2007 Mazda 6 on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Five vehicles named Top Safety Pick+ including new Civic, MKZ

In an attempt to help push vehicle safety to a higher level, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety created a stricter Top Safety Pick+ rating last year, which incorporates a brutal small overlap test and requires cars to get Good ratings in four out of the five categories (and no less than Acceptable in the fifth). Joining the list of the safest cars of 2013, the 2013 Volvo XC60, Lincoln MKZ, Honda Civic (sedan and coupe) and the 2014 Mazda6 have all received the coveted TSP+ rating.
The Mazda6 and Lincoln MKZ have both been completely redesigned, and both received Acceptable ratings in the small overlap test. The Honda Civic, coming off its emergency refresh for 2013, is the first small car to be subjected to the small overlap test, and IIHS says that one of the car's many upgrades includes a stiffer front structure allowing it to receive Good ratings in all categories. Similarly, the XC60 gets all Good ratings thanks to, according to IIHS, Volvo updating the airbag software allowing the side airbags to inflate during the small overlap test.
The 2014 Subaru Forester has not yet been subjected to the small overlap test, so it must make do with just a Top Safety Pick rating until the IIHS tests small utility vehicles, which is expected to happen later in the spring.

Mazda spiders return, 42k Mazda6 sedans recalled for webby fuel tanks

It seems that Yellow Sac spiders really, really love Mazda. Three years after Mazda recalled 52,000 Mazda6 sedans over spider webs obstructing the evaporative canister vent lines of 2009 and 2010 Mazda6 models, another recall has been issued for 42,000 more of the models built between 2010 and 2012 and equipped with the 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine.
According to the automaker, there have been nine confirmed sightings of spiders in vent lines since the original recall. It seems that covers were applied at the factory to keep the arachnids from entering, but it hasn't quite exterminated the problem. A reflash of the ECU is required that "[changes] the logic behind how the car purges the charcoal canister during normal operation," says Jeremy Barnes, Director, Public Relations & Brand Experience at Mazda North American Operations.
So far, Mazda has not recorded any fires, accidents or injuries due to this tangled mess of webs. Recall notices will be mailed out to owners later this month. Scroll down below for the statement from Mazda, along with the official recall notice from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

A tuned 1973 Mazda RX-3 is all business on Petrolicious

People with good memories might remember Savant Young and his highly modified 1973 Mazda RX-3 from an appearance on Jay Leno's Garage last summer. Now Petrolicious spotlights him and learns more about his amazing rotary coupe. After extensive upgrades, his car packs an estimated 400 horsepower, which is especially potent with only around 2,000 pounds to move around. Young thinks his Mazda is a perfect expression of his personality as a martial artist because it offers no frills and is all about business. This coupe looks ready for a fight, too, and sounds like a swarm of angry bees going down the road. Young works hard during the week but makes time to drive the RX-3 every weekend. We can understand why. A few hours enjoying this rotary could definitely erase some stress. Get a taste of this amazing machine in Petrolicious' latest video. If you want to experience another cool rotary, the channel profiled an RX-2 racecar from Australia last month. Related Video: