2006 Mazda Rx-8 - Turbocharged on 2040-cars

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Lexus tops Consumer Reports reliability rankings, unseating Mazda

Lexus is back on top of Consumer Reports' annual reliability rankings. Toyota Motor Corp's luxury division dethrones last year's winner, upstart Mazda, to second place, while the Toyota brand itself rounds out the podium in third place. In general, while Asian brands topped the list, Europeans ranked second, and domestics brought up the rear.  Lexus' high marks stem from the Land Cruiser Prado-based GX SUV, which got a perfect score of 100. Mazda's second place finish was the result of strong showings by the Miata, CX-9, CX-5, and CX-30, but dragged down by the Mazda 3's mid-pack score. Likewise, nearly all of Toyota's lineup, from Prius to Avalon, all had very high marks, but the RAV4 and Corolla Hatchback brought down the class average. Like last year, the only American brand to break into the top ten was Buick, which ranked 5th thanks to good scores for the Envision and Encore (though the Enclave ranked sub-par). Eight of the top 10 brands were Japanese, with Infiniti in 4th, and Honda, Subaru, Acura and Nissan following Buick in that order. Mini, in 10th place, was the only European brand in the top 10. The bottom spots went to Jeep, Tesla, and once again Lincoln in dead last. While all Lincolns received poor scores, the Aviator was notable for getting only 3 points out of 100. Similarly, last year's lowest-scoring vehicle was the Ford Explorer, with which the Aviator shares a platform. It wasn't all gloom from the domestics, however. The Chevrolet Trailblazer tied the Lexus GX with a perfect score, but overall Chevy brand ranked 14th, pulled down by the Corvette, Silverado 1500 and Tahoe. The Tahoe tied with the GMC Yukon with the lowest scores this year, just 2 points each. Both the Silverado 2500HD and the nearly identical GMC Sierra 2500HD were among to top scoring American vehicles, along with the Ford Bronco Sport, Mustang Mach E, Ranger and Chrysler 300. Consumer Reports also points out that the oft-said line that electric vehicles are less prone to problems due to fewer moving parts isn't necessarily true. The Audi E-Tron and Tesla Model X each got a score of 5, the lowest of their respective brands, due to more and more technology being crammed into these higher-priced EVs. For a complete list of rankings by company and of individual models, check out the full study at Consumer Reports. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Mazda delays US launch of Skyactiv-D engine

Japanese automakers haven't lead the charge towards diesel power in the same way as, say, the Germans have. But Mazda is out to change that. It has been following Audi's lead on the racetrack with oil-burning racecars right here in America, and will soon translate that excitement to the road by introducing its Skyactiv-D engine in North America. It just won't happen as soon as we expected.
Mazda announced today that, while its diesel engine meets current emissions requirements, the company has decided once again to push back an introduction originally slated to kick off in the Spring. According to the brief statement below, Mazda wants to take more time to find "the right balance between fuel economy and Mazda-appropriate driving performance."
In other words, the Zoom-Zoom brand apparently thinks its diesel engine doesn't deliver the zoom-zoom American drivers would expect, so we'll have to wait just a little bit longer. Details to follow closer to launch, whenever that will ultimately take place.

Fiat 124 caught entirely undisguised

Dear automakers, please continue making these kind of mistakes. Thanks to what we're guessing is some lax security, the all-new, Mazda MX-5 Miata-based Fiat 124 was spotted taking part in a photo shoot near Santa Barbara, CA. The images show what we'd consider a fairly simple rebadging job. The 124 gets new front and rear clips that not only harken back to the original 124 (not to mention other Fiat roadsters, like the Barchetta), but also serves to distance this droptop from the rest of the company's US range. The similarities between the 124 and the car it's based on are even more obvious in the cabin. This is an MX-5 interior with Fiat's big, red badge on the tiller. That means the same quality materials and knob-dial infotainment system that have been so well received in the Miata. It's under the hood, though, where the Fiat really differs from its Japanese cousin. According to our spy, the vehicle shown here features some kind of two-pedal setup – probably the six-speed Euro twin-clutch used in the 500L and Dodge Dart. Don't worry, though, a six-speed stick will also be on offer. Regardless of transmission, we can expect a 180-horsepower version of the 1.4-liter, turbocharged, four-cylinder offered in the 500 Abarth. And if that's not enough good news, a dedicated Abarth model will likely arrive after launch, which our spies claim will use the 1.75-liter turbo and DCT from the Alfa Romeo 4C. While this represents a good look at the new 124, we'll probably be waiting until the LA Auto Show in November for the official look. Stay tuned.