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08 Mitsu Lancer vs. 07 Mazda3 - READ ONLY

18 messages,  Last post on Jul 23, 2007 at 10:10 AM

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What is this discussion about? Mazda MAZDA3, Mitsubishi Lancer

Messages Page 2 of 2

#10 of 18 Re: Buying maybe! [ellusionz21] by audia8q

May 04, 2007 (2:02 pm)

Replying to: ellusionz21 (May 04, 2007 9:55 am)
Do some research on mitsu and their warranty....they have a nasty habit of finding reasons to not warranty their iffy transmissions....

#11 of 18 Civic VS Lancer by cybergypsy

Jul 17, 2007 (8:14 pm)

After owning the 2006 Civic EX with navi and now the 2008 Lancer GTS I will try to compare them :
 
Driving:
Civic: It always was a fun drive however on highways it did tend to float a bit, I always kept both hands on the wheel this was from the first day i bought it and had the alignment checked and it was perfect, really never pushed it into turns,Gas mileage was always pretty good, 32-39 MPG,and it was a bit noisy on the road.but nothing too loud.
Lancer: Very heavy like my BMW, corners amazing, love exits and off ramps, no floating at all, holds the road very well, MPG is about 29 MPG but only on the second tank so far.Really loving the feel on the road.Like the 15.3 Tank.Very smooth.Love the CVT.
 
Instruments
Civic: Love the speedo on the civic nothing compares to those lights, well lit and large number in bright blue, Navi love the speak button and the ease of the navi,and the Card slot is also nice XM Rocks!
Lancer: wow, where do I start 4 info screens on dash everything from MPG to tire pressure to all warning lights, the navi has a DVD player, 30G Hard drive for music,more info screens then i could ever use for lighting,all functions of the car(cut off of cig 12V after 30 min) lap-times, and so many more,auto head lights,bluetooth,FAST key you never need a key to get in or start the car,to lock the car a touch of the door handle,The navi is pretty amazing, and love having fogs standard. The red gauges are nice and has ambient lighting .also auto climate control is awesome.Paddle shifters are very smooth and flawless.
 
Seats
Civic: the seats seem to wear easy and had my armrest replaced last year, seatbelt sometimes snaps back and leaves marks on the plastic, and it scratches easy.love the sliding cover for the cup-holders.love my old steering wheels.
Lancer:like the placement of the seat belt no marks so far, lint seems to like the seats but easy to clean off.Love the back seat middle armrest and cupholder.Since i dont smoke the ashtray is useless for me.The Lancer seems to feel much bigger then my civic,when i am at the wheel, the room seems endless.....Steering wheel has bright red lights to light up all functions
 
Wheels
Civic: they were nice but nothing great!
Lancer: Really like the rims and 18" tires.....
 
Warranty
Civic: they gave me a free 5/60 warranty with my civic at no charge.
Lancer: 5/60K and 100K power-train.Also free oil changes for life of car.
 
All being said I still will buy the 2008 Civic, I just hope the put more features in it, I paid close to 2.5K LESS for the Lancer GTS, I would tell anyone looking for a good small car to check out both the civic and lancer.

#12 of 18 good review but.... by eldaino

Jul 18, 2007 (7:15 am)

why is this in the lancer vs mazda 3 forum?

#13 of 18 Just test drove 07/08 Mazda3 and 08 Lancer tonite ... by fvoelling

Jul 19, 2007 (9:29 pm)

We're looking at buying a commuter car for my wife/weekend rider for my son (first car), and it's come down to these two if we buy new. Local dealer just got in a couple of 08 Mazda3 models, so we drove both the 07/08 Mazda 3i Touring (auto/manual respectively), and the 08 Lancer ES/GTS (auto/manual).
 
In terms of performance, Lancer auto was ok but felt a bit hesitant. Lancer manual was definitely faster and more responsive. Mazda auto was (felt?) a tad bit faster and more responsive than Lancer auto. Again, manual version was noticeably faster.
 
Fuel consumption favored the Mazda (about 3mpg better in both city/hwy per 08 EPA estimates in the manual versions of both cars).
 
The Lancer appeared to be a bit roomier than the Mazda (I sat in the back, 6'3" tall) in terms of leg room and width, though head room may have been better in the Mazda.
 
