2014 Mazda Mazda3 S Grand Touring on 2040-cars

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Cars we're thankful we drove in 2019

We drove a lot of cars in 2019, and there's still a month to go. We drove them in our home office in Michigan, at our remote offices in Seattle, Portland, Ore., and Columbus, Ohio, and throughout the globe on myriad press launches. We could count them, but hey, that seems boastful.  Instead, we want to be thankful. Not only for the opportunity to do this wonderful task some might describe as a "job," but for the new, shiny cars that brighten our days (and most hopefully yours). We asked our fellow editors which car they were most thankful to drive in 2019 ... here are our answers. 2019 Hyundai Veloster N Performance Senior Editor Alex Kierstein Every once in a while a car comes along that changes the narrative on a company or its segment, and everyone scrambles to experience it for themselves. This year, for me, that car’s the Veloster N Performance, perhaps the most transformative car the companyÂ’s ever built. Everyone whoÂ’s driven it, here and elsewhere, says it captures all those intangibles that make great driving hatchbacks great. And IÂ’m thankful that I got a go in it before all of them left the fleet, because it does. It upends the segment long dominated by the GTI, a car that nails its brief. The N is rowdy and loud, sure, but it also has some of the most deftly tuned suspension IÂ’ve come across in a front driver. My advice: if youÂ’re in the market for something fun and unique, go test drive a Veloster N. I think youÂ’ll be thankful you did. 2019 Hyundai Veloster N View 47 Photos 2019 Audi E-Tron Senior Editor, Green, John Beltz Snyder IÂ’m pleased that I got to drive the Audi E-Tron. ThatÂ’s high praise for a year in which I also drove the stellar Jaguar I-Pace. The E-Tron, while not as sporty as the Jaguar, is excellently executed, and feels like a more refined, polished offering. ItÂ’s quick, whisper-quiet, comfortable, stylish inside and out, and incredibly sturdy. Some may lament that it doesnÂ’t do much to stand out from ICE vehicles, but I donÂ’t think it needs to. What it does need to do is win over the electro-skeptical, and I think Audi put its best foot forward with a crossover that can do just that, and more. So, yeah, not only am I thankful that I got to drive it, IÂ’m glad that itÂ’s compelling enough that itÂ’ll hopefully make potential customers feel the same. 2020 Audi E-Tron View 13 Photos 2013 Peugeot 508 West Coast Editor James Riswick My choice totally sucks.

2014 Mazda3 officially rated at 30/41 mpg, priced from $16,945*

It's hard not to be smitten with the 2014 Mazda3; after all, just look at it. But beyond its slick lines, we found the new compact hatch to be a pretty remarkable steer, offering up good levels of comfort and refinement, not to mention functionality and engagement. Now, there's more reason to like the 2014 Mazda3, as we've just learned that the car will officially be rated at 30 miles per gallon city and 41 mpg highway.
That 30/41 rating is for the Mazda3 sedan fitted with the 2.0-liter Skyactiv-G inline four-cylinder engine and a six-speed automatic transmission. Opting for the manual transmission retains the 41-mpg highway number, but drops the city digits to 29. Hatchback models with the 2.0-liter engine achieve 29/40 mpg with the manual 'box and 30/40 with the automatic.
Mazda also offers a larger 2.5-liter inline-four in the 3, and while a six-speed automatic will be the only transmission available with this engine at launch, the automaker has confirmed that a manual is coming shortly. With the 6AT and 2.5, the Mazda3 sedan is rated at 28/39 mpg, or 29/40 with the company's i-Eloop regenerative braking system. Hatchback models shrink those numbers to 28/37 and 29/39 mpg, with and without i-Eloop, respectively.

2014 Mazda6 to start at $20,880*

We got our very first taste of the impressive 2014 Mazda6 back in October, and had more than a few good things to say about the midsizer. One piece of information that was conspicuous by its absence, however, was a sticker price.
Now, with zero pomp and circumstance (not even a press release as of this writing), Mazda has dropped what looks to be official pricing for the 6 on its consumer website.
$20,880 is the asking price for the base Mazda6 Sport with a manual transmission (plus $795 worth of destination charges, for a total of $21,675). Alaska residents will need to cough up $840 for destination. The loaded-up Mazda6 Grand Touring shown on the site will set you back a total of $30,290 (MSRP of $29,495), but it isn't clear if that's the starting price of the Grand Touring trim. Mazda is taking orders for the new 6 right now, and the cars will be available on January 2, 2013.