Mazda Reviews

Always a company to look at taking its own direction, yet not hesitate to keep an eye on what other marques are doing, Mazda has taken the European route in making changes to the big selling Mazda CX-5. When we mean big selling that's exactly the right description, Mazda CX-5 has been the top seller in the SUV field

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Mazda's heavy use of "Zoom Zoom" in its advertising was enough to tell you it was playing the sports card with its cars, no matter the model. The CX-7 SUV was no different. New From the moment the CX-7 was launched in 2006 Mazda pushed the sporty message, and it didn't back off with the introduction of the Series 2 in

Craig Duff road tests and reviews the 2015 Mazda CX-5, with specs, fuel consumption and verdict.

When it first arrived in Australia in 2011 the Mazda CX-5 was praised for its styling and general liveability as a crossover wagon, but we weren't impressed by the performance of the only engine on offer at the time. Quoting the Mazda marketing slogan we said the petrol unit was more 'Zoom' than 'Zoom-Zoom' in the way it performed.That criticism was answered a few months later when Mazda offered the CX-5 with the option of a turbodiesel - we soon announced the Zoom-Zoom was back. So in the interest of our motoring enjoyment we recently re-tested a CX-5 for a week, and again came away impressedInterestingly, the diesel powered Mazda CX-5 is being promoted as a performance unit rather than an economy one.To our eyes, Mazda's Kodo styling theme with its big grille, long bonnet and deeply sculpted sides works even better in the CX-5 than in the rest of the range. We love itThe Mazda SkyActiv turbodiesel fitted to the CX-5 puts out an impressive 420Nm and 129kW.It sits beside a six-speed automatic transmission and drives all four wheels, unlike the petrol which comes with the choice of front-wheel or all-wheel drive.A premium nine-speaker Bose surround sound system was specifically designed for the CX-5. There are USB and Bluetooth inputs as well as iPod playback which includes on-screen music information and Aux jack as standard.We didn't particularly like the TomTom satnav system in the CX-5 as its graphics didn't match the quality of rest of the interior.Every model across the Mazda CX-5 range comes standard with six airbags, Dynamic Stability Control, ABS brakes, Emergency Brake Assist and Electronic Brake Force Distribution.Mazda Australia is proud of the fact that the CX-5 came with the option of an impressive list of safety firsts in its class; these included lane departure warning and automatic high beam control available.This is a comfortable five-seater if those in the back aren't overly large, though as is usual in this class two adults and three youngsters is a more sensible way of doing it.Mazda CX-5 has a three-piece 40:20:40 fold-down rear seats to let you juggle luggage and passenger loads. A luggage cover keeps 403 litres of cargo out of sight. The luggage area can be as voluminous as 1560 litres with the rear seats folded.A low lift gate and large boot opening make for easy loading.The diesel isn't noisy at start up as are many other four-cylinder diesels. And the sounds that did find their way out from under that shapely bonnet were unlike any other diesel - or petrol for that matter. The engine has a low pitched note that's easy on the ear and a far cry from many of the clattery diesels of old.Response to the accelerator is pretty good although there is the lag that's inevitable in all turbocharged engines. It's minimal, and once the turbo has wound itself up and the new six-speed automatic transmission has found the most correct gear for the conditions the CX-5 really gets along very sharply.Best of all, the engine is willing to rev almost as freely as a petrol unit. That's due to the lighter weight achieved through increasing use of high-strength steel. It there's less reciprocating mass to be accelerated churning up and down in there.A redline at 5200 revs is something you just don't see on other diesels - though the Europeans are starting to get better numbers out of theirs.We found our test Mazda CX-5 diesel typically using 7L-9L/100km in around town driving and in the sixes on the open road. These are higher than average numbers for this class, but keep in mind Mazda has designed this as a performance diesel, not an economy one.The CX-5 had mild understeer when hustled on fast bends, but it's capable of going a lot harder than the typical owner will demand before needing any correction from the driver, or the backup of stability control.It has a fuss-free pleasant ride even on corrugated dirt roads. On motorways it's almost in the luxury sedan class for noise and vibration suppression.

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Peter Anderson road tests and the reviews the Mazda MX-5 25th Anniversary edition with specs, fuel consumption and verdict.

