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I agree - Mazda should reinvigorate the zoom-zoom mantra with something more modern. Mazdaspeed in some form should return. All the desired marques have their AMG and M - even Kia/Hyundai.
My wife is potentially interested in picking up the 100th anniversary 3. We personally need to check the quality on the final 'fit and finish' before committing to anything. Unfortunately as stated above, the brand isn't exciting in any form today, nor are they particularly luxurious by comparison and she's used to having Swedish and German comforts. From an aesthetic pov I think it looks very nice although over priced for what it is imo since new car sales essentially have tanked and it's a buyers market.
Mazda doesn't seem to really know where they want to go with their marketing, which is a problem given they are a small brand.
Completely agree - and they are missing the Mazda 3 (Mazdaspeed) crowd. A family friend who is on their 3rd Marda 3 - said what's the point...no MT with power.
While not a 'true' speed, they've piqued my interest and AT isn't necessarily the deal breaker for me. I figure if you're looking for a real sporting experience you'll pick the Miata or shop elsewhere. Sad fact is that the 'Mazdaspeed' forum shut down at the beginning of this year and activity had been slowing dying for years.
I low-key dry heave every time I see, read or hear any of their modern adverts. Long gone are the days with fun 'zoom-zoom' commercials.
Last edited by Federighi; 04-07-2022 at 09:04 PM.
Reason: typo
While not a 'true' speed, they've piqued my interest and AT isn't necessarily the deal breaker for me. I figure if you're looking for a real sporting experience you'll pick the Miata or shop elsewhere. Sad fact is that the 'Mazdaspeed' forum shut down at the beginning of this year and activity had been slowing dying for years.
I low-key dry heave every time I see, read or hear any of their modern adverts. Long gone are the days with fun 'zoom-zoom' commercials. Hope they find a compass soon.
Today Mazda is a brand for soccer moms and npc's. But hey, a gig's a gig and I can't knock them for selling what they can, even if it isn't what I'd typically consume.
Well, I think it takes more than an NPC to buy a Mazda since they are actually more expensive than their competitors. While I wouldn't call the car full on luxury, the interior is pretty pleasant while the exterior styling is attractive.
In the engine department, Mazda is currently more leaning towards efficiency over sporty. I think the 2.5T definitely has some potential there.
But if you like Japanese cars, Mazda styling has always been good imo. Their interiors on the other hand are a different story (borderline tchotchke) and from what I see every time I drop by Oak Tree, it has only gotten worse. Everyone is so busy copying German everything and even Hyundai is doing a better job in many aspects of their brand and market space imo.
I personally don't feel you need power to have something which you can enjoy driving spiritedly and think the gentleman's agreement (while not the most strictly adhered to) was a wonderful thing. Totally agree with efficiency over sports for the win.
But if you like Japanese cars, Mazda styling has always been good imo. Their interiors on the other hand are a different story (borderline tchotchke) and from what I see every time I drop by Oak Tree, it has only gotten worse. Everyone is so busy copying German everything and even Hyundai is doing a better job in many aspects of their brand and market space imo.
I personally don't feel you need power to have something which you can enjoy driving spiritedly and think the gentleman's agreement (while not the most strictly adhered to) was a wonderful thing. Totally agree with efficiency over sports for the win.
I dunno, I like the interior of my buddy's Mazda 6 GT. Even the RX-8 interior isn't too shabby IMO. Then again, I might be biased since I have a Chevy now. Never a huge interior person myself.
I agree you don't need that much power to have fun on public roads, but even then not a lot of Mazda engines are not really that sporty in terms of characteristics. The 2.5T, as it is right now, is very diesel-like which is good for DD but it runs out of steam at around 5k RPM. This is the same company that was able to create a sequential turbo for rotaries. Let's see if they can tune it to be more sporty.
Either have the performance to overlook certain un-sporty characteristics (Chevy small blocks are classic examples), or you would have to make it revvy and be able to hold the torque well at higher revs.
Hyundai is marketing with their value and warranty. At least they have something that really stands out. Mazda? Not seeing it.
