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Lexus, Mazda win KBB 5-Year Cost To Own Awards

We focus a lot on what new cars are like to drive, but it's difficult on a one-week loan to really get a sense of what a car is like to live with. Sure, we try to recreate that sense with our long-term vehicles, but even after a year, it's impossible to know fully learn about a car, particularly in terms of reliability and cost of repairs. For 2014 model year vehicles, Kelley Blue Book has put together a list of the most affordable vehicles over a five-year period.
At the tippy top of the list are Mazda and Lexus, with the Zoom-Zoom automaker winning the award for best non-luxury brand. Lexus, meanwhile, was the most affordable luxury marque over a five-year period. It's interesting to note, though, that not a single Mazda won its segment in this year's awards.
General Motors did quite well, taking eight segments, including both the subcompact and plug-in segments, with the gas-powered Chevrolet Spark and Spark EV. The Chevy Camaro SS and ZL1 took the high-performance car award. Toyota was well represented, with five winners split between the main brand (Corolla, Prius C and Tacoma) and Lexus (LS and RX).

Autoblog Podcast #396

Episode #396 of the Autoblog Podcast is here, and this week, Dan Roth, Steven Ewing, and Chris Paukert talk about the 2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata, the 2016 Jaguar XE, and the 2015 Lexus RC. We start with what's in the garage and finish up with some of your questions, and for those of you who hung with us live on our UStream channel, thanks for taking the time. Check out the rundown below with times for topics, and you can follow along down below with our Q&A. Thanks for listening!
Autoblog Podcast #396:
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Mazda previews new CX-9 ahead of LA debut

Mazda will unveil its new CX-9 crossover at the upcoming Los Angeles Auto Show. The teaser rendering above gives us an idea of what to expect. The CX-9 was launched nine years ago. And though it's undergone a series of updates along the way, it's due for replacement. Fortunately that's just what Mazda has in store. We saw that much ourselves in spy photos and videos of the upcoming new model undergoing testing, and the company whet our appetites with the reveal of the Koeru concept at the Frankfurt Motor Show just a couple of months ago. Judging by the rendering above, it would appear that the new CX-9 will draw heavily from that design study in its production form. Naturally some details will be changed along the road from show stand to showroom, including the usual suspects like the wheel size and wing mirrors. Most notable, however, is that while the Koeru concept incorporated five seats, the CX-9 is a seven-seater – and the new model is confirmed to keep that three-row setup. Beyond that, the new CX-9 is set to apply the latest evolution of the company's Kodo design language – as seen on the aforementioned Koeru and sleek RX-Vision concepts – to a larger form. It also promises to feature Mazda's latest Skyactiv technologies to keep it up with the times. For more than that, however, we'll have to wait – but not too long, as the vehicle is set to debut mere weeks from now at the LA show. Mazda to Unveil All-New CX-9 Three-Row Midsize Crossover SUV at Los Angeles Auto Show HIROSHIMA, Japan, Nov. 4, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Mazda Motor Corporation announced today it will premiere the all-new Mazda CX-9 three-row midsize crossover SUV at the 2015 Los Angeles Auto Show, which runs from November 20 to 29. Fully incorporating the latest SKYACTIV technologies and KODO—Soul of Motion design, the all-new CX-9 is a high-end model of Mazda's new-generation lineup. The all-new CX-9 builds on the feeling of life imbued by KODO and moves toward a more premium design execution that befits a three-row midsize crossover SUV.