Mazda - Does it have a good future in US?

nippononly · February 2004

the first time I drove it, the 3 was a slam dunk. There are certainly no echoes of the 6's lukewarm start in the way the 3 has come out of the gates! Unless you need AWD, the 3 is the best choice out there in its segment right now for four-doors. REALLY well put together, beautifully styled, and a better driving experience than any of the others.

seminole_kev · February 2004

You'd have to think it will put a dent in the market.

guest · February 2004

Mazda passed Mitsubishi in December for 10th place in the NA market and in January passed VW for 9th place. Not a bad deal to pass 2 automakers in 2 months are far as total sales go. It will be interesting to see what happens when VW redesigns the Jetta for 06 and that will go head to head with the Mazda 3. The Jetta is dated so thats prboably why total VW sales are down. I'm not a fan of the refresh of the 04 Jetta. The 99-03 models looked better to me.

PF_Flyer · February 2004

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saber86 · February 2004

that was nice song and dance but I think it is you who are still confused and cannot grasp the simple economic concept of supply and demand.

Honda is offering special incentives on accord/civic because the sales of honda cars are on a steady decline. Its also no big secret much of new siennas sales is coming at the expense of odysseys behind. Honda also recently completed the expansion of alabama plant to increase the output capacity of odyssey. Where is the cash rebate or special lease deals on still strong sellers pilot and cr-v?

Did honda offer special incentives before the new sienna hit the market when people were waiting weeks if not months. See terry its all very simple supply and demand.

I just checked the toyota site and i can see toyota is offering cash incentives on most of their products but no incentives on the sienna. I wonder why that is.

I can recall back in 2002 when my wife was looking for compact suv we shopped all over town including mazda tribute. Honda dealers were basically pay msrp or walk on the cr-v. If they did not have the color you wanted, put a deposit down and wait for the next shipment. The mazda dealers were much more receptive as there were quite a few to choose from. I can also recall mazda was offering special incentives at the time as well.

Do you think department stores like macys routinely markdown items that are fast movers or limit them to slow moving items? Look at what the record low interest rates have done to the housing market.

I will agree with you terry businesses will tend to offer special incentives in an effort to increase or maintain their market share. What I disagree with you is on the point you made "there is no direct correlation between slow sales and special incentives like cash rebate".

guest · February 2004

I like the 6. I'm not high on a Mazda 9. Its just going to sell mediocre just like the Millenia and 929 did. The Millenia was a beautiful looking car but it didn't make money for Mazda.

I am upset though why is the 3 getting off to a quick start out of the gate and the 6 didn't? That baffles me.

6thbeatle · February 2004

we must be following each other around these forums ha ha! anyways, i feel the overall shape and design of the mazda 3 exudes upscale european quality and tremendous value. the 6 on the other hand, just seems to be lacking an overall interesting shape that would make one sit up and notice it. don't get me wrong, it's a really nice car to drive, and it has some really nice detailing, but overall it lacks a certain visual punch. i think mazda should have been more daring in the sheet metal design.

rroyce10 · February 2004

..... *** I see toyota is offering no cash rebates on any of their product lines. Toyota and Honda doesn't need to offer cash rebates because most of their products sell extremely well on their own ***

           Those are your words, "not mine" .. so now you back up faster than a tow truck in a 4 lane highway at rush hour.

           Toyota and Honda have had incentives, rebates and special rates for years, 90% of the their selling fleet is under some incentive or another ... but now, you want to point out the "new" Sienna and a CR-V from 2 years ago ...?
  .. oh, that's staying on the issue .l.o.l..

           Ok, let's go your way and let's side-track the issue, Macys as well as Dilliards (and many others) are having Huge mark-downs on Nautica, Tommy Hill, Polo, Mani and a host of other "big" names, as much as 70% off and the reason being is, those companies don't want inventory just sitting in 200+ stores at $500,000+ a pop - turn and burn the inventory and move on to the new stuff - economics 101.

