no-nonsense cluster in the current compact hatch. Mazda's worked up a head of good press on the run-up to the Mazda3 launch for both the engine and the dynamics. We're told we'll get between 10 and 30 percent more torque from the 2.0-liter SPCCI Skyactiv-X, and about 25 percent better fuel economy compared to today's 2.0-liter Skyactiv-G. Handling-wise, the jinba ittai philosophy — horse and rider as one — has led to engineers reworking everything from tire sidewall stiffness to multi-contoured torsion elements and the mounting and shape of the seats. The hatchback's torsional stiffness climbs by 30 percent, any excess rigidity countered by 7.5 meters of "matrix resin material" applied in 16 places on the body "to absorb vibration and dissipate it as heat." The point has been to eliminate dynamic static between the driver and the road, and then to give the driver the best natural seating position to take advantage of the body's reflexes to dynamic input. At the same time, this digital gauge cluster might also give that driver something tasty to look at. Related Video:

Ruminations in winter | 2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata long-term update

Winter is an odd time for our 2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata Club long-term tester. In the summer, the track beckons. Fall and spring bring top-down adventures at sunset. But our Miata is a little out of its enthusiast element when the weather is harsh and our moods grow as gray as a January day in Michigan. Sure, there's the occasional snowstorm, and equipped with winter tires the Miata can be a fun toy. But what about when it's just cold and dreary? We had a lot of time to reflect on our MX-5 these past few months, and we still managed to find enjoyment in the little things - even though admittedly this is not the time of year when the Miata shines. For starters, we taught associate video producer Amr Sayour how to drive a stick shift with the Miata. With its agreeable clutch and short throws, the six-speed manual was the perfect learning instrument for Sayour. His teacher, Adam Morath, actually had to show him how to stall. Arguably, learning to drive a manual isn't a little thing, but it was these run-of-the-mill events that showcased the Miata could be more than tolerable in winter. Associate Editor Joel Stocksdale used it for a 500-mile roundtrip to pick up a new pet and found it was a little tight for dog and driver. Though Stocksdale still enjoyed the sports-car feel, he came to the conclusion that "Miata is always the answer, but not always the best one." We also quickly realized the MX-5 isn't a great commuter car, nor did we expect it to be. It's low to the ground. It's loud. The small cabin has a greenhouse effect, and the windows fog easily. "If you have a Miata, it will creak and rattle in the winter. A lot. Nothing out of the ordinary here - this is a convertible with a lot of flexy parts - but something the casual shopper might not be aware of," Editor-in-Chief Mike Austin noted. Still, he found ways to have fun. "On the upside, winter tires = low-speed power oversteer." We had a lot of time to reflect on our MX-5 these past few months, and we still managed to find enjoyment in the little things. Speaking of those snowshoes, Stocksdale said they made our Mazda a "perfectly acceptable winter ride." Keeping the traction control on, he navigated his neighborhood roads in packed snow with little trouble. Like Austin advised, be aware of the ground clearance; Stocksdale got hung up in deep snow while attempting to scale his driveway.