While not a hybrid technology, it supposedly helps reduce fuel consumption and emissions. If you're not familiar with the technology it's a revolutionary engine design that Mazda developed that uses a type of HCCI (homogenous-charge compression-ignition) cycle. This is considered the holy grail of internal combustion engines because it takes what makes diesels more efficient (high compression and extremely fast burn) and uses a homogenous air-fuel mix, made with gasoline and air, that eliminates the emissions penalties of diesel engines (so no soot or high NOx emissions). The result is a highly efficient engine (even without hybrid technology) with extremely low emissions. I was considering one for my next car. But there's one big problem. I live in the USA where it was never made available. So, forget that one. Next...
US gas prices are too low. Most would be unwilling to pay for the added expense for the improved efficiency. It's why hybrid options to ICE models were low seller for a long time. Even when its price was lower, diesels were a smaller part of the car market than hybrids.
The idea is that a very lean charge that isn't apt to ignite merely under pressure in a predictable way is compressed, then a small rich charge is added and ignited so as to spike the pressure in the cylinder that causes the lean gasoline mix to ignite. I have never driven one. I understand from reading that they give 15 to 20% better torque that mostly shows up in the upper rev range. Reliability seems very good too. This should be a good engine for a cheap car without having to add a turbo to get it to move more quickly. I've read that the sound may not be beautiful. A youtuber noted that the engine confers no marketing advantage over normal engines. An owner can't brag about saving the planet with a hybrid or think he has something very sporty because he has a turbo. Another youtuber noted that new car buyers expect a lot of torque at all engine speeds, especially in the US/canadian market, and don't like having to get an engine over 4krpm to get a car really moving. In a future with smaller, simpler and less expensive cars, a hatch with one of these engines is a choice I'd like to have.
Mazda has long taken on extra risk in advanced combustion science for their engines. The way I see it, they lack access to broad enough markets to apply what they're coming up with. I could see this tech working out well for larger motorcycles, but Mazda doesn't make those.
I understand that Mazda has a size problem, but they can also make a product that is endearing. I have a Scion iA, a badge engineered Mazda2. It barely makes more than 100hp, and is engaging in a way a Prius isn't while turning in more than 50mpg in suburban driving. They can tune their products, like a mini-minivan, with a bit of character. From what I've gathered, the skyactiv x hasn't displayed any downsides in the years it has been out in other markets.
That's the car we wanted to buy when we started shopping for a small hatchback. Upon learning of their discontinuation/unavailability we discovered the Prius c... We eventually did buy a Mazda, but it's a 6 sedan which replaced our Subaru to take the role of the Bigger Family Car in our garage. Now those have been discontinued as well. Not sure Mazda has a model we'd consider to replace either of our cars. Anyway, I'm happy to hear that they keep going at it on the development side.
Not to mention, doesn’t the SkyActiv X engine require premium fuel due to high compression? People don’t associate premium fuel with small cars so there’s a psychological barrier there. I know when we had the Gen 2 smart, it required premium fuel and people were up in arms even though it costs the same as a Yaris to fill because it’s a smaller tank and it’s almost as efficient (maybe slightly better?).
IIRC it worked best on lower octane than regular gasoline but regular gasoline worked. Edit: Actually, according to Google, you're correct. It requires premium fuel.
That's a shame. My Costco charges an additional 30% for premium, far more than the power and efficiency advantage of the Skyactive x over the G.
I bought the Scion used for one of my children. It's just a little sedan with a stick, so I know that none of her friends at school will be able to borrow it. When she's home, I borrow it whenever I can.
$4.15 / $4.69 at the one I checked earlier, according to their website. Premium was 'just' 4.65 when I posted a couple hours ago. Both have taken a big jump in the past few days. GasBuddy isn't keeping up. Checking some of Costco's other area locations, I'm seeing one at 3.95 / 4.39, another 3.89 / 4.29. Checking a bit beyond for other regional locations, every place has different pricing, different spreads between regular and premium. The Tulalip Reservation location, usually the lowest Costco around, shows 3.69 / 3.99. Very definitely using dynamic pricing.
Almost 10-years ago, my daughter got t-boned in her old Honda Odyssey van so they totaled it. After much shopping around (and warning her about buying a Nisan Roque, which she wanted), I found a great used 2016 Mazda CX-5 at our Toyota dealer. GREAT little SUV...and as easy to maintain as a Toyota. I was more impressed with the quality over the Honda, actually. Only issue she ever had was with the electronic key fob. She lost a key so we tried replacing it....horror story! So she just had one working key for a few years until she traded it in for a bigger Hyundai Palisade, which she still has. (Toyota SUVs are great but SO expensive, even used.)
What do you mean by "a size problem?" Too big? Too small? I think their newest vehicles have too long of a nose personally. I sure wished they hadn't pulled the Mazda 2 from the USA. The wife and I have very fond memories of our 1993 Mazda 323. But cute, endearing cars in the USA are now a thing of the past. I think the thing that has bugged me the most about the CX-5 is that it replaced the MAZDA6 Wagon. The Wagon had more passenger space, more cargo space, had more power, got better fuel economy, was cheaper, yet people still preferred the CX-5 crossover over the Wagon. I guess this is one of the reasons I've developed a prejudice against crossovers.
Haven't followed the SkyActiv X tech close enough to say what fuel it uses. If it uses direct injection, those can use lower octane with higher compression. The RON labeling complicates things. Engine manufacturers would like to use it over AKI cause the test applies better to fuel injected engine behavior. Mazada did reduce the compression of the SkyActiv G for North America as it was too high for regular when they introduced the engines. After positioning themselves as a more premium and performance brand in the US, they aren't worried about the premium fuel label on current models. And bing says recommended Have to go to the manual to confirm either way, but I do remember smart saying you could use regular when it came to the US. Canada was getting different engine choices at one time though; they even got the diesel. Pretty sure it was a reference to company size; they are a smaller company. For instance, they went to Toyota for hybrids cause they didn't have the resources to do them while also developing the SkyActiv suite back then.
I know our sons cx-5 is direct injection only, which is concerning, can lead to gummed up intake valves?
Exactly. If you are Toyota or VWAG or Ford, you have a great ability to research and make things happen that cost a ton of money. In the world of auto manufacture where gigantism is the rule, Mazda is sort of second tier size-wise. If you are Toyota, you can bring new batteries or clean sheet engines designs to market frequently (we just got the m series "dynamic force" engines a few years ago, and a successor series of engine was announced last year). If you are Caterham or Lotus, you are completely depend on other manufacturers for your engines. Intermediate outfits like Suzuki or Mazda end up with ownership and partnering agreements with the giants and can struggle to maintain a separate identity. A Mazda often might be a mid quality japanese car with a ford or toyota engine, but the weight and feel of the car and its controls are tuned in a way that comes together to be likeable.
Son's CX-5 has had chronic oil leaks, culminated in a 3 grand CDN, day-long repair session. His nearby dealership quoted about a grand higher than a dealership near us, and the latter seemed more on-the-ball. The eerie thing, no one at the dealership ever commented, saying this is unusual, seemed like their bread-and-butter. One thing, the nearby Mazda place is back-to-back with a Toyota dealership, both under the same company.. I'll shop oil filters for both, parkings marginally easier at the Mazda place, and an oil filter purchased involves maybe 2 minutes. Go next door to Toyota, it takes 2 minutes just to get someone's attention.