               Theres nothing different in the car business, you can have the nicest Porsche 911 sitting on the front line, but it's time for that puppy to head to the auction if it's not moving in "quick time", why tie up $70,000+ (and pay the floor plan) when you can replace it with 2 or 3 03 TL's - economics 101.

          The cheap rates is actually the point, do you think it doesn't sell cars as well as homes .? .. Sure it does, thats the reason why Toyota and Honda subsidizes their vehicles by $1,0/$1,500 per vehicle, as far as the Siennas are concerned as soon as the market heats up in the in the spring you will be seeing something on those ..

        ** that was nice song and dance but I think it is you who are still confused and cannot grasp the simple economic concept of supply and demand.**

             Am I confused, your kidding right.? .. I live it everyday and I have been in this business for going on 20 years in March, so I have a little hint on what goes on, in the meantime ~ your just bobbing for apples ..........

Terry ;-)

guest · February 2004

Uh its the best looking car in its class in my opinion. The Accord Sedan and Camry look so generic forget it. I like the Altima exterior but there is no elegance in its exterior design. I like the Passat but it doesn't look as sporty as the 6. Basically the 6 splits the styling difference between the Passat and Altima well.

On the 3 sedan the back end looks like a Chevy Cavilier too much. I understand there is styling similarties in evety car nowadays but it looks way too much like a Cavilier in my opinion. The 3 hatch looks ok thoughfrom what I have seen though.

One thing that sparks my interest is people whine about resale value but people act like 3 is the best thing since sliced bread. I don't understand that. Maybe Mazda can sell the 3 own its own merit rather then resorting to discounting. I don't know.

guest · February 2004

Well I was looking at a Mazda dealer inventory last night of a dealer in my local area. They have 61 RX-8' on the lot from what I counted. Thats way too many and 21 leftover 03 6's. Its Febuary 04 on Mazda still has 03's leftovers? I don't know. The only thing Mazda is good at selling at is the Protege now the Mazda 3. They need to put some good commercials on TV for the 6 in order for the 6 to move at a reasonble pace. The 6 did sell well in the last half of last year. I wonder if the weak intro for the 6 has something to do with leftover 6's on the lot. Mazda did sell 4,121 last month and that was an 83% increase over last year in terms of 6 sales. With Toyota and Nissan getting into the incentives game with the Domestic Big 3 it could worse for Mazda. The Honda Accord is not in demand as much as it was in the past so I wonder if even Honda will get into the price war with Toyota, Nissan, and the Domestic Big 3.

6thbeatle · February 2004

i like the new accords except for the sedan's rear end--droopy frowning downturned lights with sagging corners--terrible. but inside and out much improved. i agree about the lack of elegance of the altima, but since when were nissans elegant--their whole line-up is quirky.

the mazda 6 is a nice car, but it's already had many complaints from customers abour rust seepage on the door panels. mazda also took too long to release the wagon and hatchback. they're STILL not out yet.

if i had to choose a sedan myself, i'd probably go for the 2005 altima, because 250 ft/lbs of torque is pretty darn appealing compared to mazda's perenially under-powered cars. the RX-8 has, what 158 ft/lbs of torque? not very impressive, even for a light car. the rotary engine is way too small. i don't think it'll hold up over the years, especially in combo with a turbocharger. mazda seems very fragile at the moment, except for the 3.

Kirstie_H · February 2004

A Western daily newspaper is interested in hearing perspectives on commuting via car or light truck (SUV, minivan, pick-up). What has changed your commute over the years? What would make your commute better? Did commuting factor into your decision about a particular home or job? Have any dramatic stories about commuting? (Stories about trains, buses, bikes, tractors etc are not of interest unless they tie directly in with a story about commuting with a car or light truck.) Please send your thoughts, city/state of residence and daytime contact info to jfallon@edmunds.com.
Thanks for your consideration.
Jeannine Fallon
PR Director
Edmunds.com

guest · February 2004

As a Honda fan I don't like the new Accord Sedan either because of the rear end. The coupe is alright looking though.

As far as the rust is concerned it doesn't effect 04 models only 03's. I know its enexcuseable though.

