While unable to overtake its fellow Japanese, and larger, competitors like Honda, Toyota, and Nissan, Mazda has always had a solid place in the U.S. car market. Mazda came to the U.S. in 1970 and with its rotary or Wankel engines powering its cars, the automaker set itself apart from the other imports of the day. Only one if its vehicles, though, the two-seat sports car Miata, has had any real longevity. In the 1990s, its family of vehicles, including the 323, 626, 929, and later the Protégé, provided a steady and fairly loyal customer base....