the media here doesn't have any exciting news beside what we already know. Frankfurt Motor Show will be held in two weeks, I don't think the media try too hard in getting any spy pictures, or news... to beat the official presentation by just two weeks. Here I read Auto Plus and Auto Journal.
Pro: Qualité de fabrication -> build quality Précision de conduite -> sharp handling Habitabilité/coffre -> interior space/trunk
Con: Prix de vente -> Price Niveau sonore -> noisy Tenue de cap -> instability (! I think this is an error, the detail text didn't mention at all about any instability)
Looking at the few pictures floating around of this car it seems kind of ugly (looks are in the beholder). Reminds me of the Matrix. I even had friends tell me if I bought a Matrix they couldn't be my friend anymore--no prob. I got the P5 which is gorgeous. I just hope Mazda returns to the P5 style in 8-9 years when I'm ready for another one.
They may look similar in pictures, but in real life they'll be completely different since they're completely different vehicles (SUV vs. sport hatch/wagon).
3 will look somewhat like the Matrix, but without the "plumpness"...more sleek a la Pro5.
There needs to be a Mazdaspeed version! (please please)
In the end all these "crossovers" will wind uplooking the same, and merge with sport wagons like this one too...at least, if we continue along current styling vectors.
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
They are coming. It already did before as the Saturn L-series. Now as the new Malibu & the available 4-dr hatch C-Maxx might make this mighty Global C-platform Mazda3 hatch seem cramped.
Nevertheless, these Vectras are still mediocre-dynamic cars.
In a reversal of course, Ford Motor Co. will not use the new global C1 compact car platform for the North American Focus until at least 2007. While the rest of the world will get a redesigned C1-based Focus next year, North America may never get the vehicle, executives have confirmed.
Ford executives had said the North American Focus would shift to the C1 platform, which will accommodate the European Focus and several Ford, Mazda and Volvo models. Based on a standard vehicle cycle of four or five years, that shift could have come next year or in 2005.
So, the Mazda3 won't immediately share it's underpinnings with the Focus. Very nice.
boggse, Yes, the Focus is getting the 2.3L PZEV in all states for MY 2004. I can't find the exact link right now but it was confirmed on the Focus threads.
OK, I've seen these for 2 weeks now but I didn't want to get in trouble like when I presented the specs/options packaging. However, it's now been leaked.
IMO the sedan looks much better than the 5 door. Sort of BMW like in the rear. The front end is a little overstyled on both. The instrument cluster needs to be cleaned up along with the steering wheel. Overall it's not bad.
Thank You for that great link. Too bad Altavista doesn't have Dutch to English translation. Do you know what VW interior was shown in the comparison photo?
I was going to buy a Mitsubishi Lancer wagon or Prius...but now.. maybe I will wait till December? The 3 is HOT!
And the Mazda3 will most likely be in N. America before December (November to be exact).
iamz:
Yep, I agree with you on the sedan. In fact the side shot of the sedan is exactly my car - titanium gray sedan without sport package (GFX in Canada). I'm getting the sport grille as an accessory though, gotta have that!
I wish I could see more of the rear of the sedan. In the pictures they show, it looks Corollaish on the back side. I think the concept's rear end looks better than the finished product. Not that I think it looks bad. I am just not a fan of all the heavy, dog-leg C-pillars that seem to be so popular these days. It is probably my biggest complaint about the styling of he RX-8. Perhaps when all sedans finally have them, I will be used to it.
Interesting, the Murano's D-pillar is so exaggerated that you notice it more. I didn't realize they had so much in common. The 3 is executed a little cleaner, though.
They obviously took a page from VW in the interior design, at least vis a vis the dashboard and center stack. It's MUCH prettier than any Japanese interior I've seen lately. And VW is the right place to look for inspiration. (If they can pull it off and still maintain their build quality, it's a win-win-win.) It's an interior which works: all business, but with great attention to detail.
