The 2021 Mazda MX-5 Miata RF Is the Performance Car You’ve Been Seeking

by Gabrielle DeSantis

We’ve become so reliant on technology that many of us have forgotten how much fun driving can be. With the focus on semiautonomous cars that don’t require as much human interaction, it seems like feeling the wind in our hair as we race down the highway may soon be a thing of the past. But the 2021 Mazda MX-5 Miata RF might have something to say about that.

This tiny hard-top convertible may not be the fastest, most expensive, or tech-savviest performance car, but it’s got MotorTrend singing its praises. It’s proof that driving doesn’t have to be a chore.

The Mazda MX-5 Miata RF is a car lover’s dream

Cars may not be all about speed, but for many drivers, it is. The 2021 Mazda MX-5 Miata RF is more than able to deliver for anyone looking for their adrenaline fix on the way to work. Thanks to its 2.0-liter naturally aspirated four-cylinder engine, it can go from 0 to 60 mph in 5.8 seconds.

Another perk for the 2021 MX-5 Miata RF is the manual transmission. For anyone who loves driving a stick, the pain of finding one is all too real. More and more automakers are cutting manuals in favor of automatics, so that means fewer choices. This makes the MX-5 Miata RF all the more desirable.

This little car gets crazy-good gas mileage as well. It gets an estimated 26 mpg city, 34 mpg highway, and 29 combined. It may not be green, but the MX-5 Miata RF offers excellent fuel economy compared to other sports cars. 

The Mazda MX-5 Miami RF makes driving fun again

Remember the days when you used to argue about who was going to drive and no one wanted to? If you own a 2021 Mazda MX-5 Miata RF, the chances are high that everyone will be arguing about who gets to.

MotorTrend reviewers were in awe of the latest MX-5 Miata RF and couldn’t stop gushing about it. “If I ran a driving school, I would stock it full of Miatas. It’s such an excellent teacher, responding to every little thing you do,” Chris Walton, MT’s road test editor, noted. “There’s now just enough muscle to power-slide it. Fun, fun, fun.”

The MotorTrend review went on to state, “On the endless serpentine canyon passes squiggling through the greater Los Angeles area, we attained something like zen. Nothing — and we mean nothing — available in the 2021 model year drives like the ND Miata, RF or otherwise.”

It’s a real steal

Mazda isn’t known for its hefty price tags, and the 2021 MX-5 Miata RF is no exception. The only shock you’ll get from the sticker price is just how low it is. 

The 2021 Mazda MX-5 Miata RF starts at only $26,830. This price is usually higher at the dealership, but most critics think it’ll go for about $27,775. This includes the destination fee. The Club model starts at $34,000, and the Grand Touring costs about $35,480.

Compared to the competition, this is an extremely affordable price. The 2021 BMW Z4 starts at $49,700 and gets only 22 mpg in the city and 32 mpg on the highway. The 2021 Toyota Supra costs $43,090 and gets the same gas mileage as the Z4. 

The 2020 Subaru BRZ starts at $28,845, bringing it closer in line with the MX-5 Miata RF. But with only 20 mpg city and 33 mpg highway, the Subie gets worse gas mileage than rivals.

RELATED: The Mazda MX-5 Miata Doesn’t Seem to Actually Be That Popular

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Will the Kia EV6 have more safety features than the Ford Mach-E?

by Gabrielle DeSantis

Which is safer, the Ford Mustang Mach-E or the Kia EV6? It’s hard to answer that because the Mustang Mach-E is currently being tested by Consumer Reports. Additionally, the Kia EV6 isn’t out yet, and therefore hasn’t been tested, either. If you’re looking ahead to purchasing an EV, which do you buy? Let’s look at whether there are more safety features in the Mach-E or the EV6 to help you decide.

2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E | Ford

Comparing the 2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E and what we know about the Kia EV6 leaves us to think they are similar in many ways. The range on the Mach-E can be anywhere from 210 to 300 hp, while the Kia EV6 is expected to be around 300. 

The Mustang Mach-E has horsepower ranging from    The Kia EV6, can get up to 576 hp if you purchase the EV6 GT, which is also expected to reach 60 mph in less than 3.5 seconds. 

Which has more safety features, the Mach-E or the EV6?

