Mazda Reliability 101: Comprehensive Guide
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Mazda is so reliable that it was ranked the most reliable brand of 2022 by Consumer Reports. The cost of maintenance is low, they have fuel-efficient vehicles, and they look pretty darn good.
Here's a detailed review of Mazda's reliability.
Table of Contents
Are Mazda Reliable Cars?
Yes. There is simply no doubt that Mazda cars are reliable. Mazda holds an impressive standard of reliability that is visible in customer reviews and their rankings on reliability surveys.
According to Consumer Reports, Mazda is the most reliable car brand in 2022. This was the same position it held in 2021 after the reliability vote, with the highest reliability score of 83, followed by Toyota with 74.
Although RepairPal gives the Mazda brand a reliability rating of 4.0/5.0, ranking 5th out of 32 car brands.
On individual scales, the reliability of the Mazda brand is spread across all its models. The CX-5 crossover has always stayed between the 4 or 5 reliability ratings on consumer reports, maintaining the highest reliability score since 2013.
This is the same as the CX-9 three-row crossover that has earned the 5-score reliability rating for three consecutive years. Even the Mazda Miata has not gone lower than 4 for all its models and line-up.
Regarding safety, Mazda holds a high safety rating, and no year passes without a Mazda car winning an IIHS award. With a Mazda car, you have a greater chance of surviving a car crash.
Many Mazda users believe this is because of the brand’s philosophy linked to Ahura Mazda – the god of Zoroastrianism, embodied with attributes of harmony, intelligence, and wisdom.
There’s no doubt that Mazda’s innovation is built on the foundations of making the world a safer and more peaceful place. Its outstanding passenger protection is because of the integration of advanced systems to keep passengers safe in the event of a collision.
Why Mazdas Are Considered Highly Reliable
1. Fuel Economy
The Mazda brand has worked so hard to maintain the reputation of building some of the most fuel-efficient cars in the automobile industry.
Mazda takes fuel efficiency to a whole new level, integrating advanced technologies to achieve high-level efficiency to the extent that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) awarded Mazda 2016 as the most fuel-efficient car brand in the USA.
The amazing gas mileage/fuel efficiency of Mazda cars is because of the Skyactiv technology. The technology optimizes every aspect of your car, including driving dynamics, chassis, and transmission, to achieve the best gas mileage. This is without compromising your performance.
Mazda is the only car you can go hard on without worrying about consuming much gas. Skyactiv technology on Mazda cars is designed to use only 30% of your car’s gas.
This is achieved because the engines are designed with smarter technologies that push the limits of internal combustion, increasing compression ratios and optimizing the compression of the air-fuel mixture to get the most energy from every drop of fuel in your engine.
2. Repair and Maintenance Cost
Mazda cars are one of the cheapest cars to repair and maintain. They have cheap spare parts that are readily available. The engine designs are not too complex for repairmen to spend a great time figuring out what went wrong.
This includes the fact that Mazda cars have more durable materials and technology to ensure that you don’t have reasons to visit the mechanic.
The average repair and maintenance cost for a Mazda car is $462. This is cheaper than the average cost of repairing and maintaining other models from different brands.
3. Durability
Durability is a huge principle of the Mazda brand. This is seen in its use of better materials and structures in the design of its cars. If you have good maintenance habits, you should expect your Mazda car to last up to 300,000 miles.
The reliability of Mazda cars has maintained an impressive tide to the extent that they are mostly used as taxis in some countries. This is because they are affordable, highly reliable, and have low maintenance costs. You also have less chance of the parts breaking down.
4. Safety and Technology
Mazda is one of the few car brands that takes passenger protection seriously. They start by incorporating ultra-high tensile-strength steel to reduce impacts in the event of a collision. A superior construction design is optimized for a light yet stiffer and stronger car structure.
The safety technology of Mazda cars is also powered by innovation. This is seen in the features that they offer drivers. The overall safety principle of the Mazda brand is built on achieving basic safety, preventive safety, and collision safety.
This has led the Mazda brand to classify its safety technology into three categories: preventive safety technologies, basic safety, and collision safety.
Here’s a list of Mazda Safety features:
- Organ-pedal style of the accelerator to reduce fatigue
- Adaptive LED headlights
- Cross-traffic alert
- Blind spot monitoring
- 360-degree view monitor
- Smart brake support
- Radar cruise control
- Driver monitoring
- Skyactiv-vehicle architecture that absorbs impacts and reduces the risk of injury
- Emergency call system
5. Engine and Performance
With actualized promises of fuel efficiency, Mazda doesn’t compromise your car’s performance.
With the Skyactiv-drive 6-speed automatic transmission, you are assured of smoother rides, quick and stable accelerations, and an overall improved drive experience. This includes increased steering responsiveness, accuracy, and efficiency.
Mazda optimizes a strong and light body chassis to improve aerodynamics and achieve nimbleness at low speed and stability at high speed.
This includes the fact that they combine the Skyactiv technology and G-vectoring control system to achieve a drive system that ensures an enjoyable driving experience. Every single minute of driving a Mazda car is a wholesome experience.
When it comes to choosing the best Mazda engine, you have an unending list to choose from. There’s speed, power, and traction control, and the beautiful thing is that none of these engines will consume much gas.
Mazda Reliability: Pros
- Fuel efficient
- Durable
- Improved engine designs
- Innovative
- Sharp handling
- Responsive steering
- Extremely safe
- Attractive
Mazda Reliability: Cons
- Need to improve the speed.
- Infotainment is substandard.
Verdict
There are simply no doubts about how reliable Mazda cars are. However, just like every other car on the market, the Mazda 3 and 6’s 2004 to 2016 models are ones that you should avoid. We will always recommend Mazda cars, but a little research will help you ensure that you get the best value for your money.