As far as the Altima is concerned yeah it may have alot of power but I don't think 220 horsepower for the 6's V6 is that bad. Add in complaints about torque steer for the Altima.

6thbeatle · February 2004

that 6 is definitely a tight little package--it just doesn't fire me up much, that's all. still a really nice car, especially in the handling dept--superb. the altima is kind of unrefined, but that's alright as long as the interior gets upgraded (which is happening). more visceral and raucous but very flimsy hard plastic materials inside taken seemingly straight from my brother's old '71 240Z. as for the accord coupe, i think it's a sweet design--looks like something mercedes would build--very solid looking with clean lines. i like.

i feel most strongly about the accord sedan though. i've sat in it and was really impressed by the layout and quality materials, but then i would walk around the sedan and just couldn't get past that frumpy rear end. I'd love to see the final sketches of the rear-end treatment that were laid out on the honda design chief's desk. i bet one of the proposals that was rejected was much nicer. poor choice by management.

actually, it would be quit easy to fix it. just eliminate that downward turn on the bottom edge of the light, and give it a straight cut line parallel to the top edge. it would give the accord sedan a slimmer more-balanced look like on the alfa 164 rear end, which was very chic.

lackofdave · February 2004

Does anyone else out there see the 3 as a potential Jetta killer? I've been thinking about this since VW stopped offering the base Jetta last year. You can't get into one for less than $18K and that doesn't count the options, which VW is always sparse on.
You get in a similar Mazda 3 for $16 with a lot more features.
Any thoughts?

Oh and I like the 6. I'm guessing they'll up the hp to compete with the altima as well. Or just offer a mazdaspeed version.

6thbeatle · February 2004

i don't think it takes a 3 to kill a jetta. just go down to the VW Ownership Experience Forum.

guest · February 2004

As a Honda fan I really think Honda went that way with the Accord Sedan styling to get Domestic Big 3 buyers. They wanted to do something that just wasn't going to get previous Honda buyers but owners of Domestic Big 3 cars as well. Charlie Parker was the guy who headed the 03 Accord Project(he used to work at General Motors.) Charlie Parker also headed up the Acura MDx project. The MDX came out nice but the Accord didn't come out so good on the outside. Honda has tried this with the Accord before if you remember the 94 Accord. The 94 Accord styling was to get younger buyers(not neccesarily buyers from other car brands)because Honda wanted to stop the Accord aging process(I guess Honda thought at the time its buying base for the Accord was aging.) The older people did not like the 94 Accord. It did win young buyers but the 94 Accord wasn't a success like Honda thought it was going to be. Now Mazda with the 6 is trying to get the younger buyer in the mid size market.

Oh yeah I saw my 5th and 6th Mazda 3's this week.

nippononly · February 2004

from what I have seen, the next Jetta will be up-contented quite a bit, and the 3, which is a bargain at base price, should go head to head with Jetta when loaded up with options that the VW will have standard. Of course, the trump card is NAV, which I don't know if Jetta will offer. However, to get a 3 hatch with NAV and the various other stuff like HIDs will put its price over $20K, which will be higher than that base Jetta.

They both will have great styling, best-in-class power (for now anyway), and generous equipment levels. I would say they will be going at it head to head. Of course, VW has the disadvantage that statistically speaking they haven't been well built for a very long time, and Mazda has the disadvantage that no-one has ever heard of it (OK, a little exaggeration there, but you get the drift).

vcjumper · February 2004

Current Jetta pricing here seems to be in line with the Mazda 6 more than the Mazda 3. So I guess the next Jetta will be more expensive than either of them unless VW comes to their senses and goes back to their roots.

nippononly · February 2004

that base to base, the Mazda3 will be several thou less. But it will also have a much lower feature content and decreased power output at that price point. But the 3 can be equipped to go almost head to head with the new Jetta, and in that guise it should be about the same price too.

It does concern me that some dealers have such large inventories of RX8s just sitting around. Oh please don't let this car fail in the market! It will be the death of the rotary!

car3 · February 2004

I am formally Car Guy 58 so I guess I'm your main poster as far as Mazda goes.

