Mazda3

gandrigo

I also think ownership and controlling share are 2 different things. Ultimately they would still have to face the remainder of the shareholders whose equity stake is larger. controlling share probably entails input as to company direction rather than daily operations.

jrct9454

...some of you have too much time on your hands.

I do appreciate the comments from people who actually have purchased a car and have some real experience to share about the 3, or those who want to talk about the car's dynamics, initial teething problems, or anything really of substance.

But this continuing dialog about the Ford connection is starting to get to be a real yawner. Either the car works for you or it doesn't...

mazdafun

And its controls in general felt better. There goes that argument about pricing into a different "class". Its direct competitors have gotten much better (think Corolla, and the current Civic's interior parts are now competitive). I don't want to see the 3 fall behind, especially since Mazda is trying to market it in the high-end of the compact market, and the rest of it is so good. Why falter on a few low-cost bits? It's not like the real expensive parts need rework. I've levied this criticism at Corollas, Civics etc. (and these details have kept me from buying said cars), so I'm just being fair.

Turns out I have that other link:

http://www.chugoku-np.co.jp/MAZDA/4/e980331.html

It's an interview with an international business development executive who's recently returned to Japan after a several-year stint in the USA. There are a few interesting comments about the AAI plant in Flat Rock, MI. I think they're fair, as he acknowledges where they, as management, failed (though I think he's not putting enough responsibility on the part of the employees...it's a two-way relationship after all).

The Ford "link" is not irrelevant. I, for one, don't want Mazda to have to suffer a disaster like the lousy AT that Ford FORCED onto Mazda for its 626 during the mid-80s that did a lot to ruin its reputation. Yes, the relationship with Ford can help (as it did when Mazda was running out of money and FoMoCo pumped cash into it, and they have knocked some business sense into them, like having to cut costs when they're bleeding), but it can hurt too. From what I can tell, Mazda does their best work with some guidance (in market research and business management) and a free hand to explore and develop (though they have done their fair share of odd things, like a rotary-powered truck, and who else remembers the go-kart that folded into a piece of luggage?).

Anyway, I didn't want to stir this much heat up. For those of us who don't fit into the 3 all that well (esp. when we fit into our Proteges just fine), I wanted to shed some light on what may have led to the "big outside, small inside" phenomenom some of use have experienced, and explain (to myself anyway) why some components feel oddly cheaper than the rest of the otherwise-excellent 3 (good as it is, it still wouldn't be the compact I'd buy today, for fit and visiblity reasons...the cheap-feeling controls I could learn to tolerate).

mazdafun

Make sure to click on "Next" at the bottom of the page for more.

Seems up to 22% of the Familia (Protege) successor is sourced from the US or Thailand, especially in electronic components.

I'm not saying one method of management is better or worse, as I can see myself chafing under some of Mazda's (Japan) methods. But I can see how some of them would be better than what we deploy here.

guskim

"some of you have too much time on your hands...this continuing dialog about the Ford connection is starting to get to be a real yawner"

Cheers jrct9454,

It's good to voice your opinion, but your comment about the Ford discussion was arguably the most boring of the lot.

Some people have legit concerns, other simply want to comment on those concerns. Let people talk about their Mazda 3 as they will - without the condescending comments if you please.

1davao

Okay so much about Ford. Lets go back to the topic. Any of you orange lovers, I saw three orange Mz3's, 2 sedans and a hatch at Casey mazda. Go to Mazdausa.com and access the dealership or trim for 3. One black hatch even has abs and Xenons 18K+. They have all colors and auto or manual. They should be able to deal because their lots are overflowing. Low miles too in the single digits.

1davao

newcar31

I posted that link in the Mazda6 thread. It's kinda old, but it's still relevant. Anyway, since that other article talking about foreign (to Japan) parts content being as high as 22% for the Familia/Protege was written in 98'; they were talking about the 99-03 generation Proteges. I know that my 2001 Protege had 93% Japanese parts content, I still have the window sticker. The Mazda3 is similiar. Sooo, there aren't too many, if any, Ford supplier sourced parts in the Mazda3.

