Mazda MX5's Iconic Evolution that Makes Mazda Parts Distributors Like Parts Train Deliver the Best

Fresh from the wheels up, Mazda MX5 -- the world's favorite roadster remains true to the lightweight, fun to drive formula that sold more than 700,000 MX-5s worldwide since its introduction in 1989. The third generation Mazda MX-5 will be presented in October 2005 at the Geneva and Melbourne motor shows. Intensity of spirit possessed by very few sports cars - this was what Program Manager Takao Kijima has in mind when creating the all-new Mazda MX-5.

The all-new Mazda MX5 epitomizes the Japanese word Jinba Ittai (rider and horse as one).Jinba Ittai is akin to the bond between a single-seat formula-car pilot and his racer, which is the essence of Zoom-Zoom. The rider-and-horse idiom and the effort to create a car universally seen as "lots of fun" served as the focal point around the new Mazda MX5.

Mazda engineers realize the Jinba Ittai concept defined the five basic requirements: the car would be as compact and as light as possible while meeting global safety requirements; the cockpit would comfortably accommodate two full-stature occupants with no wasted space. Meanwhile, the basic layout would continue with the original's front-midship rear-drive configuration with the engine positioned ahead of the driver but behind the front axle for 50:50 weight distributions. In addition, all four wheels would be attached by wishbone or multi-link suspension systems to maximize tire performance, road grip and dynamic stability and that a power-plant frame would again provide a solid connection between the engine and rear-mounted differential to sharpen throttle response.

Mazda engineers made every gram count when they very well knew that extra weight would have a dramatically negative influence on driving, cornering, and braking performance. Their "gram strategy" assessed weight in the smallest possible increments and carefully scrutinized weight-trimming opportunities. Other weight-saving tactics were employed as well. Advanced technology was applied where practical to achieve a light and rigid unibody design using materials that offered higher strength and lighter weight.

The MX5 iconic roadster has indeed evolved as evident on its bold new look. The classic "Coke bottle" shape of the contours was removed. The nose and tail are smoothly tapered but now the surfaces wrap smoothly between the wheels without narrowing. The fender arches of the new Mazda MX-5 are notably more pronounced for a substantially wider wheel track dimensions and a more athletic stance. Seventeen-inch wheels help define the corners of the car while there are modest increases in wheelbase (+65 mm), length (+20 mm), width (+40 mm), and height (+20 mm),

With Mazda's new generation sport car architecture the car boasts 22 per cent more flexural stiffness and a 47 per cent increase in torsion rigidity compared with the former Mazda MX-5's. Moving the engine rearward by 135 mm was a major step towards balancing front-to-rear weight distribution and reducing the yaw moment of inertia. The new car also benefits from ideal 50:50 weight distribution.

What makes this Mazda so special in the eyes and hands of car enthusiasts the world over? The parts that make up every inch of the Mazda MX5 as the iconic roadster are one of the reasons. You can come across super durable replacement parts on websites like http://www.partstrain.com/ShopByVehicle/Mazda. Moreover, you can be rest assured that your Mazda MX-5 will be more capable, more comfortable, and more powerful.

Find the Car of Your Dreams From Used Car Auctions

Used car auctions are a great alternative to buyers who are on a tight budget but want to buy the best vehicle there is for their money. They can do so in many different auctions because these car auctions are sometimes not widely advertised. They are venues for different institutions and companies to dispose of their excess cars, unused vehicles or out-dated cars. There different car auctions held for various purposes.

Government Car Auction

A government auction usually sells cars confiscated by law enforcers, repossessed vehicles for non-payment of loans, and as payments for taxes and similar purposes. These are often sold at lower than market prices. The person with the highest bid gets to buy the car.

Dealer Vehicle Auctions

This type of auction is generally not open to the public but only to certified dealers. There are several types of vehicles that are up for auction. These are salvaged cars from vehicular accidents and the like. There are also the repossessed vehicles, the trade-ins, and the off-rental and off-lease vehicles.

The Best Used Cars

The best used car is one which is affordable, safe, reliable and easily available. One of them is the cars produced by the Hyundai brand. With its solid build and reliability, it provides a non-bumpy and luxurious ride for an affordable price. There are other excellent features that make it one of the best used cars. Toyota Camry also meets the characteristics of a best used car. It provides a more spacious legroom, an elegant look, and comfortable features, which make it a preferred car over the rest of the lot. It is also widely available and reliable in delivering comfort and usability.

The BMW 3 Series coupe is a sporty car that has special features like a retractable hard top, an athletic chassis, and reliable performance that equal any of the luxury cars. It is one of the best used cars if you find them in any auction.

