Why is the Mazda brand still so "under the radar".
Discussion
Okay first off I must express some bias here, I own two Mazdas, but it continues to surprise me that the brand doesn't really have a following as such. Top Gear magazine say in their buying guide that Mazda currently holds the "best to drive in class" mantle that Ford once held and whilst this is arguable, they could be right. Every Mazda on sale is fun to drive, nimble and sharp handling. Mazda also produces the MX-5, the best selling sports car ever and has previously given us RWD heroes, the RX-7, RX-8 and stuff like the MPS models, yet there is no "Mazda scene" like there is with Honda, or Vauxhall, VAG, Ford etc.... Just wondered why this is. I have to say that my humble Mazda 6 Mk1 is a great car to drive, really nimble and responsive and excellent on a back road, easily the equal of the much lauded Ford Mondeo Mk3, but again, its only appreciated by those in the know. Is it just due to naff marketing, the zoom, zoom type adverts not really endearing the cars to enthusiasts? It cant even be a lack of racing pedigree thanks to that 1991 Le Mans win....perhaps Mazda never having participated in touring cars is a factor. Are the cars perceived, thanks to the MX-5, as a bit, ahem "feminine?" Interested in people's views...
Interesting responses, a few inaccuracies made in some.
1) Ford bits...er no. I think Ford sold its last holdings circa 2011 or 2012. No Ford input now in terms of chassis or engine, yet they still drive very well.
2) "bargain basement Jap cars". I don't think so. Mazda are hardly a Dacia of the Jap car world. Perhaps Suzuki better fit that statement.
3) They always rust out. During Ford's ownership the rust was particularly bad, but my 11 year old Mazda 6 only has a few minor rust spots and I can't recall seeing a Mazda built after 2006 with any rust on it. In any case, Mazdas from the 90s and early 2000s were no worse than Ford, BMW or Merc in this regard. I couldn't find a rust free E46 when I was looking for one 6-7 years ago. Also, check out the number of Mk1 MX-5s still on the road after 20-25 years.....
4) They are boring to look at..subjective this one, but I would say that the current Mazda design is fairly distinctive. Certainly more interesting IMO than the Russian doll Audi range or the evolved to death Golf.
What I do agree is that they need some halo models. No hot saloons or hatches is a major negative. Come on Mazda, give us an MPS Mazda 3 or 6....another MX6 wouldn't go amiss either, as the coupe market is a popular one!
1) Ford bits...er no. I think Ford sold its last holdings circa 2011 or 2012. No Ford input now in terms of chassis or engine, yet they still drive very well.
2) "bargain basement Jap cars". I don't think so. Mazda are hardly a Dacia of the Jap car world. Perhaps Suzuki better fit that statement.
3) They always rust out. During Ford's ownership the rust was particularly bad, but my 11 year old Mazda 6 only has a few minor rust spots and I can't recall seeing a Mazda built after 2006 with any rust on it. In any case, Mazdas from the 90s and early 2000s were no worse than Ford, BMW or Merc in this regard. I couldn't find a rust free E46 when I was looking for one 6-7 years ago. Also, check out the number of Mk1 MX-5s still on the road after 20-25 years.....
4) They are boring to look at..subjective this one, but I would say that the current Mazda design is fairly distinctive. Certainly more interesting IMO than the Russian doll Audi range or the evolved to death Golf.
What I do agree is that they need some halo models. No hot saloons or hatches is a major negative. Come on Mazda, give us an MPS Mazda 3 or 6....another MX6 wouldn't go amiss either, as the coupe market is a popular one!
OldGermanHeaps said:
They aren't more popular because they have a stellar reputation for rust and engines going pop at low mileage, the reason you put up with nasty cheap plastic ugly interiors on many jap motors is their reliability and longevity, when you don't have that at least reputation wise they lose their appeal, which is a shame, as its only a few of their motors that destroy themselves but in chinese whispers the whole range gets tarred with the same brush.
You hit the nail on the head with your last comment. The diesel problem affects a relatively small number of diesel motors yet Mazda has a bad reputation. On the other hand the BMW 2 litre N47 diesel engine had major issues with terminal engine failure and the swirl flap problem on its 3 litre diesel engine yet people still idolise the BMW brand...Ditto the problems on the PD TDI 2.0 VAG engine a few years back. Didn't stop people thinking VW were extremely reliable brand.Why is it that the German marques can get away with these sorts of problems yet Japanese brands (and those from other countries) struggle to shrug off bad press?
Hainey said:
Rust. Rust. Rust.
The damn things turn into flaky heaps within a few years. The BiL had a 6 that died because the tin worm got in around the bulkhead and caused it to flex under acceleration and braking so that was the end of that. The 2l petrol engine was still sweet as could be at 120k however.
A guy at work had an 04 plate 3 that just erupted in rust patches all over itself like boils on a crack w
es face. No way a respray was saving that. Scrapped.
Couple that with slimy shiny plastic interiors and your money buys a lot more zoom zoom elsewhere.
Oh, and if you buy an MPS model you get sent to Mazda UK HQ for reprogramming to turn you into the guy that has to tell everybody how it's the fastest thing on the roads ever.
..ahh, but these were cars made in the early 2000s. Is it fair that Mazda still gets slated for rust issues when as far as I know the models built after the mid 2000s (When Ford input was less) are not afflicted in the same way? In fact the phase 2 Mazda 6 from 2005 onwards is generally much better, the gen 2 Mazda 6, well I haven't seen a rusty one yet and the earliest ones date from 2007. The E46 BMWs had issues with rust but I don't hear people saying BMWs are rust buckets...The damn things turn into flaky heaps within a few years. The BiL had a 6 that died because the tin worm got in around the bulkhead and caused it to flex under acceleration and braking so that was the end of that. The 2l petrol engine was still sweet as could be at 120k however.
A guy at work had an 04 plate 3 that just erupted in rust patches all over itself like boils on a crack w
es face. No way a respray was saving that. Scrapped.Couple that with slimy shiny plastic interiors and your money buys a lot more zoom zoom elsewhere.
Oh, and if you buy an MPS model you get sent to Mazda UK HQ for reprogramming to turn you into the guy that has to tell everybody how it's the fastest thing on the roads ever.
Rust aside, the point I was trying to make in my post is that Mazda have been building fine handling cars for a few years now, but unlike Peugeot in the 90s and Ford in the 00s, it seems to have largely gone un-noticed by petrolheads.
Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff