Mazda3 2.3 vs. '07 VW Rabbit

Replying to: zante64 (Aug 02, 2007 8:15 am)

i never said your opinion was 'wrong', but that there are more facts that back up mine than yours.
 
sorry about being condescending, but this is the internet, try not to take to much to heart.
 
i still don't understand your issue with reliablity. My bunny's quality control is years better than any 97 jetta...and look how long yours lasted! look how long 600kgolfgt's lasted!
 
what i'm saying is that i just don't understand how reliability became such an issue...ESPECIALLY considering the fact you did reasearch which would have shown you that massive amounts of people with problems on mk3 and mkIV jettas/golfs...and the realative NON-EXISTANCE of complaints on the current rabbit/jetta. even the vw lemon websites have next to nothing on the newer models!
 
Again, i know that choosing a car is an emotional thing, i'm just referring to the reliabilty issues that swung your decision away from vw.
 
i don't see how vw can have a summer of love feel....they ride extraordinarily nice and absorb bumps well...but i think a lot of people (including you) mistake relaxed,smooth steering for a not so great and not so connected to the road car.
 
You said you and your wife did lots of research, surely you read many comparison tests from places like edmunds and car and driver pitting the 3 against the rabbit...did you notice how close the numbers were?
 
Again, i don't blame you for your decision, as the 3 IS a great car...heck, if i could get a 4 door hatchback(as my rabbit is a 2 door) the 3 would be a contender, given that you don't see as many of them as the sedan, and its more affordable than a gti.(which i would totally take over the 3 if i had the extra funds.)
 
To echo what sharpedgeshurt said, i dont that vw has done anything wrong with moving their entry level cars more upscale...
 
can you remember getting a mkIV golf for a starting price of less than 15k for a 2 door? I can't, because it never happened! How is the rabbit a lesser car than the golf it replaces? It totally decimates the previous golf with regards to handling, performance, interior quality, features AND price. What more does it need to do to beat the previous version?
 
 VW is actually loosing money on the rabbit, because its such a well made vehicle with virtually no cutting corners on materials and standard features, that they are rolling out its replacement 2 years earlier than they had planned.
 
a 2 door german built hatchback for less than 15k with more standard anemities than ANY of the competion is offering? what model do they need right now to fill this void? it doesn't get better than that.

Replies to this message:
• zante64 (Aug 06, 2007 12:21 am)
  • eldaino (Aug 06, 2007 6:47 am)
• sharpedgeshurt (Aug 06, 2007 7:15 am)
  • zante64 (Aug 07, 2007 12:37 am)
    • sharpedgeshurt (Aug 07, 2007 7:19 am)
    • carfanatic007 (Oct 17, 2007 5:13 am) and 3 more...

Replying to: eldaino (Aug 05, 2007 6:43 pm)

We just rung-up 1,000 miles on the Mazda. Granted that's not much to base any long-term projections, but I can say that it has not disappointed at all so far. Walking to the driveway it seems to scream "drive me!" louder and louder each day
 
On the upside off all this VW/Mazda "fun factor" discussion... I feel that when it comes time to replace the 3 - we certainly would check out VW again, but Mazda will warrant a "fair shot" as well. Choice is good!
 
One final note in regards to reliablility...
In the ultimate twist of irony - I also own a FIAT X-1/9 and absolutely LOVE driving that car!

Replies to this message:
• eldaino (Aug 06, 2007 6:47 am)

Replying to: zante64 (Aug 06, 2007 12:21 am)

In the ultimate twist of irony - I also own a FIAT X-1/9 and absolutely LOVE driving that car!
 
ah the irony.

Replying to: eldaino (Aug 05, 2007 6:43 pm)

To echo Eldaino:
"i don't see how VW can have a summer of love feel....they ride extraordinarily nice and absorb bumps well...but i think a lot of people (including you) mistake relaxed, smooth steering for a not so great and not so connected to the road car."
 
I agree. I prefer a smooth ride over the in-your-face sportiness of the Mazda 3. It does "SCREAM" Drive me, where as, the Rabbit is a little more subtle, It sort of whispers sweet nothings in my ear when I park in the drive way, and I start to contemplate taking a quick spin around the block. I feel like a broken record, The Rabbit is extremely smooth (where the Mazda is a little more in your face)-- but handles very well, which makes it great for all the long drives I take. I don't need the continued adrenaline rush and sports-tuned suspension to enjoy driving the vehicle. I'd like to compare a MAZDA 3 to a Rabbit going 90 mph on the 405 free way. . .
 
And since we're talking about Irony, In the "ultimate twist of Irony" on fuel consumption, the last tank of gas I drove on my Rabbit--I floored it quite a bit and used sports mode a lot and gunned it through lights, and managed to get my best fuel economy yet nearly eclipsing 25mpg.

