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2019 Mazda CX-5 fuel economy takes a hit with new turbocharged engine

We learned all about the 2019 Mazda CX-5 last week, and now we've discovered fuel economy for its new 2.5-liter turbocharged engine. Unsurprisingly, it gets slightly worse fuel economy than its naturally aspirated counterpart. The 2019 turbo crossover, which only comes in all-wheel drive form, gets 22 mpg city and 27 mpg on the highway. Front-wheel drive CX-5s with the naturally aspirated 2.5 liter net you 25 mpg city and 31 mpg highway — all-wheel drive drops 1 mpg in both categories. For a little comparison, the turbocharged engine makes 250 horsepower and 310 pound-feet of torque on 93 octane gasoline, while the non-boosted engine makes 187 horsepower and 186 pound-feet of torque. You're definitely taking a hit in fuel economy, but the gain in power might be worth it, since the decrease isn't that terrible. Cars in its price and power range with all-wheel drive have comparable fuel economy. The Ford Escape with the 2.0-liter turbo is rated at 20/27; Chevrolet's Equinox with the 2.0-liter turbo is 22/28 and the VW Tiguan gets 21/29. There isn't really a clear winner in fuel economy for this much power when you look around the segment, but Mazda's engine is half a liter larger than everyone else. This translates to better torque than most of its competitors, but Mazda manages similar fuel economy. Also similar to many of these decked-out compact crossovers is the new high price of the Mazda we wrote about before. You won't be getting in to the turbocharged CX-5 for any less than $35,865. If you wanted a bigger Mazda like the CX-9, its fuel economy figures aren't significantly worse than the CX-5. Front-wheel drive versions are rated 22/28, and it drops 2 mpg in each category for all-wheel drive. The updated 2019 CX-5 should be coming to dealers soon. Related video: Featured Gallery 2019 Mazda CX-5 View 9 Photos Green Mazda Fuel Efficiency Crossover SUV mazda cx-5

Mazda is going to start restoring first-generation Miatas

Many of the world's premium car companies have in-house restoration shops that help provide parts and complete restorations to owners of classic models from the marques. Ferrari has one, Lamborghini has one, Mercedes-Benz has one. Now Mazda will have one, and it will be focused on the Mazda Miata, also known as the MX-5 in Europe, and the Roadster in Japan. And although some might think the Miata is too new for restoration, remember that it was launched in 1989, so it's closing in on 30 years old. Japanese Nostalgic Car broke the news of the restoration service, which will start accepting applications for restoration service this year, with the first work being done at the start of 2018. Mazda explains on its site (Google Translate is recommended) that owners of first-generation Miatas were telling the company they really wanted to restore and maintain their little convertibles for as long as they could, which is what prompted the company to pursue the service. Before offering it to customers, the company did a trial restoration of an early Miata (Roadster in Japan). Once Mazda starts restorations, it said the services will be tailored to the individual cars. In addition to restoration services, Mazda announced it will also start selling reproduction parts for first-generation Miatas. On the list of parts are new tops, Nardi wood steering wheels and shift knobs, and even the original-style Bridgestone tires. The company also said that it will add more parts later depending on which ones are most in demand. Unfortunately, according to Japanese Nostalgic Car, the service will only be available to owners in Japan for the time being. The service will also only be for first-generation models. But perhaps if the program is successful, and there's demand for other regions and generations, Mazda might expand the service. Related Video: Featured Gallery Mazda Roadster restoration View 10 Photos News Source: Japanese Nostalgic Car, MazdaImage Credit: Mazda Mazda Maintenance Convertible Performance Classics

Mazda planning 'aggressive' dealer shakeup

Mazda has set an ambitious goal of selling 400,000 units by the end of the 2015 Japanese fiscal year in March 2016, and to do that, it's going to need to take some aggressive action. That means that underperforming members of its 637-showroom strong dealer network are about to get the axe.
The purge won't just be limited to dealers that aren't performing, though. Mazda will seek to consolidate poorly located dealers and build new showrooms in better locations. It still isn't clear how many dealers are being targeted or at what point Mazda would end its cull.
This consolidation of dealers is all part of a one-two punch for the Japanese brand, that will also see increased marketing efforts in 35 key areas. Of those markets, Mazda is placing a special emphasis on New York and LA, although there's not much mention of what other regions are being looked at.