Mazda has to remember this is not the late 80's/early 90's with the sports coupe market. This is not 1991 its 2004 with SUV's all over the place. I don't know Mazda's sales targets for the RX-8 for this year. I think they did meet their sales targets as far as July 03-December 03 as far as RX-8 sales goals are concerned. Mazda just made too many RX-8's I think. They have to market the car on commercials more too. Its not a Honda S2000 where its going to sell through ads in Import Magazines. Mazda has not yet garnered that reputation with import tuners the way Honda has. It took Honda a long time to garner that reputation. It didn't happen overnight for Honda.

Yes I have seen the large inventories at one particular Mazda dealer in Central NJ too but look at the price and Mazda is just making a comeback in NA. I think the 6 and 3 will do good for them. I don't think the RX-8 will be as big as Mazda thinks it is going to be.

nippononly · February 2004

reading a comparo in MT between RX8, 350Z, and S2000, and hey! Guess what? RX8 won it! Now the 350Z is a volume car for Nissan, so it is reasonable to think that if more people just knew about Mazda, and would actually shop it before buying, all those excess RX8s might just fly out dealership doors! Mazda is like a really great secret: fantastic for the people who know it, but unknown to most of the people out there.

6thbeatle · February 2004

i really like the RX-8, but i think the rotary engine displacement is too small. i can't see how it will last with all the high revving required to keep it on the boil. the engine produces so little torque (less than the 2.3L engine in the mazda 3) that even with the RX-8's light weight, it now shares honours with the honda s2000 as the whiniest, most tylenol-inducing car to drive on a regular basis. give me a dodge hemi magnum instead with space to stash my board, amp, and guitars.

nippononly · February 2004

the MT article said that the rotary in the RX8 revved so smoothly, linearly, and quietly, that the only cue that an upshift was needed was the rev limiter audible warning that Mazda put in to sound when 9000 rpm is approaching. So "whiny" and "Tylenol-inducing", it apparently is not.

If you have ever driven a rotary, I don't think you would ever look at a crude large-displacement V-8 again. Those rotaries wind out like jet engines. The rush of power is amazing. But it is true, that your driving style has to include enjoying keeping the engine on boil.

Oh yeah, and don't forget - this car is only 2800 pounds or so. 240 hp in a 2800 pound car with perfect 50/50 weight distribution. That 2-ton Magnum may beat the RX8 off a stoplight start, but throw in any turns, or give the RX8 a quarter mile, and the Mazda will do itself proud, I am sure.

6thbeatle · February 2004

good points. actually, you mention the one thing that i didn't like about my mazda--the linear power delivery. if you've ever worked on bikes or done testing on a dyno and at the racetrack, you'll find that most seat-of-the-pants testing will prove that a defined and noticeable sweet spot/bulge in the powerband gives a more satisfactory kinaesthetic feeling than a linear power delivery.

it's that "whooosh" feeling as you hit the meaty part of the band and really take off that makes you feel like you're rocketing away. i wish mazda would be less scientific about this and give their cars more of a defined "spiky" power curve instead of a smooth flat line where the power builds up evenly.

qbrozen · February 2004

yeah! and I also want really crappy tires so when I hear squealing while going around bends, my auditory senses tell me I'm taking that turn REALLY fast when, in fact, I'm only going about 15 mph. Woohoo! and let's not forget that Folger's can tailpipe for that "I got no power-robbing exhaust" sound. ooooooo... and a 5-foot wing so it looks like i need it when going 200 mph! yeah, baby!

6thbeatle · February 2004

actually, much of the appeal of cars like the mini and morgan and miata is that the perception of speed is much greater than real speed. this is what i refer to as kinaesthetic impression, that gut feeling you get driving a vehicle.

some people "complain" that the exceedingly excellent sound proofing in certain luxury cars makes them feel cut off from the road, robbing them of the important aural pleasures of hearing engine roar, wind (not the self-generated kind), and tires, things which give the driver the impression of speed and acceleration. all the while the vehicle itself is going lightning fast, but what good is that if you feel like you're sitting in a muffled marsmallow?

