1993 Mazda Mx-5 Miata Perfect Rust Free!! on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Miata buyers prefer a manual gearbox, says Mazda

Earlier, we wrote about Toyota's underwhelming 2018 manual transmission sales figures. To recap – as Toyota's representatives told CarBuzz – the automatic Corolla outsold its manual equivalent to a ratio of 100 to 1, and just one in three Toyota 86 buyers picked a manual version of the rear-drive coupe. What about the other famous rear-wheel-drive offering from Japan, Mazda's MX-5 Miata? A case can be made that an 86 buyer cross-shops the Miata, and vice-versa, but what kind of split do Mazda's sales figures reflect in comparison? We reached out to Mazda for some sales data, and PR program manager Tim Olson told us 76 percent of Miata soft-top buyers go for the classic stick-shift option, leaving just 24 percent of buyers preferring the automatic. Both transmission options for the Miata are six-speed. The figures are based on year-to-date sales data for the 181-hp 2019 Miata, from July 2018 through April 2019. Interestingly, the more coupe or targa-like, retractable hardtop RF variant takes a step towards the 86 when it comes to transmission choices. While RF buyers still preferred the manual, the split was far closer to half and half: 52% went for the manual, and 48% chose the automatic. Perhaps this reflects the RF's more grand tourer-like image, and it might also be indicative of the RF's higher pricing. If you're going to spend nearly $34,000 for a Miata, another $600 for an autobox doesn't necessarily mean that much – choosing the auto on the base, Sport trim level soft top roadster is a $1,350 bump instead. While the $26,650 base Sport isn't exactly spartan, on a roadster it's fine to have less cushiness. With the higher-specced Club trim level, the auto's price tag shrinks to the aforementioned $600, as it is on the RF Club. There's no base Sport for the RF, as the cheapest RF is the $33,865 Club. But still, the manual shifter's snick-snack feel is one of the Miata's classic traits that has been with it since its inception 30 years ago. Sources say fewer than 5% of the original first generation Miatas were made with an automatic gearbox, but it's obvious trends and tastes are changing – although to be fair, automatics are getting much better as well.

Mazda CX-5 updates bring nav to more trim levels

The refreshed 2016 Mazda CX-5 is already one of our favorite crossovers of its size for the model's engaging driving experience, upscale interior, and slick infotainment system. For a new 2016.5 model year upgrade that arrives in January, Mazda gives customers even more standard features to enjoy, but prices also tick upward. The Japanese automaker just gave the 2016 CX-5 light upgrades like LED signature lights and an update to the Mazda Connect infotainment system. The 2016.5 updates add a backup camera on every version except for the base front-wheel drive Sport with the six-speed manual. For buyers considering higher trims, all Touring and Grand Touring models get the welcome inclusion of standard navigation, and the Touring now comes with heated front seats, too. The extra tech comes with a jump in cost. As of Dec. 15 Mazda increases its delivery and destination charge from $820 to $900 for crossovers and $835 for cars. The change brings the base price of the front-wheel drive 2016.5 CX-5 with a manual gearbox to $22,695, and the top-spec all-wheel drive Grand Touring now retails for $30,770. 2016.5 Mazda CX-5 Adds More Standard Features to Best-Selling Compact Crossover - Backup Camera Now Standard on Most Trim Levels, Navigation Added to CX-5 Touring and Grand Touring - IRVINE, Calif., Dec. 18, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Just in time for Christmas, Mazda North American Operations (MNAO) has announced pricing and packaging for the 2016.5 Mazda CX-5 compact crossover, adding value and reducing complexity in CX-5's trim level structure. 2016.5 Mazda CX-5 Adds More Standard Features to Best-Selling Compact Crossover New for the mid-model year, a backup camera is now standard on all trim levels equipped with Mazda's SKYACTIV-Drive six-speed automatic transmission. CX-5 Touring models gain standard navigation and heated front seats. CX-5 Grand Touring models also add navigation as standard equipment. "The added content in 2016.5 CX-5 reflects our customers' tastes toward premium features in a compelling, fun-to-drive, stylish crossover," said Robert Davis, Senior VP of U.S. Operations, MNAO. "CX-5 buyers are educated, upwardly mobile, active-lifestyle individuals. With these updates, we aim to provide them with an even greater ownership experience." Previously, CX-5's backup camera was part of the Rear View Camera Package on the CX-5 Sport trim level. Navigation was available in the CX-5 Touring and Grand Touring Technology Packages.

Illinois’ pro-union stance kills bid for Toyota-Mazda plant, report says

Mazda and Toyota are fielding bids from states eager to land its new prize: an all-new $1.6 billion U.S. plant where the Japanese automakers would jointly build electric vehicles and employ around 4,000 workers. Now we can apparently scratch Illinois off the list of contenders. According to Automotive News, the Land of Lincoln has been disqualified due to a lack of shovel-ready sites and the state's lack of a right-to-work law curtailing union membership. Mark Peterson, the president and CEO of economic development agency Intersect Illinois, told the publication he's been informed Illinois is not among the three or four finalists for the facility. It's believed those finalists are all in the South. Peterson said that "many national site consultants charged with making recommendations for corporate relocations and expansions will not even consider a state that is not a right-to-work state. In this case, the three states I am told are still in the running are all right-to-work states." The Midwest may be the ancestral home of U.S. automotive manufacturing, but the South has made major inroads in recent decades, with the likes of Honda, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan and Toyota all opening plants there, among others, thanks to lucrative tax incentives and the absence of labor unions. Recent years have also seen so-called right-to-work laws, which prohibit union dues and membership as a condition of employment in organized workplaces, spread to traditional labor strongholds such as Michigan and Wisconsin. The new joint venture plant, which would start operating in 2021, would be capable of producing 300,000 vehicles a year, with production divided between the two automakers. Mazda and Toyota would also take small stakes in one another as part of the deal. It's expected that at least 15 states have submitted proposals to attract the plant. Expect the Illinois news to trigger a new round of debate over the role of organized labor in the modern economy.Related Video: Image Credit: Reuters Green Plants/Manufacturing Mazda Toyota