wrjoyce

Finally got to test drive Mazda 3. Rented from Hertz in Miami this past weekend, a beautiful new Mazda 3 with only 2 miles on it. Have been trying to decide what car to buy and after driving the Mazda 3 I unfortunately have to pause before choosing a 3. The performance was great, braking, acceleration, curves, passing, the looks a great too, the problem is ROAD NOISE. On a highway at 70 miles an hour, the sound penetrates the interior almost giving a headache, and with the stereo trying to compete with the road noise, a cacaphony of noise is what you hear. This is really inexcusable. I mean add enough soundproofing to keep the outside sounds outside. My second complaint, remediable but a bit annoying was the front seats, they just are not very comfortable for long periods of time. I mean I can buy a support seat mat, but there is not much secret to making a comfortable seat. The third complaint which I have read here is the rear view mirror. It really is not wide enough and is easily correctable. The last complaint, which was not a killer but should be fine tuned, is the rough suspension over potholes. I like a firm suspension over the toyota sytle suspension, but I think they must have gone cheap on the shock absorbers, just could not give over pot holes. But for me the killer was the road noise. Is this something they can fix in either next year's model or a fix that can be instituted with this model year. I really liked the car but 70 mph should not cause the severe road noise I heard. Any thoughts.

cdnp5

I don't have a Mz3 but I do drive a P5 and I would think that the 3 is quieter than the 5. I find it is sometimes the type of road that creates more noise. I have driven on many different type of roads and on some of them my car is almost Lexus quiet, on others it very loud. I do a lot of hwy (70-85mph on avg) driving and don't find noise a problem. I do find the engine buzzy around 4 grand and higher which is different than road noise.

Did you drive the 3 on any roads that you normally drive?

z71bill

On some road surfaces I get tire noise. I notice this most when the road is basically flat - no potholes, but the concrete is older so it is rough. This gets the tires kind of humming.

On most roads I do not hear any objectionable noise.

Those $%&@$#'S at Ford shouldn't have forced Mazda to use these tires! (LOL)

mazdafun

I didn't get back 'til now, but you already pointed that out (and the "up to 22% content" reference to the Familia successor). I didn't make it back in time to edit my previous posts.

I'm confused then. I guess it counts as Japanese content as long as the company is Japanese then? My sticker says mine has 94% Japanese content, 4% US/Canadian content. Apparently, so far as car parts go, Canadian parts aren't considered "foreign" to the US. I wonder when we annexed Canada? JK.

cogs25

I'm interested in hearing comparisons of those who have gone from a P5 to M3. In particular, I feel the P5 needs a very good road or the ride is rough. How is the M3?

petpad

well said guskim, we can waste our time any which way we please!!! I agree that the discussion on Ford is legit in this Mazda thread as it affects our 3. This does not mean we dismiss other subjects. I love to stir up things anyway on oddball issues... otherwise we might as well turn off the PC and vaccuum the living room or something (imagine that...)

On road noise, I dont find the 3 all that bad, considering the category. The price of silence is to buy a Camry... good car, but boring. Of course a BMW 540 is silent and fun to drive...:-)

The Elantra vs Mazda3 comparo board has been a hoot since day one, and it brought up the concept of "stigma" attached to brands, such as Hyundai and Mazda. The Camry mentioned above, as good a car as it is, is also stigmatized as a boring car, and older gentleman's car, a family car. The Hyundai name is stigmatized as "cheaper, getting better but still a symbol of cheapness". The Mazda 3 has that little pizzaz which keeps it out of the stigmas... it's cute, got great looks, Japanese pedigree and good blood in family (RX7, RX8, Millenia, Miata and Protege). Some folks out there "waste" hours defending honourably the Elantra and they have all my respect, because we have fun. Yes we do waste our time here (my wife reminds me every yell or two) but as I used to have on my Acura Vigor Club on Yahoo, we have fun, and we learn more about our 3, about Ford, about oddball stuff.

In the end, I'd rather argue with you jrct9454, than vaccuum the living room anyday...

Pet

creakid1

Which rental model? The 3i 4-dr auto w/ power windows? That should be low-rpm fwy cruising w/ 16" wheels. Did it sound like tire whine or deep tire rumble? Harsh banging sound from each bump or bot? Or bunch of echos from the floor pan? I hope it's not already fitted w/ the quiet Bridgestone Turanza LS-H tires!