My lady went from a 2016 Mazda CX9 Signature to a 2019 CX9 Signature. We love the interior of it and its pretty durable in terms of holding up against 2 dogs and a baby. TBH, i was very impressed with the CX9, how great it drives, the amount of usable power and how well the fit and finish is across the entire car. In my area, there have been a lot more CX9's popping up as well as a bunch more Mazda's which is a great sight to see. i do adore my 2017 Mazda MX5 RF but its a miata, cannot expect to many crazy things in a miata.
As i was reading this thread, i noticed the talk about a touchscreen. To be totally honest, between my lady and myself, we had a 2007 Mazdaspeed 6, 2009 Mazda 6, 2014 Mazda 6, and a 2016 CX9, we barely used the touch screen at all. Once we had the 2014 and up Mazda's, we had no reason to use the touchscreen with the center **** giving us full access while driving. For us, losing a touchscreen is no big deal. I have a lot of friends who own BMW's and they never use their touchscreen as well. I'm old school so i prefer buttons and ***** over touchscreen galore and from my experience with Tesla, it reinforced that notion.
But i agree with many points, i would just hope that Mazda stays focus on a specific goal, the upmarket approach in my opinion was pretty genius, especially against competitors like Honda and Toyota, you will not outsell those vehicles and would barely compete, the move upmarket decreases competition and by keeping your vehicles dynamic, sporty and intuitive for the driver, it differentiates you from competition like Infinity, Acura and Lexus. I do agree a halo car is needed, a low volume extremely expensive car that only hardcore people would buy but also helps sell the brand.. "this is what we can do and we will bring that tech to our fleet" kind of thing. Just like what Lexus did with the LFA ( i love that car). Just my 2 cents on it.
When I was 20 living 'within my means' meant driving Mazda. Now that I'm near 40, there are not only more options available but an ocean of information as well. I understand appreciating what you have, I had to grow up that way. In all fairness if I were to make a comparison, it's like having a Kindle when you want an iPad. Too harsh?
Now if I had family to consider and keep safe, I would 100% own a Volvo again. It will save your life. Definitely would not have survived my own accident if I were in my 2012 Speed3, regardless of the 5star Edmond's rating it received. Drunk driver in a Jeep suv at night, wrong way, no head lights. The focus of Volvo is to make safe vehicles, which I hoped was the primary goal of every automotive manufacturer but it's not. Personally the only thing I'm concerned with in a street car today, is to have full confidence in the 3000+lb tube that travels at 65+mph. We live with a lot of false security if 2020 hasn't already demonstrated that. And be very aware that older cars will absolutely NOT hold up in an accident, drive with an extra degree of caution.
As far as the return of a halo Mazda, that'd be way cool but I'm not seeing it. Even if they re-introduced a sporty 2 seater in the $50-65k range the competition is steep and battle proven. Wtf is Mazda going say other than 'we won a real race back in 1991' followed by an army of kids talking about spinning Dorito's. Anyone with that kind of equity isn't even going to consider the brand; I'm pretty sure I mentioned this in my 'Love Letter to Mazda' thread.
Take a few moments to review the content of these below, well worth it I promise.
Volvo is known for safety. My lady is actually leaning towards a Tesla which in terms of safety is definitely great. Though fit and finish can be improved greatly. Haha.
Yes they are. I wouldn't still be alive without them and a talented Stanford medical staff. Volvo's philosophy is public safety over personal gain. The creation of the 3-point seat belt could arguably be the most important automotive invention ever imo. Check out SIPS, WHIPS, RSC, EVA initiative, etc. We've all heard the saying 'the proof is in the pudding' and if you've never been in a serious accident, it's time for a wake up call.
Haha! Tesla fit and finish def need attention and personally, you couldn't pay me to drive / own one. Many reasons, primarily demographic. I was there for the fatal Tesla accident on 101S / 85W, I do NOT consider them safe.
For the most part, safety adds weight and cost, which doesn't exactly play nice to anyone driving a sports car and/or is budget-consious.
I mean, Corvettes don't even have IIHS crash ratings. Doesn't bother me, and didn't stop me from getting a C7. Neither does RX-8 or MX-5. Didn't stop people from buying those, either.
IMO it's roll of the dice, really. If someone crashes into me on a highway head-on, a Volvo just means my body will be a bit more recognizable.
