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2023 Honda Pilot and the promise and pitfalls of PHEVs | Autoblog Podcast #766

In this episode of the Autoblog Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore is joined by Associate Editor Byron Hurd for a chat about the new 2023 Honda Pilot and its beefed-up TrailSport model. After that, we get a winter-weather long-term update on the BMW 330e care of Greg. Then, it's on to news. The big headlines this week were the brand-new Mazda CX-90 crossover and word that Genesis plans to build its outrageous (and expensive) X convertible concept. Is the world ready for a Bentley fighter from Korea? Send us your questions for the Mailbag and Spend My Money at: Podcast@Autoblog.com. Autoblog Podcast #766 Get The Podcast Apple Podcasts – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes Spotify – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast on Spotify RSS – Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator MP3 – Download the MP3 directly Rundown Cars we're driving 2023 Honda Pilot 2022 BMW 330e xDrive  News 2024 Mazda CX-90 three-row SUV revealed, with your choice of inline-6 or PHEV The ravishing Genesis X Convertible Concept is going into production Feedback Email – Podcast@Autoblog.com Review the show on Apple Podcasts Autoblog is now live on your smart speakers and voice assistants with the audio Autoblog Daily Digest. Say “Hey Google, play the news from Autoblog” or "Alexa, open Autoblog" to get your favorite car website in audio form every day. A narrator will take you through the biggest stories or break down one of our comprehensive test drives. Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Mazda CX-5 diesels get discounts up to $10,000 off MSRP

When Mazda positioned its long-awaited and oft-delayed CX-5 diesel crossover as the “premium” option in the CX-5 trim structure, we were skeptical. After driving one last fall with a $42,045 sticker price, our eyebrows furrowed even deeper. Today, to nobodyÂ’s surprise, Mazda dealers are slapping massive discounts on the Skyactiv-D. CarsDirect initially reported on the discounts, pointing out that some dealers are slashing prices by $10,000. We took a spin through Autotrader to see what was out there, and the results were shocking. There were pages of CX-5 diesels with prices in the low-to-mid $30,000 range. We asked Mazda what kind of incentives it was currently offering on the 2019 CX-5 diesel. Since December, Mazda has offered a $5,000 cash rebate, alongside a 2.9 percent APR for 60 months. However, the other several thousand dollars worth of discounts weÂ’re seeing listed — as much as $5,000 more — are not being accounted for by Mazda.  Just as CarsDirect found, the largest discounts we could find on the web are for a cool $10,000, bringing the price down to $32,045. At that price, youÂ’re looking at a 23.8 percent discount. ThatÂ’s a discount of nearly a quarter(!) of the carÂ’s original asking price. We thought the Skyactiv-D was overpriced originally, but at this price, weÂ’d strongly consider it as the CX-5 to buy. Since the diesel is only offered in the top-of-the-line Signature trim, it has every gizmo and gadget Mazda offers in addition to the most premium interior materials. ItÂ’s also offered in all-wheel drive only, leaving every box with a checkmark in it.  Compared to the gas-engined CX-5 Signature that starts at $38,100 for the 2020 model year, these diesels are a steal. In fact, this price hierarchy makes a lot more sense than the way Mazda had it organized in the first place. The more powerful 2.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder in the gas-engined Signature can easily be marketed as the most “premium” option in the CX-5 lineup since itÂ’s the fastest and most enjoyable to drive. Moving the slower diesel with the same equipment below it on the food chain sounds like the right move to us. At around $33,000-$35,000, the diesel isnÂ’t such a bad buy anymore. Fuel economy still isnÂ’t where weÂ’d like it to be, but as we opined in our First Drive review, itÂ’s still a wonderfully pleasant car to drive. Related Video:    

2014 Mazda3 Sedan

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We're not going to beat around the bush: for the kind of person who willfully chooses to take longer, windier and more scenic routes to get to Point B, the 2014 Mazda3 is the new compact car measuring stick by which others will be judged. That doesn't, of course, make it the right choice for every buyer.
We'll spend the next thousand words or so explaining the whys and hows that make our opening statement a fact, but for now, suffice it to say that Mazda has engineered its latest crop of vehicles - namely the CX-5, Mazda6 and its smaller sibling and subject of this test, the Mazda3 - from the ground up. Absolutely everything about the Mazda3 is refined for 2014, from its chassis to its engines and everything in between, and it was done in a completely new and holistic way. Every component, subcomponent and stamping required to bolt and weld together an automobile was rethought to ensure the Mazda3 has what it takes to compete with such established benchmarks as the Honda Civic and Ford Focus.