Replies to this message:
• zante64 (Aug 07, 2007 12:37 am)
  • sharpedgeshurt (Aug 07, 2007 7:19 am)
  • carfanatic007 (Oct 17, 2007 5:13 am)
    • aviboy97 (Oct 20, 2007 12:53 pm)
    • eldaino (Oct 24, 2007 9:05 am)
    • footballmum (Nov 03, 2007 2:53 pm)

Replying to: gti1999 (Aug 05, 2007 2:33 pm)

Replying to: sharpedgeshurt (Aug 06, 2007 7:15 am)

Replies to this message:
• sharpedgeshurt (Aug 07, 2007 7:19 am)
• carfanatic007 (Oct 17, 2007 5:13 am)
  • aviboy97 (Oct 20, 2007 12:53 pm)
  • eldaino (Oct 24, 2007 9:05 am)
  • footballmum (Nov 03, 2007 2:53 pm)

Replying to: zante64 (Aug 07, 2007 12:37 am)

Okay fine.

Well...after researching the Mazda 3 5-door S Touring and the Rabbit for 2 weeks, I was almost sure I would end up with the Mazda. I did not. I just drove home my 2008 4 dr. Rabbit in Sage Green and for now, feel sure I made the right choice.
 
My neighbor just bought his 2nd Passat in 4 years when the first one went off warranty, and purchased 2 used Jettas for his daughters to take to college, and has had virtually no problems with any of those 4 cars, so I decided that the reliability issue is probably overblown. My understanding is that it was worse with the 97-02 models, but has improved since then. More about this issue later...
 
Bottom line is, I liked both cars, but for different reasons, so neither one screamed BUY ME INSTEAD at me. They are both great cars, and I would probably have been fine with either one. The Mazda "seems" a little more fun to drive, but I think part of the reason for that is that it's not as solidly built, so you feel the speed more. It was surprisingly quiet, I thought, even on the highway. I didn't like the interior much - but then, I didn't like the interior on my '04 BMW 325 as much as the one in my '97 Passat. VW just does a nice job on the inside, IMO. One problem I had with the Mazda was I couldn't get the seat and steering wheel in a comfortable position, and I played with them for several minutes trying. I'm 5'8" and very slender, so it shouldn't be that hard for me to fit into a car. I did NOT like the Mazda's 3-star side crash rating - airbags or no. I have never had an accident in 37 years of driving, so I feel like I have more control over a frontal impact crash than a side impact crash where some bozo runs a light and creams me. So the 5-star side crash rating on the VW appealed to me, especially since I have a soon-to-be-driving teen. I was also very impressed with all the standard features on the VW - it's definitely loaded with nice little touches like the heated driver's seats, etc. that I had in my Beamer. The turning radius is amazingly tiny, and the thing will be a snap to park. I liked the instrumentation and climate and sound system controls better. Last selling point - the 4 year warranty. I know, I know, people who hate VWs will say "You're gonna need it." I think my neighbor's experience shows that's not necessarily true, and it also makes me think that VW is standing behind their product more, like Hyundai had to when they introduced their 10-year powertrain warranties to convince people their build quality was getting better.
 
The kicker was the price. I got the Rabbit (a 2008 4 dr automatic) for about $700 under Edmunds'TMV price, with very little haggling with the internet sales associate whom I'd corresponded with before I went to look at the car, and they gave me $1500 more for my Beamer than the Mazda dealer offered. I had decided since my Beamer had high mileage for its age and there were SO many for sale on cars.com in my area, I just didn't want to deal with the hassle of selling it myself, though I usually do. I followed the ads for the last month or so and they were just not moving. I think I might have gotten about $1000 more on my own, but the above-mentioned hassles weren't worth it to me. My impression is that the dealers really do deal better the last weekend of the month to try to meet their sales quotas. I feel like I got more for my trade in than I "should" have, given what I learned when researching it - the price on the Rabbit was never an issue, but they did bump the trade up quite a bit for me.
 
Edmunds.com rocks - I could never have gotten a deal like I did without their helpful pricing tools, and using an internet sales person was great. The Mazda lady was great, too, I just preferred the bunny - but both dealers were a pleasure to work with, and I HATE buying new cars.

Replies to this message:
• eldaino (Oct 09, 2007 7:53 am)

Replying to: irritatrix (Sep 29, 2007 5:00 pm)

Replying to: zante64 (Aug 07, 2007 12:37 am)

I was the unfortunate owner of a 2001 VW GTI also. Purchased in August, 2001. By January the coil issue appeared, not once but 3 times. Driving the work you could feel the jumping and the lack of power. Had the coils replaced 3 times. Power windows quit working a few months later. Then the power locks. Then the DRL burned out after less then one year. This is too many problems for a car to have when it is less then ONE YEAR OLD.

Replies to this message:
• aviboy97 (Oct 20, 2007 12:53 pm)
• eldaino (Oct 24, 2007 9:05 am)
• footballmum (Nov 03, 2007 2:53 pm)