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Mazda MX-5 Miata goes Head 2 Head with Subaru BRZ

It's a battle that's been in the making for some time now: the Subaru BRZ versus the Mazda MX-5 Miata. And now that the new Miata has arrived – and in Club spec to boot – that's exactly what Motor Trend has lined up for its latest episode of Head 2 Head. Now before you go screaming that one's a coupe and the other a convertible, take a few commonalities into account. Roofs aside, both feature a 2.0-liter four mounted up front, driving the rear wheels through a six-speed manual transmission. Both are made by Japanese automakers and cost around $25-30k, give or take. Both produce around the same amount of torque, and while the Subaru may be more powerful, the Mazda's considerably lighter. To create a more even contest, then, you'd have to line a BRZ up against a Scion FR-S, or the MX-5 against the upcoming Fiat version of the same. Of course, being that close on paper doesn't mean that it's a draw. One has to come out on top. And after taking both along country roads and the Streets of Willow racing circuit, our friends at MT have picked one over the other. You'll want to watch the 22-minute video above (or at least skip ahead to the end) to see which came out on top, but if you're as enthused by a purist driver's car as we are, you'll enjoy every minute of it. News Source: Motor Trend via YouTube Mazda Subaru Convertible Coupe Economy Cars Performance Videos motor trend mazda mx-5 head 2 head

Mazda3 sales off to rocky start despite massive critical acclaim

Like just about every other auto publication we've seen, we loved the way the Mazda3 drove when we reviewed it a few months ago, but those glowing reviews apparently aren't helping its sales. The new compact may be falling victim to a sales war between the Toyota Corolla and Honda Civic, with the newcomer getting squeezed out by those with more established names and bigger marketing budgets.
According to Automotive News, Mazda3 sales have fallen every month since last August, and its sales are down 27 percent in the first two months of 2014. It certainly isn't helping that the entire compact segment is down five percent this year as well.
The biggest problem for the new model seems to be its price compared to rivals. Mazda is not offering the incentives that are on the hood of competitors. With the previous generation, the company offered more than $2,700 on the hood to move them out, but the current model only carries about $1,233 in markdowns, according to AN.

100th Anniversary 2020 Mazda MX-5 Miata announced for sale in the U.S.

The 100th Anniversary Special Edition Mazda MX-5 Miata will be sold in the U.S. When Mazda initially announced all of its 100th Anniversary vehicles, U.S. availability was still questionable for Mazda’s roadster. ThatÂ’s no longer the case, as the company announced all the details on the car today. ItÂ’s going to be based off the Grand Touring trim, so itÂ’s outfitted with the maximum amount of equipment. Those that purchase one will be able to choose from either the traditional soft top or an RF version. The soft top is red, while the RF gets a black-painted roof. Every last one of them will be painted in Snowflake White Pearl Mica and feature red accents throughout. Mazda plans on making them with both manual and automatic transmissions. We asked how many will be available, but Mazda told us it isn't sharing that information yet — limited edition Miatas tend to sell out quick. On the exterior, the front fender gets a “100 Years 1920-2020” badge. Wheel center caps for the 17-inch dark-silver wheels also have the 100th Anniversary logo on them, but thatÂ’s it for the exterior. The inside is where Mazda really had its fun. Full red leather seats and red carpeting pop and make this interior unlike any other Miata on sale today. Both the headrests and the floor mats feature 100th Anniversary logos, and as a finishing touch, Mazda put together a special 100th Anniversary key fob that is embossed with the same logo and comes presented in a special edition box. Since this car is based on the Grand Touring, you get performance goodies like Bilstein dampers, limited-slip differential, front shock tower brace and sport-tuned suspension. Of course, it needs the proper six-speed manual transmission to get all of that. From a cost perspective, you only pay a small price for the special edition car. With the soft top and six-speed manual, it totals $33,615. ThatÂ’s just $1,000 more than an identically-equipped regular MX-5 Grand Touring. An RF with the manual totals $36,370, which again, is just $1,000 more than the standard RF. The difference is the same with the automatic transmission Miatas. A soft top auto costs $34,140, while an automatic RF costs $35,695. Mazda says the special edition Miatas will be arriving in dealerships “later this year.” Related Video: