2004 Mazda 3 Hatchback 2.3 A/t Alum Wheels 75,842 Miles Runs & Drives Great on 2040-cars

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Las Vegas reporter makes literal street food

A reporter in the American Southwest did a test to see just how hot it was this week, and received her just deserts. With a promised high of 115 degrees in the Las Vegas Valley on June 20, Caitlin Lilly and Kira Terry of the Las Vegas Review-Journal decided to find out if they could bake cookies and cook breakfast using just the ambient heat of the day and some handy flat surfaces. First, the pair attempted to bake a couple dozen pre-mixed cookies on the dashboard of a Mazda. Starting around 1:00 pm, they left the cookies on a sheet tray propped up beneath the car's un-tinted windows. By 5:00 pm the cookies were done and, according to various R-J staffers, quite delicious. While the cookies were baking, they decided to make themselves something a little more substantial, something to justify the desert they had baking in the Mazda. They found a nice patch of parking lot and tried to fry an egg, some bacon, and a handful of shrimp. The shrimp cooked quickly, as shrimp are wont to do, but after 20 minutes the bacon only browned at the edges while staying raw in the middle. The egg remained uncooked, unfortunately, since even the hottest asphalt isn't hot enough to actually fry an egg. Record high temperatures are baking the American Southwest and Southern California as the region suffers the effects of a weather phenomenon called a " heat dome." Highs of over 100 degrees were reported throughout SoCal, Arizona, and Nevada, which is surprising for mid-June. The threat of wildfires is already astronomical, and people are suffering from heat-related illnesses. Recent Video:

2019 Mazda3 fuel economy announced for AWD, hatchback models

Although Mazda engineers gave us fuel economy numbers for one configuration of 2019 Mazda3 at the car's Los Angeles debut, there were still a few versions left out. Now Mazda has released the data for every body style, drivetrain and transmission configuration. That includes the all-new all-wheel-drive iteration, which we will have a full review of this week. Discerning these numbers is a tad tricky since there are three powertrain combinations for each 2019 Mazda3 bodystyle, and they all get slightly different fuel economy. We've listed the different combinations in a chart below: There are a few key takeaways, the first being that the sedan is always the most efficient version of the Mazda3, likely because of better aerodynamics compared to the hatchback. Second, all-wheel drive will cost you fuel economy due to the extra weight of the axles and differential, and the added drag on the engine. Third, the most efficient versions of each body have the same fuel economy numbers as the outgoing Mazda3. The manual transmission-equipped Mazda3 has actually improved fuel economy over the old version by 2 mpg on the highway, and 1 in combined driving. Also worth noting is that only one trim level of the sedan is available with cylinder deactivation and front-wheel drive, and that's the top-level Premium trim. Opting for all-wheel drive on any trim or body style will come with an engine with cylinder deactivation. The hatchback is also the only Mazda3 available with a manual transmission, and it's only offered on the front-drive version.

Consumer Reports declares most and least loved cars [w/video]

Consumer Reports is crunching the numbers from its annual owner-satisfaction survey, and part of that process is finding out how attached drivers are to their cars. CR simply asks readers of models up to three years old if they would buy the same vehicle again in light of their entire ownership experience, and tallies the results. After looking at the responses for about 350,000 vehicles, it turns out that people really love a certain California-built, electrically powered luxury sedan. That's right, this year's the overall winner was the Tesla Model S with a whopping 98 percent of owners saying they would purchase another one (the Model S also won this award last year, with 99 percent satisfaction). The Chevrolet Corvette Stingray came in a close second with 95 percent of drivers hoping to park another one in their garage. A few models weren't quite so favored, though. The Nissan Versa Sedan was the least loved model among its owners; a mere 42 percent said that they would purchase another. The aging Jeep Compass didn't do much better, with just 43 percent of drivers willing to buy the softroader again. On average, about 70 percent of owners say they would buy their car again, and only four cars ranked below 50 percent in CR's findings. Check out the video above to see some of the winners and losers in a few of CR's categories. If you're a subscriber, you can check out the full list on its website. Related Gallery Consumer Reports Most Loved Cars 2014 Related Gallery Consumer Reports Least Loved Cars 2014 News Source: Consumer Reports - sub. req., Consumer Reports via YouTube Chevrolet Ford Mazda Mercedes-Benz Porsche Subaru Tesla Ownership Videos car ownership