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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: sharpedgeshurt (Aug 06, 2007 7:15 am) |
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Replying to: zante64 (Aug 07, 2007 12:37 am) 
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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.
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Replying to: irritatrix (Sep 29, 2007 5:00 pm) |
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Replying to: zante64 (Aug 07, 2007 12:37 am) 
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Replying to: carfanatic007 (Oct 17, 2007 5:13 am) |
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Replying to: carfanatic007 (Oct 17, 2007 5:13 am) 
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Replying to: carfanatic007 (Oct 17, 2007 5:13 am) |
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Replying to: autonomous (Mar 12, 2007 2:19 pm) - Focus hatch: 4.5 stars, "UK's favorite car returns bigger and better than ever" - Volvo S40: 3 stars, "strangely less than the sum of its parts" - Mazda3 hatch: 3 stars, "a good car, but not quite what it should have been" Moral of the story: sometimes you have to leave home to feel appreciated." Not really. Even though the MkII Focus is a slight improvement over the MkI in quietness, ride & handling, it's actually less fun to steer (even with the pure hydraulic pwr steering available on the 1.6 Mazda3/Focus II): creakid1, "Ford Focus 2005 release date" #67, 25 Dec 2004 11:39 am (see post #67) I've seen these MkII overseas & didn't appreciate it being even wider than the 6-ft-wide Lexus LS430. No wonder Top Gear was pessimistic about redesigning the MkI Focus into the MkII when the Golf/Rabbit V (which had the original Focus engineers designing its Control Blade multi-link rear) & the Mazda3 (which was derived from the MkII Focus platform but w/ the roll center lowered in the front & raised in the rear w/ different suspension firmness & plus a different steering rack) disappointed: comp386, "2008 Ford Focus future vehicle" #47, 19 Jan 2007 9:14 am We're the lucky ones that still have the old "Euro" Focus until '07. In fact, our reliable Mazda-engined 2.3 Focus ST, introduced in '05, used the identical suspension as the one in Europe's ST170 (except the lowered springs -- similar change to our pre-'08 GTI V). I've driven the Mazda3 many times, either 2.0 or 2.3, stick or auto, 16"s or 17"s. Let me tell you what -- it's an hyperactive handler w/ the tail that won't stay put when making simulated abrupt lane change on the fwy. I can't imagine how dangerous it can be w/o stability control on slippery days. Besides, not having belt-driven hydraulic steering can only give you limited steering feel. The quick movement from the shock setting is also too nervous for comfort, but I believe that replace'em w/ Gabriel or std S40 shocks should cure the ride discomfort. I still don't like the door armrest being too low after raising the driver seat to just barely support my thighs. The Rabbit suspension is too wallowy to be fun, as immediate change of direction can't be done. What's worse. The Golf IV already lacked steering feel at the limit (which wasn't the case back in gen I, II or III) & the Rabbit V's electric-motor steering assist only makes it even more artificial. You can firm up the suspension for a more responsive handling, but you can't hide the numb steering. At least it's still impressively compact for a comfy limo. & the S40 is simply too numb to have fun, as complains from its hot-hatch version -- the C30 -- is everywhere now. I find its optional sport suspension too uncomfortable, while the std comfy suspension bottoms out the front travel too easily over deeper bumps, just like the early std Focus sold in America. Even the base model has a manual thigh-angle adjuster while the door armrest is so high (I love it!) that this perfect driving position even includes a full-time turn-signal stalk in at your finger tip! The Focus ST was slightly softened after the '05 model year. & that's my favorite, as the firm ride no longer has the unnecessarily abrupt up-&-down motions, while the U.S.-tuned hydraulic steering that still lacked the confident-inspiring resistance back in '05 now (in this '07 I sampled) feels nicely firm above 45mph w/ strong centering action. The only real improvement it needs is sound insulation. Unlike its brothers -- the Mazda3/S40 sedans -- the 4-dr Focus has a decently wide rear-view visibility good for lane change & passing. creakid1, "Ford Focus Sedan" #1939, 20 Oct 2007 10:17 pm see post #1939 & 1940 & see how we agreed 
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Replying to: moparbad (Oct 26, 2006 8:17 am)
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