If you can chip our more $ to replace these Japanese-tuned Mazda shocks w/ something else such as the comfy, although low quality, American-tuned Gabriel, chances are the car can ride smoother than even the Focus.

As I said before, the 3 is under priced for a world-class-dynamic sedan. No wonder it needs more $ upgrade to make it perfect.

creakid1

When I had my new '90 Protege LX w/ Bridgestone Potenza RE92 w/o the modern-design "unequal tread-block sizes", the road noise rumbles horribly over a hollow concrete surface even at 40 mph. Later, I tried Continental Sport Contact, Pirelli P600(both the narrow-tread Euro 3-rib & the U.S 4-rib) & Goodyear Eagle GA(OEM tires for the Jetta III). All w/ better quietness than that old-design Potenza RE92 -- w/ GA the best, followed by Sport Contact then the P600. But it was finally w/ the quiet champ - the Bridgestone Turanza(EL60 & the earlier model) -- was the road noise hardly affected by such surface!

I did compare the Michelin Energy MXV4 Plus to the older-design Turanza EL60 on my '98 Corolla LE. The Plus may not be as quiet as the EL60 on smooth surface, but neither does it turn as loud as the EL60 on "noisier" surface.

I believe, today, the Turanza LS-H has the best quietness.

creakid1

"Of course a BMW 540 is silent and fun to drive...:-) "

Right on! Actually, not really. Unlike the 525i, both the 540i & M5 failed to include the rack-&-pinion steering. When C&D complained about its numbness, they were praising the Focus SVT's steering communication in the same issue.

& yes, Mazda3's Ford connection is good. ;-)

By the way, I saw the 2nd Mazda3 -- A black hatch. I can see the car turns the driver instantly into a zoom-zoom driver from the way he steered -- Must be that quick, light, yet still communicative steering.

I remember a mild-mannered VW salesman blast off abruptly from every stop when he took me for a ride in the Jetta VR6. Then when I drove I discovered that it was the abrupt throttle setting, as it was almost impossible not to do that even w/ feather foot.

wrjoyce

Did you drive the 3 on any roads that you normally drive?

Yes, I drove on the 95 between Miami and Ft Lauderdale, have driven it often esp late at night. The noise was a continuous roar, not a thumping sound.

the guy who said "On road noise, I dont find the 3 all that bad, considering the category. The price of silence is to buy a Camry... good car, but boring"

While I accept that he was not bothered by any noise, the idea that any car manufacturer cannot add sufficient insulation to keep the noise down is what is unacceptable and you dont have to buy a toyota or bmw A quiet drive (except from engine noise deliberately pronounced for performance) is important if you are going to do any highway driving at high speed. SO WHO ELSE AT 70 MPH HAS NOTICED ROAD NOISE. The highway I was on was a well paved highway

creakid1

"While I accept that he was not bothered by any noise, the idea that any car manufacturer cannot add sufficient insulation to keep the noise down is what is unacceptable and you dont have to buy a toyota or bmw A quiet drive (except from engine noise deliberately pronounced for performance) is important if you are going to do any highway driving at high speed."

If Mazda "dares" to sound insulate the Euro-suspension 3, then the car industry will go nuts, as neither the Camry nor the costly/unreliable Beemer will sell anymore.

I've been suspecting that there seems to be a secret agreement b/t BMW & Benz that the Beemer can be a better car than the Benz in every way from steering/handling & even ride comfort/quietness, as seen from the '96 5-series vs E-class. But the Beemer must keep the back seat that's poor in both room & seating posture to let the Mercedes justify its higher price & even worse reliability, especially w/ the introduction of BMW's efficient yet powerful 3.0 in-line 6-cyl engine.

Yes, Mazda's road noise sucks, & the 5-speed's high-rpm fwy cruising sucks. That's why, since my new '90 Protege LX, I kept trying to replace it w/ cars from the quiet little '98 Corolla LE to the super-stereo '93 Camry V6 SE sedan to the raw-manual-steering fool-proof/tossable-handling super-stable-riding vintage '84 Jetta Wolfsburg, & I still found the Mazda to be the best car I've ever had!

That's why I'd rather find remedies such as undercoating & under-carpet sound insulating the Mazda than retire this old car!

mazda6s

"SO WHO ELSE AT 70 MPH HAS NOTICED ROAD NOISE."