An aerial shot of a silver 2022 Kia EV6 in a parking lot.
2021 Kia EV6 | Kia

Surprisingly, they’re about the same. Consumer Reports recommends that car shoppers look for advanced safety systems that come standard with, or available with, new cars. The 2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E is on the list of vehicles that come standard with all of them. Comparing the Kia EV6 to the Mustang Mach-E, it comes with almost the same safety features. 

Almost. 

Both are loaded with advanced safety systems recommended by Consumer Reports. They each have forward collision warning, which alerts the driver in the event that there’s something in the vehicle’s path.

The Ford Mustang Mach-E and the Kia EV6 both come with automatic emergency braking for the city, though the Mach-E is the only one with highway automatic emergency braking. Advantage = Ford Mustang Mach-E. 

Pedestrian Detection comes standard in both the Mustang Mach-E and the Kia EV6

The front of a white 2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E.
2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E | Ford

Pedestrian detection can detect pedestrians, and sometimes cyclists that are in (or about to be in) the path of the vehicle. 

Both the 2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E and the 2022 Kia EV6 come standard with lane departure warning and lane keeping assist, as well as blind spot warning. Blind spot warning alerts the driver if a car is moving into their blind spot.

They both have rear cameras and safety features

An ecru 2022 Kia EV6 races down the highway.
2022 Kia EV6 | Kia

Every new car has to come with a backup camera, but both the Mustang Mach-E and the EV6 also have rear cross traffic warning as well. 

Both vehicles also come with anti lock brakes, as well as traction and stability control. They both also have standard daytime running lights. The 2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E is slightly better in the airbag department

While both the Mach-E and the EV6 have standard front side airbags, only the Mach-E comes with rear side airbags as well. They do both offer head protection. 

So which has more safety features, the Mach-E or the EV6?

The 2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E has a hair more safety features than the 2022 Kia EV6. It’s the highway emergency braking system and the rear side airbags that give the Mustang Mach-E a slight edge. Once safety tests and crash ratings come in for both vehicles, it will be easier to determine which is the safer vehicle. For now, the Mustang Mach-E is slightly more prepared for an accident. 

RELATED: The Future Is Electric: Ford to Announce Two New EV Platforms

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Consumer Reports: Buyers Are Having Issues With the Hyundai Elantra

by Gabrielle DeSantis

Consumer Reports is reporting that owners are having issues with cars that buyers recently purchased. Some impacted vehicles include the 2019, 2020, and 2021 Hyundai Elantra. If your Elantra has been having issues while driving, keep reading to find out how to fix the issue.

Is the Hyundai Elantra a good vehicle?

Consumer Reports says the 2021 Hyundai Elantra is giving owners issues already | VCG/VCG via Getty Images

The 2021 Hyundai Elantra is an affordable compact car that received a good overall score from Consumer Reports. It received an overall score of 74 out of 100. On the list of compact cars, the Elantra came in sixth of 14 cars. However, when testing the vehicle, some issues popped up. The engineers at CR found the pedestrian detection system was a bit quirky.

The automatic emergency braking (AEB) system successfully stopped the Elantra from hitting the test dummy, but the engine stalled. This means the driver had to shift into a different gear and turn the engine back on.

When Consumer Reports contacted Hyundai, it sounded as if this problem had not been an issue yet. Hyundai soon issued a Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) to help dealers fix the issue. This would assist dealerships in fixing cars that had already been sold, such as the 2019-2021 models. You can call the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153) or go to www.safercar.gov. The campaign reference number is 21V301000.

Omar Rivera, the director of quality and service engineering at Hyundai, noted that the company fixed the problem by updating the software. If your Elantra is having issues, give your local dealership a call. The dealership should be able to update the software and fix the issue free of charge.

Do the critics agree about the Hyundai Elantra?

Edmunds still gave the 2021 Elantra a 7.7 out of 10 for the expert score. The company noted that the Elantra came with many standard and optional features available. The cabin was roomy, and the fuel economy was fairly solid. The hybrid version of the Elantra even has an EPA-estimated fuel economy of 50 mpg.

When looking closer into the score from Consumer Reports, the Elantra still scored fairly well. The predicted reliability and owner satisfaction both came in at a three out of five.

