2003 Mazda Tribute Es Sport Utility 4-door 3.0l, Low Miles, One Owner on 2040-cars

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Teen Miata enthusiast and friend of Autoblog passes away

When Thomas' illness made it impossible for him to drive, he relied on friends to do it for him.
Attending the reveal of the 2016 MX-5 Miata and the subsequent 25th anniversary celebration at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca confirmed that the little roadster maintains broad appeal, one not limited to the elderly or a certain gender as detractors might have you believe. In fact, the assembled crowd was surprisingly youthful, particularly amongst the club racer set and tuners. But one young Miata owner and superfan unfortunately wasn't in attendance - Thomas Jost, 19, was busy fighting for his life in a Maryland hospital.

2014 Mazda6 earns Popular Mechanics' 'Car of the Year'

Ring one up for Mazda. The Japanese brand's midsize offering, the Mazda6, has been named Popular Mechanics' Car of the Year. The 6 received a comprehensive reworking for the 2014 model year that saw it adopt sleek, sexy sheet metal; a clean, logical interior; and powertrain technologies that allow it to net some of the best fuel economy available in a gas-powered, non-hybrid sedan.
Popular Mechanics praised the 6's Skyactiv 2.5-liter, 184-horsepower engine, as well as its agility and responsiveness during testing. It also remarked on the functional, but well designed cabin, and the degree of available technology.
"The Mazda6 really impressed us with how well it delivers so many things modern car owners want: great mileage, fun road-handling, upscale features and looks - and remarkable value," said Jim Meigs, Editor-in-Chief of Popular Mechanics.

The Mazda MX-5 Miata is truly a four-season sports car

For all intents and purposes, the Mazda MX-5 Miata is a product of California. I know it says Hiroshima on the shipping container, but the car belongs to the Golden State as it was dreamt up in Irvine and honed its driving skills on the roads near Santa Barbara. And logic would dictate the Miata would be useless in any situation other than direct sunlight. That's what drivers from other states would think, anyway. It's the time of year when those of us from the west coast fly out to places where it's snowy and icy and everyone laughs at us because the cold and white stuff essentially shuts us down. Make fun of Californians driving in the rain or freaking out when the outside temperature dips below 55 degrees. What can we say, we're just out of our element. Perhaps, then, it's surprising the Miata handles snow a lot better than I do. I found this out when Mazda sent me to Crested Butte, CO, for a little fun on a frozen track. Yes, there was a lot of sideways action, but it had more to do with the two California residents inside than with the car. The company really invited journalists to Colorado to get an idea of how its all-wheel-drive crossovers perform when things get snowy and icy. But the real show was watching how we navigated the autocross course they set up for the rear-drive Miatas that Mazda brought along. The Miata had a good heater, but it was my laughter caused by immense admiration that kept me from freezing my fingers off. Armed with a set of Bridgestone Blizzak winter tires, the Miata performs just about how you'd expect it to – if you're light on the gas and quick with the steering and have a good amount of patience in you. It all works well if you're a pro driver, less so if you're not a frequent track visitor, regardless of the weather. But fortunately we were using the fourth-generation Miata, which has to be the most forgiving sports car ever. On pavement, it behaves like a compact hatchback. Put it in sixth and it's relaxed and compliant, with a ride that doesn't beat you up and an engine that knows when you just want to get where you need to go. Provoke it, however, and it rewards you with predictable responses from the controls. It does the same thing on ice, if you have a firm grasp on how a car responds to the frozen stuff. Starts are tricky, even in second gear, if you underestimate the power from the 2.0-liter four.