2016 World Car of the Year awards
- Thread starter MrDIY
- Start date
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- Plano, Texas, USA
Mazda definitely need something like this hoping to boost sale for MX-5 Miata. The history of sales figure for MX-5 seems going down for recent years.
Actually CX-5 sales figure is also at the bottom of the compact CUVs in the US market, only ⅓ of these top sellers such as Honda CR-V, Toyota RAV4, Ford Escape, and Nissan Rogue. I've been doing my best recommending CX-5 each time friends consulting me for new vehicles. I found the most obstacles to convince them for a Mazda CX-5 were the reliability and quality issues. Lack of some features offered by other competitors were common complaints too. They either had doubts on how reliable for the Mazda brand, or they felt the interior doesn't have high quality feel on material and workmanship, and doesn't offer enough features such as memory seat and rear AC vents. I did convinced six people in a year for a new CX-5, including my wife who desperately wanted a Lexus!
This article is interesting in raising the point how Mazda is "forced" to cooperate with Toyota in order to meet upcoming stricter requirement on fuel efficiency.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/lianeyvkoff/2016/03/28/for-mazda-saving-the-art-of-driving/
http://www.forbes.com/sites/lianeyvkoff/2016/03/28/for-mazda-saving-the-art-of-driving/
Why can't Mazda makes PZEV a standard, at least in the interim? Based on the conversation I had Mazda offers PZEV equipped CX5 but hardly ever anyone requested explicitly for it. He asked me to check and I did check the owner's manual. A PZEV equipped CX5 looses HP by 1 (just 1) but reduces emission quite a bit and in many states actually extends the emission warranty to 15 years (CA included). Frankly it looks like a no-brainer but never figured out why there's hardly any discussion on this. I, for one - if had known would have readily asked for PZEV equipped CX5.
Again: It does NOT solve the problem but helps in emission reduction.
Again: It does NOT solve the problem but helps in emission reduction.
What's PZEV?
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- 2014 QX70 AWD
Partial Zero Emissions Vehicle.
I guess folks think its a clever way to say "very little".
The current Mazdas have the best interiors in their respective classes. By far.
The facelifted Mazda3 will give us a hint of what direction Mazda is planning to take.
They are definitely flirting with Hybrids and Turbos.
I test drove a Mazda3 Hybrid here in Japan, and that combination of the juicy Skyactiv engine and Toyota's hybrid system made it for a very peppy car. I reckon it could do 0-100ks in under 7seconds.
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The facelifted Mazda3 will give us a hint of what direction Mazda is planning to take.
They are definitely flirting with Hybrids and Turbos.
I test drove a Mazda3 Hybrid here in Japan, and that combination of the juicy Skyactiv engine and Toyota's hybrid system made it for a very peppy car. I reckon it could do 0-100ks in under 7seconds.
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C
CX5_Pete
Maybe Mazda will be Toyota's next Scion?
Not quite. From what they've said recently, they want to stay independent.
And to stay independent they need to make deals with other manufacturers.
Also, the reason for letting Toyota sell the Mazda2 as a Scion is because Mazda is trying to move up market, so they wanted to avoid being associated with a "cheap" entry level car in the US.
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- Plano, Texas, USA
Isn't Scion considered as a "cheap" entry level car brand from Toyota in the US?
It is, and that's why Mazda would rather see a Scion badge on the little Mazda2.
So it's Scion/Toyota who are selling the cheap entry level car.
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- RDX Aspec Adv.
MX5 has always been a class dominator, and unless Mazda does something really stupid, always will be.
It's only a matter of time before Tesla announces a small, affordable electric roadster and, by that time, there will likely be lots of quick charge stations and electric charging stations at places of employment and hotels. I really do think we are on the cusp of electric cars displacing internal combustion for most uses. Within 10 years they will be everywhere (co-existing with conventional IC vehicles).
Did you see the partial roll-out of the American made Tesla Model 3 last night? Specs are still under wraps but I trust Musk when he says even the $35,000 base model will "be a really nice car". Knowledgeable sources speculate 4 second 0-60 times which is unheard of for that price range. I imagine that kind of performance will only be available on higher trim levels. Musk said the new, high tech battery "Giga-factory" has the largest building foot-print in the world and is second in volumetric size only to the largest building in the world at the Boeing plant here in Washington. This one high-tech facility will more than double the worldwide manufacturing capacity of rechargeable batteries. And the energy density as well as cost/energy of new batteries has been steadily improving.
I believe the battery lifecycle will go from vehicles to power grid storage banks when the batteries degrade to 80% of original capacity to a centralized re-manufacturing facility which will recycle the materials into new batteries when they are down to 30-50% of original capacity.
Until the electric revolution is in full swing, Mazda is doing a good job of squeezing the last life out of internal combustion technology before it's doomed to go the way of the horse/buggy.
I'm way behind the news with Tesla and electric cars in general, hoping somebody will throw in a brief update, but how do the batteries fair in cold sub-zero winter? Also, will the electric cars able to keep our bodies warm, and how would that affect the batteries and range?
I do think electric car is the obvious future, too. Hopefully Mazda has a long-term plan (like how they're working with Toyota). How likely that Tesla is able to put the zoom-zoom in their cars?
I do think electric car is the obvious future, too. Hopefully Mazda has a long-term plan (like how they're working with Toyota). How likely that Tesla is able to put the zoom-zoom in their cars?
You will definitely lose some range in really cold weather but even the base model Tesla 3 is reported to have a 215 mile range and Tesla has developed techniques to keep the batteries warmer in sub-zero weather. Higher spec trims will have longer ranges.
Current Tesla Model 6 and Model X owners living in cold climates pre-heat the cabins while they are still plugged into grid power. They also are designed to keep you warm and comfortable using lower energy solutions such as heated seats and steering wheels and, once the drive train heats up from driving it uses the waste heat from the electric motors and inverter to heat the cabin.
The Tesla Model S with optional Ludicrous Mode has plenty of zoom-zoom with 0-60 in 2.8 seconds, essentially tying exotic supercars costing ten times as much. Reviewers have been very impressed with driving dynamics too. They corner very flat and have very low center of gravity.
The Ford Fiesta is also a rebadged Mazda2.
I don't think the new Fiesta is based on the Mazda2.
Maybe it ride on the old Mazda2's platform?
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