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Xcar tries to figure out what makes the Miata so great

Over the past 25 years and 3 model generations, the Mazda MX-5 Miata has shown that you don't have to be the best to be a massive success. The little, Japanese roadster has never been the absolute peak of automotive performance, but it's precise handling, good reliability and frugal running costs have helped make it a star. Autoblog recently tried to give you the experience of driving one on video, and now Xcar Films has made its own in an attempt to show what makes this droptop an icon.
As Xcar puts it, the Miata isn't the world's best sports car, but it is the world's favorite. When they were originally designing the roadster, Mazda's engineers took everything that made British droptops from the '60s great, and junked all of the stuff that made them a terror to own. The result was a car that would start up everyday with no fuss and get drivers wherever they needed to go with a huge grin on their face.
The fourth-generation Miata is imminently on the way for its September 3 unveiling, and the very early rumors indicate that Mazda doesn't plan to rock the boat too much with the latest one. It supposedly rides on a longer wheelbase and wider track but with the weight trimmed by over 200 pounds. Check out Xcar's video for a primer on MX-5 history and why the automotive world loves this little roadster.

Next-gen Mazda3 teased in new video, should debut next month

Despite being one of the oldest vehicles in its class, the third-gen Mazda3 is still a favorite here at Autoblog. It's handsome, comfortable and one of the best-driving compacts around. While we had hoped to see a new Mazdaspeed3 hot hatch before this model expired, it seems that's not the case. Today, Mazda released a short teaser video showing a very brief glimpse of what appears to be a new hatchback. A caption says there's more to come next month. That leads us to believe we'll see the next Mazda3 in late November at or around the 2018 Los Angeles Auto Show. We don't know much about the new model, though it does look like the hatchback will carry over. That's no surprise given the Chevy Cruze, Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla, and Hyundai Elantra all offer five-door variants. You can include the hatch-only Volkswagen Golf on that list, too. The sedan is a given considering how popular the body style is in America. Expect the design to draw a lot from the Mazda Kai concept we saw last fall. It's harder to say what Mazda might stuff under the new 3's hood. Skyactiv-X would be great, but the compression-ignition gasoline engine likely won't be ready in time for the Mazda3's debut. That's a shame, as the engine shows a lot of promise and would be a good and unique feature for Mazda. Until the EV infrastructure improves and the associated costs go down, more efficient internal-combustion engines will still have a place in the market. Check out further info on the Skyactiv-X technology here, and stay tuned later next month for more news from Mazda. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Mazda Hatchback Sedan

From Maseratis to rental cars | Autoblog Podcast #511

On this week's podcast, Mike Austin and David Gluckman are in a huddle room (again), because the studio was already taken (again). We talk about the all-wheel-drive Dodge Challenger GT (again), as well as the Jeep Wrangler, Maserati Levante, Miata RF (again), and then David waxes poetic on mediocre rental cars (or similar). The episode wraps up with the traditional doling out of Spend My Money buying advice, with some input from an S2000 owner on advice discussed last time. The rundown is below. Remember, if you have a car-related question you'd like us to answer or you want buying advice of your very own, send a message or a voice memo to podcast at autoblog dot com. (If you record audio of a question with your phone and get it to us, you could hear your very own voice on the podcast. Neat, right?) And if you have other questions or comments, please send those too. Autoblog Podcast #511 Topics and stories we mention Dodge Challenger GT Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Maserati Levante Mazda MX-5 Miata RF Used cars! Rundown Intro - 00:00 What we're driving - 06:11 Spend My Money - 32:45 Total Duration: 55:30 Get The Podcast iTunes – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes RSS – Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator MP3 – Download the MP3 directly Feedback Email – Podcast at Autoblog dot com Review the show on iTunes Podcasts Dodge Jeep Maserati Mazda Nissan mazda mx-5 rf dodge challenger gt