as a long-time motorcyclist, i abhor noisy pipes, am very sensitive to the sound and feel of the engine (singles, v-twins,triples, and inline 4s all have very different characteristics) and prefer bikes which have a pleasing power delivery. you might be surprised that bikes with a flat linear power delivery are often the least "enjoyable" to ride because they don't rocket you forward.

when i press the throttle in a car, i want the car to accelerate immediately with no hesitation and be geared towards power at the bottom end. obviously this makes me a candidate for a torque rich V8 powered car like the magnum, or a v-twin naked sport bike or standard. some people like the sound and feel of winding the engine up to the redline and hearing the wailing song of high rpm. someone like this would probably love an S2000 or RX-8.

the worst is when a car has neither style nor speed. the driver and car you describe with the "all show and no go" superficial add-ons is most usually a young man with aspirations of a fast sports car but who can only afford to drive a less popular car, often a family hand-me-down or inexpensive beater.

while it may be funny, there's no point in ridiculing someone who can't afford better. as someone i know used to say to people who would use their material posessions to look down on other people, "poor people know just as well as you what the finer things in life are. they just can't afford them."

the only thing that i can't understand are those people who can afford a nice car in good condition like a prelude or accord coupe and add grotesque wings and body kits that mask all the original lines on the car. i prefer Q ships, cars that appear stock, but are modifed in places you can't see. of course, taste is a personal matter, right?

car3 · February 2004

Mazda plans on bringing the Mircro-Sport to the US and the MX-5 door. I wonder how those 2 cars will fit in with the 3 and 6. Mazda has good cars like the 3 and 6 they won't outsell Nissan or Honda but they will fill Mazda's niche in the Us market. I'm just questioning their future line-up in the US. Does Mazda want to be Subaru or a VW like Manufacturer? Where will the Microsport be priced at? Will the Microsport be too close in Mazda's line-up with the 3? The MX-5 door where does this go in Mazda's line-up? Is it replaceing the Tribute after the current bodystyle of the Tribute goes away after of the 05 model year? Lots of questions even from a Mazda enthusiast.

qbrozen · February 2004

I already knew exactly what you meant. No further explanation was needed. And, while I don't disagree with you in regards to perception, I still find it humorous that someone prefers the feel of speed over the real thing. Ya know, a good Virtual Reality machine can give you quite the feeling of speed while going absolutely nowhere. But, hey, to each his own. If someone wants to ride a tricycle because it "feels" faster than the RX8, I'm not going to argue.

and as far as that all-show-no-go car, it has nothing to do with money. For all the bucks these add-ons cost, that person could have had a faster car to start with. So don't hand me that "ridiculing someone who can't afford better" because most of those cars wind up costing way more than a good stock car.

nippononly · February 2004

really? Perhaps its purpose is to add a little "funk" to the fairly straightforward line Mazda has now?

6thbeatle · February 2004

funny you mention that, cuz my neon now costs as much as an infiniti g35 coupe. i wish i hadn't spent so much on those 24 karat gold door locks...

qbrozen · February 2004

darn. where'd you find those? I only got 14karat. i'm so depressed now.

grbeck · February 2004

car3: Where did you hear that the Tribute is going away? Ford is tweaking the 2005 Escape - I just saw one at the dealer - so I figured it would be around for another 2-3 years. The Tribute is built at the same plant.

Complicating questions about Mazda's future is its close relationship with Ford. Look for Ford to increasingly rely on Mazda for its smaller cars and SUVs. That has to affect what Mazda offers, and how the brand is positioned in the market.

nippononly · February 2004

Escape and Tribute are going to hang around, and the Freestyle will be here in a year, sort of a Highlander-sized Escape with the V-6 as the only engine. I wonder if there will ever be a Mazda version of the Freestyle...

car3 · February 2004

I don't know if the Tribute is going away or what but since they are bringing the MX-5 Hatch I don't know where the Tribute is useful in their line-up.

