1984 Mazda Rx-7 Gsl Coupe 2-door 1.1l on 2040-cars

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2018 Mazda Miata adds a cherry on top

For 2018, Mazda is adding a number of new options that should get the attention of prospective Miata buyers, and one of them is shown above. Starting with the new model year, Mazda will offer both the usual black soft top, but also a "Dark Cherry" red top. It looks quite sharp with the silvery-blue color above, and it should be an excellent complement to the Grand Touring model's newest interior option. On the Grand Touring trim, customers can choose the reddish-brown Nappa leather interior that was first applied to the Miata RF Launch Edition. The interior package adds $300 to the top-trim Miata's price tag. There are a few other upgrades sprinkled throughout the Miata lineup. The base-level Sport models will finally get infotainment with a 7-inch screen instead of the little stereo controls mounted to the dash. The midrange Club model now gets heated cloth seats that are upgraded to heated leather units with the Brembo/BBS package, which for $3,770 adds Brembo brakes, BBS wheels, a body kit and the aforementioned seats. Another $700 nets the same package but with Recaro seats that also feature seat heaters. Along with the new features come slight price increases across the board. The base 2018 Sport trim now starts at $26,185, an increase of $395. The Club increases in price by $370 to $30,045, and the Grand Touring has the smallest change of $145 to $31,085. The first 2018 soft-top Miatas will arrive at dealerships this month, and should be available everywhere in January. Related Video: Image Credit: Mazda Mazda Convertible Performance mazda mx5

2019 Chicago Auto Show Special | Autoblog Podcast #570

On this week's Autoblog Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore and Associate Editor Reese Counts discuss the 2019 Chicago Auto Show, including the debuts of the Toyota RAV4 TRD, refreshed Toyota Tacoma, the Mazda Miata 30th Anniversary Edition and the new Subaru Legacy. We also announced our best-of-show winners. We also talk about a couple of SUVs we've had at the office, the new Mercedes-Benz G-Class and the BMW X5. Finally, we spend your money on a new, fun vehicle for winter. Autoblog Podcast #570 Get The Podcast iTunes – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes RSS – Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator MP3 – Download the MP3 directly Rundown 2020 Volkswagen Jetta GLI 2019 Mazda Miata 30th Anniversary Edition 2020 Subaru Legacy 2019 Ram 1500 split tailgate 2019 Toyota RAV4 TRD Off-Road Chicago Auto Show Editor's Picks Mercedes-Benz G550 BMW X5 Feedback Email – Podcast@Autoblog.com Review the show on iTunes Podcasts Chicago Auto Show BMW Mazda Mercedes-Benz RAM Subaru Toyota Volkswagen Videos Original Video

2019 Toyota Corolla vs. compact hatchbacks: How they compare

So you've read what we thought about the 2019 Toyota Corolla Hatchback. Oh, you didn't? Well, click to your left, we'll still be here. Just made some coffee, we're good for a while. Welcome back! Wasn't that riveting? The blue paint sure is bright, eh? Well, now you must be wondering how that new 2019 Corolla stacks up with all the other hatchbacks. And, despite long thinking that hatchbacks were doomed, there are actually quite a lot of them these days. So many, in fact, that we couldn't fit them all in our space-limited comparison chart. So, with apologies to the Hyundai Elantra GT, Kia Forte and the dead-man-walking Ford Focus, these were the cars we chose based on sales and competitiveness: the Honda Civic Hatchback, Mazda3 5-Door, Volkswagen Golf, Chevrolet Cruze and Subaru Impreza. We also included the outgoing Corolla iM for reference. If you think we've left something of interest out, you can always create your own comparison. Performance and fuel economy There is but one king here, and its name is Civic. While the sedan and coupe come with a naturally aspirated 2.0-liter 158-horsepower four-cylinder that's less potent than the Corolla's, the hatchback comes standard with the 1.5-liter turbo that aces the segment in terms of both acceleration and fuel economy. The Golf's acceleration should be comparable, but as you can see, it trails on fuel economy (still not bad, though). The new Corolla ends up being better than the rest with its new 168-hp four-cylinder paired to novel transmissions: a six-speed manual with rev-matched downshifting (!) and a CVT that mimics the actions of a 10-speed automatic. The Corolla does weigh more than everything else, though, so that could hamper its acceleration. Fuel economy data also wasn't announced, but Toyota indicated it would be a bit better than the old Corolla iM. Something akin to the 2.0-liter Mazda 3's numbers seems likely. As for the Mazda, its top two trim levels actually come standard with its bigger engine. In any event, despite its ample power, testing has often showed that the Civic is still the quicker car from 0 to 60 mph. And finally, let's not leave out the two on the end. The Subaru is the only car in the segment that offers all-wheel drive (the Focus RS and Golf R don't count), but is also the segment weakling now that the Corolla iM has been discontinued.