“The car proved capable and secure when taken to the limits, both on our road-course test track and through our avoidance maneuver exercise, which simulates swerving suddenly to avoid a vehicle or obstacle on the road.”

Consumer Reports

Long story short, you can fix the Elantra if thee vehicle is not driving as well as it should. It should be a reliable car once the issue is fixed, and critics seemed to agree about that.

Are there any more recalls on the Elantra?

This recall impacted 125,840 vehicles, including the 2019-2020 Elantra, 2019-2021 Kona, and Veloster. There is also a recall for the Elantra related to the suspension and wheels. You should check the recalls on any 2019, 2020, or 2021 listed vehicles while you are at it.

However, Consumer Reports gave the 2020 Hyundai Elantra a reliability score of five out of five. The owner satisfaction score was three out of five. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) gave most crash ratings a score of “good.” The NHTSA gave the overall side-crash rating for the driver-side a score of five stars. Many of the other crash ratings were a four.

Some of the standard safety features included automatic emergency braking mentioned before, lane departure warning, and lane-keeping assist. If you are in the market for a used vehicle, the Elantra is still a good choice.

RELATED: Honda, Mazda, and Hyundai Make the Best SUVs Under 40k

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There Is Still 1 Major Reason to Wait to Buy Your First EV

by Gabrielle DeSantis

EVs are the future. There is no getting around it. As companies like Rivian and Ford seem to have the electric pickup trucks figured out, range anxiety is quickly melting away, and more affordable EV designs are in the works; it seems silly to think these will not be the majority of cars on the road over the coming years. However, does that mean we should all god buy an EV right now? 

Rivian R1T | Rivian

You should probably wait to buy your first EV

Moving away from internal combustion engines (ICE) is now not only more possible than ever, but it’s also more trendy than ever. Companies like Rivian, Polestar, and Tesla have turned the EV from a practical solution to the pollution problem into dream cars for many people. 

This shift in automotive taste couldn’t have come at a better time. Many major automotive manufacturers and world governments have publicly stated their plans to end the production and sales of new ICE vehicles. 

EVs are quickly becoming just as dependable, exciting, and practical as most ICE cars. However, it would still probably be wise to wait to buy your first EV. 

Are electric cars hard to own? 

RELATED: How Much Does It Cost to Charge a Tesla?

Although most EVs now have a 200-mile range, at minimum, the lack of charging ports is still a very real issue for many Americans. Even though California is actively trying to help solve these issues by turning gas stations into electric car charging stations, according to Gear Patrol, there are still only 47,000 public EV charging stations between Canada and the States. 

Compare that number to the 168,000 gas stations, and you’ll see how serious the deficit is. Even with that many gas stations, we still see lines forming in certain areas and stretches of highway out west without a gas station for many dozens of miles. Now imagine roughly a quarter of those stations. 

To make matters worse, of those 47,000 EV chargers, less than 6,000 of them are fast chargers capable of charging a car in less than an hour. And, 1,000 of the existing chargers will only work for Teslas. So, the truth is that range is far less of a problem than it used to be, but finding a charger is much harder than it might seem when an EV does go flat. 

How long does it take to charge an EV?

a row of Tesla chargers is great but there arnet enough in America yet to warrant buying your first EV.
Supercharger rapid battery charging station | Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images

The time it takes to charge an EV is heavily dependent on the type of charger used. According to Gear Patrol,  Most of the public charges out in the world are known as Level 2 chargers. These can bring a dead car to a full charge somewhere between 5 to 12 hours. 

These chargers are perfectly fine for homes or parking garages, but the majority of the chargers you see out in the world are these chargers. Having a level 2 EV charger at the grocery store or along the highway is essentially worthless. If, at minimum, these charges can fill a battery in 5 hours, how much can being plugged in for 20 minutes do? On the slower end of that spectrum, 20 minutes or even an hour is nearly worthless. 

We have reached a place where the vehicles themselves have gotten good enough to live with every day and even be enjoyable. The problem is our infrastructure has not caught up with the rising demand for this new technology. 

So, as new EVs continue to come out and automakers have to charge a small fortune to make the costs of development worthwhile, just sit back and wait for prices to come down and infrastructure to catch up. 

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