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At least Mazda purposely keeps the 3 uglier than the 6. So that alone will deter many 6 buyers from the 3.
Dynamic wise, who knows, maybe the 3's Euro underpinning will out perform the 6's Japanese design. As the most recent AutoMotor und Sport from Germany finds the Mazda6's steering too skittish & actually likes the Euro Accord's steering which has road feel, unlike our soft-bushing no-feel TSX.
In Europe, the hatch arrives a month before the sedan.
Mazda3 Sport replaces the Protege5
What you saw at the NY autoshow was the concept version of the Mazda3 Sport.
Mazda's been very secretive with the Mazda3 sedan (but if you do a search on this board, you can find it).
I didn't know that Mazda was even going to replace the Protoge until I saw it on the internet a few days after I went to the NY Auto Show.
Do you know of any places to get spy pictures?
http://groups.msn.com/BrunoLuong/mazda3.msnw
PS: "Protegé" is the correct spelling
I keep hearing you say this but I'm starting to think you're right. I wouldn't exactly call either version of the Mazda3 ugly, but I think there was a few minor obvious things they could have done to make them look better. I think the license plate on the bumper works better on the hatchback, but on the sedan I can't understand why they did it. On the RX-8 the trunk seems smaller so it works but on the sedan there's a huge space of nothing on the trunk. I know a lot of cars are like this but they might have been better off simply putting it on the trunk. Either they did this just to be different from the Mazda6 or they really were trying to make it look less attractive compared to the Mazda6. Also the taillights look like they could have been shaped better. I'll wait for better pictures but it seems they were trying to be too different.
Dinu
Still, the 3 sedan's rear reminds me of the old fastback sedan & coupe Subaru from the '70's. Its looks is more cool, albeit less expensive, than the RX-3's. The foreign-market RX-3 coupe was already a very cool looking car back then w/ one rectangular headlight on each side.
So the 3 will look like a cut-price 6, even the name seems so, but, again, radically cool. I'm sure those who don't get it are people such as old hags. ;-)
From the image I saw(the red one in the photo), paint the lower part into a Lexus-like two tone would help to make the car look lower.
getting carried too far away. Stop!!!!
And a honourable mention goes to Nick for starting it all!
Dinu
But the two ugliest grilles ever are on any big Buick and the Lexus LS430 -- the latter has absolutely no character.
creakid1, old hags drive old Buick Regals, usually aqua color or some ugly green.
fowler3
And the wagon doesn't have the character or looks of the P5, at least from the pictures.
How disappointing. Looks like they borrowed too many styling cues from the Corolla and Matrix.
In the late '90's, I once saw a foreign-market Aspire 4-dr notchback sedan(actually called Ford Festiva) w/ big squarish grill that extends below the bumper level. It really is "Rolls Royce like", & therefore, seems to worth more.
The recent Mazda 5-pt grill may seem like a copy from Honda, but it just reminded me that it's a style sort of reminiscent of the '70's RX-3's slightly pointy beaker grill. So the Mazda3 is a modern-day RX-3 w/o that old-nightmare Wankel rotary?
http://www.der-wankelmotor.de/Fahrzeuge/MAZDA/RX3/rx3.html
Scroll down to see the red coupe at horizontal level. The grill really looks like a 5-pt.
I believe the skittishly-quick setting was done on purpose, ditto my '90 sport model Protege LX. But the 6 has an elastic feeling not found in the Protege or Miata as if it can cause some lack of precision from the driver's input. The lack of directness in firmness can make this quick setting a tad too clumsy to be steered steadily & precisely w/o exercising a little caution. That was my impression during my MazdaRevItUp test drive of every Mazda car on the low speed course.
http://autos.msn.com/vip/heraudprocon.aspx?modelid=10684&src=- - vip
http://autos.msn.com/vip/heraudreport.aspx?modelid=10684&src=- - vip
The Carpoint reviewer also mention about the steering being elastic.
I've seen heavily camouflaged exterior pictures of the sedan and 'illustrations' for both the sedan and wagon. Basically it looks like a mini-S60.