I don't think Ford is complicating Mazda at all right now. Lets face it Ford totally threw Mazda off in the mid 90's and buyers wiped Mazda vehicles off their shopping list when buyers were ready to buy a new car. To me Mazda is doing its own thing right now. I just don't know what kind of direction they are going in as a brand in terms of product. Mazda has been know to make small cars before like the last generation MX-6(93-97.) Small cars seem to be where Mazda thrives. I'm just not sure if selling small cars in the US like the Microsport is going to work because of the big SUV market. However there is a sign that small cars might be making a comeback in the US: Honda is bringing the Fit/Jazz over to the US and Honda in terms of product decision is usually a real good gage in terms of where the US market is headed. Remember the CR-V in 1996-1997: the Cross-over SUV's all over the place now.

car3 · February 2004

Well Mazda along with the intro's of the Microsport, and MX-5 hatch will also bring along a new SUV priced in the 30K-40K price range. This is fresh new off the Mazda 6(sedans board section of town hall.) The new SUV will be based off the Mazda 6 platform. It will be between a Tribute and Ford Explorer in size.

This begs the question will people spend 30K-40K on a Mazda since the Millenia failed in that price range? Some people will see it as another gas guzzling SUV and it will sell in bulkloads.

So Mazda's line-up looks like this in a few years:

Subcompact: Microsport
Compact: 3
Mid-size: 6
Entry level SUV(If they keep it around:) Tribute
Sports Cars: Miata and Rx-8
Full Size SUV off the Mazda 6 platform(no name known of yet.)

I don't know where the Mx-5 hatch fits in this line-up.

nippononly · February 2004

you have missed the obvious "coincidence", this new proposed Mazda SUV is going to be exactly the same size and spec as the upcoming Freestyle! Coincidence? I think not. The Freestyle has already been announced as using the platform from the Mazda6.

I was actually wondering what Ford will do with Explorer once it has Freestyle - they seem to be very similar in size, passenger capacity, and power.

Could it be time for a new Mazda Navajo? LOL.

And once Ford releases its new mini-ute (what's the name? I forget), I guess Mazda could have a version of that too, at which point I imagine Tribute might go away.

car3 · February 2004

From the information I gathered the new Mazda SUV will be a variant of the Lincoln SUv(whatever that means.) I guess a Lincoln which Mazda will put its own touches on.

I rather Mazda just build its own SUV rather than Ford getting invloved with it. I don't mid Mazda using Ford engines and putting their own touches on it but everything else it seems Ford has put in Mazda cars has damaged Mazda's rep.

groovypippin · February 2004

to call the upcoming Mazda model an "SUV". Mazda has been describing it as a "crossover" and has released several concept cars in recent years that could provide clues about what it will look like: case in point, the Mazda MX-Tourer.

http://www.mazda.com.au/articleZone.asp?articleZoneID=880

Mazda will certainly build this vehicle off the Mazda6 platform, but I think it will be more "Pacifica" in nature than "Explorer" or even "Freestyle". In other words more focused on providing flexibility, space and luxury than utility.

My guess is that this vehicle may be one of the few in the Mazda line-up that uses a variation of the new 3.5 duratec, but Mazda also may debut a hybrid powertrain, as they displayed in the MX-Tourer concept.

If Mazda is in fact aiming for a new product in the near-luxury price range, I think they would be wise to benchmark the new Mercedes Vision GST - which is exactly the kind of niche that I think and hope Mazda will fill.

As for the Tribute, Both Ford and Mazda will have a freshened version on the ground in March. There is no reason to believe that Mazda will not continue to offer this model for at least several more years to really wring some profit out of it.

The more interesting question mark is the B-Series truck. Mazda does quite well with it in Canada, but Ford continues to push back it re-design of the Ranger, now not slated until 2008 I think. I've heard that Mazda Canada has considered dropping the Ford derived vehicle and bringing back a Japanese-built version, which they still sell in Asia and Australia.

http://www.mazda.com.au/articleZone1.asp?articleZoneID=1855

windowphobe6 · February 2004

I don't expect that we'll get any Japanese-built B-series trucks in the US; there's still a 25-percent tariff on them. (Which is why Toyota and Nissan rushed to build pickups here, after all.)

car3 · February 2004

SYV's or Crossover's is what seems to sell nowadays. That'll definately bring more traffic to Mazda showrooms.

