2004 Mazda I on 2040-cars

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2014 Mazda3 2.0L Hatchback officially rated at 40 mpg highway

The Environmental Protection Agency has spoken, and these are the miles per gallon numbers it has officially bestowed on the 2014 five-door Mazda3 hatchback with the SkyActiv-G 2.0-liter engine: 29 city, 40 highway, 33 combined when fitted with the six-speed manual; 30 city, 40 highway and 33 combined when equipped with the six-speed automatic.
Those numbers exactly match the fuel economy targets that Mazda had set for the car when optioned with the 2.0-liter Skyactiv-G with 155 horsepower and 150 pound-feet of torque. For comparison to other cars in the segment, the EPA numbers for the 2013 Honda Civic sedan are 28 city, 39 highway, 32 combined when its 140-hp, 1.8-liter four-cylinder is paired with the five-speed automatic. The Hyundai Elantra GT gets 27 city, 37 highway and 30 combined according to the EPA when its 148-hp, 1.8-liter four-cylinder is paired with either a six-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission. The numbers for the 2014 Ford Focus aren't out yet.

Consumer Reports digs Mazda3, disses Jeep Cherokee

Consumer Reports has just rendered its verdict on two of the more important cars to launch this year - the Mazda3 and the Jeep Cherokee. Considering the value a "Recommended" rating carries with the public and the viciously competitive markets these two cars compete in, Consumer Reports' view could have some impact on their initial success.
For Mazda, that's a good thing. CR spoke quite highly of the Zoom-Zoom brand's compact sedan and hatch, testing both models, and citing the excellent fuel economy and snickety-snack manual shifter as high points. Downsides to the 3 included a ride that is agile but "nervous," a bit too much noise and a cramped back seat. Still, the 3 was good enough to earn its place in the ranks of the "Recommended."
The Jeep didn't fare quite so well, with CR calling the polarizing CUV "half-baked." Although both engines were tested, the magazine called the 2.4-liter four-pot underpowered and its nine-speed automatic unrefined and unresponsive. That's particularly damning, considering the 9AT's role in future Chrysler products, including the extremely important 200. Overall, the Cherokee missed out on the coveted "Recommended" rating.

Will Mazda show the next Miata's chassis in NY?

Mazda is being very sneaky about what it is bringing to the New York Auto Show, and it might have something to do with the next-generation MX-5 Miata. Australian website Motoring.com.au spoke to a company insider who told it that at least the chassis for the roadster would debut in Manhattan. The rumor goes that the show will act as the kickoff for the PR campaign for the new model.
We contacted Mazda USA PR Director Jeremy Barnes to find out more, and he would neither confirm nor deny the rumor. "Just because you read it on the Internet doesn't mean you should repeat it," he said to Autoblog. That's not exactly an outright, No.
Supporting evidence that the new drop top might be appearing in the Big Apple includes Mazda's plan to celebrate the model's 25th anniversary at the show. It's bringing 15 cars from the first three generations to display. "It will be absolutely worth attending the New York Auto Show if you're a Miata fan," Barnes said. That at least hints that there might be something he's not telling us. Otherwise it's a lot of sizzle without much steak.