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Just when you thought the car world had enough SUVs, stand by for a flood of new models that will soon squeeze their way into our busy lives and cramped parking spaces.A few big brands have toyed with the idea of a pint-sized SUV before, but few have come up with the right formula.The Holden Trax has ungainly Dumbo Elephant looks even though it is nice to drive and has an exceptionally roomy and practical cabin.The Suzuki S-Cross, one of the pioneers of the segment, looks more like a hatchback than the SUV appearance buyers crave.The Ford EcoSport looks the part (it even has a spare wheel mounted on the rear cargo door, just like a heavy duty 4WD) but isn’t backed up by the right choice of engines and transmissions for Australia, and not everyone is a fan of its Made-In-India build quality.Meanwhile the daring Nissan Juke, with its ‘crocodile eyes’ headlights, clearly doesn’t know if it wants to be a hatchback or a Jeep.So you can imagine when one car comes along that looks like it has nailed the city-sized SUV formula, there is an element of excitement. Especially when it is the fastest growing segment of the new-car market (there are six all-new entrants next year alone).According to Mazda insiders, when upper management was shown a clay model of the CX-3 two years ago, the designers were immediately told: “build that, don’t change a thing”, or words to that effect in Japanese.Rarely does any car gain such universal approval so high up the food chain so early in the crippling and bureaucratic development process.Even more rare: management and marketing executives resisting the urge to help style the car over the designer’s shoulders, even after approval has been given.The anticipation of Mazda’s next big hit possibly explains why the company air-freighted two cars from Japan to give Australian media the world’s first test drive this week.The two CX-3s -- one petrol, one diesel -- had barely cleared customs when Mazda threw the keys to local media to put the CX-3 through its paces inside a private vehicle testing facility that is customarily designed to break cars or highlight their flaws.The Australian Automotive Research Centre in Anglesea, about 125km south west of Melbourne, near Geelong, is much like the proving grounds owned by Ford and Holden, with sections of punishing road, as well as copies of the pavement found in the real world.Mazda also sent five senior executives with the cars, including the chief engineer and chief designer. Australian test drives rarely gain such attention.Mazda is a relative minnow in Japan but it is poised to overtake Holden as the second-biggest brand in Australia next year.Holden has never been outside the top two sellers in its 66-year history. But this sharply-styled up-start is the car that will likely get Mazda over the line.Not convinced? It was the Mazda3 small car that ended the Holden Commodore’s record 15-year winning streak three years ago.The Mazda CX-3 may look big, but it is in fact based on the baby of the range, the Mazda2. Even the dashboard is the same*.It is longer and wider than a Mazda2, bit will fit in a smaller parking space than the Mazda3.Its boot (264L for the pedantic) is bigger than a Mazda2’s (250L) but smaller than a Mazda3’s (308L) and, of course, smaller than its big brother the CX-5 (403L).The driving position is tall like an SUV (one of the big reasons behind their popularity) and the back seat has more headroom than the Mazda3.It’s roomy and comfortable and one of the most efficient uses of available space in the new-car market, let alone its class. You get the feeling it would be easy to spend the daily grind in this car.The dashboard and centre console may be carried over from the Mazda2 but extra attention has been given to details such as the stitching in the seats and the pattern of the doors.Price and equipment won’t be announced until the CX-3 goes on sale from March next year (priced from about $21,990 to $33,000 we hear) but expect a choice of petrol or diesel power, 2WD and AWD, and (we hope) a rear view camera on all models as standard.First up was the diesel which has an on-demand all-wheel-drive system. None of the testing required all-wheel-drive (there was only 300 metres or so of gravel) but it was a great insight into the power delivery of Mazda’s all-new 1.5-litre turbo diesel engine.If 1.5 sounds lethargic, that’s because, in a way, it is. Buyers chasing fuel economy won’t mind though (Mazda says it’ll sip less than 5L/100km), and once it’s on the move it’s fine. But from rest it’s a little slow on the uptake.Mazda has certainly found an excellent balance between a nice steering feel and comfort over bumps, even though the top-of-the-range model tested had large 18-inch wheels and tyres.The CX-3 drives with the same confidence as a hatchback and doesn’t have the topsy turvy feeling of some SUVs.First impressions are that Mazda is onto another winnerNext up: the 2.0-litre petrol front-drive. It felt like a missile in comparison, even though it promises fuel economy in the 6.0L/100km bracket.Little wonder: it’s the same engine used in the bigger and heavier CX-5. A colleague asked if Mazda was considering a performance version of the CX-3. But I think Mazda may already have it in the standard petrol model.The car tested was in 16-inch wheels and tyres which gave a noticeably more compliant ride over bumps and the steering felt sharper (possibly aided by the lighter petrol engine than the diesel).Faced with a choice between the two, for me there would be no choice: petrol power all the way. Besides, it’s almost as efficient as the diesel any way (and will be thousands cheaper to buy).Downsides? There aren’t many. Road noise is a common bugbear of Mazdas and the CX-3 has its fair share, but after the brief encounter I would rank it average rather than poor.The anti-lock brakes took longer than usual to stop on gravel (compared to other vehicles on the same type of surface) but the stability control was well sorted, even on loose rocks (although the ESC on the petrol model was more abrupt than the smoother intervention of the diesel).