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2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata named World Car of the Year

Kicking off Day Two of the New York Auto Show, the World Car of the Year awards are finally being handed out. The overall winner is, as God himself intended, the Mazda MX-5 Miata. It beat the Audi A4 and the Mercedes-Benz GLC-Class. The unique thing about these awards are that they aren't limited to the US domestic market (that's why they're called the World Car of the Year awards). For example, nominees for the overall award included the Skoda Superb, Renault Kadjar, and Subaru Levorg. In the Performance category, the forbidden fruit was repped by the Honda Civic Type R. But both the Civic and the Mercedes-AMG C63 Coupe were beat out by a far more expensive competitor – the new Audi R8. The fourth-generation Toyota Prius and the second-generation Chevrolet Volt, were two of the big finalists for the World Green Car of the Year award. They both lost out, though, to the Mirai fuel-cell car. Yes, a hydrogen car beat out two of the world's premiere hybrids. The luxury race that was perhaps the hardest to predict. That's because each of the three finalists have received near universal acclaim. In the end, though, the BMW 7 Series beat out the Audi Q7 and Volvo XC90. Finally, we have the World Car Design of the Year, where the overall winner (MX-5) and the Mazda CX-3 faced off against the new Jaguar XE. While both the CX-3 and XE are handsome vehicles, the WCOTY committee realized the answer is always Miata, and awarded Mazda's iconic roadster another 2016 award. Related Video: AND NOW THERE IS ONE... MAZDA MX-5 - 2016 WORLD CAR OF THE YEAR NEW YORK – March 24, 2016 - For Immediate Release The Road to World Car journey ended today with the declaration of the MAZDA MX-5 as the 2016 World Car of the Year. The winner was announced during a press conference hosted by the New York International Auto Show, Bridgestone Corporation and Autoneum. 2016 marks the 10th anniversary of the partnership between World Car and the New York show, and the third consecutive year that the World Car Awards have retained their ranking as the number one automotive awards program in the world in terms of media reach. Mazda Motor Corporation is no stranger to the World Car Awards program – now in its 12th year. The Mazda2/Mazda Demio was the 2008 World Car of the Year. While the Mazda3 (2014), Mazda6 (2013) and Mazda MX-5 have all earned "Top Three in the World" status as voted by our 70 plus international automotive journalists that make up the jury.

2019 Mazda CX-5 turbo model seemingly confirmed, doesn't come cheap

We reported last month on some leaked documents that announced the 2019 Mazda CX-5 would get the turbocharged 2.5-liter four-cylinder as an option, and it's looking even more official now that additional documents have appeared on Reddit. The new information comes from a "Product Information Bulletin" that not only confirms the engine's availability but reveals pricing, trims and feature sets for the new model year. As it turns out, the turbo CX-5 won't be cheap. The base price for a CX-5 with that engine will be $35,865 with destination. That's about $5,500 more than the cheapest turbocharged Mazda6. There are a couple of reasons for this. The turbo engine will only be available on two new high-end trims for the CX-5, Grand Touring Reserve and Signature. Both of those trims bring a variety of high-end features and options with them. It can also only be paired with all-wheel drive. The Mazda6 turbo engine is available on the slightly lower Grand Touring trim and is only paired to a front-drive drivetrain. Conspicuously absent from the 2019 documentation though is the elusive Skyactiv-D diesel engine. This is strange, since the engine has been rated by the EPA, so it's presumably ready for introduction to the U.S. market. We'll be curious to learn that engine's fate. We could see the turbo gas engine threatening the diesel's U.S. introduction, since it delivers the same amount of torque as the diesel with more horsepower. Plus the diesel didn't get amazing EPA numbers. But that's just speculation on our part, and it's entirely possible the diesel will still come here. The rest of the CX-5 lineup sees some welcome upgrades, too. The infotainment on CX-5s starting with the second-lowest Touring model will get standard Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility. All models also will receive G-Vectoring Plus. The feature, along with the turbo engine option, was announced for the Japanese CX-5 recently. What this system adds is a little bit of braking force to the outside wheel as the driver winds the wheel back to a straight position when exiting a corner or completing a lane-change. The idea is that it helps make the car more stable when straightening out after a turn. Also, although the turbo CX-5 models will be rather pricey, the other CX-5 models won't change much in price. The base Sport trim starts at $200 more than the 2018, the Touring model increases just $100, and the Grand Touring goes up by $400.

Best and worst car brands of 2022 according to Consumer Reports

It's that time again, Consumer Reports this morning lifting the curtain on its 2022 Annual Car Brand rankings and its 10 Top Picks in the car, crossover, and truck category. Drumroll, please: This year, Subaru climbs two spots to claim the winner's circle, having come third the last two years. Last year, Mazda climbed three spots from 2020 to take the crown. This year, Mazda slipped to second, BMW taking the last spot on the podium, also a one-spot drop from 2021. Six automakers in the top 10 hailed from Japan, which is one more than last year, and five luxury makers occupied the top 10, which is two more than last year. And South Korean representation didn't crack the top this year, after Hyundai managed tenth last year. The seven makes after BMW are: Honda, Lexus, Audi, Porsche, Mini, Toyota, and Infiniti.  The magazine and testing concern says its Brand Report Card "[reveals] which automakers are producing the most well-performing, safe, and reliable vehicles based on CR’s independent testing and member surveys," and that "Brands that rise to the top tend to have the most consistent performance across their model lineups." The domestics also took steps back among the 32 OEMs ranked on the 2022 card. Chrysler and Buick were the domestic carmakers who made last year's top 10 in eighth and ninth, respectively. This year, Buick dropped to eleventh, Chrysler to thirteenth. Dodge went from fourteenth to sixteenth. CR continues to ding Tesla's yoke steerer, the not-exactly-natural handhold responsible for the electric carmaker going from sixteenth last year to twenty-third this year.