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Mazda3 2.3 vs. '07 VW Rabbit - READ ONLY

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What is this discussion about? Mazda MAZDA3, Volkswagen Rabbit, Car Comparisons, Hatchback

Messages Page 35 of 39

#340 of 389 Re: Surprised myself [irritatrix] by eldaino

Oct 09, 2007 (8:53 am)

Replying to: irritatrix (Sep 29, 2007 6:00 pm)
congrats and enjoy the bunny!

#341 of 389 Re: "Good Enough" isn't! [zante64] by carfanatic007

Oct 17, 2007 (6:13 am)

Replying to: zante64 (Aug 07, 2007 1:37 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.

#342 of 389 Re: "Good Enough" isn't! [carfanatic007] by aviboy97

Oct 20, 2007 (1:53 pm)

Replying to: carfanatic007 (Oct 17, 2007 6:13 am)
My brother had the same issue in his GTI. Ignition coil after ignition coil. He got to know VW serviece very well. More then he wanted to.

#343 of 389 Re: "Good Enough" isn't! [carfanatic007] by eldaino

Oct 24, 2007 (10:05 am)

Replying to: carfanatic007 (Oct 17, 2007 6:13 am)
true, but it wasn't enough to deter you from buying a shiny new gli, which is without the coil issue if i'm not mistaken.

#344 of 389 Re: "Good Enough" isn't! [carfanatic007] by footballmum

Nov 03, 2007 (3:53 pm)

Replying to: carfanatic007 (Oct 17, 2007 6:13 am)
My husband & I own a 1999 Passat V6 with 184,000 miles on it & its still going strong! Our only problem with this vehicle is the emissions issue which has always plagued VW`s from what I have read with this issue it does cause the vehicle to stall. The Passat still feels solid next to other vehicles we have had with a lot less miles. You can get a lemon in anything sorry for your experience. I still want the 08 rabbit parked in my garage for the my commute to work.

#345 of 389 Re: Euro cars [autonomous] by creakid1

Nov 24, 2007 (10:47 pm)

Replying to: autonomous (Mar 12, 2007 3:19 pm)
"Speaking of European, the British weekly, Autocar, rates (using 5 stars) the Ford Focus superior to the Mazda3 and Volvo S40.
- 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

#346 of 389 Re: Mazda3 2.3 vs. '07 VW Rabbit, auto & manual [moparbad] by carfanatic007

Nov 28, 2007 (9:33 am)

Replying to: moparbad (Oct 26, 2006 9:17 am)
Actually, Consumer reports disagrees and they (VW GTI/Rabbit) are not recommended due to poor reliability. What a surprise.

#347 of 389 Up coming Golf/Rabbit VI by creakid1

Dec 06, 2007 (11:11 pm)

http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/news/autoexpressnews/213369/volkswagen_golf.html
 
Looks like turbo charge alone is too unsophisticated for a "driver on demand" GTI, as the only way to force fed w/o lag is super-&-turbo charge (unless it's a BMW engine):
 
"Engine details have yet to be confirmed, but VW’s clever 1.4-litre TSI petrol powerplant will lead the way under the bonnet. This unit will come in a choice of 120bhp and 148bhp turbocharged guises, while a 168bhp version is equipped with a turbochar­ger and a supercharger. The hot hatch GTI model will feature an even more powerful 2.0-litre TSI motor.
 
The only normally aspirated engine in the line-up will be the 3.2-litre V6 fitted to the top-of-the-range R32."
 
"Under the surface, the MkVI Golf uses the existing car’s underpinnings. But according to insiders at the company, engineers have come up with
a less complicated rear suspension set-up. The outgoing MkV’s multi-link system is both time-consuming and expensive to produce, and the new geometry is designed to provide significant cost savings without affecting the model’s superb ride and handling."
 
Really? Just like how Civic lost the double wishbones in the front after 2000 & claimed the same thing?
 
Even BMW needed to use 5 links in the rear of the new 1 & 3 series in order to apply the similar principle as Focus' 4-link Control Blade, which BMW almost bought its platform years ago. How can VW find a simpler way after hiring the Focus engineers designing the Control Blade 4-link rear on the MkV? Look man, Control Blade is already the most cost effective way to produce the high-tech rear suspension...
 
Boy, it's all about cheap interior (as in the Focus) vs cheap suspension (as in the VW except MkV). So that leaves the Mazda3 (& S40/V50) soldiering on w/ the "expensive" Control Blades from the Focus.
 
It's funny that Mexico is now the supplier of the Jetta V pretty much worlde wide including Europe. But since the MkV's suspension is just a little too expensive to build, they actually continues the production of the "expensive-interior w/ soft plastic" MkIV w/ a new cute front & rear end, while the MkV is called Bora/Sport instead.
http://rds.yahoo.com/_ylt=A0oGkklN4FhHAmcBwI9XNyoA;_ylu=X3oDMTE4NzhpZ3UxBHNlYwNz- - - - - - - - - cgRwb3MDMQRjb2xvA3NrMQR2dGlkA0Y3NTRfNzgEbANXUzE-/SIG=13lge16fm/EXP=1197093325/**- - - - - - - - - http%3a//www.volkswagen.com/vwcms_publish/vwcms/master_public/virtualmaster/es_m- - - - - - - - - x/models/jetta.html
 
http://rds.yahoo.com/_ylt=A0oGkk4q6VhHDeIA7i9XNyoA;_ylu=X3oDMTE4NzhpZ3UxBHNlYwNz- - - cgRwb3MDMQRjb2xvA3NrMQR2dGlkA0Y3NTRfNzgEbANXUzE-/SIG=12m36rc6q/EXP=1197095594/**- - - http%3a//es.autoblog.com/2007/07/25/vw-lanza-el-bora-2008-en-mexico/
 
China may already use the name Bora on the MkIV still in production. But since the MkII (wearing '96 Passat front & '08 Jetta IV rear end) is also in production using the name Jetta, they have to call the MkV Sagitar instead.
http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/MediaNav/articleId=109995/firstNav=Gallery/- - - - - - - - - photoId=27534

#348 of 389 Re: Mazda3 2.3 vs. '07 VW Rabbit, auto & manual [carfanatic007] by eldaino

Apr 15, 2008 (2:17 pm)

Replying to: carfanatic007 (Nov 28, 2007 9:33 am)
consumer reports has only stated that the 2.0t isnt exactly the most reliable engine of all time....they actually reccomend the jetta, the 2.5 and there is not enough data on the rabbit. Granted that the rabbit is just a hatch version of the jetta, its safe to assume that this newfound reliablity spreads to it as well.
 
at any rate, why are you even talking carfan? you OWN a freaking 2.0t in the form of a gli, and while its by no means a bad car, whyt are you knocking what you own?

#349 of 389 Re: Mazda3 2.3 vs. '07 VW Rabbit, auto & manual [dc_driver] by ramsnjettas

Apr 15, 2008 (4:26 pm)

Replying to: dc_driver (Jul 10, 2006 1:01 pm)
I sell both. They are each an excellent vehicle, but the rabbit's 2.5l I-5 with 6 speed Auto or 5 speed Manual are a little quicker and more sport-tuned than the mazda's 2.3. it just depends on what you are looking for

Messages Page 35 of 39

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