2008 Mazda Mazda3 I Touring Value on 2040-cars

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Mazda CX-5 diesels get discounts up to $10,000 off MSRP

When Mazda positioned its long-awaited and oft-delayed CX-5 diesel crossover as the “premium” option in the CX-5 trim structure, we were skeptical. After driving one last fall with a $42,045 sticker price, our eyebrows furrowed even deeper. Today, to nobodyÂ’s surprise, Mazda dealers are slapping massive discounts on the Skyactiv-D. CarsDirect initially reported on the discounts, pointing out that some dealers are slashing prices by $10,000. We took a spin through Autotrader to see what was out there, and the results were shocking. There were pages of CX-5 diesels with prices in the low-to-mid $30,000 range. We asked Mazda what kind of incentives it was currently offering on the 2019 CX-5 diesel. Since December, Mazda has offered a $5,000 cash rebate, alongside a 2.9 percent APR for 60 months. However, the other several thousand dollars worth of discounts weÂ’re seeing listed — as much as $5,000 more — are not being accounted for by Mazda.  Just as CarsDirect found, the largest discounts we could find on the web are for a cool $10,000, bringing the price down to $32,045. At that price, youÂ’re looking at a 23.8 percent discount. ThatÂ’s a discount of nearly a quarter(!) of the carÂ’s original asking price. We thought the Skyactiv-D was overpriced originally, but at this price, weÂ’d strongly consider it as the CX-5 to buy. Since the diesel is only offered in the top-of-the-line Signature trim, it has every gizmo and gadget Mazda offers in addition to the most premium interior materials. ItÂ’s also offered in all-wheel drive only, leaving every box with a checkmark in it.  Compared to the gas-engined CX-5 Signature that starts at $38,100 for the 2020 model year, these diesels are a steal. In fact, this price hierarchy makes a lot more sense than the way Mazda had it organized in the first place. The more powerful 2.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder in the gas-engined Signature can easily be marketed as the most “premium” option in the CX-5 lineup since itÂ’s the fastest and most enjoyable to drive. Moving the slower diesel with the same equipment below it on the food chain sounds like the right move to us. At around $33,000-$35,000, the diesel isnÂ’t such a bad buy anymore. Fuel economy still isnÂ’t where weÂ’d like it to be, but as we opined in our First Drive review, itÂ’s still a wonderfully pleasant car to drive. Related Video:    

Mazda's Skyactiv-X power and efficiency ratings released in Europe

Mazda's long-awaited Skyactiv-X engine is finally headed for production, though not yet for the United States. The Japanese automaker says "various European countries" will get access to the unique engine in the Mazda3 starting this fall. Still, the announcement is relevant to the rest of us because we now have official power levels and fuel efficiency numbers that we can use to compare the Skyactiv-X with other engines offered in the compact Mazda. First, the power. According to Mazda, the 2.0-liter Skyactiv-X makes 178 horsepower and 165 pound-feet of torque. By way of comparison, the 2.5-liter Skyactiv-G engine currently used in the Mazda3 here in the States makes 186 hp and 186 lb-ft of torque. Sure, it's a little less powerful, but note that the displacements don't match and remember that the real reason the Skyactiv-X exists is to reduce fuel consumption. And that brings us to the Skyactiv-X's combined rating of around 53.5 miles per gallon (converted from liters per 100 kilometers). That's around 8 mpg better than the 2.0-liter engine that comes standard in Europe. Before we go any further, it's important to note that these numbers represent official figures for the European NEDC combined cycle, which means they are not directly comparable to the ratings we'll get from the United States EPA. Our official ratings will almost certainly be lower. With that disclaimer out of the way, the 2.5-liter Mazda3 scores a combined 30 mpg here in the States. The obvious unanswered question is when the Skyactiv-X might actually come to America. And the unfortunate answer is that we don't know. Mazda has yet to make an official decision on timing for the U.S market's launch of the engine, but as soon as we know, so will you.

Did Mazda designer Derek Jenkins leave to head up a 'Stealth Project?'

Not long after Derek Jenkins officially gave the 2016 MX-5 Miata to the buying world, he's left the Mazda building. Jalopnik reported that the head of design for Mazda North America changed the current job description on his LinkedIn profile to "Stealth Project." Mazda backed up the discovery with this reply to Jalop's inquiry: Derek left Mazda last Friday. He left on great terms in order to work on a new endeavor. We wish him the best of luck. He will be missed, but we are sure that he will do great things in the next chapter of his career. That "last Friday" would be July 17. Emphasizing the "stealth" bit in his new position, as far as we can tell, Jenkins still hasn't publicly answered any question about what he's doing. Every automaker has secrets, but traditional automakers usually make a hubbub about hiring big-name designers, especially one with Jenkins' resume. For his new employer to go all Ghost Recon with all information, well that's the kind of mystery this summer needs. The obvious culprit would be a certain fruit-named company in a certain Cupertino, CA office park. If that ends up being the case, Jenkins would be the second chief designer at Mazda NA to go electric: he replaced Franz von Holzhausen in the position after von Holzhausen went to Tesla. Various other Apple Project Titan hires have made the news, though. For all we know, Jenkins' project might not be automotive. So let's just go ahead and cue the speculation. We're looking forward to whatever he's got coming, and to whoever gets nominated to keep the full head of Zoom-Zoom going at Mazda NA.