Tests and Features

For years now, Mazda has been describing the wonders and promise of a new technical philosophy called Skyactiv. The Car Guide team has already described it to you in detail. But to sum up in a few words what could easily take hours to explain, Mazda’s engineers called into question …

More than a year has passed since Mazda unveiled its SKYACTIV technology, which is designed to cut fuel consumption in both gas and diesel engines. Anyone who follows the automotive news has heard that Mazda has developed various technologies for engines, transmissions and platforms to ultimately improve vehicle performance while …

I test drove the Mazda3 Sport first, but I must admit that when I got behind the wheel of the Kia Forte5, there was something instantly familiar about it. It has a lot in common with the Mazda, which is high praise indeed. The Mazda3 Sport with the Convenience Package …

It’s amazing how much one can deduce from what someone chooses to park in their driveway. Although some cars may possess little to no character, there are just as many that can speak volumes of their owner. A classic English sports car usually tells you the owner is fastidious and …

Every year, when possible, The Car Guide puts the Car of the Year through its paces in a long-term test drive. Since the Mazda3 is the reigning COTY, we got our hands on a Mazda3 Sport GT last fall and racked up the kilometres at a staggering rate. Indeed, by …

After the release of the new Mazda3 earlier this year, we were left anticipating a more performance-enhanced model: the Mazdaspeed3. Based on the Mazda3 Sport, it offers many of the same features as its predecessor, including the same engine and front-wheel drive system. This of course indicates that there were …

A few years ago, I extolled the virtues of the Mazdaspeed3 to virtually anyone that would listen. Shoehorning the best engine in its segment into one of the most attractive and practical cars available was a surefire way to earn my praises, and the Mazdaspeed3’s excellent performance and superb practicality …

When you manufacture one of the top three small cars in North America, it takes some serious cajones to revamp the design as completely as Mazda has. Any revision at all bears serious consequences, but to take a universally accepted design and remanufacture it entirely is downright gutsy. But that’s …

The Mazda3 created quite a stir when it was released in 2003. At the time, replacing the popular Mazda Protege was going to be quite a challenge, particularly because the operation included a change of name. The public, however, immediately embraced the newcomer, as evidenced by sales across the country …

The current Mazda3 remains the manufacturer’s best selling model, accounting for 30% of its sales worldwide, and it is even more popular in Canada. It would be an understatement to say that Yoshiyuki Maeda’s task as the person in charge of developing the 2010 Mazda3 was a huge challenge. With …