zoom44

Honda Fit


http://www.autoreviewsonline.com/new...ticle=01111056


Nissan Versa
http://www.automobilemag.com/auto_sh..._nissan_versa/

zoom44

My first thought was "What should Mazda do?" and then my answer was "Bring the Mazda2"

Seems im not the only one with that idea-

http://frankfurt-auto-show.autoblog....act-car-craze/

Mazmart

iTrader: (12)

Or the Mazda Verisa.
Paul.

zoom44

TY Paul i couldnt remember the name even after actually spelling the Nissan Verisa instead of Versa at first.

Definetly they should bring the Verisa

Originally shown as the MX-Microsport




previous thread

https://www.rx8club.com/showthread.p...t=Mazda+Verisa

Sassou thread (which reminds me of a future Verisa)
https://www.rx8club.com/general-automotive-49/mazda-sassou-design-concept-vehicle-unveiled-2005-frankfurt-motor-show-70618/

zoom44

heee check out the funky Mazda Japan Verisa site http://www.verisa.mazda.co.jp/(click special site in the middle of the page)

RotoRocket

iTrader: (1)

They'll come out with a Mazda 1.5, which will be 1/2 the size and hp of the Mazda 3.

ASH8

Verisa is a JDM car only, not for export....ever.

The Honda Fit or (Jazz here) is a very good small car (Micro), the Mazda 2 competes along with Hyundai Getz, Suzuki Swift.etc.

I have driven both Jazz and 2 are as a Mazda man I go for the 2, slightly cheaper...the new Suzuki Swift is going great in sales and is the latest micro car out here, probably the best buy.

Forget any of these cars if you weight over 75 kilos or 150 LBs, too small inside, and not enough power...so that rules out 95% of the US population as they won't Fit into a FIT!........only joking.....

Japan8

The Mazda2/Demio isn't too bad inside. Ridden 3 people in one before. Actually about the same or maybe better than my Familia S-Wagon/Protege5. The Honda Fit sucks. I'd even get a Toyota Vitz over that POS. It looses in EVERY competition... too slow, crappy handling, crappy options (but then that's par for course for HOnda in Japan). It's like a "Kei" (light) class car, but isn't one.

The Suzuki Swift is selling well and the recently released Sport is doing very well too. The reviews say it has great handing and is peppy. I thought the interior sucked a bit though... lots of vast expanse of cheap plastic dash. They could have at least added some style to the cheap plastic. Also front seat space was a bit tight.

The Mazda2/Demio sells very well for Mazda in JDM. It's sporty character... tight handling and peppy engine... make it come out on top in this class almost always.

The Toyota Vitz... so so styling. What's with Toyota and this bubble look?! The dash... I wish someone would shoot whoever came up with the idea for center instrument panels (speedo, tach, etc.). I HATE that. The Vitz and bB (SCion xB) both have it... Generally... it's a Toyota... functional, reliable, but dull as hell.

The Mazda Verisa... no MT avaiable. No interest. Styling? I like it. If it had a MT and put some bigger rims on it... that car would look hot.

Sephiroth

whoa...are these cars actually going to sell in the US?

playdoh43

they are not only going to sell, they will sell better than rx8 and 350z and s2000 and the like if Scion sales is any indication

zoom44

think of all the young women leaving school for college and the parents on a tight budget looking for a car for them. small economical and "cute" sells really well to that crowd. and if you can make it look and perform "sporty" you get a bunch of their male counterparts. of course then there are the rotarygod's of the world who will need to trade that beat old civic eventually and want somethign the same size wiwth good fuel economy.

rx8wannahave

Laugh it off maybe....???

LOL, I'm just messing but since they made the Mazda5 I think they could bring the Mazda2 here and do good with it.

playdoh43

sometimes, or rather, often time, when they make a cheap small car targed toward teens, it ends up being popular for frugal budget minded adults even more so than the teens. Toyota matrix/Pontiac Vibe is one such example.

ASH8

I think Japan 8 should be careful comparing JDM Honda's in particular the domestic Fit (or Jazz in OZ).

The JDM Fit like most small domestic Japanese cars have different suspension ,coil and damper settings (softer) and most often different tyres and options, so there can be quite a difference in ride/handling when compared to export models.