The Mazda Miata has a steering wheel that is ultra-responsive, which would make it easier for those who wish to do some spirited driving and would give the everyday driver a good thrill every time he steps on the gas. It is also fuel saving and reliable at the same time.

A used car auction is a great venue to purchase your dream car at affordable prices.

Can a Convertible Be Affordable?

For many car enthusiasts, owning a convertible is the ultimate dream - one that they may not expect to come true, due to the fact that most people view convertibles as high-end luxury vehicles, with hefty price tags to match. This is a misconception, however; in reality, there are many different kinds of convertibles available, and a wide range of prices. If you've always wanted to drive down the highway with the wind in your hair but you assumed that your bank account wouldn't let you, it's time to take a look at the affordable convertible options on the market today!

One of the most popular inexpensive convertibles is the PT Cruiser convertible from Chrysler. This car takes its design cues from a '30s-era model, and is sure to be a collector's item for years to come. The Volkswagen New Beetle Cabriolet is another commonly seen convertible that won't break the bank. It combines the quirky charm of the classic VW "Bug"with an updated convertible silhouette, and offers great fuel efficiency and high-end performance and handling to boot. Along the same lines, you can purchase a MINI Cooper convertible and indulge your European car chase fantasies - hopefully without engaging in an actual car chase! The MINI Cooper S series now comes complete with an automatic transmission for those who don't know how to drive a stick.

The Mazda Miata is another reliable choice that combines the looks and performance of a classic British sports car with 21st century Japanese technology. It's a classic in the "affordable convertible" category for a reason, but act quickly - the price has been steadily creeping upward for several years now. For a more classic option, try a Ford Mustang convertible. This is a 4-seat convertible made from standard sedan parts, which explains the relative lack of sticker shock that accompanies the Mustang.

And lest you think that "prestige" convertibles are completely off-limits to the budget-savvy driver, consider the BMW Z4, which gives you all the luxury and status of a standard BMW, but at a much more reasonable price. Clearly, convertibles don't have to cost an arm and a leg, as long as you're willing to do a little research and comparison shopping before you hit the dealership.

Car Reliability Ratings 2010 - The 20 Best 6-to-10-Year-Old Coupes, Sedans, and Hatchbacks

Each year the Consumer Union rates automobiles for infrequency of reported serious problems by model and model year. It rates a model, for each model year offering the requisite data, as "Much Better than Average," "Better than Average," "Average," "Worse than Average," and "Much Worse than Average." In 2010, it reported these ratings in the April 2010 issue of Consumer Reports, Consumer Reports: New Car Buying Guide: 2010, and Consumer Reports: Used Car Buying Guide: 2010.

In order to obtain a four-year reliability rating for a model, Consumer Union's model-year reliability ratings must first be converted to numerical values. To do this, the standard academic convention is followed. A letter grade of A and a grade point of 4.00 is ascribed to a "Much Better than Average" rating, a letter grade of B and a grade point of 3.00 is ascribed to a "Better than Average" rating, a letter grade of C and a grade point of 2.00 is ascribed to an "Average" rating, a letter grade of D and a grade point of 1.00 is ascribed to a "Worse than Average" rating, and a letter grade of F and a grade point of 0 is ascribed to a "Much Worse than Average" rating.

To compute a 2010 car reliability rating for 6-to-10-year-old convertibles, coupes, sedans, and hatchbacks, the average of each model's grade points for model years 2000, 2001, 2002, and 2003 is taken. This 2010 car reliability rating provides the 2010 Car Reliability Grade Point Average (GPA) for 6-to-10-year-old vehicles.

From the foregoing, a 2010 Car Reliability GPA must fall between 0 and 4.00 or on one of the two end values, and a higher 2010 Car Reliability GPA for a model means a better multi-year reliability history.

With the 2010 Car Reliability GPAs for 6-to-10-year-old vehicles computed, the twenty best convertibles, coupes, sedans, and hatchbacks from the time period 2000 to 2003 may be set forth. The Best Twenty, Twenty-three by tie, are listed below, together with their corresponding 2010 Car Reliability GPA, and are ranked in descending order of reliability.