Fit and finish felt more upscale in the Mazda. It also seemed quieter than the Lancer, and it had a nice engine/exhaust note. BTW, one complaint we've read about from many Mazda3 owners is the AC, and I'm happy to report that this has been addressed in the 08 model. Both the 08 Mazda and the 08 Lancer worked well in that regard, and I would choose an 08 Mazda over an older model for that very reason even if it carried a somewhat higher price tag (we live near Wash DC, hot humid summers).
 
Cost-wise, the Lancer can be had for less money, and has a longer bumper-to-bumper warranty. It also has lower insurance premiums, at least with our carrier. Some of this price premium may be offset by the Mazda's better fuel economy and possibly better resale value (haven't researched the Lancer in detail, but a used Mazda3 definitely demands a high price tag).
 
At the end of the day, all three of us preferred the Mazda3, even my 15yo son who initially favored the Lancer GTS because of its looks (the only thing he still likes better in the GTS, but only by a small margin).
 
In many ways, the Mazda3 very much reminds me of a 3-series BMW, especially in the sedan version (just due to looks, not performance, the hatchback has spades of that).
 
BTW, my first VCR was a Mitsubishi, my last tube TV was a Mitsubishi (great picture), I've read lots of good things about the Lancer Evo, I've never been too fond of the Mazda RX7 (too small) or the Mazda RX8 (I owned a Nissan 350Z, cleaner looks and better performance imo), and I've always found the Mazda "zoom-zoom-zoom" commercials a bit strange for lack of a better word, so I was certainly not biased in favor of Mazda in any way. And I do find it a bit "arrogant" that they cut the warranty from 4yrs/50k mls down to 3yrs/36k mls.
 
Frank

#14 of 18 Re: Just test drove 07/08 Mazda3 and 08 Lancer tonite ... [fvoelling] by eldaino

Jul 20, 2007 (9:01 am)

Replying to: fvoelling (Jul 19, 2007 9:29 pm)
id go with the three, but not because it looks like a bmw, because it really does not! does it perform in the same manner as a 3 series with a good ride/ handling balance? yes. but it looks nothing alike.

#15 of 18 Re: Just test drove 07/08 Mazda3 and 08 Lancer tonite ... [fvoelling] by autonomous

Jul 20, 2007 (1:28 pm)

Replying to: fvoelling (Jul 19, 2007 9:29 pm)
We're looking at buying a commuter car for my wife/weekend rider for my son (first car)
 
Does your wife have a preference for manual/automatic. As a commuter car, an automatic may be less troublesome.
 
I suppose this is the first car for your "15 yr old" son. Have you considered a used vehicle rather than a brand new one? Have you compared safety options?

#16 of 18 Re: Just test drove 07/08 Mazda3 and 08 Lancer tonite ... [fvoelling] by cybergypsy

Jul 21, 2007 (6:13 am)

Replying to: fvoelling (Jul 19, 2007 9:29 pm)
I have had many cars and also owned a mazda RX8, nice car but the AC was just plain hot, a fact on the mazdas, I do like the 3 but only the hatch, you cant go wrong on the fully loaded GTS lancer, it has many toys that even my new civic with navi did not have....good luck with the 3........the warranty from mitsi, is a nice plus

#17 of 18 Re: Just test drove 07/08 Mazda3 and 08 Lancer tonite ... [fvoelling] by roadburner

Jul 22, 2007 (7:19 am)

Replying to: fvoelling (Jul 19, 2007 9:29 pm)
I honestly don't think that you'd go wrong with either car; I just picked up a Mazdaspeed3 and I couldn't be more pleased. I've owned several BMWs and was hoping against hope that BMW NA would bring over the five door 135i. Since the 1er is only being offered as a coupe I decided to try something different.

#18 of 18 Re: Just test drove 07/08 Mazda3 and 08 Lancer tonite ... [roadburner] by eldaino

Jul 23, 2007 (10:10 am)

Replying to: roadburner (Jul 22, 2007 7:19 am)
not to mention that as cool looking as the 5 door 135i is, the backseat space is pretty much useless.

Messages Page 2 of 2

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