Mazda

Mazda Overview:

Mazda’s driver-friendly lineup of cars and crossovers is back for 2013 with a new trick up its sleeve in the CX-5 compact crossover.

The smallest car in the stable is the subcompact Mazda2. Only available as a four-door hatchback, the Mazda2 seats five and comes with more standard features than many other cars in this segment including keyless entry and an auxiliary audio input.

Last year, the compact Mazda3 added SkyActiv technology which improved fuel efficiency all the way up to 40 mpg highway in the sedan (38 in the hatch), making one of the most entertaining cars in its class also one of the most efficient.

If you find that you have the need for more… well, speed, then the Mazdaspeed3 is happy to oblige you with its 263-hp, turbocharged four-cylinder under the hood that also puts out an astounding 280 pounds-feet of torque. The Mazdaspeed3 only comes as a hatchback.

The midsize Mazda6 is undergoing a planned redesign and should debut as a 2014 model in January 2013.

If you need to fit more people, Mazda offers the Mazda5 minivan, which returned last year after a short hiatus. The Mazda5 really puts the “mini” back in minivan; it’s substantially smaller than the other minivans you’ll see on the market and seats up to six passengers in three-rows.

Remaining one of the best performance bargains on the road today, the Miata MX-5 convertible (soft-top or hardtop) offers rear-wheel drive hijinks and some of the best handling you’ll find in any production vehicle. For 2013, the Miata adds a new front fascia and additional color options.

Debuting for the 2013 model year is the CX-5 compact crossover, which replaces the Tribute. The CX-5 has been heralded as one of the best driving crossovers in its segment and with its SkyActiv engine/transmission, is also one of the most efficient. It also wear the new Mazda design language that will also be seen in the forthcoming Mazda6.

There is also a pair of larger crossovers available from Mazda, the CX-7 and the CX-9. The five-seat CX-7 lets you choose between a pair of four-cylinder engines (one normally aspirated, one turbocharged) and offers all-wheel drive as an option.

The CX-9 crossover pushes seating capacity up to seven across three-rows and adds features like standard three-zone automatic climate control. All-wheel drive is optional here as it is on the CX-7, but the CX-9 comes with a larger V-6 engine for extra power.