Like the Mazda3, the Volvo S40 will be unveiled in Frankfurt.
http://free.inkfrog.com/pix/infinitig35testing/
VWs & even Audis are pretty much dead, as the poor-dynamic/ride/steering $100k Phaeton will phase out. VW now is announcing that it will improve the "electric pwr steering" in the upcoming Golf/Jetta over the poor-feel new A3's set up. Focus II/Mazda3 are smart enough to only go as far as "electro-hydraulic". See what happen when a company want's to save its image by not adopting the complete Focus platform? VW only secretly hired the Focus designer to do their new rear suspension.
By the way, since '99, C&D didn't like the new Protege's steering as much as the older Proteges - not as agile off center.
The interior was shaped dorky on purpose so Volvo buyers will like it? Or the car is so good that its looks has to be ruined to not hurt the S60's sale too much? The shapes of the steering, the door latch, & outside mirror are all dorky. The center stack looks like an after-thought panel stick on to the dash not unlike the BMW 1-series concept car. Believe me, it's no beauty. Instead of a full-laden expensive look as found in the old S40, the dash board looks cheaper than the S60's almost like a VW Polo or Lupo. What's that "VCR remote control" doing on the dash? It's not removable like the one in the Mazda Sportif concept is it? ;-) Mazda3's higher location of stereo/HVAC is a better design than this silly one from Volvo. & the switches aft of the center panel look like a mess. Ditto the shape of the cup holder surround, albeit a good location. Key hole on dash is good, I hope the 3 got that, too, as my '90 Protege got the most hard-to-find key hole even after all these yrs of ownership! Last, I wonder if these Volvo seats are comfier & more supportive than Mazdas' as usual.
Exterior wise, the front corners look silly as if this entire car is a Volvo wanna be but isn't one. The fastback w/ high short rear deck seems like it's got identical structure as Mazda3's, although I know the Volvo has a longer wheelbase.
Scion was in town (Boston) yesterday giving people test drives of the car before it goes on sale here next June. I was thinking "hmm... maybe they'll copy the Focus and it will handle great." So I drove it and I think I'm pretty sure I won't be getting one.
So now, I think my Focus replacement will be the Mazda 3 hatch. If you can get past the hatchback stigma from the 70s, you're better off. A hatch is so much more versatile and roomy. The deal breaker for me will be if there are too many critical Ford parts. I've learned my lesson and the Focus will be my first and last American car.
I think the Mazda will be sourced from mostly local (to the plant in Japan) suppliers, not the ones that Ford uses in NA. Of course, these could go bad too, but they've been much better, historically.
About the Ford Parts I would have thought Mazda would have learned its lesson with the disaster that was the 1994-1997 Mazda 626. I don't know if they learned enough lessons yet if there is going to be 60% ford parts in the 3.
http://bilder.autobild.de/bilder/1/37503.jpg
Yeah, this is what I want to know. What does the 60% consist of? The chassis and what else? Since the 40% consists mostly of stuff that are visual and things you can touch, how much of the parts you can't see or touch are being shared with Ford and Volvo? On the other hand, isn't the European Focus fairly reliable?
The guy who designed the interior definetly had to do that on purpose because that's exactly what it looks like, a remote control. The buttons look extremely small too. For whatever reason though I kind of like it simply because it's something different, but is it 7k-8k better than the Mazda3? No, not in my opinion. A stripped-down version is probably going to run about 23k right? That's with cloth and probably no ESP or traction control maybe. Volvo has a habit of making too much stuff optional and by adding options the price gets very high and very quick. Even if I had the money to buy either I would probably still go with a Mazda3. And being built in Japan is just icing on the cake.
until I hear the contrary, I assume not, period. Can we stop speculating and talk more about what we know?
All we know is this:
The plateform is a join venture, commonly developed by Ford (suspension), Volvo (chassis and structure), and Mazda (engines). Mazda3 styling is developed mostly in Europe. The car is entirely manufactured in Japan. Do people really think changing part suppliers is easy like going to different grocery store?