I did, on multiple test drives. It was loud in comparison with the Mazda6 that I drove back-to-back with the Mazda3.

1davao

What's the best undercoating system out there?
Will it void any warranty? Thanks for the info.

1davao

z71bill

I do not have a problem with road noise in the Mazda3- But at first I did notice the higher engine RPM at highway speed.

I am use to driving a Tahoe or a full size PU, both with the 5.3L engine - It is not normal for me to be turning so many RPMs. The Tahoe is at around 1,800 RPMs at 70 MPH - the Mazda3 is almost 3,200 at the same speed (or was that the RPM at 60 MPH?). I did not see a problem during the test drives I took - and since this was an "around town" car anyway - it was not a show stopper.

I do understand that what sounds cool on a short drive across town - can start to drive you nuts after 500 straight miles. I only have 800 miles on the Mazda3 - and the longest trip I have taken is a 2 hour highway trip drive. After this short trip I feel the Nazda3 is a much better highway cruiser that I originally thought.

newcar31

"The Tahoe is at around 1,800 RPMs at 70 MPH - the Mazda3 is almost 3,200 at the same speed (or was that the RPM at 60 MPH?)."

Your Tahoe sounds like my old Mustang, you could idle down the freeway. A V8 should be more relaxed at higher speeds. I'm not exactly sure what the RPMs are at with my manual 6i at 70 mph, but I think it's lower than 3,200 rpm. The 6i must have different gear ratios than the 3s.

gandrigo

I don't think the amount of road noise is any different than it was in my 99 protege. it may be slightly louder, but I think you can attribute that to more tire, and it could probably be reduced as creakid1 says with a different tire than the stock goodyears. I drove a friends 02 civic extensively over the holidays, and it seemed pretty much on par with that car. That said, compact Mazda's are certainly not the quietest cars in class. I don't find it excessive, but then I have never really owned a quiet car.

stokkes

Hmm.

I took a trip, 500km (~300mi) there and 500km back, and never noticed any high road noise. Maybe it's the undercoating I had done before driving the car off the lot, but I can tell you that I'm a nitpicker when it comes to things like this and road noise was definitely not a problem. What I do find problematic however is that the humming of the engine in any gear besides 4th and 5th drives me nuts.

-- stokkes

ohsoribby

sorry, but can someone explain undercoating? im a car newbie here. As for road noise .. there does seem to be more noise than i am used to, but before i bought the mz3 i drove my parents' camry so it might not be a fair comparison. If anything the "whine" that the steering wheel makes is more annoying than highway road noise in my opinion. Any cure for that?

lavaorange3

...I guess it's relative, cause coming from the 2002 P5 the 3 is pretty quiet. And as somebody else said earlier, you can always turn up the stereo!

carguy58

I agree Car and Driver said in their issue for New cars for 2004 they said the 3 sedan/hatch combo has less interior room than the Protege/Pro 5 combo. The interior room issue with the 3 is a dissapointment compared to the Protege.

As far as the interior in the 3 is concerned I have only seen pictures but its better than the Civic and Sentra in my opinion. At first glance the the interior in the 3 reminds you of the Audi A4. I think the interior in the Corolla is probably better than the one in the 3.

Everybody is harping on Mazda for being cheaper. I think its a fair point but Toyota deconted the Camry interior for 02 and the car still sells like mad. Look at the Altima interior. I see 02+ Altima's everywhere. Nissan and Toyota have no Ford influence so I guess they don't get knocked for stuff Mazda does. If you are going to knock Mazda for something they did then you have to knock other manufacturer's for doing the same thing. I have no problem with Nissan and Toyota but when those 2 manufacturer's cheapen something people act like they don't notice. When Mazda does the same thing as Nissan and Toyota do everybody goes well there's the Ford influence again.

I think if you see more cheaper buttons in the 3 than in the Protege its probably because of the suppliers raising costs.

stokkes

Ok, I've read enough!

When I was looking to purchase a car, I did extensive research. I'm just that kind of guy (and rightly so for a vehicle, but I do it for everything). I carefully looked at the Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla, Hyundai Elantra and Nissan Sentra Spec-V SE-R and finally the Mazda 3 once I saw the first picture of it from the Frankfurt autoshow here on Edmunds (I guess it's thanks to edmunds that I bought this car!)

