Check out The Car Connection article on the Mazda3 . What's of note here is the shot of the interior...instrument cluster, seats, and much of the center dash. Maybe this cross use of parts is what makes the 8 so affordable?

 

I guess you haven't seen the interior of the Mazda6.

---jps

 

Not so! My son has a 6. But I was just a little surprised to see it so close on the 3. The center vents on the 6 would have looked better on the 8 in my book, but we get rectangular vents as does the 3. And when you consider the 3 will cost 1/2 of what we paid for the 8, I would have like to have seen a "little" exclusivity, at least in the seats.

 

wow...that interior for $14k, i wont be surprised if this car sells well, yay mazda! :D

 

thank Ford and their C1 platform sharing strategery!

economy of scale = lower production cost = better product at a lower price! :D

 

wow that is very similar

 

Dude, EVERY car company does that. It's not a Ford thing that they've thrust upon Mazda.

---jps

 

this is the first time Ford has done it for 3 of their companies (Ford, Mazda, Volvo)

 

And this could be Mazda doing this. Remember, Ford has a controlling interest in Mazda, but they do not own them.

---jps

 

thank god ford doesn't own them