2012 Mazda Mx-5 Miata 2dr Roadster 5-speed Manual 7in Touch Navigation Bluetooth on 2040-cars

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2021 Mazda CX-5 Review | What's new, safety, prices and pictures

If you're looking for a compact luxury SUV but are iffy about the higher price tags and running costs (quite understandably), the 2021 Mazda CX-5 is a perfect alternative. It all starts with its elegantly sporty styling and carries inside where its handsome design and plush materials are a clear step up from others at its price point. Then, when you're behind the wheel, the CX-5 impresses with engaging driving manners that we've routinely described as being indicative of a "budget Porsche." Its available turbocharged engine even has as much or more power as several similarly sized luxury crossovers. Now, if the CX-5 can be credibly considered an alternative to luxury vehicles, it's safe to say that it also stands tall against non-luxury choices like the popular Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4. Certainly, its style, plush interior and driving manners count for a lot. It also gets a new infortainment system for 2021, addressing one of this Mazda's few low points. It's still smaller than those top competitors, particularly in the cargo area, so if max utility and versatility are a priority, it may not be the best choice. Fashion and function rarely go hand-in-hand, and the CX-5 is no exception. What's new for 2021? The CX-5 gets a much-needed new infotainment interface for 2021. It's the same unit found in the smaller CX-30 that dramatically improves upon Mazda's previous interface with its large 10.25-inch display, better graphics and menu structure, and revised controls on the center console. Many will still prefer a touchscreen interface, but this is no longer the potential deal breaker it once was. Another addition for 2021 is the CX-5 Carbon Edition, pictured below, which adds black trim and wheels to an exclusive Polymetal Gray exterior, as well as a red leather interior.  What's the CX-5 interior and in-car technology like? The CX-5 boasts a handsome, upscale design with materials to match, exuding a premium vibe that none of its direct competitors can match. Its top two trim levels, Grand Touring Reserve and Signature, have seats that are heated all around and ventilated up front, covered in high-quality leather with contrast French stitching. There's stitching on the dash, too, though it goes through rubbery stuff. The padded and stitched pleather on the doors and center console are a nicer touch, as is the subtle dark wood and alloy trim — especially the air vents that seem to jut out from within the dash.

Mazda pits 2016 MX-5 Miata against the original

Mazda has toiled admirably to keep the latest MX-5 Miata true to the spirit of the original. But just how close did the team come? To find out, the Japanese automaker brought two bookending examples of its iconic roadster down to a racetrack in Spain and put them in the hands of a couple of endurance racing drivers – Jade Paveley in the original, Owen Mildenhall in the new model. Whichever crossed the finish line first at the end of one lap would win. And because 25 years of progress wouldn't exactly make it a fair match, they gave the original a four-second head start. Watch the video above to see how it went down. Related Video:

Toyota, Mazda partner to build EVs at new $1.6 billion U.S. plant

TOKYO — Toyota and Mazda plan to build a $1.6 billion U.S. assembly plant, the two said on Friday, as part of an alliance that will also see the Japanese automakers jointly develop electric vehicle technologies. The two will take small stakes in each other as part of the tie-up: Toyota, the world's second-largest automaker by vehicle sales last year, will take a 5 percent share of Mazda, extending its dominance in Japan's auto sector. Mazda will take a 0.25 percent share of its larger rival. The plant, something of a surprise at a time of overcapacity in the U.S. market, will be a boost to U.S. President Donald Trump, who campaigned on promises to increase manufacturing and expand employment for American autoworkers. The plant will be capable of producing 300,000 vehicles a year, with production divided between the two automakers, and employ about 4,000 people. It will start operating in 2021. The electric vehicles cooperation, meanwhile, comes as the tightening of global emissions regulations prompts more automakers to develop battery powered cars, as the industry struggles with hefty research costs and intense competition from technology companies over technology like self-driving cars. As part of the agreement, Toyota and Mazda will also work together to develop in-car information technologies and automated driving functions. Toyota, Japan's biggest auto company, has been forging alliances with smaller Japanese rivals for several years, effectively engineering a loose consolidation of the Japanese auto sector. It already owns a 16.5 percent stake in Subaru, Japan's No. 6 automaker, with which it also has a development partnership. Toyota is also courting compact car maker Suzuki to cooperate on R&D and parts supply as Toyota seeks to tap its smaller rival's expertise in emerging Asian markets. A stake in Mazda may also prevent future incursions by tech companies, one analyst said. "For a technology company which lacks the expertise in making cars, Mazda could look like a very interesting acquisition. They're very good, they're not too expensive. Maybe Toyota realizes this," CLSA managing director Chris Richter said. "By buying a 5 percent stake, Toyota takes Mazda off the table rather than having it sit out there like a free agent which could someday be used against them." COROLLA PRODUCTION SHIFT Mazda stands to gain from a deal that gives the small automaker a production foothold in the United States.