Seven Passenger SUV Shootout!

On April 14, 2011, in Comparisons, CX-9, Reviews, by Trey Rodgers - Brown's Alexandria Mazda

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When the Mazda CX-9 launched back in 2007, the motoring press had nothing but great things to say about our new SUV.  Motor Trend even awarded it the 2008 SUV of the Year!

We fast forward four years and the competition keeps rolling out their latest and greatest in the 3-row SUV class.  SUV top sellers like Ford brings the new Explorer to market and Dodge redesigns the Durango.  Certainly stiff competition, but what happens when you compare these SUV’s to each other?

The results surprised Motor Trend:

Four years on and the scrappy, fantastic-driving Mazda CX-9 is still the best seven-passenger SUV you can buy.

After the break, read the first place finish and link to the entire comparison on the MotorTrend.com site.

We wanted to add that in addition to being the best seven-passenger SUV you can buy, the 2011 Mazda CX-9 now has 0% APR financing for a full 60 months with up to $700 Bonus Cash at Brown’s Alexandria Mazda.

Check out our special offer and enjoy the review…

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Mazda2 is one of the 10 Cheapest Cars to Own

On April 7, 2011, in Awards, Mazda2, by Trey Rodgers - Brown's Alexandria Mazda

320_ 006MSN.com with Kiplinger.com just listed their picks for the 10 Cheapest Cars to Own.  Of course, Kiplinger’s knows money, so the stats back up the list.

We are happy (but not surprised) that our very own 2011 Mazda2 made the list.

They did leave out a very important statistic: 0

That 0 is the interest rate for the next 60 months when you buy a new 2011 Mazda2 from Brown’s Alexandria Mazda.  Check out our special offer HERE and read more after the break:

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Mythbuster: Can cars imported from Japan be radioactive?

On March 28, 2011, in News, Rumors, by Trey Rodgers - Brown's Alexandria Mazda

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The following post is directly from ConsumerReports.org:

As Japan struggles to emerge from the recent earthquake and subsequent tsunami, and faces further potential disaster from the damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power complex, the auto industry is wrestling with how to cope with the enormous logistic challenges these tragedies have created. Japanese automakers and their suppliers have suspended production, and it may be months before things are fully back up to speed.  As the world waits to see what happens next, from when rebuilding the ravaged nation can begin to how its recovery could impact markets, some consumers have pondered, are there risks from cars imported from Japan being radioactive?

In a word, no. 

The vast majority of factories are located well outside the evacuation range surrounding the Fukushima Daiichi complex. Automakers report they are taking precautions to ensure their factories, components, and staff are protected. Likewise, they will ensure that vehicles meet safe levels for radiation before distributing.

"Toyota will take any necessary steps to ensure the cars we deliver to customers are safe in every way," said Javier Moreno of Toyota Communications. He stated that the majority of Toyota Motor Corporation’s operations in Japan are located about 240 miles southwest of the nuclear power plant and no unusual radiation activity has been detected. 

We spoke with several companies, all of which have been working to protect their workers and consumers, while rebuilding their businesses. The sentiments expressed by the automakers were similar, though clearly some were harder hit than others.

"We are evaluating the situation very carefully, of course, safety is our number one concern," said Jeffrey Smith of Honda Corporate affairs. He added that the nearest port to the impacted area that Honda uses is about 125 miles away. Honda had 17 employees injured in the Tochigi area during the earthquake, plus an associate killed at an R&D facility.

Beyond the safety measures in place in Japan, consumers are further protected by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), an agency focused on preventing terrorists and weapons from entering the United States. Among its tools, the CBP uses sensitive, large-scale Radiation Portal Monitors (RPM) to scan all maritime cargo and mail arriving from Japan. In addition, agents use a wide range of technologies, including radiation isotope identifiers, to scan people, vehicles, and cargo containers.

The radiation isotope identifiers are hand-held devices that can detect gamma and neutron emissions from radioactive sources, including nuclear, medical, and industrial isotopes. With hundreds of such devices in the field, any car or other product carrying an unsafe level of radioactivity would be discovered and halted at the more than 140 Border Patrol stations and more than 150 ports of entry.

As one would expect, the CBP tells us that they are monitoring developments in Japan carefully and specifically assessing the potential for radiological contamination associated with the ongoing impact of the earthquake and tsunami to Japan’s nuclear facilities.

There are many valid concerns surrounding the crisis in Japan, including the human toll, cultural impact, and market forces, but radioactive consumer goods is not one of them.

Learn what you can do to aid Japan (via CNN), and donate to the American Red Cross.
Jim Travers and Jeff Bartlett

http://news.consumerreports.org/cars/2011/03/mythbuster-can-cars-imported-from-japan-be-radioactive.html

They don’t make ‘em like they used to…

On March 17, 2011, in Reviews, by Trey Rodgers - Brown's Alexandria Mazda

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Buying the latest version of a previous Consumer Reports recommended value seems like a safe bet? Not so fast.  This year, Consumer Reports rated 5 newly redesigned cars LOWER than their predecessor!

Volkswagen, Toyota, Honda, BMW, and even Mercedes-Benz had their latest and greatest not measure up to last year’s model. Disappointing?

Read the entire story along with a comparison to last year over at Consumer Reports. While you’re there, take a look at some of their Recommended Buys, best car under $20k, and most fun to drive categories.

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Best car under $16,000…Guess 2?

On March 17, 2011, in Awards, Mazda2, by Trey Rodgers - Brown's Alexandria Mazda

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You would think with all the press the new Ford Fiesta has received, the readers at About.com would have voted the Fiesta the “Best Car under $16k”?  So did About.com…You and About.com would have been wrong:

Witness the 2011 Mazda2—The 2011 Readers Choice Best Car under $16,000!