Personally I value handling, braking, acceleration, etc. I want to be able to get out of the harm's way rather than get into the harm and hope for the best. That's what I consider a safe car. Sports cars tend to tick these boxes better than SUVs.
Last edited by UnknownJinX; 10-19-2020 at 01:23 PM.
Personally I value handling, braking, acceleration, etc. I want to be able to get out of the harm's way rather than get into the harm and hope for the best. That's what I consider a safe car. Sports cars tend to tick these boxes better than SUVs.
Mazda doesn't currently produce a sports car so I'm afraid that doesn't apply. A turbo 4-cyl 5door will be considered a 'hot-hatch' if anything and let's stray away from excuses for hairdressers.
I couldn't agree more that driving on public roads is a 'roll of the dice.' When I used to ride sport bikes, I understood very well that I was putting my life into danger each ride. Saying you value handling, braking, etc more than X, Y, Z is a cop out imo. Every car does everything well today and all products are a compromise of function / form. Automotive performance standards have been taken to completely new heights and today a modern Camry would destroy an older (pre2010) thoroughbred sports car.
Not familiar with PoleStar? I can personally get behind what Volvo is doing much more than Mazda. Volvo = passion for safety, innovation, some kind of future. That's awesome I'm there. Mazda = not rotary, selling soccer mom vehicles, nothing new??? That's one sad 100th anniversary party if you asked me.
Volvo's philosophy is public safety over personal gain.
You don't actually believe that, do you?
If that was actually their philosophy wouldn't their cars be the least expensive in the automotive world, in order to ensure that EVERYONE could afford a new Volvo, so that EVERYONE could be safe on the road?
They are a premium luxury car company, and their safety bias is an additional selling feature, not their primary goal.
Haha! Tesla fit and finish def need attention and personally, you couldn't pay me to drive / own one. Many reasons, primarily demographic. I was there for the fatal Tesla accident on 101S / 85W, I do NOT consider them safe.
Additional comment to you on the accident you posted the video of:
This Tesla driver, along with the one who drove under a tractor trailer and was decapitated, are morons who were NOT IN CONTROL OF THEIR VEHICLE.
This specific idiot kept driving down the same stretch of road, with all sorts of issues with the pavement markings, while using the self driving feature, WHILE KNOWING THAT IT IS FLAWED IN THIS SPECIFIC SECTION OF ROAD, and eventually decided not to prevent the very accident that lead to his death after multiple near misses previously.
You can't keep doing the same thing and expect different results without any changes being made.
Was he planning on having a small accident so that he could sue Tesla, and then the accident was way more severe that he anticipated?
You don't drive head on into a cement road divider at full on highway speed and survive, Tesla, Volvo, or otherwise.
In 2008 I bought both my 40th Anniversary Edition RX8 and my Mazdaspeed3 GT. It was kick to choose which one to drive , depending on my mood. I still have the RX8, my seventh rotary engine Mazda since 1973. I sold the Mazdaspeed 3 GT due to economic issues at the time, but I miss its *****-out torque and acceleration, especially after I had it modified to over 310 HP and over 330 ft-lbs of torque. The RX8 could outhandle the Speed3 GT, but that hot hatch could out accelerate the RX8 and had a higher top speed.
We all wish this new turbo hatch was another Speed3, but Mazda doesn't want to get all the way there again.
For those in the know, yes Speed3 GT did NOT come with a factory moonroof. I had one put in by my dealer before delivery.
Cheers
Last edited by gwilliams6; 10-21-2020 at 04:32 PM.
Gwilliams- Your shot inspired me and I finally got around to taking a quick pic while warming up the Speed before heading out yesterday. I've been meaning to take a picture like yours above for some time now. One day I supposed I'll learn / actually take good pictures, you never know and I have a less than ideal storage situation at my current apt.
