http://www.thecarconnection.com/tips Sat, 05 Dec 2009 00:01:01 -0500 Tips and Advice -- find out how to maintain, service, insure, wash and wax, and change the oil in your car with tips from TheCarConnection.com. Lifestyle/Fashion http://static.thecarconnection.com/website/tcc-feed.jpg http://www.thecarconnection.com/tips http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1039537_mazda-reconfigures-2010-mazda6-looks-at-new-option-strategy http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1039537_mazda-reconfigures-2010-mazda6-looks-at-new-option-strategy Thu, 03 Dec 2009 09:31:00 -0500 The 2009 Mazda6 was, by almost all accounts, an excellent product arriving at an inopportune time--when auto sales temporarily ground to a halt and the market itself underwent a massive recalibration. Mazda had initially offered the Mazda6 in a dizzying array of build combinations, but that proved a little overambitious--and difficult for ..]]> http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1039536_ford-wows-with-2011-fiesta-interior-cant-compare-mazda2-yet http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1039536_ford-wows-with-2011-fiesta-interior-cant-compare-mazda2-yet Thu, 03 Dec 2009 02:45:00 -0500 Whether it was an odd coincidence or a calculated move, the 2011 Ford Fiesta and 2011 Mazda2 were both introduced at the LA Auto Show, on the same day. What makes it significant is that they're closely related. While we've heard varying figures, it's fair to say that they share more than just a few pieces. TheCarConnection.com spent some ..]]> http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1039534_mazda-emphasizes-zoom-zoom-qualities-to-cast-wide-with-mazda2 http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1039534_mazda-emphasizes-zoom-zoom-qualities-to-cast-wide-with-mazda2 Thu, 03 Dec 2009 02:09:00 -0500 After seeing the three Mazda2 models that Mazda was showing at its LA auto show stand--one plain, one with a tuner look and snowboards mounted on top, the other with a strong motorsports tone--we couldn't help but wonder whether Mazda is planning to go a little Scion with its '2'. According to Chris Hill, Mazda's vehicle line manager, the ..]]> http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1039482_la-show-patrick-dempsey-on-hand-for-2011-mazda2-debut http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1039482_la-show-patrick-dempsey-on-hand-for-2011-mazda2-debut Wed, 02 Dec 2009 16:52:00 -0500 Though the two curtained-off stages at the Mazda stand here at the first press day at the Los Angeles auto show were merely ceremonial--everyone knew they covered the new 2011 Mazda2--there were still some surprises. For one, Mazda brought out a couple of Mazda2 models tricked out with lifestyle accessories--hinting that Mazda plans to offer a ..]]> http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1039232_mazda2-joins-electric-vehicle-project-in-japan http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1039232_mazda2-joins-electric-vehicle-project-in-japan Sun, 29 Nov 2009 05:52:00 -0500 Mazda may be a little late to the table when it comes to electric vehicle technology but the automaker is determined to catch up and has since announced that it will start trials of a new electric drive system in its compact Mazda2 hatchback. As we all know, the Mazda2 is set to go on sale in the U.S. next year as a 2011 model and this latest ..]]> http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1035307_preview-2011-mazda2 http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1035307_preview-2011-mazda2 Wed, 18 Nov 2009 06:59:00 -0500 • What is it?: The 2011 Ford Fiesta's Mazda sibling • The basics: Funky styling, and “zoom zoom” philosophy • On sale: Fall 2010, with a public showing at the 2009 Los Angeles Auto Show • Price: Less than $16,000 (est.) Compact hatchbacks have for a long time performed poorly in the U.S. but with fuel ..]]> http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1038327_driven-2010-mazda-cx-9 http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1038327_driven-2010-mazda-cx-9 Fri, 13 Nov 2009 10:11:00 -0500 Mazda's CX-9 can be more than a little deceiving. Get caught up in the driving experience--as you actually can in the somewhat nimble-feeling CX-9--and you might actually think you're driving a tall but reasonably compact wagon. That is, until you look back from the front seat at the spacious three-row interior or assess from the outside ..]]