Now, back to the interior.. Out of all the cars, I firmly believe that the Mazda 3 has the best interior "look".. Now, does that mean the parts are cheap, or not up to par with Honda/Toyota? Maybe, but I'm talking in terms of "rich look". The Honda/Toyota have great functionality, but they look pretty bland. They work great, but they just don't have that upper-class look. They look economical (as obviously, for an economy car, they should). The sentra and elantra and just ugly inside imo (although still functional). I Have no problems with the HVAC controls on the MZ3 (They function very much like my Sunfire, so i was right at home with it). That and the interior of my GT w/GFX (of in the USA the 3s with upgraded package) looks beautiful and I always get comments from people I give rides to that they can't believe it's an economy car. Again, the other manufacturers are behind Mazda when it comes to style and richness of it (imo).

When it came down to it, the day I bought my car, I was still undecided. I had narrowed it down to the Toyota and the Mazda.. The sentra and the elantra were too ugly (the sentra has an ugly buttend and the elantra is too bland and since they've changed the look of the civic a few years ago, I detest the new look of it). I'm a stylish guy (atleast I like to think of myself that way) which is why I wanted a bit of style in my car. The Corolla, I knew, was top notch when it came to reliability and I liked the look of the Corolla S. However, what really sold me was the overall feel I had when I drove the MZ3. It just felt like a sportier car, felt like a nicer, sturdier ride (although the Corolla felt like a mini-lexus).

In concluding, I believe I made the right choice. I may have been a little vain in my choice because as petpad has stated many times in his posts, You have to like looking at your car (well, atleast I think so). There's no point in buying a car(new for that matter) and just being "satisfied".. I want to be more than satisfied. I want to know that I may have bought an economy car, but it sure as heck doesn't look like an economy car, doesn't handle like an economy car, and makes people think it's worth more. To me, that means a lot, as well as the fact that I always to a triple take when walking away from the car because I find it so beautiful (well, maybe not as much in the winter when it's covered with salt)

Bottomline is if you're going to shell the cash for a new car, don't "settle" for anything, but something you want and something you'll be happy with. You are paying your hard earned cash, might as well buy something you'll want to show off.

So yeah, the interior fits the car perfectly. It's a nice interior, doesn't look cheap (imo) and looks MUCH better than the Civic/Corolla/Sentra/Elantra and their bland, run of the mill dash/inside controls

-- stokkes

the_big_h

is just a high-quality knob....

mpg5

Consumerguide reports that, "A sporty MazdaSpeed 3 is expected sometime fairly soon, perhaps by mid-2004." Fingers crossed here!!!!

chacobleu

How about some proof? Pull a part from the 3 that you think is poorly designed and prove that it came from a Ford certified supplier. Otherwise, enough said about Ford. I read that some are blaming Ford as the root cause to the 3's short comings (i.e. zero increase in space over the Pro even though the 3 is dimensionally larger) where others have accepted the shortcomings as a trade off for a superior car over the Pro and others in its class. IMHO, there are no shortcomings and there are no trade offs. It's all in the planning. Even though the 3 is not currently available with all-wheel drive, it was built around that future concept (the Volvo S/V 40 - it's twin - will have it right off the bat). This would explain some loss of space as well as the higher seating positions (as compared to the Pro). Then you have a much improved chassis to reduce NVH, increase stiffness, and resist bending. All of this helps improve crash worthiness as well (i.e. Volvo involvement). The 3 weighs more than the Pro ever did and for good reason - it has substance. Best of all, you get this world class car for about the same price as the Pro. So what is with the grip?

I remember when BMW had a major overhaul on their 3 series back in the early 90s, there was much lamenting (i.e. less tossable, etc.). But BMW has since won over a much larger audience. Mazda will, too. While some can't see past the rear view mirror, Ford, Mazda, & Volvo have been looking at the road ahead. Some may be rumors, but they sure sound great. Here are some future 3 plans: All-Wheel Drive; high performance version (think 250 HP+ and by the way, have you seen the available space in the engine bay, wow); mini suv; part suv/part pickup (i.e. a smaller version of the Explorer Sport Trac); coupe; and convertible. The best part is the current chassis will fit the bill for all.

gandrigo

Am i the only one to feel that there hasn't been a noticeable drop in quality from the Pro to the 3. I owned a 99 Protege for 5 years and after a month with my Mazda3, it doesn't feel inferior to me. Unless there were major changes after 1999, I'm having trouble understanding the gripes. I'm not blinded by still being in the honeymoon stage, there are things that bug me about the new design. For instance the guages which are barely legible in direct sunlight, the lack of rubber inserts on the dead pedal(as others have mentioned), and the whine from the power steering at idle.

mazdafun

I think more would detract from the interaction with the 3.

