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Hatchbacks Mazda3 Mazda3 2.3 vs. '07 VW Rabbit
389 messages, Last post on Apr 17, 2009 at 12:40 PM
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Replying to: gti1999 (Jul 28, 2007 10:37 pm) The Japanese are not strictly "copy cats", but, they are perfectionists. It is just their culture to be perfect. I do not think the Germans invented VV-T or hybrid technology, did they? Last I knew, the Japanese did. With regards to the Mazda 3 its a great car, but it only hands sharper because it might not have all the stability control stuff thats on the Rabbit and thus feels sportier The Mazda3 does have stability control (Mazda3 s). It handled better because it has a more aggressive suspension set up. Personly its hard to choose between them one has more quility and class and the other more reliability and less cost. The VW has definalty stepped it up, in regards to build quality. The older VW's were not that great.
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Replying to: aviboy97 (Jul 30, 2007 11:20 am) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Variable_valve_timing And Europeans and Americans pioneered hybrid cars, also: http://www.hybridcars.com/history/history-of-hybrid-vehicles.html |
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Replying to: backy (Jul 30, 2007 1:40 pm) My wife and I have been dedicated VW fans. In fact at 170,000 miles - the '97 Jetta needed to be replaced. Naturally we went into the VW dealer all set to but another Jetta or Rabbit. But... during the various test-drives - my wife had become very discouraged. to quote her: "what did they do to this car? It's too big, to squishy, and flat out too boring!" She went so far as to compare it to her dad's 2006 Chevy Impala! We were kinda stuck. She doesn't like the Toyota, Nissan, and Honda products. BMW way out of our price range. We eventually found ourselves taking the 2007 Mazda 3 S for a test spin. As she put it: "it drives the way a Jetta is supposed to drive, FUN!" Done deal. The Mazda has great road feel which inspires confidence. And the fit and finish is superior to the new Vdubs. Great value too! Who would've guessed that Mazda would take over the mantra of "Drivers Wanted." |
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Replying to: zante64 (Jul 30, 2007 9:37 pm) 
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Replying to: zante64 (Jul 30, 2007 9:37 pm) on this site, much is a biased opinion. but saying that any japanese interior in the jetta/rabbit pricerange is better than a current jetta or rabbit IS wrong. honda makes a great interior, as does mazda. if anything their interiors are 'on par' or at least 'sportier' looking than a current vee dub. But to say that its superior? nope. sorry pal. just not true. a 97 jetta? i can see someone preferring the STYLING, as i have many buddies who do...but none of them rave about its superiority in driving over a newer jetta....actually, the mk3 generation was targeted for being the most dumbed down version of any sporiting vw.... your wife truly has a strange concept of what 'fun' is. EVERY auto manufacturers cars have increased in weight...you think that the mazda protege weighed as much as your 3 does now? i do agree that the jetta should have been what the 3 is now...but its still a great handler and its not worlds behind the 3. and the rabbit is EVEN BETTER, and only just behind the 3. don't worry, vw still has plenty of drivers. 
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Replying to: eldaino (Aug 01, 2007 10:03 am) |
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Replying to: eldaino (Aug 01, 2007 10:03 am) And yes of course, there is a huge subjective aspect to all this. Please keep in mind that we've been VW fans for a very long time. I grew up with them. (my earliest memories are sleeping in the small storage area behind the rear seats of our '66 bug as a kid) Also, We had never been fond of the various Japanese makes. (Mazda included). It was a very difficult decision to NOT continue with VW. I will also say that it's very difficult to ignore the "rumors" of reliability problems when during the test-drive of two different brand new VW models from two seperate dealers - both had the "check engine" light on during the test drives. My harshest words are borne in large part by my sad disappoinment with the direction of VW in the "affordable fun to drive" car segment. It seems that the "Drivers Wanted" by VW now are those drivers that want a car that handles like a pig being led to the slaughter - aimlessly going forward with no idea of what fate has waiting around the next corner.
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Replying to: zante64 (Aug 01, 2007 10:53 am)
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Replying to: bodble2 (Aug 01, 2007 4:00 pm) what i was trying to say was that its unfair to single out vw with this, especially since most car makers are guilty of it, (moving upmarket, gaining weight on smaller vehicles, compacts that cost 20k) not just vw. a pig to the slaughter? (boble this isn't to you)certainly you don't mean the handling, but the impending doom of bad reliability? if thats the case, you needn't fear, ESPECIALLY since the 97 jetta you owned was almost as famous as the mkIV generation for being problematic. Did you test drive a rabbit by the way? if you are reffering to the handling, there is simply no way that you could drive a mk3 jetta and think it handles better than the new mkV's. Unless ofcourse, if you were driving a gti vr6, but that only solves the problem of moving quickly, not handling. And for that, theres a new gli to handle that one. 
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First of all: I do apologize for disparaging those who choose to drive a new VW. The true target of my ire was VW itself. On a personal note to eldaino for future reference - it strikes a very condescending (and counterproductive) tone when you refer to a person as "pal" while also saying how wrong their opinion is. Secondly: Our '97 Jetta had virtually no problems until we hit 150,000. Only real issue prior was a rattling heat-shield. So we never paid any attention to reliability rumors until it came time to buy a new one. We first dismissed the Check Engine light issue as a fluke. Not liking the "feel" of the new models (and yes, drove a Rabbit & a Jetta) we started doing lots (and lots) of research, which is when I found so many complaints and concerns about the reliability of virtually all VW models for nearly a decade running. Finally - All cars may have gained some mass - but not all cars have been tuned to compensate for it equally. The current VW's seem to reflect a post Summer-of-Love philosophy of "just roll with it."  Doesn't it bother anyone else that VW has decided to move their "entry-level" cars upscale without a suitable replacement? And here's the bottom line - car choices can be hugely emotional - loyalty and all that comes into play. But how can anyone really be satisfied or even enthusiastic about a new offering which fails to surpass a competitor's offering that was first introduced several years prior? quote from post #322 i do agree that the jetta should have been what the 3 is now...but its still a great handler and its not worlds behind the 3. and the rabbit is EVEN BETTER, and only just behind the 3 |
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