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Mazda6 sees gains in ugly month for midsize sedans

Though June overall wasn't a terrible month for automaker sales, at least for the most part, it was pretty hideous for midsize family sedans. Basically every single model in the segment saw declining numbers including the Subaru Legacy, Nissan Altima, Ford Fusion, Volkswagen Passat, and even perennial volume sellers such as the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry. All of these cars are down in year-to-date numbers, too. But there's one bright spot, and it comes from Mazda. Mazda reports that the Mazda6 actually had a really good month. It sold 3,204 examples of the family sedan in June 2018, compared with 2,360 in June of last year. That's a nearly 36 percent increase month-over-month. It was also enough to bump Mazda6 sales for 2018 ahead of 2017's numbers through June. Those numbers also put the Mazda6 ahead of the Volkswagen Passat for June, and just 20 vehicles shy of the Subaru Legacy. Admittedly, these are still small numbers all around. In the same month, Honda sold over 26,000 Accords, and Toyota sold about 27,000 Camrys. Sales of Mazda's other vehicles also indicate that crossovers really are the new hotness. The CX-5 sold a whopping (relatively) 12,710 units. The CX-3 and CX-9 sold about 2,300 examples each, which is below both Mazda3 and Mazda6, but both crossovers gained more this month and over the year than both cars. Mazda3 is actually down this month and overall. All of this also seems to give some credence to Ford's decision to move away from traditional sedans. Still, for fans of more conventional cars, it's a bit heartening to see that more niche players can find some success with the design. We're also pleased to see such an excellent sedan recognized with actual buyers. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Featured Gallery 2018 Mazda6 Signature View 17 Photos Image Credit: Mazda By the Numbers Mazda Sedan

Consumer Reports no longer recommends Honda Civic

Consumer Reports annual Car Reliability Survey is out, and yes, there are some big surprises. First and foremost? The venerable publication no longer recommends the Honda Civic. In fact, aside from the walking-dead CR-Z and limited-release Clarity fuel-cell car, the Civic is the only Honda to miss out on CR's prestigious nod. At the opposite end there's a surprise as well – Toyota and Lexus remain the most reliable brands on the market, but Buick cracked the top three. That's up from seventh last year, and the first time for an American brand to stand on the Consumer Reports podium. Mazda's entire lineup earned Recommended checks as well. Consumer Reports dinged the Civic for its "infuriating" touch-screen radio, lack of driver lumbar adjustability, the limited selection of cars on dealer lots fitted with Honda's popular Sensing system, and the company's decision to offer LaneWatch instead of a full-tilt blind-spot monitoring system. Its score? A lowly 58. The Civic isn't the only surprise drop from CR's Recommended ranks. The Audi A3, Ford F-150, Subaru WRX/STI, and Volkswagen Jetta, GTI, and Passat all lost the Consumer Reports' checkmark. On the flipside, a number of popular vehicles graduated to the Recommended ranks, including the BMW X5, Chevrolet Camaro, Corvette, and Cruze, Hyundai Santa Fe, Porsche Macan, and Tesla Model S. Perhaps the biggest surprise is the hilariously recall-prone Ford Escape getting a Recommended check – considering the popularity of Ford's small crossover, this is likely a coup for the brand, as it puts the Escape on a level playing field with the Recommended Toyota RAV4, Honda CR-V, and Nissan Rogue. While Ford is probably happy to see CR promote the Escape, the list wasn't as kind for every brand. For example, of the entire Fiat Chrysler Automobiles catalog, the ancient Chrysler 300 was the only car to score a check – there wasn't a single Dodge, Fiat, Jeep, Maserati, or Ram on the list. That hurts. FCA isn't alone at the low end, either. GMC, Jaguar Land Rover, Mini, and Mitsubishi don't have a vehicle on CR's list between them, while brands like Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, Nissan, Lincoln, Infiniti, and Cadillac only have a few models each. You can check out Consumer Reports entire reliability roundup, even without a subscription, here.

Flyin' Miata is building a V8-powered MX-5 ND

It's cold in many parts of the country, but this V8-swapped 2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata that Flyin' Miata is developing has us dreaming about throwing on a parka and taking a very brisk drive. This beast is the product of the talented folks at Flyin' Miata, but we can't get too excited just yet. According to the company's brief Facebook post, this is just a dummy V8, placed under the Miata's hood to confirm fit. Judging by the photo, the engine fits like a glove. "There's still a long way to go before this is a real thing," Flyin' Miata writes, but the company admits everything looks "very promising" so far. The post doesn't mention any details about the estimated specs, but Autoblog reached out to Flyin' Miata for more information about this intriguing build. Keith Tanner, one of the mad scientists who shoehorns V8s into Miatas at the Colorado outfit, told us that Flyin' Miata is looking at both the LS3, which will provide between 430 and 525 hp, and the LT1 which is 460 hp out of the box. A supercharged LT4 is also being considered, but as Tanner put it, "that might be a little nuts" in a car as light as the ND. In any of these engine configurations, Tanner estimates the V8-swapped ND should comfortably be a sub-4 second to 60 mph car. The transmission will be a Tremec T56 Magnum six-speed manual. The suspension, brakes, fuel system, cooling system, and the chassis itself will all be beefed up to handle the power, as per normal FM practice. The one question mark is the rear end, as the ND's existing one simply won't be up to the task of putting that much horsepower to the ground. The 2016 Miata was one of the best cars we drove in 2015, but Flyin' Miata knows how to turn a standard MX-5 into an absolute hotrod with the company's LS3 V8 conversions for earlier models. Imagining the more modern chassis from the latest generation with a massive dollop of more power is an exciting thought. We can't wait to see how this project turns out. Related Video: