mazda3

The Insurance Institute of Highway Safety (IIHS) today named its Top Safety Picks--115 vehicles in all. The list includes 15 vehicles from Toyota, Lexus, and Scion, 14 vehicles from General Motors, and 13 each from Volkswagen and Audi.

The winners' circle includes 18 new vehicles for 2012, and 97 models that qualified for the 2011 award carry over to 2012.

"For the second year running, a record number of models qualify," IIHS President Adrian Lund said in a press release. "It's tough to win, and we commend auto manufacturers for making safety a top priority.&… Read more

At the 2011 New York auto show, Mazda unveiled the revised and slightly reshaped Mazda3. You'd have to do a double take to spot any of the subtle cosmetic differences between the new 2012 model and the outgoing 2011, but pop the hood and you you'll find yourself staring at an entirely new drive train. Actually, you'll find yourself staring at a bright blue cosmetic engine cover, but beneath that is an all new drive train that uses Mazda's SkyActiv efficiency technologies.

Starting with the power plant, the 2.0-liter SkyActiv-G engine uses gasoline direct injection … Read more

As with the recently revealed 2012 Honda Civic, you'll have to look closely to see the changes to the 2012 Mazda Mazda3's front and rear ends. However, also as with the Civic, a peek under the hood reveals a number of pretty big changes. At the core of this list of changes are Mazda's new Skyactiv-G engine and Skyactiv-Drive automatic transmission, new technologies intended to increase fuel economy.

Specs are still sparse, as Mazda is keeping most of its cards close to the vest until the next Mazda3 makes its bow at the 2011 Canadian International AutoShow. … Read more

Today, a Ford press release crossed my desk with an interesting tidbit about the sales figures for its new Ford Fiesta. It turns out that the majority of buyers have chosen the five-door hatchback body style over the more conventional four-door model. Apparently, someone at Ford thought this was newsworthy, but for me, it was sort of a no-brainer: the five-door was always the better car in my eyes. But that got me to thinking, "What is it with Americans and hatchbacks?"

We're big fans of hatchbacks here at CNET Car Tech, particularly those of the hot … Read more

New cars to get MPG grades on their EPA window stickers, Infiniti M debuts as company's first hybrid, Mazda3 doesn't need to be a hybrid, and we drive the Infiniti G37 Sport convertible.

• Get a look at the proposed EPA window stickers

• Offer your feedback on the EPA window stickers

• CNET LOLCars are now in a slideshow--watch 'em & shake your head

• Infiniti M35 debuts as the brand's first hybrid

• CNET reviews the 2010 Infiniti G37 convertible… Read more

For years, style was absent without an excuse from American subcompacts. But the days of slab-sided, no-frills hatchbacks may soon be history.

For decades, something was missing in the small cars designed, built and sold in the United States. It was gone for so long that most American consumers probably didn't know what it was.

But to Ralph Gilles, Chrysler Group's chief designer, the missing ingredient was obvious. U.S. subcompacts lacked emotional appeal.

"Small cars of the past were not necessarily done with passion," he said.

Generations of Detroit designers seemed to say: No one buys a small car for its styling, so why bother? Uninspired, appliancelike econoboxes? What else did you expect?

American subcompacts had none of the attributes found in the cool, quirky and even elegant small cars created elsewhere in the world, from the original BMC Mini to the first Peugeot 205 to the modern Citroen C3.

U.S. automakers were forced to churn out small cars to raise corporate average fuel economy averages, so they could keep selling big trucks. Small-car design? An oxymoron.

But consumer preference has shifted -- the result of higher gasoline prices, new fuel-efficiency standards and concern about climate change.

"Small cars and vehicles powered by four-cylinder engines have been on a steady increase since 2004," said Ford Motor Co. sales analyst George Pipas.

U.S. fleets must average 35.5 mpg by 2016, compared with 25.3 mpg this year. Combined with stricter emissions standards, it means the number of small-car nameplates for sale in the United States will increase.

And when a market segment gets crowded, automakers must rely on styling to set their vehicles apart from the crowd.

"It's not business as usual for small cars here anymore," said Moray Callum, Ford Motor's design director for cars.

The expanding lineup of new small cars means styling will get a lot more creative and appealing, just as it did with mid-sized cars recently. (Think of the modern Chevrolet Malibu, the new Ford Taurus and the current Toyota Camry and Honda Accord.)… Read more

The 2010 Mazda Mazda3 5-door just kept surprising us every time we got behind the wheel.

Earlier this year at Mazda Laguna Seca Speedway, the Mazda3 surprised us with its rather poor racetrack manners. Perhaps our experiences with the previous-gen Mazdaspeed3 variant had our hopes a bit high, but the 3's suspension and automatic gearbox were just too soft for our tastes. On public roads, however, we were again surprised to find that those same components provided a fantastic ride at less than breakneck speeds.

Once in the cabin, we were taken aback by Mazda's unorthodox navigation system, … Read more

China becomes the world's largest car market, but Ford is unable to unload Volvo there; you may get to write off part of your next car purchase; and we drop the top on a Corvette convertible. In January.

• China overtakes the U.S. in auto sales for the first time

• GM eyes S.F. and D.C. as early home runs for the Volt

• CNET Review of the Corvette Convertible

• OnStar looking for a home in non-GM cars

• New Mazda3 variants to bow in Geneva early March

Mazda Motor Corporation will debut two new Mazda3 variants at the 2009 Geneva auto show. The Mazda3 with i-stop and the Mazda3 MPS boost performance of the standard Mazda3 in very different ways: the first boosts economy, the second boosts performance.

The i-stop system, debuting on the Mazda3's MZR 2.0 DISI (Direct Injection Spark Ignition) engine, boosts fuel economy up to 12 percent by shutting down the engine when the vehicle is stopped.

The Mazda3 MPS sport compact (essentially the European version of what we call the Mazdaspeed3) features a sharpening of the 2010 Mazda3's big, goofy grin, … Read more