> http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1038244_mazdas-tell-all-weight-loss-tips http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1038244_mazdas-tell-all-weight-loss-tips Thu, 12 Nov 2009 04:37:00 -0500 In the tradition of the Hollywood weight loss diet, Mazda has revealed how it plans to chop as much as 220 pounds off its new cars. Considering the fact that cars in general have been getting heavier due to increased safety features and higher feature specs, only a few automakers have managed to reverse the trend in their own cars. Take the ..]]> http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1035959_mazda-miata-makes-20-yet-again http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1035959_mazda-miata-makes-20-yet-again Wed, 30 Sep 2009 11:01:00 -0400 We've mentioned before that the Mazda Miata (aka the Roadster or the MX-5) is celebrating its 20th birthday. In fact, we may have mentioned it a couple of times. But since we're such fans, what the hell: let's go for a third. Mazda has devoted an entire website to the little car on its big milestone, complete with clips from a recent Miata ..]]> http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1035905_mazda-updates-kiyora-concept-for-dwindling-tokyo-motor-show http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1035905_mazda-updates-kiyora-concept-for-dwindling-tokyo-motor-show Tue, 29 Sep 2009 11:49:00 -0400 Hyundai is the latest carmaker to bail on the 2009 Tokyo Motor Show, but it's far from the first, raising concerns over the show's future. Mazda is undeterred, however, today revealing a range of new engines and an updated version of the 2008 Kiyora concept that it will have on display. Powered by the new SKY-G 1.3-liter gasoline engine ..]]> http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1035863_mazda-reveals-next-gen-engine-and-transmission-technology http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1035863_mazda-reveals-next-gen-engine-and-transmission-technology Tue, 29 Sep 2009 03:26:00 -0400 So far Mazda has taken a somewhat unconventional route to improving fuel efficiency of its vehicle fleet, focusing on lighter materials and new designs instead of rebuilding its powertrain lineup. It has done the company well, but to move to the next level of efficiency the automaker is also planning on upgrading its engine and transmission ..]]> http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1035480_b-series-b-seeing-you-mazda-leaves-u-s-pickup-market http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1035480_b-series-b-seeing-you-mazda-leaves-u-s-pickup-market Mon, 21 Sep 2009 16:08:00 -0400 Don't look for a 2010 Mazda B-Series; the nameplate has quietly slipped off Mazda's U.S. roster this fall. The move leaves only a few compact pickups in the North American market. The 2010 Ford Ranger gets side airbags and electronic stability control, as we've reported, but it otherwise continues unchanged; base versions of the Chevrolet ..]]> http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1035388_driven-mazda-premacy-hydrogen-re-hybrid http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1035388_driven-mazda-premacy-hydrogen-re-hybrid Fri, 18 Sep 2009 17:34:00 -0400 Mazda hasn't ignored the possibility of a hydrogen economy, but it's taken a quite different path than other automakers with its hydrogen test vehicles, like the Premacy Hydrogen RE Hybrid. Instead of using costly fuel cells, it's focused its hydrogen efforts around a rotary internal combustion engine fueled with hydrogen. The Japanese ..]]> http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1035136_new-top-safety-picks-2010-journey-mkt-and-mazda3 http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1035136_new-top-safety-picks-2010-journey-mkt-and-mazda3 Fri, 11 Sep 2009 09:35:00 -0400 Three new sets of crash-test results released late this week by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) appear to leave very little, if any, room for improvement. All three of these vehicles--the 2010 Dodge Journey, 2010 Lincoln MKT, and 2010 Mazda Mazda3--achieved top ratings in all the major categories and were named Top Safety Picks ..]]> http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1034868_2010-mazda-cx-7-sport-is-a-penny-pincher-with-flair http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1034868_2010-mazda-cx-7-sport-is-a-penny-pincher-with-flair Fri, 04 Sep 2009 20:55:00 -0400 TheCarConnection.com brought you fresh driving impressions of the improved 2010 Mazda CX-7 just this past week. And as part of that report, we were among the first to assess the driving experience in the new, more affordable 2.5-liter CX-7 models designated with an 'i'--the i SV and i Sport. Those new models, priced starting at $21,550, ..]]>