Toyota Motor Corporation's Lexus ES, an upscale sedan with a 2010 GPA of 4.00,
Toyota Motor Corporation's rear-wheel-drive Lexus GS, a luxury sedan with a 2010 GPA of 4.00,
Toyota Motor Corporation's Lexus LS, a flagship luxury sedan with a 2010 GPA of 4.00,
Toyota Motor Corporation's Lexus SC, a hard-top convertible with a 2010 GPA of 4.00,
The Toyota Avalon, a large sedan with a 2010 GPA of 4.00,

The Toyota Echo, a small sedan or 2-door hatchback with a 2010 GPA of 4.00,
The Toyota Prius, a 4-door hatchback hybrid with a 2010 GPA of 4.00,
Honda Motor Company's Acura RSX, a sporty 2-door hatchback with a 2010 GPA of 4.00,
The Honda Civic Sedan, with a 2010 GPA of 4.00,
The Honda S2000, a convertible with a 2010 GPA of 4.00,

The 4-cylinder Toyota Camry, a midsize sedan with a 2010 GPA of 3.75,
The Toyota Corolla, a small sedan with a 2010 GPA of 3.75,
The 4-cylinder Honda Accord, a midsize sedan with a 2010 GPA of 3.75,
The Mazda MX-5 Miata, a convertible with a 2010 GPA of 3.75,
Toyota Motor Corporation's Lexus IS300, IS350, a somewhat sporty upscale sedan or 4-door hatchback with a 2010 GPA of 3.67,

The Honda Civic Si, a sporty coupe or sedan with a 2010 GPA of 3.67,
The Toyota Celica, a sporty 2-door hatchback with a 2010 GPA of 3.50,
Honda Motor Company's Acura RL, a sedan with a 2010 GPA of 3.50,
The Honda Insight, a 2-door hatchback hybrid with a 2010 GPA of 3.50,
The 4-cylinder Toyota Camry Solara, a convertible or coupe with a 2010 GPA of 3.25,

The BMW Z3, Z4, a convertible with a 2010 GPA of 3.25,
Ford Motor Company's Lincoln Town Car, a large luxury sedan with a 2010 GPA of 3.25,
Nissan Motor Company's Infiniti I30, I35, an upscale sedan with a 2010 Car Reliability GPA of 3.25.

Of the twenty-three best, Toyota Motor Corporation accounts for 12, Honda Motor Company accounts for another 7, and Mazda Motor Corporation, BMW AG, Ford Motor Company, and Nissan Motor Company each account for one.

Old Car? Be Your Own Insurance (Sort Of)

While many of us wish we could always be driving a brand new car, that's not always possible. And so we resign ourselves to driving cars that may be considered old by today's standards -- Cars that have advanced beyond ten years of age. (Oh, how sad it is that we think of them as old sometimes...)

For instance, my daily driver is a 13 year old Mazda Miata. I don't consider her old in the least! Actually, my oldest car is 20 this year... And the next car I'll be picking up will be around the Miata's age. My youngest is 9 years old this year.

In my Miata's case, her age has become a black mark to the insurance company. According to Kelley Blue Book, she may not be worth so much anymore. That doesn't mean, however, that she's worth what they say she is.

My Miata has quite a bit of work put into her -- suspension work, Enkei wheels, Corbeau seat and harness, a roll bar and other modifications that make her my perfect daily driver but also my weekend race car. None of this work, however, is taken into consideration by the insurance companies. She's still worth the same as a stock Miata to them.

To this end, I have a savings account in which I set money aside, just for the Miata. This is to cover her in case anything actually happens, because there's a good chance that if anything major ever did, she'd be totaled in a heart beat. Just because a car is totaled doesn't mean it's impossible to put back together... Many a Miata have been totaled simply because of hail damage -- something somewhat easy to fix.

When you have an older car that's worth more than what insurance may say it is, be your own insurance company, too -- set aside money to cover your car in case anything were to happen. This won't replace your auto insurance entirely, but having a supplemental account will make you feel a bit better in case the unfortunate happens.

To Bait Investors, Honda Plans To Raise Dividends

Japanese stocks dropped, led by carmakers including the Honda Motor Co., on assumption that profits will be restricted by slower growth at home and abroad this year. This is why the Japanese automaker intends to raise its dividends.

"Automakers are struggling with their domestic sales and it looks like their earnings will peak out in the near future,'' said Shigemi Nonaka, the chairman at Polestar Investment Management Co. in Tokyo which has $218 million in assets. "Power companies aren't attractive anymore now they've paid their dividends and because a possible gain in crude prices may curb their profit growth this year.''

According to the Japan Auto Dealers Association in Tokyo, motor vehicle sales in Japan declined by ten percent from a year earlier in April, after decreasing 13 percent in March. Honda's stock lost 13 percent in the last three months, while Toyota fell some 9.5 percent as concerns have mounted that the U.S. economy, the largest overseas market for automakers, is growing at a slower pace. Also, the automaker forecasted last April 25 that its net income will decline 2.9 percent for the year to March 2008.