My neighbour has the latest Honda Jazz (FIT) and having driven both the 2004 Mazda 2 (Demio) and his Jazz, they are both good MICRO cars, slightly smaller than the Protégé/Mazda 323, the 2 does have a huge inside rear/cabin interior, particularly when you fold down the rear seats to a flat position.
Both these cars are VERY light weight, in all respects, with NO, I repeat NO room under the bonnet, a mechanics nightmare, so in any minor front end collision the cars are a write off. Being such a small light weight car, safety IMO is very questionable.
I wonder how the Fit would pass your US collision safety regulations, unless you have changed them?.

Here In Australia the Mazda 2 accounts for 9 percent of Mazda Australia Passenger car sales. The Mazda 121 now Mazda 2 has been available here for since 1987/8.
The new Suzuki Swift is even lighter in build weight.
The Toyota Yaris (Vitz) here, formerly ECHO is probably now the class leader, it would be a toss up to the Swift.

zoom44

we take for granted that when japan8 posts his experience he is basing his remarks on the cars he has driven in japan. just as we dont european or Uk posters to be talking about cars that are in the states-unless they specify. that they are set up different for different markets is a given.

as far as crash worthiness im sure this was taken into consideration when choosing to bring them over. we'll have some to compare soon as they are launched here.

the 2 is not just a freshened 121 is it? i thought it was a new chasis and replacement in the segment not just a reskin

ASH8

No mate, the Mazda 2 replaced the Mazda 121, its new fom the ground up, but, mmmm the design (2) is 3-4 years old.

Make that 3 Years old.....

BTW. I personally would not call any Honda made car a POS, in this country they are very highly regarded, I would even go to say that their Quality is slightly better than Mazda....I can't believe I said that...

For memory I think the Honda Fit also won JCOTY in its first year.

bascho

I have no idea how any of these micro cars pass any crash tests. Seriously, I don't know how it is in other countries, but here in the US we have big-*** pick-up trucks and big-*** SUV's. Unless those cars come with ejector seats and parachutes.....I would not want to be inside during any significant accident. I've seen some crash pics of the RX8 and I'm a little worried It doesn't matter how many airbags the car has if the whole dash is pushed into your chest. I don't think the micro cars will do well in the US.....they never have. The mentality here is bigger is safer.

zoom44

the Mini cooper does just fine and it does pretty well in the crash tests

ASH8

I agree with you on that one mate...you guys have some very big and very UGLY sheet metal on your roads, being hit by a big-*** pick up, or limo, or Corvette and almost anything would squash a Mazda 2/ Honda Fit like a bloody pancake!!!

They are VERY light and tinny....a bit like a Coke can really...!!!Come to think of it that's what they are made of...Coke cans...

That's why I said earlier that I don't know how your Federal Regulations would allow such small cars on your BIG roads...

280RX-8

If people would pay attention to what the Hell they were doing while driving it wouldn't be as much of a problem. It seems many people driving those big-*** boats pay the least attention, squawking away on cell-phones, and driving like they own the damn road. I even saw this dumb bitch wave her cell in the air after the guy behind her honked because she was STOPPED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET in her Tahoe/Denali/WETF and was talking. Then she proceeded to pull out in front of traffic. Lovely.

ASH8

I can relate exactly to what you are say mate....

Here, if you are caught using your mobile (sorry, cell) phone, you are given an on the spot fine , I think its now $180.00 AU or about $140.00 US. You are allowed to use "Hands Free" devices in your car.
Here they (police and governments) have gone bloody crazy with speed detection cameras, they are everywhere, fixed and mobile, the bastards park being tress and bushes and on down hill slopes!...
These are our speed limits in my state.
School Zones 25KPH or 15MPH.
Built up area (homes) speed limits are 50 KPH or 30 MPH..
Suburbans roads (say dual lane) 60KPH or 36MPH.
Outer suburban areas 80KPH or 49 MPH.
Country and freeway limits 100KPH or 60MPH! That's the Maximum allowable speed here now.
Get caught doing 10% over the limit and you cop a $200.00 fine,plus.
In my home state if you are caught going over any limits by 45 KPH or more, Immediate loss of licence and a fine.
Alcohol over 0.8 you loose your licences first offence for 12mth and park your car where you are caught, plus $1000.00 fine.
The more times you get caught speeding the more demerit points you lose, 12 points to last you 3 years, once they are gone no drivers licence until next 3 year cycle.

Oh, and any in car speed/radar detection devices are against the law...you can not legally purchase them here.

We even have bloody speed cameras at traffic lights now, that get you if you are going over the speed limit through a green light!, plus the usual red light (stop) cameras....which is OK...It has helped stop red light runners and acidents a lot.