About a pick-up I would like to see Mazda offer a pick-up without Ford or just get rid of it altogether. Mazda right now is doing what Audi/VW did in the in the late 90's: redesigning, and renaming models.

guest · March 2004

Mazda 6 sales were up 80% percent in February. Mazda 3 sales were up from last month. Over all Mazda sales were up 18.4 percent from last years numbers from January 2003. So far overall Mazda sales are up 21 percent from overall from last years totals. This marks the 6 the straight month of growth for Mazda sales.

I can't wait for the new MPV which is coming out I think is coming out for 06.

the_big_h · March 2004

see link:

http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/040302/latu112_1.html

guest · March 2004

Read an article in the Wall Street Journal Mazda may make a Us-only version of their Mazda 6 car for the 07-08 model year(the current 6 is aworld car.) The 07-08 6 will have more power and will be roomier than the current model. I like the current 6 to me the Camry and Accord are like full-size cars now. I am disspointed the 6 will go throw its super-sizing phase like the 92 Camry, 98 Accord, 02 Altima, and 04 Galant went through.

In other Mazda news Mazda has announced they will make a Mid-sized SUV. To me thats a good thing.

seminole_kev · March 2004

While I like the 6's package, I do think that Mazda is going to have to seperate the 6 from the 3 more. Just too close in size in my opinion.

guest · March 2004

I just hope the next generation 6 has style to it to set it apart from Toyota. If the next gen 6 has interior room and no style to set it apart from Toyota I think it will bomb. Its just my opinion. Mazda sells cars on exterior styling as a selling point while Toyota sells cars on interior room. Mazda cannot play Toyota's game. Ford forced Mazda to play Toyota's game in the mid 90's and it failed. What gives me hope that the next generation 6 will succeed in the US is that the move to super-size the 6 for the US Market was made by the Japanese officials at Mazda and not by Ford. Mazda is a young people's car company. They can't afford to lose their core buyer. Thats what I am scared of with the next generation 6 Mazda might lose their target car buyer. Mazda finally has a target demograhic for the first time in years. I hope they don't step out of their target demographic with the next generation 6.

Mazda has switched their target demograhic over the last 10 years so much. They are tring to win buyers they had 10-13 years ago and also buyers in their mid 20's. To me Mazda has alot going for it right now. I just don't want to see them ruin it.

wimsey1 · March 2004

Looks like Mazda is holding aces in cars and jokers in trucks. Up over 50% in cars is very impressive. Maybe they should just dump trucks.
I happen to like the MPV's more compact size but it's not what american buyers generally like in a "mini" van. We seem to like mini to be maxi.
Carguy58-I agree, now that Mazda seems to have found it's niche they need to stay focused. They are a sporty alternative for those who don't have BMW style money. I'd like to see them spin a RWD sedan off the RX-8 platform and an inexpensive sport coupe off the Miata. Maybe put the Ford SOHC V-8 in a "halo" version of the sedan (a la CTS-V), keep it around 30K. Make sure it's "european" enough that Ford doesn't think it is a threat to the 'Stang.
If your listening Mazda, I'm willing to head these projects! :-D
I think your right that going head to head with Toyonda would be dumb (was last time) and it would rob the enthusiasts of a neat alternative.

nippononly · March 2004

a really great idea: a small RWD coupe (back seat included) spun off the Miata platform. Not only would it be a fun car, I am sure, but it would be very timely with the new RWD Kappa-based stuff coming from GM in the next few years.

seminole_kev · March 2004

really just make a straight-up hardtop coupe Miata. For my own pleasure, put regular old perfectly round headlights on it and call it done.

Man that would be fun. Basically a modern MGB GT that would start when it was wet outside. Hmmmmm drooling at the thought.

6thbeatle · March 2004

that sounds wonderful, doesn't it? i believe mazda already has a working prototype of a hard-top miata coupe in japan where it has won universal praise from women drivers who like that sort of thing.

Mazda - Does it have a good future in US?

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