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2019 Mazda CX-5 Signature Diesel First Drive Review | A tardy inessential

We were suspicious of the much-delayed Mazda CX-5 Diesel when it finally arrived at our office late this summer. Had it surfaced four or even two years ago, we might’ve been more bullish, but at least we werenÂ’t cynical — yet. Even the Volkswagen Dieselgate crisis couldnÂ’t turn our hearts against the CX-5 Diesel. We already like the CX-5, after all, we also like the eager torque, quiet ride and excellent fuel economy the Skyactiv-D engine would surely provide. But then we got the EPA ratings for the the CX-5Â’s diesel engine: 27 mpg city and 30 highway. Granted, thatÂ’s in an all-wheel-drive vehicle, but itÂ’s a serious disappointment. The turbocharged, gasoline-powered 2.5-liter I4 in the CX-5 Signature gets 24 combined mpg, while offering up to 250 horsepower and 310 pound-feet of torque. The diesel version is down 82 hp (at 168) and 20 lb-ft (at 290), while elevating fuel economy to 27 city, 30 highway and 28 combined. The non-turbo gas motor in lesser AWD trims narrows the gap to just 2 combined mpg in favor of the diesel. So whatÂ’s the selling point for the Skyactiv-D? Mazda says itÂ’s a premium experience, and thatÂ’s why itÂ’s only available in the top trim level. ItÂ’s easy to flinch at that, but it makes some sense, when you look at other diesels in the U.S. market The Signature trim of the CX-5, as with the Mazda6 weÂ’ve come to adore, is good enough to target the lower end of, say, Audi customers who are looking to get a bit more content for the buck. These might also be the same people whoÂ’ve come out of a TDI vehicle and are already sold on the diesel experience. From the first squeeze of our right foot, the diesel CX-5 makes a good impression. In town, we diced our way through Woodward Avenue traffic, made easy mostly by the CX-5Â’s relative small size and agility. There is one point in the throttle tip-in when the engine sounds particularly growly, and somehow more massive than its 2.2 liters of displacement. The illusion began to crumble when we reached our first highway entrance ramp. Putting our foot to the floor, we got the quick first hit of growly torque, followed by Â… well not much. This engine begins to run out of steam as it climbs the rev ladder. ThatÂ’s not totally unexpected, but it was definitely disappointing. Furthermore, as Assistant Editor Zac Palmer points out, “By opting for the diesel, you add 115 pounds to the curb weight (now 3,940 pounds) of a comparable 2.5-liter turbo (3,825 pounds).

2019 Mazda MX-5 Miata First Drive Review | More power is the icing on top

SAN DIEGO — When Mazda announced that the 2019 Mazda MX-5 Miata was getting a serious increase in power, I was both excited and nervous. I was excited because more power is always exciting, and it was no insubstantial increase. At 181 horsepower, it's the most powerful production Miata ever offered, beating out turbocharged Mazdaspeed Miata's 178 horsepower. Plus it has more revs to play with. But what had me worried was whether this power would mess up the friendly, playful character of the Miata. The 155-horsepower 2.0-liter engine is just about perfect, almost universally loved by the Autoblog staff and other reviewers, with good midrange torque and short gearing that always made it feel quick in nearly every rev range. It felt like the right amount of power for the chassis, too. There was just enough to get it loose without working too hard, but it wouldn't spin you around unexpectedly. I could imagine a couple of ways the new engine could affect that sweet balance, too. A bit too much power could risk some of the Miata's accessibility and predictability. It might become more serious and less fun-loving. I also feared that in pursuit of a higher redline and more horsepower, the low-end of the rev range might become painfully slow. Honda owners know this feeling whenever their VTEC-equipped screamers drop out of the aggressive cam profile, and the Toyota 86 and BRZ suffer from an awful lack of torque right in the mid-range that doesn't recover until nearly redline. All of this was on my mind when the assembled reviewers were briefed by Mazda engineers about the car. It started out like most presentations, with a brief rundown of the goals of the car and what Mazda has done with the model so far. Then came a chart showing the power curves of the NC, current ND, and the 2019 model, and my fear of a loss of low-end grunt dissipated. The amount of power and torque over engine speed is nearly identical between the old and new ND Miatas right up to around 4,500 rpm. And then from there, the 2019 continues making more power all the way to its 181-horse peak at 7,000 rpm, 500 rpm higher than the previous model's redline. This was a good sign. Mazda managed to get these gains with no sacrifices through many small upgrades. The throttle body is wider with a slimmer throttle plate, the intake manifold has longer runners and dual paths, and the intake ports are larger.

2017.5 Mazda6 gives you more for the same money

The current Mazda6 has been around since the 2014 model year, but Mazda continues to update it and make it more enticing. For this midyear update that's earned the "2017.5" model year stamp, Mazda has added more standard features to both the base model Sport and midlevel Touring models. The Sport model now comes with blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert as standard features. The Touring model picks up navigation and heated seats as standard equipment. You can also opt for 8-way power leather seats on the Touring as well. If the extra features weren't enough, Mazda doesn't charge anything extra for the trim levels. All the base prices remain the same. The cheapest Sport model, which comes with a manual transmission, still starts at $22,820. The cheapest Touring model, again with a manual transmission, keeps its starting price of $25,070. Aside from a nice addition of features for no extra cost, there's something else interesting about the 2017.5 Mazda6, and that's the model year itself. The last time Mazda used a half-year designation was for the 2016.5 CX-5. It was the last model year of the previous generation CX-5, with the completely redesigned model launching for 2017. This leads us to believe that we may be seeing a completely new Mazda6 for the 2018 model year, with a reveal sometime within a year. It's possible Mazda could just do a significant refresh for 2018 as well, but the 6 also is the next model due for a complete redesign. And since the folks at Mazda have told us they're in the process of thoroughly updating the lineup again, we would lean toward the likelihood of a completely new car rather than a refresh. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2017 Mazda 6 View 33 Photos Image Credit: Mazda Mazda Car Buying Sedan