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Honda Civic vs Toyota Corolla vs Mazda3
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I have also noticed the J.D. Power quality scores based on actual consumer feedback for Mazda are always below Honda and Toyota.
After driving one, I see why.
http://autos.msn.com/advice/CRArt.aspx?contentid=4023460
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http://www.8thgencivic.com/honda-civic-forum/mechanical-problems-vehicle-issues-fix-forum.- html
Meade
The issue is what will Honda do about the issues? My guess is they will FIX THEM - because the want to KEEP the customers that take a chance and buy a new model HAPPY.
Anyone think that 22 months from now people will still be posting about the same problems with their 2006 Civic?
Anyone think that people who buy the 2007 Civic will have the same problems?
For some reason I think Honda will jump on these issues and get them solved QUICKLY - not like "some" car company I know - who takes almost 2 years to finally get a fix out for something as simple as a poor shifting tranny - or grinding brakes - or worse - has no fix on something as important as the HVAC system.
Time will tell - I could be wrong -
I think one could say that about any carmaker. If you believe the reliability ratings provided by Consumer Reports the Honda Civic and Honda Accord are among the most reliable vehicles on the road.
As Aristotle said "the perfect is the enemy of the good"; in other words, aiming for perfection is a recipe for dissatisfaction.
i've test driven the civic three times and the mazda3 twice. in each case the mazda won for 'fun to drive'. the civic isn't bad...but it feels disconnected and unresponsive in comparison to the 3.
i need to make my decision soon...but it's tough. here is my current listing of points each vehicle wins on and some negative points for each. please feel free to respond.
civic wins:
refined / simple interior
fuel efficiency
dealer / service network
reputation for quality
resale
ability to replace stock stereo & retain some stock appearance (with dx dash piece)
mazda3 wins
acceleration / power
crisp / responsive handling
hatch flexibility
fog lights standard
longer standard warranty
leather (albeit not great leather)
heated seats w/lumbar adjustment
xenon / hid lighting
auto climate control
lower insurance premium
no dealer haggling (s plan)
civic negatives
high insurance premium
new / redesign 'kinks' need worked out
TIGHT engine bay
light color interior only (for sedans)
mazda3 negatives
console impedes leg room
busy integrated dash/console (difficult to replace stock hu)
-I thought the Honda was a bit disconected also but after driving mine for a day, it isn't. It has a good amount of road feel. A bit less than the 3 but not much.
-Civic will have much better resale. I had my car for about 2 years prior to trade and it only lost about 25% of it's value. Unheard of for other economy cars.
-Civic has better visibility
-Althought the interiors on the Mazda are dark (some are hideous ivory though), you may be regretting that when you need A/C. Apparently it isn't up to the job with a black interior.
-My galaxy grey sedan has a very nice, not too light, grey interior.
-Civic could possibly be rated as the safest car in it's class once the crash test ratings come out (Jetta is up there though).
-There are problems reported with the Mazda3 rear rotors. Apparently they are wearing out a lot faster than they should.
There are issues with the Civic also. I prefer the Mazda seats and this is a first model year for Honda. Could be an issue although other first year hondas have done very well. Great car either way!!!
Take care,
marc
i did post this over on tov as well. figured that i'd pasted it here since i already had written it out. (though i don't see a response there yet)
You need to prioritize your criteria. For example, is the driving experience more or less important to you than things like resale value? Also, you didn't mention the versatility of the 5-door Mazda3 compared to the Civic with its smallish trunk. If that is not important to you, couldn't you save some money and get a Mazda3i Touring, which is closer to the Civic sedan (cloth interior, 16" wheels etc.) than the loaded Mazda3s you are looking at?
actually i did mention 'hatch flexibility' in my mazda3 wins.
the pricing of the civic ex and mazda gt are pretty neck and neck. speaking from a pure 'features' pov, the mazda wins.
the points i'm most focused on right now are driving experience, efficiency, maintenance, comfort, insurance cost.
the mazda wins two, the civic wins one...and they tie in the comfort and maintenance categories (both have some minor quirks)
i'm going to go take another look today. i'm hoping to make my decision in the next few days. then i'll have to deal with current low stock levels for both vehicles...fun.
