Mazda’s newest crossover is the CX-5, a good-looking number that also boasts the best of Mazda’s fuel-saving SkyActiv technology. I took a brief drive in a version that not many auto writers have had a chance to test: the basic GX trim, with a manual transmission, to boot! Click here to check out my Autos.ca review.
If ever there was a car that could help you remember why you like driving, the Mazda MX-5 is it. Read my Autos.ca Test Drive here.
Photo by Greg Wilson, Autos.ca
The MazdaSpeed6, sold in 2006 and 2007, was a rarity in being a high-performance car based on a garden-variety family sedan, the Mazda6. With a turbocharged motor, all-wheel drive and the only transmission being a six-speed manual, this monster had all the right ingredients for four-door fun. The shame of it, is that it wasn’t built to withstand the rigours of being driven the way it was designed to be. Click here to read my Autos.ca used review of the MazdaSpeed6.
I’ve been lazy about updating lately, so here are links to a number of recent reviews of mine, published at Autos.ca:
Test Drive: 2012 Acura TSX V6 — A very nice sport sedan that nonetheless needs a serious dose of personality and a number of high-tech features that many most of its competitors offer.
Used Vehicle Review: Nissan Altima, 2007-2012 — As a Japanese company, Nissan has a reputation for building tough cars. It earned that in the 1980s and 90s, but its later models are less robust; the fourth-generation Altima mid-size sedan is a good example.
Used Vehicle Review: Lexus GS, 2006-2012 — Speaking of Japanese cars that don’t live up to the nation’s reputation for well-built cars, there’s the third-generation Lexus GS. Compared to the quality benchmark set by Lexus (and parent-company Toyota) in the 1990s, this car falls well short.
Used Vehicle Review: Mitsubishi Outlander, 2007-2012 — Then, there’s Mitsubishi, a company with plenty to prove. It’s proving it well, apparently, with the well-built Outlander crossover, an underrated vehicle that gets overlooked by many used-vehicle buyers.
Used Vehicle Review: Mazda Tribute, 2001-2011 — I always thought the Tribute was a stop-gap vehicle added to Mazda’s lineup to fill a gap until it designed its own crossover model. It was a near carbon-copy of the Ford Escape, and so inherited that vehicle’s positive traits — and its common flaws.
Used Vehicle Review: Nissan Frontier, 2005-2012 — Here’s a modern Nissan that seems more in line with the company’s reputation. The Frontier has a few common problems, but is generally a decent little truck.
Used Vehicle Review: Acura RDX, 2007-2012 — The RDX is Acura’s compact crossover, and the first-generation model is a quirky vehicle, for being the only Honda-built product to use a turbocharged engine. Common problems include air conditioning compressor failures, but the basics — engine, transmission and nifty all-wheel drive system — seem to be pretty tough.