I can appreciate the quietness of a Camry, but I personally want more feedback from my car.

From what I've experienced, the 3 is noticeably quieter than my '99 Protege, which I find acceptable even at highway speeds. But that's me: I like to hear the engine and the pavement. A lot depends on how it sounds. For instance, in the Cavalier, there were funky "boinging" sounds coming from the front suspension everytime I hit a bump in the road. I hear muffled thumps when driving the same road in my Protege. Yes, it's still noise, but it's "good" noise. I think it adds to the character of a car (speaking of character, that convertible Mini looks awful tempting). But I recognize that some folks don't consider any noise to be good noise.

newcar31

"It's all in the planning. Even though the 3 is not currently available with all-wheel drive, it was built around that future concept (the Volvo S/V 40 - it's twin - will have it right off the bat). This would explain some loss of space as well as the higher seating positions (as compared to the Pro)."

The Protege/Familia/323 was set up for AWD too, so it doesn't explain the loss in space or the higher seating positions with the 3. Take a look underneath a Protege sometime. There a nice little space for a rear differential underneath the car and there's space for a driveshaft. North American versions never got AWD though.

1davao

Everybody can agree that Ford, Mazda and Volvo jointly developed a world class automobile with great value. The bottom line is a lot of people purchased this car just for that reason alone. Granted, no car is perfect but I would like to thank the engineers who spent a lot of time and effort building this car that I am now enjoying to drive. So now, Toyota comes up with a TC scion coupe fully loaded under 20K 2.4L 160 HP. Who do you think that is competing against? I think everybody wins with all these cars going down in price with all safety features plus more. If you have legitimate gripes with this car send those letters where it counts, to the manufacturer's QC.

1davao

mazdafun

I griped about the cheap vinyl visors in my '99 Pro, and the '01s got nicely upgraded ones (and a bunch of other nice upgrades). I have serious visor envy (well, only when I actually USE my visor, which is only when I'm parked as it completely blocks my view).

Go to mazdausa.com. They have a feedback form for just this kind of thing.

vadp

SIRIUS is expected to be available as a dealer-installed option in the following schedule of Mazda vehicles:

* Mazda Tribute - spring 2004
* Mazda MPV - spring 2004
* Miata - spring 2004
* RX-8 - summer 2004
* MAZDA3 - fall 2004
* MAZDA6 - fall 2004

4th_horse

I agree with stokkes about the quality of the interior. I just became the happy owner of an electric blue Mazda3 hatch, and the interior is one of the things that sold me. It's not about quality of materials so much, but how it is easy on the eyes and a pleasure to touch--it's just right. It's just a nice, harmonious environment, and at the same time up-to-date. I really like the center console. The stereo has the big volume knob in the middle, with everything laid out cleanly, and the steering wheel controls are positioned well. There are the cool little lights that move when you make adjustments. The climate control isn't automatic but I don't really need that and everything is intuitive.

x_typer_pilot

After 3,000 km, mostly at speeds in excess of 80 km/h on rural roads and in excess of 130 km/h on the highways...

I have noticed the opposite, I find the car quiet - for a compact car. It's a bit louder than my GTI, but that car is C$10,000 more expensive.

Of course, I may have become deaf from driving my Type-R daily for 3+ years.

mazdafun

If you ever have the chance to pull out the HVAC manual controls or stereo system controls, let me know who made them. Visteon makes many electronic and some plastic components used in Ford vehicles. They were spun off from FoMoCo several years back (like Inland Fisher Guide and Delphi were from GM), and they make some decent stuff and some garbage, just like IFG. I'd have to say they're both mid to low-tier in terms of quality. Of course, that's also the market segment they mostly play in. It's not their fault a customer decides to use cheaper stuff in their higher-end equipment.

groovypippin

Edmunds dudes, please do not erase this post. The following is a press release and therefore is not subject to copyright issues.

