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Sedans Honda Civic Honda Civic vs Toyota Corolla vs Mazda3
879 messages, Last post on Nov 25, 2008 at 2:57 PM
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Replying to: steve333 (Sep 25, 2007 9:32 pm) Neither than Cobalt or the Elantra are in the league with the 3, Civic or Corolla. They are both competent, but noisier, less refined, more NVH in general. They're in a different class, and the resale value bears that out. As for longevity, the Elantra beats the Cobalt, I'm afraid. YMMV, but having driven them all extensively, that's my opinion.
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Replying to: nvbanker (Jan 06, 2008 8:56 pm) Personally, I like to drive, and I would gladly give up a few MPGs for a car that handles well and has pep, like the Cobalt. It is also noted for its quiet cabin by the way. As for the Civic, I never got to drive the new model, only the previous one which the Cobalt was a lot better than. I assume from the reviews that it handles well and finally has adequate power. I will take their word for it but the dashboard is a major turn off. The best car of the bunch in my opnion is the Mazda 3. I was in the market for a recent used car and couldn't find a 3 to buy so I went with the Cobalt. You couldn't pay me to drive a Corolla.
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Replying to: steve333 (Jan 06, 2008 9:54 pm) The Cobalt was a major disappointment and I have to say that it reminded me of the Cavalier with a little better interior and a little less comfort. It is a very noisy vehicle. Before I bought one of those, I would have bought the 2nd generation Malibu which handles well despite the blandness of the interior. The Mazda 3 was a tight fit for this driver and the mpg was always under 30 mpg which was a real disappointment for a vehicle that small. I drove three of them and they all seemed a lot different. The Corolla is nothing very exciting but the vehicle was quiet and the drive fairly pleasant. |
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Replying to: nvbanker (Jan 06, 2008 8:56 pm) refinement: 1. Elantra...it seemed more refined than the Civic and much more so than the 3. Don't mistake refinement for a "sporty" feel. The engine was dead smooth and quiet at idle.It rode and drove more smoothly and quietly inside than either, especially the Civic, which is like a "go-cart" on the bumps and in steering feel (twitch the steering wheel and off you go in another direction). 2. Mazda 3 rode better than the Civic but the model we rented (must have been the bottom model) had no sound insulation and riding in the rear seat sounded like the rear tires were in my lap with every thump and bump in the road and every rear suspension action magnified by the 'echo chamber" trunk and wheel well...noisy to the max!!! 3. we own the Civic and it is a taunt, noisy car. Tire (road) noise and wind noise compete with suspension noise and I don't know which is worse. The engine is fairly quiet at idle though. talking longevity...probably any of them (with proper maintainence) will last as long as anyone would care to own them. They are in different "perceived" classes and for the life of me I cannot understand why the Civic is thought to be so special nor why the Elantra is always an "also ran". I have no strong opinion about the Mazda one way or the other but probably won't be buying one if I buy another car in this class. |
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Prefer the Civic to anything out there now and I've driven them all. Think the 3 comes in at 2nd place but since we own the "S" model, the car accelerates much better and seemlessly with nothing felt between shifts. Personally, love the two-tiered dash as one's eyes don't leave the road and after about an hour with the car, became a non issue. The daughter will be looking for her 1st car this fall and she's already mentioned the Elantra as her choice. Of course we'll have her try everything from the Aveo and Accent up through the Civic. She's a new driver in many respects, so she'll get what drives the best and is the most comfortable...and what her budget can allow. Should be interesting to see what she finally ends up with in the end. Time will tell. But I still love my Civic and for what's out there, the wife still prefers her 3s. The Sandman 
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Mazda3 won again! Granted your priorities might differ, but I always enjoy a little validation. I just rolled over 2,000 miles in my new 2008 3i Touring, and love it. The steering is just perfect. The gas mileage gets a little better on each tank, recently did very close to 34 mpg. Granted I've managed to avoid heavy traffic lately (going into the office pretty early), and have been driving like a grandpa (never over the 65 mph speed limit) just to see how high I can get it. I'm very satisfied so far.
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Replying to: ahightower (Jan 09, 2008 8:36 pm) Im also curious how much you paid for it. Thanks. |
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| I certainly agree with the comments about suspension, tire & road noise on the Civic. Especially in the rear seat, it's nearly deafening. | |
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Replying to: sandman46 (Jan 07, 2008 6:36 am)
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Replying to: gene2 (Jan 10, 2008 6:17 am) Did you happen to see the notation "2005-08 models mfg. after Aug. 2004 without side airbags" in reference to the Mazda3? This is a major problem as to the rating on this car, it has not been tested with the same equipment as others in its class. How is that a fair comparison?
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