The updated Mazda6 drives just like the previous version, which isn’t a bad thing.

Sure, you can afford a decent sports sedan.  Expensive European manufacturers no longer have a lock on that department with the introduction of Mazda’s newest family sedan.  Forget the old Mazda 626, because this isn’t it.  Chances are you’ve already forgotten it anyway, but that’s a good thing.

New for 2003, the Mazda6 is a larger, more powerful, arguably more loveable family sedan.  It replaces both the Millenia and the 626, and brings a healthy dose of “zoom-zoom” sportiness to the normally boring three-box sedan department.  It’s built on its own …

We like the MPV a lot, but we wish that Mazda would drop the insipid “zoom ZOOM zoom” jingle already.  The biggest problem with the updated-for-2003 MPV minivan is that we can’t stop humming it while we drive.

To date, there hasn’t been a lot of design flexibility in minivans.  The MPV is no exception; it looks more or less the same as it has since its last major update in 2000.  In spite of the familiar face, the new MPV has been tweaked.  A mid-year update last year added a …

The Mazda B-Series has always been a good truck hiding in the shadow of its popular twin-under-the-skin, the Ford Ranger.  With Ford’s marketing might pumping out special editions and flashy updates to the Ranger every few months it seems, the more conservative Mazda has often gotten lost in the shuffle.

Basically the same truck since the early 1990s, the B-Series and Ranger share drivetrains, chassis, and a production line.  The lineup got a design “freshening” last year, which included a bigger engine.  For 2002, the B-Series is updated with new colors …

What’s the sedan of your dreams?  Honda Accord and Ford Taurus people, follow me please.  BMW and Audi mavens should wait outside; you’ll just be bored.  But if you want a car that’s going to provide reliable, distinctive transportation without always making a big deal about how over-engineered and performance-oriented it is, the Mazda 626 may be the solution for you.

The 626 splits the difference between too much personality and not enough.  It’s even got a harmless little quirk.  It’s so good it’s dull–and that’s not an indictment.  It’s exactly …

Ten years.  It’s been so long, and the face is so familiar, it’s almost enough to make you forget how incredibly special a car the Mazda Miata is.  So if you have forgotten, or if you’ve never found out for yourself, we’re here to sing the praises of the Miata yet again. Yes, it’s a sports car, but it’s not your typical, testosterone-charged stoplight drag racer.  The Miata’s not about aggression, it’s about playing.  Having a Miata in the driveway is like having a friend who’s always asking if you …

Mazda’s once-forgettable MPV minvan has undergone a total makeover that transforms it from an afterthought in the lineup to a standout in its class.

Is this exciting to anyone other than suburban parents with large families?  Well, it ought to be.  For the most part, minivans aren’t the stars of the automotive world.  They’re not even the supporting actors.  At a glance, there’s not much difference from one minivan to the next; no flashy styling trends, no high-performance sport packages.  Minivans are all about hauling people and things, and that’s about …

The 1999 Mazda Protege stands as evidence that something’s happening to the small, inexpensive cars.  Remember those?  Their purpose is to do what too many SUVs are forced to these days:  run errands, negotiate subdivisions, fight with rush-hour traffic, and so on.  Conventional wisdom in the US car market has always been that the subcompact sedans are the appliances.  They’re put together as cheaply and quickly as possible to satisfy budget-minded buyers and boost fuel economy ratings.  Unless they’re sports cars, small cars haven’t traditionally had a lot of personality.

Take …

Mazda has designed its entry-level car to be one that you’ll want to keep forever.

Now here’s an interesting statistic that you might not see on the news any time soon:  Mazda is now the second company to replace its minivan with a three-row “crossover vehicle.”  The all-new CX-9 isn’t a lame attempt to butch up a minivan, a transgression that Pontiac, Chevrolet and Mazda have all been guilty of in the past.  It’s a mid-sized, car-based crossover that will comfortably seat seven, offering the people and cargo capacity of a minivan to buyers who need it but just can’t stomach the thought of actually …