'06 RX-8 but thinking of getting '21 Mazda3 AWD turbo GT
My beloved 2006 RX-8 AT has only about 53k miles but recently compression-tested at borderline OK, meaning it could soon see noticeable power loss from advanced apex seal deterioration. But vintage 8's are still in demand among fanboys, so I think I could get maybe nearly $5k in sale, or decent trade-in value on a new Mazda. The Mx-5 is just too small for my tastes, as much as I'd like a convertible. I drove a Mercedes SLC300 but it seemed too weighty/bloated vs. RX-8's legendary poise and handling (even though the SLC300 is substantially smaller). I'm now intrigued by the 2021 Mazda3 GT turbo AWD w/250hp/320fp torque, which is getting raves from test drivers (if Youtube clips can be trusted).
I drove stick shift plenty in my youth but as an old man, I know that clutching/shifting unavoidably is highly overrated by wanna-be Andrettis. Comfort, soft-leather touches, newer tech, and precise handling with sufficient power are my preferences now. I think I'd choose the Mazda3 sedan vs hatchback as the sedan actually has more trunk room and much better rear-view visibility (vs. hatch's thick pillars). Otherwise, they're the same car. And I'd pay the same for a new one as I would for an SLC300 w/25k-30k miles.
Why so much hand-wringing here about Mazda's supposedly lame marketing? You gotta play with the hand you're dealt. Or find a new game. What Mazda's dealing now is smart design, build quality, reliability, and a step up to near "luxury" with interior finishes and smarter tech. Just sayin'
My beloved 2006 RX-8 AT has only about 53k miles but recently compression-tested at borderline OK, meaning it could soon see noticeable power loss from advanced apex seal deterioration. But vintage 8's are still in demand among fanboys, so I think I could get maybe nearly $5k in sale, or decent trade-in value on a new Mazda. The Mx-5 is just too small for my tastes, as much as I'd like a convertible. I drove a Mercedes SLC300 but it seemed too weighty/bloated vs. RX-8's legendary poise and handling (even though the SLC300 is substantially smaller). I'm now intrigued by the 2021 Mazda3 GT turbo AWD w/250hp/320fp torque, which is getting raves from test drivers (if Youtube clips can be trusted).
I drove stick shift plenty in my youth but as an old man, I know that clutching/shifting unavoidably is highly overrated by wanna-be Andrettis. Comfort, soft-leather touches, newer tech, and precise handling with sufficient power are my preferences now. I think I'd choose the Mazda3 sedan vs hatchback as the sedan actually has more trunk room and much better rear-view visibility (vs. hatch's thick pillars). Otherwise, they're the same car. And I'd pay the same for a new one as I would for an SLC300 w/25k-30k miles.
Why so much hand-wringing here about Mazda's supposedly lame marketing? You gotta play with the hand you're dealt. Or find a new game. What Mazda's dealing now is smart design, build quality, reliability, and a step up to near "luxury" with interior finishes and smarter tech. Just sayin'
Not sure how much you can get out of an automatic RX-8 by selling it, just saying. Transmission could make a big difference in terms of demand for this car. Might be a rare case where trading in makes more sense. Best of luck with the sale, if you are selling it.
As far as weight and handling goes, I have to say that it depends on the situation, and RX-8 is a 17-year-old platform at this point. Driving a Camaro SS 1LE now(which is bigger and heavier), I would say lightweight and nimbleness matters more on AutoX than a track. Lighter is better, of course, but there are many tricks nowadays to bend the physics a bit. On the track, I really don't feel like the Camaro is a heavy car. From my understanding, Mercedes in general are also not exactly known to make the sportiest chassis.
As for the Mazda3, I think it's definitely more luxurious than sporty as well. If you are just daily driving around then the 2.5T is plenty, just don't actually put it up against proper hot hatches like a Golf R or Veloster N. Mazda powertrain is made more for reliability and daily driving, not performance. Engine aside, the 6AT also gets shredded by the 8-speed DCT you find in the two hot hatches. It's also kind of an old design by now(~7 years old). The Golf R costs a lot more while Veloster N has a cheap-looking interior and will be less comfortable(the suspension is pretty stiff) from what I have heard, so there are also tradeoffs.
Hand-wringing happens with other brands that are going luxury as well. Just look at how harsh old BMW fans are against newer BMW. Of course, Mazda performance fans are gonna be disappointed when you used to make a 1.3T rotary that's capable of more horsepower than a 2.5T inline-4 and kill off Mazdaspeed. At least BMW is keeping their M division.
07-12-2020, 12:39 PM
