Mazda Cx-5 Grand Touring Awd With Tech Package on 2040-cars

Auto blog

This map reveals the cleanest vehicles based on location

Naysayers love to point out how dirty the electricity grid mix is when it comes to charging electric vehicles. Curmudgeons are eager to jump into any conversation about EVs to enlighten the lucky listeners about how plug-in cars contribute to pollution, sometimes even throwing in a dash of climate-change denial for good measure. (Thanks, buddy. Pray, tell me more about the plight of oppressed SUV owners.) Unless someone buys an EV just because they think they're cool (which, yeah, they often are), they probably have at least a passable understanding of their environmental pros and cons. As many EV owners are already aware, location has a lot to do with any particular plug-in car's carbon footprint. Still, there's always more to know, and knowledge is not a bad thing, especially if one uses it to do the right thing. That's why this handy-dandy map from Carnegie Mellon University is so interesting. CMU researchers have compiled information about the lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions of various EVs based on where they're charged, as compared to gasoline-powered vehicles. The researchers looked at the Nissan Leaf, Chevrolet Volt, and Prius Plug-In Hybrid versus the gasoline-dependent Toyota Prius hybrid and the stop-start-equipped Mazda3 with i-ELOOP and compared grams of CO2 emitted per mile. CMU takes into account the grid mix, ambient temperature, and driving patterns. CMU takes into account the grid mix based on county, as well as ambient temperature and driving patterns in terms of miles traveled on the highway or in the city. For instance, if you drive a Nissan Leaf in urban areas of California, Texas, or Florida, your carbon footprint is lower than it would be if you were driving a standard Toyota Prius. However, if you charge your Leaf in the Midwest or the South, for the most part, you've got a larger carbon footprint than the Prius. If you live in the rural Midwest, you'd probably even be better off driving a Mazda3. Throughout the country, the Chevrolet Volt has a larger carbon footprint than the Toyota Prius, but a smaller one than the Mazda3 in a lot of urban counties in the US. The Prius and Prius Plug-In are relatively equal across the US. Having trouble keeping it straight? That's not surprising. The comparisons between plug-in and gasoline vehicles are much more nuanced than the loudest voices usually let on.

2016 Mazda CX-3 First Drive

If there's any doubt in your mind about the importance of B-segment crossovers, consider this: our review of the 2016 Mazda CX-3 arrives on your screen less than 24 hours after our first test of the 2016 Honda HR-V. Both of these vehicles are hugely important entries for their respective automakers. And while they take a similar shape and will compete head to head, the truth is, they're very different products. The HR-V is a knockout because of its excellent packaging and added versatility over Honda's own Fit and Civic. It's a wholly competent product, and we imagine it'll be one of, if not the best-selling vehicle in the class. In terms of being desirable for customers, it checks all the necessary boxes: frugal, functional, efficient, and affordable. Mazda takes a similar approach, but focuses instead on its key strength of offering cars that are great to drive, and look damn good. What's more, the CX-3 won't have to share showroom space as the HR-V does with the Fit – the all-new Mazda2 isn't slated for the US right now. Instead, the new CUV will serve as an entry point into the brand. Because of this, Mazda is betting big on the CX-3. That all starts with a product that's appealing to the eye. Design director Derek Jenkins says Mazda "didn't want to do the funky route" with its compact CUV – a nudge to the Nissan Juke and Fiat 500X, right there. Instead, the CX-3 uses the Kodo design language that Mazda has perfected since its production debut on the CX-5 in 2012. Across the board, the company's products look incredible, and the CX-3 is right at home amongst Mazda's latest beauties. Notice the long hood with a flowing character line that runs over the front fender and down the body side, chiseled off at the end with tight rear proportions and a small overhang. Huge arches draw focus to the premium 18-inch wheels found on our Grand Touring CX-3, but swallow up the 16-inch rollers used on lesser models. The glass area is kept to a minimum, but visibility from inside is still quite good. Details like the LED accents in the head- and taillamps look premium and aggressive. From all angles, this is an attractive crossover. It's a bold, dynamic entry in a class filled with cutesy, oddball, and bland designs. Underneath the CX-3 is the Skyactiv chassis found in the new Mazda2. At 168.3 inches long, 69.6 inches wide, and 60.7 inches tall, the CX-3 is smaller than the Mazda3 in every dimension except height.

Mazda CX-30 crossover will have its U.S. debut at L.A. Auto Show

After debuting at the Geneva Motor Show earlier this year, the Mazda CX-30 is ready to relocate to the U.S., and is now preparing to meet its future compatriots at the LA Auto Show. The small crossover — whose name is a workaround due to the Chinese-market CX-4 crossover — is five inches longer than the new Mazda3 hatchback and five inches shorter than the CX-5 crossover. Its appeal is intended to be a mix of high maneuverability and roominess for occupants and cargo, not to mention being the second vehicle in the lineup to adopt the evolved Kodo design language first expressed on the latest Mazda3.  In Europe, the CX-30 offers buyers a range of engines from a Skyactiv-D 1.8-liter diesel to the new Skyactiv-X engine with gasoline compression ignition. Last month, Motor Trend dug up a California Air Resources Board document listing the two engines and two transmissions for the North American market. Our continent gets the 2.0-liter four-cylinder mated to a six-speed manual or a six-speed automatic, and a 2.5-liter four-cylinder mated solely to a six-speed auto. The smaller engine and manual transmission are expected to be reserved for Canadian and Mexican buyers. The U.S. likely gets the 2.5-liter, the engine that makes 186 horsepower and 186 pound-feet of torque in the Mazda3 and 187 hp in the CX-5.  Mazda's i-Activ all-wheel drive is predicted from launch, and safety features should include front cross-traffic alert, adaptive cruise control, and driver monitoring linked to a Smart Brake Support system that cuts the reaction time to issue a the driver a brake warning. The CX-30 will share the Mazda stand with the 2019 Mazda MX-5/Miata RF, refreshed 2020 CX-5 and 2020 CX-9 crossovers, the 2020 Mazda 3, and Mazda3 TCR racer. Anyone with some free time at 1:20 p.m. Pacific Time on November 11 is welcome to stream the press conference at Mazda's YouTube channel.