Why is the Mazda brand still so "under the radar".
Discussion
Toltec said:
Apart from the mx5 they do not appear to do anything that other manufacturers don't do better.
I think thats hitting the nail on the head - average or even above average cars competing in market sectors against other brands that have exceptional cars.Also the new car market is finance deal driven and i dont think Mazda to particularly good finance deals to compete.
Otispunkmeyer said:
The Surveyor said:
For me it's the 'budget' appearance of Mazda's without the budget price. Dismissing the MX5 as that's in it's own little niche, but with every other Mazda car somebody else does the same thing better and / or cheaper.
The Astra / Focus is better than the Mazda3, A Mondeo is better than the Mazda6, The Kia Sportage is better than a CX-3, and that's without even looking at the perceived 'premium' European brands such as VW and Volvo.
They are under the radar as they uninspiring.
I would say a Sportage is not the car to compare to a CX-3. The CX-3 being as it is, based on the 2, is a pretty small car. They don't do it any favours in the adverts though because it looks like a good sized soft roader. Then you get to the dealership and realise its actually much smaller than you thought and the boot can just about hold a handbag in it!The Astra / Focus is better than the Mazda3, A Mondeo is better than the Mazda6, The Kia Sportage is better than a CX-3, and that's without even looking at the perceived 'premium' European brands such as VW and Volvo.
They are under the radar as they uninspiring.
However, it does make the CX-5 look bloody enormous by comparison!
Mazda is one of the biggest selling makes now in this country(Australia) it is pretty well fighting it out with Toyota & Hyundai.CX5 is one of it's best sellers as is the "3" & "CX3" they are selling bucket loads of them.Hyundai is a massive "shaker" & "mover" on the motoring scene making big inroads in sales.Cheers
Well engineered and reliable but frightfully dull and functional. Even their sports car the GT86 is dull when compared to other manufacturers sports offerings.
A bulk of the sales are accounted for by old biffers and mums.
I'd compare the Toyata brand is comparable to grass - it's everywhere but seldom noticed.
A bulk of the sales are accounted for by old biffers and mums.
I'd compare the Toyata brand is comparable to grass - it's everywhere but seldom noticed.
lord trumpton said:
Well engineered and reliable but frightfully dull and functional. Even their sports car the GT86 is dull when compared to other manufacturers sports offerings.
A bulk of the sales are accounted for by old biffers and mums.
I'd compare the Toyata brand is comparable to grass - it's everywhere but seldom noticed.
Isn't GT86 a Toyota?A bulk of the sales are accounted for by old biffers and mums.
I'd compare the Toyata brand is comparable to grass - it's everywhere but seldom noticed.
Here we debate the virtues of Mazda
lord trumpton said:
Well engineered and reliable but frightfully dull and functional. Even their sports car the GT86 is dull when compared to other manufacturers sports offerings.
A bulk of the sales are accounted for by old biffers and mums.
I'd compare the Toyata brand is comparable to grass - it's everywhere but seldom noticed.
Same in this country,the things are everywhere.Toyota(in my opinion) has the public "brainwashed" with it's massive advertising budget & campaign"Oh What a Feeling" it's the best thing since sliced bread.White goods on wheels! A bulk of the sales are accounted for by old biffers and mums.
I'd compare the Toyata brand is comparable to grass - it's everywhere but seldom noticed.
Byker28i said:
itaa said:
I think they are ''ok'' cars, obviously better than any of the french crap or ford/opel stuff, but they are not true japanese - they are bargain basement ''japanese'' cars which actually don't cost that little..
the only thing that puts me off of them is the RUST, I have seen 6-7year old mazdas which have already rusted out
You can't possibly pick up a 10+year old mazda which hasn't turned to rust bucket..other than that they provide excellent value for money and rather reliable motoring if it wasn't for the rust problems.
LOL - you haven't looked out MX-5's. Lots around that haven't rusted out as you put it. We had a Mk1 import that was 20 years old and only the sills started to go at the back (common fault).the only thing that puts me off of them is the RUST, I have seen 6-7year old mazdas which have already rusted out
You can't possibly pick up a 10+year old mazda which hasn't turned to rust bucket..other than that they provide excellent value for money and rather reliable motoring if it wasn't for the rust problems.
That said, I quite like Mazda. I always think the soft-roader thing they do (CX3??) looks nice...
I can only speak from experience.
Mazdas on the whole from the 1980 323 in my family years ago to the 2011 MX-5 I had are robust reliable and capable cars.