What's it like in Texas....

Japan8

Yeah the design is about 3 years old and just recently had a facelift.

As Zoom44 pointed out I can ONLY compare/make comments on JDM vehicles or old USDM ones from when I lived there. It's a given with my posts.

Honda cars are not regarded at all in Japan. Hardly anyone drives one. You see more Mazda than Honda. IF it wasn't for the US, Honda would have given up the car business and stuck with motorcycles (which I think they should... I hate 99% of their cars). Present Honda lineup is dull to say the least. I'll give the Civic credit for a nice quality interior in Honda's cheapest US model, but that's where it ends. Other than that... i don't see any reason to buy them over a Mazda or especially a Scion. They are boring, slow, ugly, expensive, unreliable (unless you strictly maintain them like oil in a rotary) and more than 90% FWD... I don't see any reason to even vist a Honda/Acura dealer. For me anyway.

Japan8

Sounds like a police state. That sucks... although I can relate.

No traffic light cameras (yet) and the number of police hiding/patrolling with radar guns is few, but getting worse. We can use radar detectors and on the highway it is mostly just radar gun/camera towers... so motorbikes always speed and don't get caught. Well unless they arrive someplace too soon... you get a ticket getting on that says when and where (like the US turnpike) and you turn it in to pay tolls when you get off. If you arrive too early the cops come and give you a ticket.

Speed limits...
80 km/h on many highways, 100 km/h on others
50 km/h in the city
30 km/h in neighborhoods
There are no school zones

- 30km/h over the limit is 15,000 yen fine
31 km/h - ? (50km/h maybe) is 50,000 yen fine, court and driving school or 30 days license suspension
Insane speeds (220km/h in 80km/h zone or 120km/h in 50km/h zone) is 120,000 yen and 3 month license suspension, plus court and driving school.

illegal parking is a 15,000 yen ticket and 1 point on your license

DUI is 300,000 yen fine and a visit to court. Of course your license is suspended for a year. Each passenger is also fined the same amount as well. BTW... the legal limit for BAL in Japan is zero.

ASH8

I give you Honda cars are mostly DULL, like here in OZ they tend to appeal more to the older conservative market/owners, some of that has to do with price too, like Mazda Australia, they are taking us for a ride with the Retail price of their cars....

Many times Honda have won customer reliability surveys here and in the UK...the S2000 won Top Gears 2005 Award.

About speeding fines, I forgot to mention that the 10% over the speed limit limit is just really a public guess as no one (except Cops) will really tell you what they set their fixed and mobile cameras at... You can get a speeding fine in the post for doing 63KMH in a 60 Zone!!!!, they will send you a FREE picture of your car if you request one, or you just pay the fine!, or, you can challenge it in court, if you lose, you pay a levy(tax) and court costs, about 50% more than the fine.

I forgot to mention, we have the cops using the usual hand held (hair dryer) speed guns, but most of the mobile fines come from unmarked every day looking cars parked at the side of the road, with a guy crouched in the back seat having a siesta, mostly you know you have just driven past one when you look back and see the small "Flash" light mounted on the bumper...Oh and then a portable sign they chain to a post 200 metres past the camera car saying "You have just passed a speed detection camera...blah blah blah"....so if you have gone over the limit ...expect a fine in the mail....these cars are bloody everywhere...

The government is DRUNK on the F..king revenue ($$millions) every week.

So, now you have everyone driving with one eye on the road the other on their Speedo!..great for safety....
I have heard of fines 2KS over the limit!!!!,,,,what about your cars SPEEDO ERROR!!!, which can be as much as 10% up or down!!!

IT SUCKS!!

GEE...a $2500.00AU fine for DUI, and the passengers cop one too!!! F**K,
Zero tolerance....it's slowly changing here too, up to 0.5 is a fine, over 0.8 like I said earlier.... thats in my state, it changes slightly in the eastern states, but similar. I don't drink and drive....
OH....forgot to tell you, now there are also on the spot fines about to happen for DRUG Driving, saliver swabs for Grass and meth (speed), just about to come into law....
They are now even talking about banning smoking in cars...because of bush fire risks (butts)...on the spot fines...like cell phones...!!

SOON you wont be able to fart....

MikeW

Upgrade the Mazda3. Drop the weak 2.3 engine. Only the 2.0 coupled to a 6 speed automatic, or a 6 speed manual.