Best of luck,,,,,,,,,Marc
http://www.iihs.org/ratings/ratingsbyseries.aspx?id=300
It would be good if Mazda would pay for a test of the Mazda3 with side air bags/curtains. Perhaps the fact that it has chosen not to do so means it knows the result would not be that great. Just like Honda asked the IIHS to hold off testing the Civic until the redesigned '06 model was available. I wonder if there is any bias here. The IIHS delayed its testing at Honda's request, and they also released their test of the '06 Civic just a few weeks after the car went on sale. Meanwhile, other new designs like the '06 Sonata have been selling for months and have not yet been tested. Seems a bit odd to me.
link title
The new Civic is a fantastic car, but the fun to drive factor, 160hp engine, black interior and available hatchback versatility won me over. I particularly had a problem with the Civic's color combinations/options. I hate almost all ivory/beige/tan interiors, there is just something very unappealing about them to me. The Civic's other option of gray isn't bad, but there was only one exterior color I liked with it (Atomic Blue). They couldn't find that color in a manual transmission. Ugh!
Anyway, the Mazda is great. I bought it out of state (best deal, about two hours away), so I'm going to get it Thursday afternoon. I can't wait!
People & Cargo room, Go PT Cruiser!
I want to get better gas mileage with the Civic or Civiv Hybrid, but will be real unhappy if my back hurts each time I drive it. I wanted to buy a Prius, but after driving a dealer's loaner car for one day, my back and butt were aching.
Warner
Similarly for people and cargo room. Relative.
I haven't yet seen a review of the Mazda3s vs. the Si. But the reviews I've seen of the 3s are quite positive in the "fun to drive" area.
I don't think anyone is saying the MZ3 is a BMW but at half the price the car stands very tall. Probably closer to a BMW in handling/feel than anything else in it's price class...BMW has been the benchmark for great handling sedans and the MZ3 fits right into the concept at half the cost...
The easiest and cheapest is an FM transmitter. Not an option for me because you lose too much sound quality.
Another way, though kinda clunky, would be to add a cassette player to the car. It's about $160 and would allow me to use a cassette adapter to hook up my iPod. It may sound crazy, but I've actually gotten very good sound quality from it in the past.
The most complex, but best way, is to add an AUX adapter. Apparently, there is a way to "hack" into the stereo and hook up something to the back of it. It would create a line out to plug into an iPod. I've only read about it on a Mazda enthusiast website, I'd have to pay someone to do it. I'm not very technical.
The lack of an AUX input jack is the biggest fault of the MZ3. At least there are ways around it, though.
Actually, the best option might be aftermarket leather (and a re-work of the cushions), but that can get pricey.
We also have an '05 Odyssey. Some people complained about those seats, but once I get settled in, they are very comfortable, especially on a long haul.
I also have some back issues, and am very picky about seats, so it isn't that uncommon for me to not like seats that most people consider good.
So, try them out is all I can say. And if you want real nice seats, try a Jetta, especially one with 12 way power!
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
This drives me nuts, to the extent that if I bought either car, i would have to take it to a custom interior shop and have them add spacers under the front seat bolts to change the overall seat angle.
The Corolla seats are just a lumpy uncomfortable mess. I cna't even single out any one problem area they are that bad. Too small too.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
The Corolla's driving position is so uncomfortable for me, I can't even consider that car.
The biggest culprit is the single lever "ratchet" height adjustment that Honda and Mazda use. That causes the forward pitch problem.
The protege had a great set up: individual knobs that raised the front or rear independently. Functioned just like an 8 way power seat, but wasn't quite as convenient as a single lever.
With the side air bags now, you can't even go aftermarket for real sport seats!
Someday I will stop at a shop and ask about having them add spacers, to see if it is even feasible, and if so, how much of a lift they can do.
The overall feel of a seat can change quite a bit if you can change the pitch angle (that is, tilt it back).
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
My best advice, is go and "try it on", you should try it for longer than 60 seconds though; sit in it for the duration of an average commute and see how you feel. Best of luck car shopping!
thegrad
I just prefuer to sit up a bit (for the view), but like to have the front edge of the seat tilted up a lot, probably more so than most people. WHen I drive my wifes Ody, tilting the front edge of the seat up is the first thing I do.
I hate the pitching forward feeling you get in some cars, and that's what happens when you raise the seat in the Civic or 3. I also don't like to sit all the way down on the floor.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
The two knob thing sounds pretty good. I test drove a Spectra and seem to recall that the driving position was very comfy. I haven't driven a Corolla in a couple of years, but I do remember the seats sucked.
Just kidding. I've always hated that feeling of being pitched forward in the seat. I've noticed that a lot of people drive with the seat reclined back a notch or two, probably for that exact reason. But I keep the seatback very upright...I can't stand to lay down to drive.