When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
There are also less dealers across the US that sell Mazdas than other brands.
You can't sell a car to someone who lives in Buttfuck Nowhere if the nearest dealer is 300+ miles away.
Being a smaller company, Mazda's value(what's offered for the price) will be less since there is less economy of the scale to leverage off(the more you make something, the cheaper it is to make each one), and Mazda also sometimes spend money on what you can't see.
Regarding the torsion beam, meh, whatever. If that means the rear seats are not just slightly better than a Mustang/Camaro, that's a welcoming change. I haven't sat in the rear seats of a new 3 before, but the last-gen 3 was definitely tighter than a Civic. Maybe someone can shed more light on that. Anecdotal evidence tells me neither a 3 or a Kia(save for maybe the Stinger) will show up at an Autocross, so I don't see the big deal other than "it sounds cheap".
And I agree with some of the comments on YouTube, you have to be drunk to think the Kia is prettier than the 3. The Kia will easily blend in if you have a last-gen Ford Focus parked near it. Korean cars are taking off now, but in terms of looks, Mazda is difficult to parallel.
Sadly the Civic is a better car than the 3 - I agree with most everything C&D said in their article after taking both for a spin. then Finances and Budget common sense kicked in and I bought a Honda Fit LX (no options) for the basic Family car needs.
in the end you have to build a better car - not to C&D's specs - but to the User Requirements (UR) you develop as criteria. Getting the UR right is 90% of the battle in developing the best product. Sometimes URs are stupid - "looks expensive (Apple)" - but even though Apple's iPhone isn't an overall better product - they nailed the URs for the consumer and gained higher market share.
if you ask me, I felt like on that test drive that the Civic was a better drivers car - rating the Civic an A- vs. Mazda 3 at a B+. Due to Finances in the next few years' I thought that $USD 25-30K was simply too much for a daily driver/Family car when the Fit LX OOD was $17000.
in the end you have to build a better car - not to C&D's specs - but to the User Requirements (UR) you develop as criteria. Getting the UR right is 90% of the battle in developing the best product. Sometimes URs are stupid - "looks expensive (Apple)" - but even though Apple's iPhone isn't an overall better product - they nailed the URs for the consumer and gained higher market share.
I read this article when I bought the C&D magazine at the airport once. Grabbed it mostly for the C8 Corvette reveal, LOL, but this is a fun read as well.
Regarding the UR, appealing to the mass might not work well for Mazda. Again, Mazda is not at the same capacity as Honda or Toyota - cars will always cost more for Mazda to make versus Honda or Toyota due to less economy of the scale. There are fewer cars to spread out the R&D cost. Trying to head into a war on price with Honda and Toyota is pretty much suicide for Mazda.
They need to find a dedicated audience they appeal to, and stick with it. That's smaller companies survive.
Not to get off topic but the Corvette is a fantastic drivers car and bargain [for those with only 2-seat needs]. I ended up with my RX8 only because: I needed 3 passenger seats, Porsche anything costs way to much to maintain and own and 2 seats for most, and the Mazda seemed a bargain vs. the BMW sedan options at the time (again MT). Mazda RX-8 IS A FANTASTIC DRIVERS CAR and 4 seats. If Mazda can repeat the URs with another "sedan" they have a winner.
Not to get off topic but the Corvette is a fantastic drivers car and bargain [for those with only 2-seat needs]. I ended up with my RX8 only because: I needed 3 passenger seats, Porsche anything costs way to much to maintain and own and 2 seats for most, and the Mazda seemed a bargain vs. the BMW sedan options at the time (again MT). Mazda RX-8 IS A FANTASTIC DRIVERS CAR and 4 seats. If Mazda can repeat the URs with another "sedan" they have a winner.
I know, and with the C8 out, there is a lot of good deals going around.
That said, the newer Camaro w/1LE track package is a great car as well, and the track package is available on all 4 engine options(what it includes do differ depending on the engine, though). The newer GM Alpha platform is excellent from what I have heard and read, and Camaro SS 1LE can give a C7 Z51 a run for its money on a track. The Camaro has back seats as well, not very big but enough for small children. It's less of a pony car and more of a sports car now.
I was talking to a local dealer and they informed me that all 2020 Corvettes in Canada has already been sold. Not that I am able to afford one, but still.
Anyway, yeah, if Mazda has the money, maybe they should make something like an RX-8 again. Stretch the ND a bit/dust off the RX-8 blueprint, put a bigger engine in it and it could be something.
Last edited by UnknownJinX; 04-09-2020 at 05:23 PM.
Porsche anything costs way to much to maintain and own and 2 seats for most.
Just depends on if you work on the car yourself, or if you pay others to do the work for you.
I certainly wouldn't be able to afford all of my various vehicles if I had to pay a dealer to do all the various maintenance items, that's for sure.
I also have no idea who charges more per hour, the Porsche Dealer, or the Ducati dealer.
Just depends on if you work on the car yourself, or if you pay others to do the work for you.
I certainly wouldn't be able to afford all of my various vehicles if I had to pay a dealer to do all the various maintenance items, that's for sure.
I also have no idea who charges more per hour, the Porsche Dealer, or the Ducati dealer.
BC.
Even if you do everything yourself, European car parts likely will cost more, and usually they are less DIY friendly than an American/Japanese car.
I might be a bit prejudiced but that's what I have learned...
Even if you do everything yourself, European car parts likely will cost more, and usually they are less DIY friendly than an American/Japanese car.
I might be a bit prejudiced but that's what I have learned...
Depends on the parts.
If you're going all OEM, there are some sources out there for the Germans that make it really economical for wear parts. https://www.fcpeuro.com/page/lifetime-guarantee
I mean, buy brake pads and rotors, ignition coils, spark plugs, oil filters, etc, and you get free replacements forever afterwards.
You just CAN'T beat that, at all.
Depends on the parts.
If you're going all OEM, there are some sources out there for the Germans that make it really economical for wear parts. https://www.fcpeuro.com/page/lifetime-guarantee
I mean, buy brake pads and rotors, ignition coils, spark plugs, oil filters, etc, and you get free replacements forever afterwards.
You just CAN'T beat that, at all.
Can you do the same with Mazda, Ford, or Toyota?
BC.
Being that I am in Canada, the shipping can become a bit of a hassle and expensive (especially with things like brake rotors which are somewhat big and heavy) to the US. But otherwise yeah, it seems like they are a good deal.
Have you tried it to make sure it's legit? The old adage of "If it's too good to be true, it probably is" comes to mind, especially if they say it doesn't matter who install it. And do their parts cost more to make up for the fact that they have to keep sending you replacements?
Edit: some forums say it's legit. Interesting.
Last edited by UnknownJinX; 04-10-2020 at 01:20 PM.
04-09-2020, 02:01 AM
