The latest in a long line of special-edition roadsters, the Mazda MX-5 Miata debuting at the Chicago Auto Show this week is based on the retractable hardtop version. It gets a black top and exterior trim bits, along with black leather seats and piano black interior trim. Rounding out the dark look are gunmetal black 17-inch wheels. But that’s where the black stops, because red and white are the only exterior colors offered.

The new 2013 Mazda CX-5 crossover will start at $20,695 (plus $795 for destination) for the entry-level model with its SkyActiv four-cylinder engine and a six-speed manual transmission. The base model will include 17-inch alloy wheels, daytime running lights, power side mirrors, and automatic headlight shut-off. Inside, the vehicle has push-button start, tilt-and-telescope steering wheel, and steering-wheel-mounted controls for audio and cruise control.

Nearly 52,400 Mazda Tribute sport-utility vehicles are being recalled, says the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The 2001-2002 model year SUVs from Mazda may leak brake fluid from the master cylinder. If the fluid comes into contact with wiring for the anti-lock brake system (ABS), an engine fire could occur says the NHTSA.

Mazda has announced official fuel economy figures for their new CX-5 small SUV will reach 35 mpg on the highway, which the company says makes it the most fuel efficient non-hybrid SUV available. Mazda attributes the accomplishment to its new SkyActiv technology.

A month after we drove the new Mazda CX-5 on the sidelines of the Los Angeles Auto Show, Mazda lent us another CX-5 to get a closer look before the car goes on sale. It proved beneficial to drive the car on our local roads.

We were invited to a ride-and-drive event sponsored by Mazda through the scenic Angeles National Forest on the eve of the LA Auto Show to sample the company’s new small SUV, the 2013 CX-5. First impressions: It looks pretty good.

While the stores are promoting door-busting discounts for Black Friday, it can also make a great time for getting deals on a new car. We've found some attractive discounts on good models. And being the end of the month, dealers may be a bit more willing to negotiate to meet their quotas.

The Mazda CX-5 replaces the long-in-the-tooth and recently departed Tribute, a rebadged Ford Escape. It just so happens that an all-new Ford Escape is also being introduced at the LA Auto Show. This time the two competing models are not related, as the once entwined automakers go their own way.

The doors are set to open at the Los Angeles Convention Center on Wednesday morning, November 16th, to give auto industry insiders and the media access to the major new-car show two days ahead of the public opening. Several Consumer Reports staffers will be on hand to witness the more than 50 scheduled vehicle debuts and share the highlights here in the Cars blog, as well as in the special LA Auto Show section. Be sure to follow us on Twitter @CRCars to catch the news and photos uploaded direct from the show floor.

Say a manufacturer builds a small car that doesn’t match the current marketing holy grail of getting EPA highway fuel economy of 40 mpg. What do they do? Well, they introduce a model that does. Maybe it’s a special esoteric fuel economy model. Or maybe the changes go deeper.

With the long-weekend fast approaching, the Consumer Reports’ Cars team has been talking about the joys of the open road and what is the best car to experience it. With the Auto Test Center overflowing with dozens of vehicles in various stages of testing, this is a very real, and common, discussion for us. We’ve gathered up our personal picks for the best road-trip car in hopes that their considerations and selections point you in the right direction when choosing a car with true vacationing potential.

Mazda has announced pricing for its freshened Mazda3 will start at $15,200 for the i SV sedan, but if you want the new SkyActiv-G 2.0-liter engine, you would need to choose the Touring model with an MSRP of $18,450.

Consumer Reports is on record as loving the right-sized Mazda5. It’s affordable, efficient, comfortable, easy to use, reliable, surprisingly roomy, and unexpectedly fun to drive. Needless to say, it scores very highly in our tests. So it’s no surprise that when friends come asking us what to buy, we often recommend the mini minivan. Looking at the Mazda5’s sales numbers, however, it’s clear that few buyers are heeding our advice. Sometimes it seems like Americans buy cars by the square foot.

Recent water-cooler conversations have had the Consumer Reports Cars team talking about cool cars from the 1990s that they drove, or even would consider buying today. That decade brought a wide range of cars with outlandish looks and the performance to back it, especially in contrast with the more tepid 1980s performance machines. So what cars do we remember fondly?

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Office of Defects Investigation is looking into incidents of reduced brake effectiveness leading to extended stopping distances in 2008 Mazda CX-9 vehicles.