On the whole, the b st way I can describe them are Fords with personality. Now and then they make a tremendous car, like my CX-7. It was a very niche SUV a 250 plus BHP petrol but it's is a cracking car. Porous lay the best all round car Ive had. There's nothing including snow and light soft roading it wouldn't do. It's with a family member now and at nearly ten years old with a FSH it's showing no signs of not being around for many more years.
My neighbour's new red 6 estate really stands out from the crowd.
I have to say that despite having had a few as loan cars and on extended test drives, I never got the RX-8. An awkward designed by committee looking thing with a horrible dash with a CD like circle in the middle.
I see Mazda as a more stylish Ford.
Where Mazda have gone wrong is in the way they market their cars.
Not replacing the facelifted and diesel only CX-7 lost me as a customer. A salesman trying to put me into a smaller CX-5 was just silly. Not a car I wanted.
Dropping the MPS cars again took a lot of the shine off the brand for me.
So you're left with a family of rather pleasant cars that look alright but which doesn't have any halo models in each model range to excite.
The MX-5 sort of goes against the Mazda grain to me, like it's almost a brand in its own right.
Mazda should bring a decent sized SUV to the UK. They should offer MPS tweaked faster versions of every model. Imagine a "hot" Mazda 2?
Maybe also look at an RX8 replacement. Make it good looking this time, ditch the rotary and create a fast and affordable Hybrid powered sports car.
Just my view. Mazda seems to be doing OK without me so I guess they are doing things right.
As for the OP wondering why there is no "scene". I thought there was quite a "scene" for MX' and RX'
Mazdas on the whole from the 1980 323 in my family years ago to the 2011 MX-5 I had are robust reliable and capable cars.
On the whole, the b st way I can describe them are Fords with personality. Now and then they make a tremendous car, like my CX-7. It was a very niche SUV a 250 plus BHP petrol but it's is a cracking car. Porous lay the best all round car Ive had. There's nothing including snow and light soft roading it wouldn't do. It's with a family member now and at nearly ten years old with a FSH it's showing no signs of not being around for many more years.
My neighbour's new red 6 estate really stands out from the crowd.
I have to say that despite having had a few as loan cars and on extended test drives, I never got the RX-8. An awkward designed by committee looking thing with a horrible dash with a CD like circle in the middle.
I see Mazda as a more stylish Ford.
Where Mazda have gone wrong is in the way they market their cars.
Not replacing the facelifted and diesel only CX-7 lost me as a customer. A salesman trying to put me into a smaller CX-5 was just silly. Not a car I wanted.
Dropping the MPS cars again took a lot of the shine off the brand for me.
So you're left with a family of rather pleasant cars that look alright but which doesn't have any halo models in each model range to excite.
The MX-5 sort of goes against the Mazda grain to me, like it's almost a brand in its own right.
Mazda should bring a decent sized SUV to the UK. They should offer MPS tweaked faster versions of every model. Imagine a "hot" Mazda 2?
Maybe also look at an RX8 replacement. Make it good looking this time, ditch the rotary and create a fast and affordable Hybrid powered sports car.
Just my view. Mazda seems to be doing OK without me so I guess they are doing things right.
As for the OP wondering why there is no "scene". I thought there was quite a "scene" for MX' and RX'
I must admit I always thought them to be quite bland too but my father in law has got a top of the range CX-5 and I really like it I must admit. It made me seriously consider the Mazda3 before I eventually went for the A3.
There was rumours of a CX-3 Racing last year or a CX-3 MPS model. Now that would be tempting to me for some reason.
There was rumours of a CX-3 Racing last year or a CX-3 MPS model. Now that would be tempting to me for some reason.
Jimmy Recard said:
lord trumpton said:
Well engineered and reliable but frightfully dull and functional. Even their sports car the GT86 is dull when compared to other manufacturers sports offerings.
A bulk of the sales are accounted for by old biffers and mums.
I'd compare the Toyata brand is comparable to grass - it's everywhere but seldom noticed.
Isn't GT86 a Toyota?A bulk of the sales are accounted for by old biffers and mums.
I'd compare the Toyata brand is comparable to grass - it's everywhere but seldom noticed.
Here we debate the virtues of Mazda
TheAngryDog said:
Doesn't exist. The MPS range got a 2.3 4 pot turbo based on the Ford 2.3 engine, just a lot less reliable.
Ah, I'm mis-remembering. I do know the Mazda 3 was based on the Mk 2 Focus underneath, sold in the same segment, I thought it had the same engine for the MPS as the ST from memory, but I stand corrected. See? I'm remembering these models as even cooler than they were!I have a 6 MPS which I think is fantastic. To address the above the 2.3 turbo 4 isn't any less reliable than other manufacturers. It has it's own issues (notably the VVT which needs doing at ~80k miles) but other than that there are no major issues. People are running ~400hp on a stock block and they are dirt easy to get 300-330 out of with some breathing mods, fuel pump and a remap. The rods are a known weak point but a good tuner will be mapping with this in mind.