“This result surprised me; I figured the Ford Fiesta had this one in the bag. But I can understand why readers would opt for the Mazda2. Though pricier than the Fiesta, the Mazda2 has cuter styling, more standard equipment and a more grown-up feel — of all the finalists, it’s the one that feels least like an inexpensive car. And you have to admire Mazda’s engineering philosophy: Rather than fit a big, powerful engine, they pared down the weight so that the Mazda2 could make do with less. The Mazda2 is a classic case of sound engineering, and the voters recognized that.”

The 2011 Mazda2 won with 48% of the vote—2nd place went to Ford with 22%.

This award could not have come at a better time as Mazda just announced 0% APR financing on the 2011 Mazda2 for 60 months with no payments for 90 days here at Brown’s Alexandria Mazda

To read the results of the About.com Readers Choice Awards visit: About.com

To find out more about 0% APR, visit: AlexandriaMazda.com

Detroit likes the Mazda5

On March 15, 2011, in Mazda5, Reviews, by Trey Rodgers - Brown's Alexandria Mazda

 

Imported from Detroit has been used to market one of Detroit’s own recently and it is no secret that they love their domestic automobiles in Michigan.

When one of our Japanese-built vehicles arrives, we usually don’t look to the north for glowing reviews—buy were we wrong! 

TheDetroitBureau.com’s editor Paul Eisenstein just reviewed the 2012 Mazda5 and liked it. With comments like

“the new Mazda5 is a lot more fun to drive than your typical people mover.”

and

“It’s roomy, distinctive, functional and fun-to-drive.  When you add in a surprisingly affordable price, it could prove a serious alternative to more classic minivans.”

we might even say “love”.

Watch out Detroit, Northern Virginia and everywhere in between, here comes the Mazda5.  Read the entire review after the break.

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Mazda2 is a Top 10 Most Value-Packed Car with Forbes.com

On March 9, 2011, in Awards, Comparisons, Mazda2, by Trey Rodgers - Brown's Alexandria Mazda

11MZ2_detail (1)Don’t be fooled by a a great purchase price—$4 a gallon gasoline, high repair costs, and big depreciation make for a high cost to own.  The editors at Forbes.com set out to find the Top 10 Most Value-Packed Cars by weighing factors like initial cost, fuel economy, depreciation and cost to repair and maintain.  They put it all together in a Top 10 Most Value-Packed Car List!

Our own 2011 Mazda2 made the list:

Of course, a low initial price doesn’t guarantee a good value. The $11,965 Chevrolet Aveo, $13,255 Toyota Yaris and $13,320 Ford Fiesta, for instance, all cost less than the $14,180 Mazda2 and the $20,825 Honda Element–both of which made our list. But their relatively high depreciation rates and proportionate repair costs shot their overall cost of ownership much too high to qualify as good values.

Forbes.com, February 2011

With the newly announced 0% APR financing for 60 months on the 2011 Mazda2 in March of 2011, the Mazda2 represents an even better value.  For more information on the special financing offer and our new low price, check out the 2011 Mazda2 special at: Mazda2 Special at Alexandria Mazda

Read more from Forbes.com after the break.

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Mazda Minagi previews the Mazda CX-5

On March 7, 2011, in Concept, Design, by Trey Rodgers - Brown's Alexandria Mazda

Fusion TIFF FileSometimes a concept car is just that—a design concept that incorporates elements that will be seen on future vehicles.  Sometimes a concept car is a real preview of an upcoming model.  The Mazda Minagi is the latter: an actual preview of the 2013 Mazda CX-5 Crossover.

The Minagi Concept introduced last week at the Geneva Auto Show is the second vehicle to exhibit the new KODO design language and the first to really preview what the next generation of Mazdas will look like.

The Minagi concept incorporates the highly anticipated SKYACTIV technology that will combine the Mazda driving characteristics of a fuel-powered vehicle with the economy found today on many hybrid vehicles.

We here at Brown’s Alexandria Mazda are excited about the design and will keep you posted as this vehicle evolves to the next new production vehicle, the Mazda CX-5!

Keep reading for more pictures and the official press release:

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2012 Mazda5–Better, Not Bigger

On February 15, 2011, in Mazda5, Reviews, by Trey Rodgers - Brown's Alexandria Mazda

MAZDA5 EU HIGH GRADE (GER), NAP, LHD, 2.0L GE LFG (i-stop), 6MT, 17” Alloys, Discharge Headlight, Front Fog lamps, Rear Fog Lamp, Dark Silver Grille, Front Stone Guard (small) , Rain Sensor Wipers, Dark Tinted Glass, Clear Water Blue Metallic, Bluetooth, Leather Steering Wheel & Silver with  Audio Switch, CD Changer & RDS, 6 Speakers, Full Auto A/C, Seat Warmer. (Options fitted -Power Slide Door -Black Leather Interior) (NOTE: Geneva Version is High grade GER version with head  lamp cleaner and rear parking sensor removed for cleaner body shape image)The launch of the 2012 Mazda5 was greeted this January with the usual lineup of automotive reviews.  The Chief Road Test Editor at Edmunds.com took the time this week to publish a glowing review of our “best kept secret” here at Brown’s Alexandria Mazda:

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If you’ve never thought about leasing you might want to consider it now…

On November 13, 2010, in Leasing, Mazda3, by Trey Rodgers - Brown's Alexandria Mazda
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If you’ve never thought about leasing you might want to consider it now. Here’s the scoop.

Some leases offer low monthly payments with a big down payment like $3000 or more. Other advertised leases offer a no money down option, but less affordable payments like $450 a month. Combining no money down with a low monthly payment is rarely seen.

 

 

 

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