2008 Mazda Mx-5 Miata on 2040-cars

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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.

Refreshed 2017 Mazda 3 and 6 get G-Vectoring Control

Back in June, we told you about Mazda's G-Vectoring Control system, which is an additional layer of unobtrusive cornering assistance to help maintain traction at the limits of adhesion. It's subtle to the point of being hard for a human being to detect, even a Mazda engineer, as we found out driving a G-VC equipped Mazda 6 around Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. We knew then that the G-VC system would make it to the 2017 Mazda 3 and 6, but now all the details of both mildly refreshed cars are available. Let's start with the Mazda 3, which has a few more changes than its larger stablemate. As is standard industry practice, a mild facelift includes available LED headlights and taillights, a new grille, and a monochrome rear bumper. Inside, the slightly recontoured steering wheel now has available heating and the manual handbrake has been replaced by an electronic one. Fans of handbrake turns will frown, but those handles take up an immense amount of room (relatively speaking) inside the center console. The redesigned center storage bin takes better advantage of that newly freed-up space. Lastly, Mazda claims the 3 is quieter thanks to improved insulation and weatherstripping. The Mazda 6 was just refreshed last year, so the list of changes is even shorter. The larger sedan benefits from similar sound-reducing tweaks as the 3, and the entry-level 6 with a manual transmission now comes with the Mazda Connect infotainment system, a real upgrade from the older non-touchscreen system. One thing that both share is an available full color head-up display, which replaces a functional but ancient-looking monochrome unit. If you've been in a Mazda currently on sale with this old-looking system, you'll really appreciate the way this new one looks. We can't wait to try it out. Both new Mazdas go on sale in September. Pricing isn't available at this time. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2017 Mazda3 Unveiling View 15 Photos Related Gallery 2017 Mazda6 Unveiling View 14 Photos Related Gallery 2017 Mazda3 View 36 Photos Related Gallery 2017 Mazda 6 View 33 Photos Image Credit: Live photos copyright 2016 Drew Phillips / Autoblog.com Mazda Hatchback Sedan mazda 3

The 2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata Has Arrived

Ladies and gentlemen, meet the 2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata. The highly anticipated fourth-generation (ND) model made its official debut in Monterey, CA this evening, and while details are slim (as in, we have practically none), there's one big thing to talk about: less weight. Yes, Mazda has confirmed that the new Miata sheds some 220 pounds over the model it replaces, and is "the most compact of any generation MX-5 so far." For those keeping track, that means the new MX-5 should weigh in somewhere around 2,200 pounds. Mazda's Kodo design language is obvious here, with a seriously wide and low demeanor, and a mix of flowing lines and sharp angles. We don't have any powertrain details to report as of this writing, but Mazda says the full suite of Skyactiv technologies are onboard, and the motto in creating this car was "Innovate in order to preserve." Click the image above to see the new MX-5 Miata in high resolution, click below for the press release, and stay tuned to this space for more details as they break. UPDATE: Want more Miata details? Please check out our in-depth firsthand report from the Miata's reveal event by clicking here and see the first-ever rolling footage of the car in our brief video here. Mazda Unveils All-New Mazda MX-5 HIROSHIMA, Japan-Mazda Motor Corporation today celebrated the unveiling of the fourth generation Mazda MX-5 (known as Roadster in Japan) together with fans at events held simultaneously in Japan, USA and Spain. The all-new MX-5, which adopts both SKYACTIV TECHNOLOGY and Mazda's KODO-Soul of Motion design language, will be rolled out to global markets starting in 2015. The MX-5 is an iconic model representing Mazda's vehicle-engineering philosophy-the pursuit of driving pleasure. "Innovate in order to preserve" was the motto for the fourth generation, as the development team searched for innovations that go beyond simple evolution. Environmental and safety demands are much more stringent than they were when the first generation MX-5 was introduced 25 years ago, but the fourth generation stays true to the model's original aim of offering the pure driving fun that only a lightweight sports car can. It achieves this through the adoption of SKYACTIV TECHNOLOGY and refinement of its appeal to the senses and sensations through which people enjoy cars. The design of the all-new MX-5 reveals another layer to Mazda's KODO design language.