"It's becoming clear that the U.S. auto market is slowing down,'' Shingo Hayashi, an analyst at Daiwa Institute of Research wrote in a May 7 note lowering the recommendation of Honda shares to "neutral" from "outperform." He added, "There's a high chance total auto sales in the U.S. this year will be lower than the previous year,"' he wrote.

The second largest automaker in Japan intends to pay out more of its net income in dividends to bolster shareholder returns that have lagged those of its closest Japanese rival, Toyota. The automaker will pay out 30 percent of net income in dividends within two to three years as compared with 25 percent this fiscal year, Honda's chief financial officer, Fumihiko Ike, said in an interview.

In the past 12 months, Honda's shares have plummeted 1.3 percent as compared with a 6.7 percent gain for Toyota and a 1.9 percent increase in the benchmark Nikkei 225 Stock Average. The Tokyo-based carmaker will raise dividends even as it forecasts profit will fall for a second year because of higher costs for aluminum and precious metals. "Raising cash dividends attracts more investors than buying back shares," said Yoshihiro Okumura, a general manager at Chiba-gin Asset Management.

The automaker plans to pay ¥80 or $0.67, a share this business year, up from ¥67 in 2006. The company is paying ¥20 every quarter this fiscal year. Toyota paid out 21.3 percent of its net income in dividends in the year that ended in March 2006 and plans to return 30 percent of profits to shareholders in dividends within two to four years.

"We want to lure more investors," said Ike. "We want to increase cash payments." Additionally, Honda said last month that it expected its net income to fall around 2.9 percent to ¥575 billion, or $4.79 billion, in the 12 months started April 1, from ¥592 billion the previous year. The forecast "isn't conservative," Ike said, citing soaring prices for aluminum and precious metals and a weaker American market. He also expects the yen to increase against the dollar. The company will pay out 20.6 percent of the net income in dividends for last fiscal year, which ended in March. The final dividend will be paid in June.

Honda, which generates as much as 70 percent of its operating profit in the United States, expects the total auto demand in the country to be at 16.4 million vehicles this year, down from the previous 16.55 million in 2006. Honda expects its global vehicle sales to rise 7.7 percent to 3.94 million units in the year ending next March. It forecasts that vehicle sales will increase 2.9 percent in North America and that number is less than its gain of 6.3 percent in the same period a year earlier.

"We will still increase sales in a shrinking market," Ike said, citing its redesigned CRV sport utility vehicle, Accord sedan and the Fit compact car. Honda's American market share increased 0.4 percentage points to 9.2 percent in the first four months of this year, taking away share from General Motors Corp. and the Ford Motor Co.

Honda would likely have gained even more if its suppliers had been able to raise production to meet demand, said Koji Endo at Credit Suisse Group in Tokyo. Honda forecasts its capital expenditure to rise 13 percent to 710 billion yen this business year and it will probably maintain the same level through 2010, Ike said.

At present, the automaker is building a factory, which will integrate the Honda clutch, engines and other auto parts to its product lines. The new factory in Japan will open by 2010. Also, its sixth North American assembly plant in Indiana will build Civics and CRVs next year.

Mazda Retains Same Engine Options For The 2010 Mazda 3

The Mazda 3 is a compact sedan produced and sold by the Japan based Mazda Motor Corporation. The Mazda 3 was first introduced with the 2004 model year, when it replaced Mazda Familia as Mazda Corporation's main compact sedan. The 2010 Mazda 3 is the first car in the second generation of the Mazda 3. There were numerous changes in options from the first to second generation, one of which was a new engine option.

The 2010 Mazda 3 comes with two engine options. The first engine option, which comes standard in the automobile, is a 2.0-liter, four-cylinder engine which produces only 148 horsepower and 135 pound feet of torque. Like most compact sedans, the 2010 vehicle with the 2.0 L engine gets good fuel efficiency. The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that the 2010 model with the 2.0 engine gets 22 miles per gallon in the city and 30 miles per gallon on the highway.

For those looking for slightly more engine performance, the vehicle can be upgraded to a 2.5 L, four-cylinder engine which produces 167 horsepower and 168 pound feet of torque. The 2.5 L engine is new to the 2010 model and EPA estimates were not readily available. The 2.5-liter engine replaced a 2.3-liter engine, which was optional on the 2009 model. The 2.3 L engine received an EPA estimated 22 miles per gallon in the city and 28 miles per gallon on the highway.

Future models of the Mazda 3 are expected to retain the same engine options as the 2010 model.

Both the 2.0- engine and the 2.5-liter engine can come with either a six-speed automatic transmission or a five-speed automatic transmission. The six-speed automatic transmission is new to the vehicle. Regardless of which engine is selected, the vehicle will come with front wheel drive.