Tests and Features

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 …

February 1989: It cruises in to the Chicago Auto Show like some kind of UFO. No one was expecting it. No rumours about it had been leaked, and no auto paparazzi had released photos of it. It was a small, simple roadster, vaguely reminiscent of the first Lotus Elan from …

They say that technology is advancing at an exponential rate. For every new technological discovery the human race makes pushes the boundaries even further, allowing scientists and other men and women in white coats to push the boundary even further. As such, many of the entertaining myths and mysteries of …

The era of the wagon and the minivan came upon us despite the fact that many vehicles aren’t particularly practical for families. However, for numerous reasons, many people can’t really picture themselves in a minivan anymore – and they’re precisely who the Mazda5 is targeting. In fact, the Mazda5 is …

Defying all logic, Mazda has always believed in the rotary engine. Today, the RX-8 is the only car in America, maybe even in the world, to feature this type of engine. Last year, Mazda made subtle but effective aesthetic modifications to rejuvenate the car somewhat, and it seems to have …

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 …

Without exception, the most thrilling human creations are always the smallest, and the rotary engine that sits under the hood of Mazda’s latest RX8 R3 ranks right up there next to cocaine. Displacing just 1.3 litres, it concedes some displacement to large sportbikes but offers up much of the same …

Ford’s new F-150 promises a new level of convenience with a tailgate mounted step. The 2009 Dodge Ram has storage boxes in the bedrails. The Chevy Silverado comes with an optional DVD player. The Toyota Tundra’s tailgate drops with a delicate hiss; damped by a pair of gas struts. Mazda’s …

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 …

A few whales, some majestic landscapes, an almost infinite number of little bars (more than 70 in less than two kilometres) and a completely new Mazda6…that is what the Mazda Canada team that invited us to the St. John’s, Newfoundland helped us discover. Obviously, having us visit a record number …