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Hatchbacks Mazda3 Mazdaspeed3 vs. VW V GTI vs. Civic Si
1379 messages, Last post on Oct 01, 2009 at 10:54 AM
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What can I say, Tony, but I agree with you. Regarding the German-Japanese circle, Mazda openly cites BMW as their model; just consider the latest badging (e.g. BMW 3 series, Mazda 3). To my eyes, the Protege5 (my car) is a variant of the VW Golf (omnipresent on the streets of Montreal, my home town). I believe the VW Golf used to be the top small car in Quebec (that little piece of Europe in North America) until it was displaced by the Mazda3. Some of the dire business reports about VW (e.g. major loss of sales in 2004, poor showing of the Phaeton, poor reliability ratings esp. the Touareg, offshore quality concerns, etc.) make me wonder about its future. |
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Replying to: 600kgolfgt (Apr 17, 2005 4:30 pm) Furthermore, I wasn't trying to deny that the Germans have created quality automobiles over the last few decades. I was pointing out however that stating that Germans are automotive pioneers and Japanese brands merely improve on German designs is a tad bit short sighted. You can make a great case any of the 3 countries playing "the role of automotive pioneers" for the reasons cited in the previous post. Lastly, I will concede that the GTI seems like a drastic improvement over the previous generation and will be fun to drive. I do however believe that if the Mazdaspeed3 gets the rumored 220 hp turbocharged 2.3L, it will definitely give the GTI a run for its money. But we will just have to wait for that battle. Sorry for "taking the argument a bit too personal"
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Replying to: biggus3 (Apr 18, 2005 12:42 am) The Japanese, European and Korean automakers are prime examples of an engineering-oriented corporate culture (most of their top managers come from engineering backgrounds) - so we can expect the bulk of innovation to come from these circles. So I expect Mazda and VW (despite its current problems) will be in the game for years to come. The bean-counting, marketing-oriented corporate culture of the Big Three has somewhat stifled their innovation by focusing on high profit pickup trucks and SUVs (especially in the case of GM) and ceding the rest of the car market to the Europeans, Japanese and Koreans - resulting in the lessening interest in their products and slowly dwindling market share. Therefore, I prefer to buy my automobiles from companies (and/or countries) with an engineering-oriented philosophy. |
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Excellent points! biggus3: You can make a great case any of the 3 countries playing "the role of automotive pioneers" for the reasons cited in the previous post. The reality is that auto manufactures are no longer national, and hence do not represent a particular "country". We all know it's not unusual for an auto manufacturer to have headquarters in Japan, designers from Italy, assembly in Kentucky and a world salesforce to be called a global firm. The result: incredible machines brought out by the best from each area. Its an F1 world. 600kgolfgt: The bean-counting, marketing-oriented corporate culture of the Big Three has somewhat stifled their innovation by focusing on high profit pickup trucks and SUVs (especially in the case of GM) and ceding the rest of the car market to the Europeans, Japanese and Koreans - resulting in the lessening interest in their products and slowly dwindling market share. I'm glad you added "somewhat" above as I think GM's skateboard is an amazing feat of engineering. Also, their venture into fuel cell technology, in effect leap frogging hybrid technology, leaves me salivating for some practical applications. The problem with GM seems to be that not enough baby steps are preceding this giant leap, so a lot is riding on the vision. The Honda Accord Hybrid proves that a large firm can create a more fuel efficent and more powerful machine accessible to a wide audience that is more than insight. Let's all hope GM pulls it off.
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Replying to: autonomous (Apr 18, 2005 4:12 am) 
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Replying to: 600kgolfgt (Apr 18, 2005 3:20 am) Is there anyone considering either the MazdaSpeed3 or 2006 GTI? |
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Replying to: josh28 (Apr 19, 2005 3:27 pm) |
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Replying to: josh28 (Apr 19, 2005 3:27 pm) Do you think they'll take a similar styling approach as they did with the MS6? Specifically, leave out the gaping hood scoop and tall spoiler? I hope they do, and make it look better than the MS6 with its disproportionately large front end. Speaking of styling, are there any spy photos or artists' rendering of the MS3? |
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Saw that edmunds is now reporting the 258 hp Mazdaspeed 3. Great googly-moogly., I've been lamenting the fact that nothing is exciting me for when I return my 330i in May of 06. And since the day I saw the Mazda3, I've commented that it needs a Mazdapseed makeover. Well here it comes!!! Weird that edmunds says sub 6 second 0-60. Uh, the car weighs 2800 lbs. Even if AWD is 400 lbs, why would it be so slow? My porky 235 hp 330i gets to 60 in under 6 seconds. Weird.
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Replying to: blueguydotcom (Apr 21, 2005 8:36 am)
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