Mazda engineered/designed the MZR range of engines in 2001 - Ford bought a license to build and manufacture them under their Duratec branding in 2003.
The car is great though - drives fantastically and goes under the radar.
But the owners club is tiny and the dealer network is appalling. I live in Reading - a pretty big town by all accounts, but there is only a garage in maidenhead that is a "service dealer" or otherwise it's a trip to Newbury. The prices are astronomical too.
Mazda engineered/designed the MZR range of engines in 2001 - Ford bought a license to build and manufacture them under their Duratec branding in 2003.
The car is great though - drives fantastically and goes under the radar.
But the owners club is tiny and the dealer network is appalling. I live in Reading - a pretty big town by all accounts, but there is only a garage in maidenhead that is a "service dealer" or otherwise it's a trip to Newbury. The prices are astronomical too.
Edited by a7x88 on Tuesday 26th July 09:50
Edited by a7x88 on Tuesday 26th July 09:55
ZX10R NIN said:
I think there are two factors at work here, they don't have any halo models anymore & the second is that most people know they use a Ford chassis so they bu the Ford plus the Ford doesn't have piss thin paint.
Every model in the range now has no Ford bits, anything Skyactiv is all Mazda. Previous gen MX5 was the last of the Ford bits (engine) though that legacy is not forgotten easily. I have to say their showrooms are the dullest most blandest places to be, for a brand which is slightly leftfield it seems odd.
itaa said:
Byker28i said:
LOL - you haven't looked out MX-5's. Lots around that haven't rusted out as you put it. We had a Mk1 import that was 20 years old and only the sills started to go at the back (common fault).
seems like you have forgotten that they have 50 other models? the MX5 is/was a legend& exception and I would want a decent one myself...
ZX10R NIN said:
I think there are two factors at work here, they don't have any halo models anymore & the second is that most people know they use a Ford chassis so they bu the Ford plus the Ford doesn't have piss thin paint.
I don't know the thickness of the paint on a Ford, but since it lets the car rust badly I think it's moot.Is there a carmaker of the 21st century that lets its cars rust as much as Ford does?
We've had an RX-8 , my most favourite car so far, we recently part exchanged it () it for a CX-3 as the use of the RX-8 was changing (occasional weekend country b-road blasts) to a regular motorway commuter for the Mrs.
The CX-3 is wonderful, I do need to write up on it. It's not fussy inside and well built and the infotainment/Sat Nav is intuitive, we managed to figure it out in less than 5 mins on the test drive.
It's the sport edition and despite what the reviews say, it is not a harsh ride, it's easy to drive, very driver oriented and they handle quite impressively. Compared to Renault offering, this was a far better car. Compared to a Q3, Q3 is half arsed, just a raised body, and not worth the money the Cx-3 has raised the rear seats ( think about 7cm) for example so the ppl in the back don't feel claustrophobic.
I also like the way the approach emissions using Sky Active, they are thinking differently and I like it.
The semi auto shift is good as is the stop start system. All in all, Mazda are making cars that not just look good, but are engineered well for the driver and the little things like the raised rear seats means they care and think.
) it for a CX-3 as the use of the RX-8 was changing (occasional weekend country b-road blasts) to a regular motorway commuter for the Mrs.The CX-3 is wonderful, I do need to write up on it. It's not fussy inside and well built and the infotainment/Sat Nav is intuitive, we managed to figure it out in less than 5 mins on the test drive.
It's the sport edition and despite what the reviews say, it is not a harsh ride, it's easy to drive, very driver oriented and they handle quite impressively. Compared to Renault offering, this was a far better car. Compared to a Q3, Q3 is half arsed, just a raised body, and not worth the money the Cx-3 has raised the rear seats ( think about 7cm) for example so the ppl in the back don't feel claustrophobic.
I also like the way the approach emissions using Sky Active, they are thinking differently and I like it.
The semi auto shift is good as is the stop start system. All in all, Mazda are making cars that not just look good, but are engineered well for the driver and the little things like the raised rear seats means they care and think.
Edited by Harji on Tuesday 26th July 10:16
wildcat45 said:
?
ditch the rotary and create a fast and affordable Hybrid powered sports car.
Never! You want a world of bland, look at the other manufacturers, the rotary is the reason I bought my RX-8, a wonderful rev happy engine. Don't care about mpg, never had a problem in six years of ownership.ditch the rotary and create a fast and affordable Hybrid powered sports car.
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