The front end looks a bit cleaner than earlier shots I've seen. I didn't like the horizontal slats in the grille; they looked too busy. The Mazda family look (simple black grille) is the right one, and it helps build the brand.
I agree: the sedan is much prettier than I would've expected, and it's more distinctive than the other leading Japanese subcompacts (Civic, Corolla, Sentra). Very well done!
The 5-door still looks too much like an microvan, but maybe it'll look better in person.
"The 5-door still looks too much like an microvan..."
It's a new class of vehicle. & this Mazda sure makes the new Daimer-Chrysler Pacifica look unsophisticated & crude. I'm sure that styling had no input from Mercedes Benz. & I don't even think such dorky-styled car deserves the name, as cars style around the Pacific regions, even from the descendants of prisoners down under, are much more interesting & tasteful, whether it's the Ford Falcon, etc.
US-spec Mazda3 has the following as available options:
- HID - NAV - tire-pressure monitoring (this one I'm not surprised, cause there's apparantly a US law saying something like 10% of a company's 04 models must have this system)
Where did I get this info? Go to MazdaUSA->Upcoming Vehicles->Mazda3. They've got a new Flash presentation.
Oh yeah, Hofu plant I assembled 744 Mazda3's for the entire month of July (so obviously they're not up to full production yet).
The copper Mazda3 hatchback looks pretty good. I'm really starting to like the hatchback more and more. The red taillights look a lot better than the smoked ones. It might not be a Protege5 but it looks pretty good. Hopefully it'll look even better in person. The Mazda symbol high up on the grill still bothers me but otherwise great looking car. Those 17" wheels are awesome.
include side and side-curtain airbags. New data from the IIHS says they save lives, so I think they're worth the money. Unfortunately, they'll probably only be on the top-of-the line model, which will no doubt include the ugly striped grill and the hideous side skirts. Those things just make the car look busy. I really like the look of the bronze hatchback in the Euro pictures, with the mesh grill and cleaner lines.
On both the Mazda3 and Mazda6, Mazda North America needs to be more responsible and NOT require a ton of other optional equipment just to get these worthwhile safety options. To do otherwise is morally reprehensible, at least in my book.
I just hope you'll be able to buy the top-model U.S. version WITHOUT all that ugly, boy-racerish airdam and side-sill plastic cladding that mucks up the otherwise sleek lines of the current Protege5 ... believe me, it's more than just aesthetics I'm talking about. My wife drives a white 2002 Protege5 and it's my self-appointed job to keep it and my 2000 Protege ES clean ... and getting in all those cracks and crannies where plastic meets sheet metal is a chore and a half! Plus, those plastic doorsills make her front wheels look pitifully small when you view the car from the side. In my opinion that plastic cladding detracts from the car's otherwise graceful lines.
OK, I'm opening my platinum umbrella ... let the fallout commence!
Amen on that cladding and boy-racer-nonsense. That garbage would be enough to keep me out of a P5 if I needed a car now and will be enough to keep me out of an M3 if they tack it on. Fortunately, the pictures I have seen of the M3 and M6 wagons look pretty clean.
MZR 2.0l engine compression ration 10.8 (vs 9.1 for P5) fuel: 95 RON (premium!) hp: 150hp @ 6000 rpm torque: 135 @ 4500 rpm acceleration: 0-62mph: 9s (vs 9.3 for P5) top speed: 125 mph (same as P5's) TSCV+VIS (curiously the 1.6l has SVT but not the 2.0l)
The manual transmission seems to be very short (even shorter than P5's!)
Steering: electro-hydrolic power assisted (better than P5's engine power assisted)
Chassis: triple-H and Advanced Impact Distribution and Absorption System
black leather, black/red cloth, or black/blue cloth. Which would Mazda put in the copper colored MZ3 Sport/Hatch?
In the late 1970s early 1980s, when all Accords were two-door hatchbacks Honda had a copper color option, which didn't sell well. Then Toyota introduced a small station wagon with a copper color option, that too, didn't sell well. The station wagon became sort of a cult car because of its odd styling -- the rear license plate was positioned off-center towards the left side with an ugly black plastic surround bezel.
