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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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I went in search of a rabbit and when i could not find one i test drove a GTI. grinned ear to ear for a week, had GTI dreams. but, alas too pricey for me. finally found a 4 dr rabbit to test drive, was looking for a 2dr, and was not quite so impressed, in fact a little disappointed. then i drove the mazda it put the smile back on my face. not as potent as the GTI, but also about 5 grand less. I got an 07 5dr. A big factor for me is that the vw dealerships (nice guys) would not give me a decent price for my trade. I got 2 grand more from the mazda guys. The 3 is a pure joy to drive, and for me it was the right choice. although I still have gti dreams every now and again. 
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Replying to: ninjaman (Sep 21, 2006 11:16 am) Maybe, but seems like VW owners have those horror stories pretty consistently... TOO consistently.  I know many current and past VW owners, and virtually EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM has a reliability horror story to tell. Or, more precisely, a SERIES of reliability horror stories, involving multiple trips to the shop... the consensus seems to be that your average VW car prefers inhabiting the shop to anyone's garage. Ugh. Long story short, the ex-VW owners tell me they will never touch one again, and the current VW owners are all saying that their next car will NOT be a VW, no matter what. Not exactly a recommendation.  For that reason, a VW could serve me mixed drinks and give world-class shiatsu massage and I probably still wouldn't buy one. But then I've already exceeded my lifetime quota of being stuck on the side of the road by a factor of five or so (owned a series of 1970s-era used American cars, fun fun fun, not), so my tolerance for poor reliability is basically nil at this point.
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| I just got a '07 Mazda3 GT hatchback. My previous car was 2000 VW Golf TDI and yes it kept giving me problems but it really helped me save fuel until finally the auto transmission failed on me. So I sold it and decided on which hatchbacks to buy. My other choices were VW Rabbit and Audi A3. I prefer the Golf/Rabbit over the Audi cuz I thought the A3's roofline was too short. But both cars were high on insurance and personally I think the Mazda3 is better designed than the Rabbit since it looks too tall & too stubby. I'm so happy I bought the Mazda3 but I missed the great mileage of the diesel. Yet, the Mazda3 with the Grand Touring package makes it a very refined car and also a fun car to drive. | |
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Replying to: johnnyvj (Sep 25, 2006 4:43 pm) |
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i went to my local vw-mazda dealership a few days ago to test drive both the 07 mazda 3 and a 07 vw rabbit.this dealership sells both brands.anyway,i test drove the mazda 3 first and while it handled pretty well it rode pretty rough and there was lots of road noise.you feel every bump with the mazda 3.next was the rabbit 4 door with auto,and what a difference the rabbit test drive was.the rabbit felt much more solid on the road,had a more comfortable ride with great handleing,and was more quiet inside than the mazda 3.a few key selling points that the rabbit has over the mazda 3 is,better ride,quieter interier,better stereo,and better bumper to bumper warranty coverage.4/50,000 compared with 3/36,000 with the mazda 3.
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Replying to: steven39 (Oct 20, 2006 6:03 pm) I hope you bought an extended warranty with that. After 50K, VW's have been known to be an electrical nightmare after 50K. If you leased it, you should be OK. I have driven the new Rabbit as well. It is a nice driving car, with a competitive price. I just don't trust German reliability. |
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Replying to: steven39 (Oct 20, 2006 6:03 pm) Dave |
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Knowing that I was going to buy one or the other, I test drove both the Mazda 3 and the VW Rabbit. I drove the 3 in both the sedan and the hatch, and I drove the rabbit in the 2 door. While the Mazda was zippier feeling and quicker around corners, the VW had a smoother quieter ride. Interiors impressed me similarly and price was close enough so I had to decide based on use. I am a product rep and spend a lot of time on the highway, as well as on icy roads. The VW had a nicer feel for long trips and the ASR does a great job at keeping the wheels from spinning on the slick spots. I've heard all the issues about VW reliability, however we've had several VWs in the family that all lasted far longer than they should have. As far as Mazda goes, we've had three. One made it to 200,000 with barely more then frequent oil changes. One was on its third tranny when it was dumped and the other was on its second. Both were under 100,000 miles. Everyone can make a lemon, and most everyone can build a great car. I just picked what worked best for me. |
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Replying to: ninjaman (Sep 21, 2006 11:16 am) 06 Golf had higher quality rating (fewer problems per vehicle)than Mazda 3 as rated by JD Power. It is expected that the Rabbit will have better quality than the Golf based on actual quality improvements seen in Europe when Golf IV model switched to Golf V model (Golf V = Rabbit). Bottom line, reliability goes to VW Rabbit compared to Mazda 3.
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Maybe. It sounds like a gamble until the car's been around for a few years.
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