2008 Mazda 6 I Sedan 4-door 2.3l on 2040-cars

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2017 Fiat 124 Spider priced below most Miatas

The Fiat 124 Spider and Mazda MX-5 Miata might be siblings, but all that means is the rivalry between the two cars will be unusually intense. Pricing for the reborn 124 has been released and is added proof of that fact – aside from the very base trim, the turbocharged Italian is cheaper than its Zoom-Zoomy brother. Fiat's base model, the 124 Spider Classica, starts at $25,990. The MX-5 Sport isn't much cheaper, at $25,735. Both cars get 16-inch alloy wheels, black cloth seats, LED taillights, but the Mazda will throw in LED headlights. It's also interesting to note that the two cars have differing destination charges – $995 for the Fiat and $820 for the Mazda. Move up to the mid-range Fiat, and you'll start to see the "Italian" car eke out a pricing advantage. The Lusso, Italian for luxury, rings up at $28,490 compared to the MX-5 Grand Touring's $30,885. Yes, we're comparing the middle-tier 124 to the range-topping Mazda, because the mid-range, enthusiast-oriented Club is more analogous to the 124's Abarth model. The Lusso matches the MX-5 GT with 17-inch alloys, heated leather seats, a 7.0-inch touchscreen with navigation, and dual-zone automatic climate control. The Mazda does come with a bevy of safety features as standard – blind-spot monitoring, lane-departure warning, and automatic high-beam control – which look to be optional on the Fiat, so take that into consideration if you're thinking about buying one of the two. We enthusiasts are most interested in the matchup between the 124 Spider Abarth and the MX-5 Club. The scorpion-badged 124 starts at $29,190 and the Club at $29,420. You'll get more power – 10 additional ponies according to FCA – as well as all the performance goodies from the Club. There are Bilstein-tuned shocks, a mechanical limited-slip diff, and a front strut bar, plus a very imposing exhaust note. Recaro seats will be an optional extra, as will Brembo brakes (the MX-5 bundles them with BBS wheels). Finally, there's the 124 Spider Prima Edizione Lusso. The limited-edition wears Azzurro Italia (translation: pretty blue) paint and rings in at $35,995, which gets you a bunch of swag on top of the normal Lusso stuff. Oh, and if you choose the automatic transmission, you'll be punished with a $1,350 charge, regardless of which Fiata you go for. That's less than the premium Mazda charges for an automatic on an MX-5 Club or GT, but more than the $1,480 extra it charges for a two-pedal Sport.

2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata Club long-term wrap-up | Farewell, fun friend

About one year ago, we took delivery of a 2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata. We made sure we got the sportiest version we could, the Club model (which includes Bilstein shocks, a limited-slip differential and a front shock tower brace) with optional BBS wheels and Brembo brakes. We also sprung for the appearance package to give our cute little roadster a modicum of aggression. It was a tad pricey at $32,835, but we enjoyed every minute of it. Well, almost every minute of it. It's not a perfect car, as it's loud and stiff on the highway, and we ran into an issue in which the top had to be replaced (under warranty). But minor grievances aside, just about everyone who drove the little roadster came back with a smile, especially when we took it to a racetrack. Below are final thoughts on the car from our editors. Senior Green Editor John Beltz Snyder: This car is about as car as any car gets. It's so car! That is to say, it's pure in its mission and in its effective execution as a driver's plaything. Its crisp steering, snickety six-speed manual gearbox, and rev-happy engine create the wonderful sensation that you're driving faster than the speedometer reads. Normal speeds never felt so heroic. The view out the front is fantastic, too, and the curves of the hood are nothing short of inspiring as they frame the road ahead. I don't care that it's noisy, jarring, and ergonomically weird. Old and British in spirit, it offers a level of engagement that's hard to find in a new car, especially for under $30,000. Anyone who has a Miata in their stable isn't lucky. They're smart. Senior Editor Alex Kierstein: I'm a bit embarrassed to think back to my first impressions about driving the MX-5 now that I've had so much seat time in this one. While I loved the idea of it as a throwback to the original NA Miata from the moment it was revealed, I was a bit turned off by how civilized it was. And how quick it was. No longer a momentum car, the new MX-5 seemed more forgiving of bad gear selection or a bad corner entry. I felt like something had been removed, a ragged edge, some everyday engagement. Well, a year on, and my feelings have changed. If you stop comparing it directly to the (slow, weedy, rattly, uncomfortable) first- and second-generation cars, it's a brilliant little roadster. I miss the raw edge less and enjoy the livability more — the raw edge was really just a lack of civility. A flaw that forced you to engage with the thing every moment.

2014 Mazda6: Introduction

An Extended Stay With The Sexy Six
The new-for-2014 Mazda6 sedan is more than just a pretty face. For Mazda, it marks the company's best effort yet at competing in the highly competitive midsize sedan segment, all the while staying true to the brand's core value of offering high levels of driver involvement above all. We certainly came away impressed after our first drive of the sleek Six in France last fall, and we knew right from the start that this would be a car we'd want to spend a lot of time with back here at home.
So with that in mind, the folks at Mazda graciously agreed to loan us the fully loaded Soul Red tester you see here for a one-year stay in the Autoblog long-term garage. Because of how important this car is to the segment, and to Mazda as a brand, we know there's going to be a lot to talk about it over the next 12 months. Right now, though, allow us to introduce you to the newest member of our long-term family.