The Mazda3's "bar" grille is the optional Sport Grille, which many buyers like on the MZ6 @ $145 extra.
Carguy58, what do you want the grille to look like, a 1949 Packard?
The grille just looks out of place to me. It just doesn't look right to me. The sport grille make the front look awkward. Without the sport grille it looks like something is missing from the front end of the 3.
I agree with you. I'm a current P5 owner who thought it would be a no-brainer to repalce my current car with the Mazda3 Sport. However, I am quite taken with the sedan and am much more interested in seeing it firsthand than I thought I would be.
If the sedan offers the 2.3L engine w/all the good safety stuff and a sunroof minus NAV and HIDs (don't wanna pay for features I won't use), even though a HB is more practical, right now th sedan gets my nod - especially if they'll have some neat colours for it - that titanium grey, some shade of bright red, the blue from the M6, etc...
Doesn't look like you have to worry about NAV and HID's in Canada. I don't think we will be getting those options. However, Mazda Canada has been great about including all the important safety features as standard equipment, especially on upper model level cars.
The folks at Mazda Canada did a great job putting option packages together for the Mazda6 and deserve kudos for that.
Comments
Dinu
Dinu
http://www.autojournal.fr/aj/essais/essai.htm?fic=conclu&id1=- MAZ--60001VP&uid=9F9C908E60DA19F2C1256C3F0034CF68&marque=- Mazda&model=6
But I don't understand what "Tenue de cap" means. Any idea?
Qualités
Qualité de fabrication - Quality
Précision de conduite - Driving dynamics
Habitabilité/coffre - Interior/Cargo room
Défauts
Prix de vente - Price (too much)
Niveau sonore - Noisy
Tenue de cap - ???
Thanks Bruno!
Dinu
Qualité de fabrication -> build quality
Précision de conduite -> sharp handling
Habitabilité/coffre -> interior space/trunk
Con:
Prix de vente -> Price
Niveau sonore -> noisy
Tenue de cap -> instability (! I think this is an error, the detail text didn't mention at all about any instability)
of this car it seems kind of ugly (looks are
in the beholder). Reminds me of the Matrix.
I even had friends tell me if I bought a Matrix they couldn't be my friend anymore--no prob.
I got the P5 which is gorgeous. I just hope Mazda
returns to the P5 style in 8-9 years when I'm
ready for another one.
Mazda3 Sport height mm(in.): 1,465 (57.6)
They may look similar in pictures, but in real life they'll be completely different since they're completely different vehicles (SUV vs. sport hatch/wagon).
There needs to be a Mazdaspeed version! (please please)
In the end all these "crossovers" will wind uplooking the same, and merge with sport wagons like this one too...at least, if we continue along current styling vectors.
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
(Sorry, I just had to!)
Nevertheless, these Vectras are still mediocre-dynamic cars.
In a reversal of course, Ford Motor Co. will not use the new global C1 compact car platform for the North American Focus until at least 2007. While the rest of the world will get a redesigned C1-based Focus next year, North America may never get the vehicle, executives have confirmed.
Ford executives had said the North American Focus would shift to the C1 platform, which will accommodate the European Focus and several Ford, Mazda and Volvo models. Based on a standard vehicle cycle of four or five years, that shift could have come next year or in 2005.
So, the Mazda3 won't immediately share it's underpinnings with the Focus. Very nice.
Yes, the Focus is getting the 2.3L PZEV in all states for MY 2004. I can't find the exact link right now but it was confirmed on the Focus threads.
http://www.autoweek.nl/forum/read.php?f=4&i=56005&t=56005
IMO the sedan looks much better than the 5 door. Sort of BMW like in the rear. The front end is a little overstyled on both. The instrument cluster needs to be cleaned up along with the steering wheel. Overall it's not bad.
