Tests and Features

With the demise of the Mazda5, the Japanese brand has only three cars left in its Canadian portfolio: the MX-5, Mazda3 and Mazda6. The writing was on the wall, as car sales continue to nosedive in favour of SUVs. The Mazda6, the brand’s flagship, is in a segment that has …

At the New York Auto Show this past week, the Japanese brand unveiled the 2019 Mazda CX-3 subcompact crossover, which receives a very mild facelift, but some interesting changes and enhancements. During the press conference, Mazda also announced an important addition to the Mazda Connect infotainment system. Starting with the …

Canadians are buying fewer sedans and more SUVs and crossovers. When they do buy sedans, they choose compact cars like the Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla or Mazda3. The best-selling midsize sedan in 2017 was the Toyota Camry which sold 14,574 units (a 7.1% drop) and didn’t even crack the top …

Mazda’s CX-5 compact SUV was reworked for 2017 after having been introduced in 2012 as a replacement for the outgoing CX-7. What’s impressive is it has steadily increased in sales every year since its introduction. In 2017, Canadians bought 25,123 of them—a 1.1% increase over 2016. The new redesigned model …

With the current-generation Mazda3 being on the market since the 2014 model year, it was time for a slight refresh to keep things relevant to today’s buyers. Slight might even be an understatement as there have only been a few small changes to speak of. Up front, we find a …

IRVINE, California – With the new SKYACTIV-X engine, Mazda’s engineers have created a gas-powered internal combustion engine that is as dynamic and efficient as a diesel engine, minus the toxic emissions. Last year, The Car Guide went to the Mazda Research and Development Centre in Frankfurt, Germany, to get acquainted …

It’s an immensely popular segment in North America—especially in the U.S.—but sales have been slowing down significantly in the past couple of years. Midsize sedans are being traded in for sport-utility vehicles which are considered more practical. But not necessarily so. After all, a midsize sedan offers plenty of room …

The 2017 Mazda6 you see here has everything going against it to be a sales success. First, it’s a sedan, a breed of cars that’s taking a solid hit to the SUV onslaught we’ve been seeing in recent years. Second, it’s red, not the most popular colour—people only seem to …

Buyers of mainstream vehicles must obviously base their purchase decision on rational criteria, such as monthly payments, fuel economy, reliability and resale value. In addition, owning more than one car per household is getting more and more expensive, and we also would like to contribute to the environment by using …

To confront our harsh winters, a vehicle equipped with an all-wheel drivetrain has an undeniable advantage. The biggest selection of affordably priced models is found in the small SUV segment, and every automaker offers at least one of them in their product line-up. The least-expensive AWD SUV currently on sale …