Good news for Mazda fans

AUTOMOBILE JOURNALISTS ASSOCIATION OF CANADA

Transmitted by Canada NewsWire on : Feburary 11, 2004 09:58
Automobile Journalists Association of Canada Selects the Mazda 3 as "Canadian Car of the Year" for 2004

    TORONTO, Feb. 11 /CNW/ - The Automobile Journalists Association of Canada
(AJAC) announced its selection of the Mazda 3 as the "Canadian Car of the
Year" today, during the opening ceremonies for the Canadian International Auto
Show in Toronto.
    AJAC's Jim Kenzie, president of the Canadian Car of the Year Awards,
stated that "These awards are the result of what we believe to be the most
thorough, scientifically sophisticated and unbiased evaluation program of its
type in the world, conducted to provide consumers with sound, comparative
information on which to base their new vehicle buying decisions".
    He goes on to explain "Each year some 50 automotive journalists from
across Canada, representing all the major publications, come together to
select the best ten vehicles. Our members make their choices on the basis of a
rigorous and highly disciplined evaluation process grounded on back-to back
testing of direct competitors"
    AJAC determined in 2002 that their awards influence significantly
Canadian car buyers. Survey results of purchasers of the 2002 Nissan Altima
determined that almost 70% (69.6%) said they were influenced in their purchase
choice because the 2002 Nissan Altima was the Canadian Car of the Year and of
those, 47.5% identified the award as a "strong/extremely strong" influence.
    It all begins in late October when about 50 AJAC automotive journalists
from across Canada take part in a four-day back-to-back evaluation process at
Shannonville Motorsports Park, near Belleville, Ontario.
    Affectionately known as "TestFest", the journalists form test teams to
compare every vehicle in a class, back-to-back, on the same surfaces, under
the same conditions, on the same day to ensure valid, objective comparisons.
The testing program includes driving on a test track as well as using "real
world" public roads where consumers drive.
    Every detail, from safety features to cargo capacity, is thoroughly
scrutinized, discussed, and individually rated by secret ballot. Those ballots
are then tabulated by the international accounting firm KPMG, which keeps the
results confidential -- even from AJAC -- until today's press conference.
    The nine category winners were announced in November. The overall
Canadian Car of the Year is chosen from the nine class winners.
    The vote results, as well as the comparative performance data produced
during the annual Test Fest, are available to consumers on AJAC's web site at
www.AJAC.ca.

gazelle2

I've been tooling down 295 in NJ at 80 mph and find the car quiet, even refined, at speed. I agree that the interior is first-rate. It seems to exude a luxury feel that you shouldn't be able to enjoy for $19k or so. The leather seats are more supple than the ones on my '01 GTI were, and the plastic seems more tasteful than the VW stuff, esp.the textured dash surface.
Maddening: have called Flemington Mazda to order mud flaps and moonroof visor, maybe upgrade mirror, but he has NOTHING available. The brochure certainly suggested these were viable options. Has anyone actually been able to get any dealer add ons for their 3s?

bluong1

Formidable news! Thank you.

mazdafun

More so than here in the states where excess bulk and size seem to rule.

Gooooo Mazda!

Now redo that marketing campaign.

fowler3

Welcome to the Mazda3 Board, hope you enjoy your new 3 and come in often to report your experiences.

fowler3

fowler3

buy a high quality knob and send it to big_h_kool, please. He can keep it in a cage and look at it every day. Feed it and take it for walks. Maybe teach it to play games.

Knob appeal, now there is a new advert idea for Mazda!

fowler3

mazda6s

Try
http://www.mazdastuff.com

groovypippin

Oh there are just so many places I could go with that one, but I know Edmunbds likes to keep things clean.

It simply isn't fair to serve up that kind of slow ball when you are aren't allowed to swing for the fences!!

groovypippin

Why my flag has mysteriously changed from Canadian to American? I haven't changed anything in my profile. In fact, I went back and checked to ensure that everyone was the same.

With the Mazda3 being named Canadian Car of the Year, I want my Canadian identity back now more than ever!

the_big_h

also selected Mazda3 as their 2004 Driver's Choice Compact Car of the year.

Motorweek is a public program funded by Maryland Public Television, FYI.