I was going to buy a Mitsubishi Lancer wagon or Prius...but now.. maybe I will wait till December?
The 3 is HOT!
There's an online dutch to english converter at:
http://www.freetranslation.com
And the Mazda3 will most likely be in N. America before December (November to be exact).
iamz:
Yep, I agree with you on the sedan. In fact the side shot of the sedan is exactly my car - titanium gray sedan without sport package (GFX in Canada). I'm getting the sport grille as an accessory though, gotta have that!
Interesting copper color. Not for me, though I can imagine it looking really good in a decent sunset.
-juice
They obviously took a page from VW in the interior design, at least vis a vis the dashboard and center stack. It's MUCH prettier than any Japanese interior I've seen lately. And VW is the right place to look for inspiration. (If they can pull it off and still maintain their build quality, it's a win-win-win.) It's an interior which works: all business, but with great attention to detail.
The front end looks a bit cleaner than earlier shots I've seen. I didn't like the horizontal slats in the grille; they looked too busy. The Mazda family look (simple black grille) is the right one, and it helps build the brand.
I agree: the sedan is much prettier than I would've expected, and it's more distinctive than the other leading Japanese subcompacts (Civic, Corolla, Sentra). Very well done!
The 5-door still looks too much like an microvan, but maybe it'll look better in person.
The mesh grille looks better than the one with the horizontal stripes.
-juice
It's a new class of vehicle. & this Mazda sure makes the new Daimer-Chrysler Pacifica look unsophisticated & crude. I'm sure that styling had no input from Mercedes Benz. & I don't even think such dorky-styled car deserves the name, as cars style around the Pacific regions, even from the descendants of prisoners down under, are much more interesting & tasteful, whether it's the Ford Falcon, etc.
- HID
- NAV
- tire-pressure monitoring (this one I'm not surprised, cause there's apparantly a US law saying something like 10% of a company's 04 models must have this system)
Where did I get this info? Go to MazdaUSA->Upcoming Vehicles->Mazda3. They've got a new Flash presentation.
Oh yeah, Hofu plant I assembled 744 Mazda3's for the entire month of July (so obviously they're not up to full production yet).
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
wongpres--thanks for all the info!
OK, I'm opening my platinum umbrella ... let the fallout commence!
Meade
compression ration 10.8 (vs 9.1 for P5)
fuel: 95 RON (premium!)
hp: 150hp @ 6000 rpm
torque: 135 @ 4500 rpm
acceleration: 0-62mph: 9s (vs 9.3 for P5)
top speed: 125 mph (same as P5's)
TSCV+VIS (curiously the 1.6l has SVT but not the 2.0l)
The manual transmission seems to be very short (even shorter than P5's!)
Steering: electro-hydrolic power assisted (better than P5's engine power assisted)
Chassis: triple-H and Advanced Impact Distribution and Absorption System
Brake: 4 disks (big rotors of 11.8" fr & 11" rr), ABS+EBD
Front suspension: Mc-Pherson with strut
Rear: Multi-link
In the late 1970s early 1980s, when all Accords were two-door hatchbacks Honda had a copper color option, which didn't sell well. Then Toyota introduced a small station wagon with a copper color option, that too, didn't sell well. The station wagon became sort of a cult car because of its odd styling -- the rear license plate was positioned off-center towards the left side with an ugly black plastic surround bezel.
The Mazda3's "bar" grille is the optional Sport Grille, which many buyers like on the MZ6 @ $145 extra.
Carguy58, what do you want the grille to look like, a 1949 Packard?
fowler3
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
You are forgiven!
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
I actually like the sedan's styling better, I of all people that am a HUGE HB fan.
Dinu
Dinu
The folks at Mazda Canada did a great job putting option packages together for the Mazda6 and deserve kudos for that.
Frankfurt is just a week or so away - more pics of the sedan should be available.
I just can't believe how good that grey sedan w/sports package from AutoWeek.NL looks.
Dinu