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2005 Mazda3 Sport vs 2005 Impreza RS Wagon
I'm trying to decide which car to buy. Could someone shed some light on the following?
- insurance cost
- maintenance cost
- reliability
Thanks!
- insurance cost
- maintenance cost
- reliability
Thanks!
0
Comments
Basically the Mazda3 will offer more options, even things like NAV, if you're into gadgets. The caveat with Mazda is dealers charge a fortune for parts.
I have a Miata and we had a 626 and I experience sticker shock when I see prices at dealers. Just stick with on-line wholesalers like Roebuck Mazda.
The Subie makes AWD standard. The only extra maintenance required is a rear diffy fluid change. It is easier than an oil change, though, just two bolts, drain and refill.
For parts try Liberty Subaru, very reasonable prices.
Do you live in the snow belt and need AWD? -> Subie.
Sun belt and gas mileage matters more? -> Mazda.
Good luck shopping.
-juice
From what I hear, maintenance maybe cheaper for the Subie.
Well, I test drove a Saab 9-2X, and my wife found the suspension too firm. I suppose the Impreza suspension is similar to the one in the 9-2X? I personally like the Subie better than the Mazda, but I'll have a hard time trying to convince my wife...
Drive that and then a Mazda3 5 door. If it's her car primarily, let her choose. Otherwise you'll never hear the end of it. ;-)
-juice
I went from an '02 Protege5 to an '04 Impreza. I don't find there to be any real difference in terms of maintenance or insurance costs. Both have reasonable regular service bills and the insurance here in SW Ontario was about the same cost for both.
As far as reliability goes, in the year and a half I had it the Mazda was probably in the shop about four times for minor warranty repairs (squeaky power window, rattly radio) and once for a bigger issue where the alloy wheels corroded badly after its second winter. All the wheels were refinished under warranty, although I had to rent a car for a week while the wheels were sent out of town to be worked on.
So far after one year with the Subaru I've only had to take it in once for a non-maintenance problem, which was a rattle that turned out to be the fault of the aftermarket sunroof installer and not Subaru's fault.
I was very happy with the Mazda overall, but it's true that the Subaru has had fewer problems over its first year than the Mazda had at the same point.
That said, I think the 3 and the Impreza are both great cars. If I hadn't been set on AWD this time around I'd probably be driving a 3 right now. If you still want to compare, take atexeira's advice and try the '05 Impreza RS wagon for a direct comparison of the ride.
I was hit by a Saab and they replaced one center cap because it broke, now the problem is it doesn't match the other 3!
-juice ('93 Miata, '98 Forester)
It's impossible to make it a direct comparison with identical equipment, so we just list the pros and cons.
Mazda3 makes SAC available in the US, but not in Canada.
Impreza has AWD standard.
And so on.
-juice
When you get it, come to the Subaru Crew threads and tell us about it.
-juice
Owen
Why you have to degrade these people?
I think the Mazda3 does have a better design, materials are roughly the same quality, though, IMO.
Congrats on your purchase. First time it snows you will be glad you chose an AWD vehicle.
-juice
Now on the other hand, the Mazda 3 with a 5-speed is a joy to drive around town, and for some reason, the 2005 I purchased seems much quicker and "throatier" than the two previous 3's that I had tested. I guess all cars are not created equal, or else I got one on steroids. So for $19,000 I got a great handling, terrific looking, quite quick Mazda hatchback that can carry a ton of stuff with the rear seat down, and get 32 MPG on the highway. And the titanium gray paint job is to die for. Now whats not to like about that!
0-60 is not even in the same league, though, when you open it up. WRX is in the 5s.
The turbo reaches peak torque by 4000 rpm, boost starts building so by 3000rpm it'll begin to show an advantage over Mazda's 2.3l and then build a wide margin from that point on.
You don't have to redline it to see the advantage.
Any how, a more comparable car would have been the Outback Sport or the Impreza RS, not WRX. You get a 2.5l engine with plenty of low-end torque, no waiting. The extra HP compared to the Mazda is offset by the extra drag AWD creates, but 0-60 should be in the 7s for both.
Those cars are also priced a lot lower, probably even less than you paid.
The 3 is a fine car and should stand up nicely based on its own merits, though.
-juice
I think prices have settled now.
-juice
Mazda6s had a good comment: if you want/need AWD, then the comparison is moot, the Subaru is the only way to go. Unless you routinely drive offroad in the back of beyond, the Subaru is a superior choice to most any SUV if you want AWD.
Relative to the Mazda3 I think the Subaru had marginally better visibility, better cargo space, a roof rack and excellent ergonomics. Drawbacks included a very grabby clutch, noisy powertrain, and poor mileage.
The Mazda was the hands-down winner for quiet and comfort. Get them both on the highway at 100 km/h and the predominant noise in the Mazda is the road and the radio whereas in the Subaru the engine drowns out almost everything. The Mazda also holds the edge in economy, with about 20% better mileage ratings. Drawbacks to the Mazda are smaller trunk/hatch (than a Subaru wagon, anyway), eye-straining red gauges, and inferior visibility.
I found rear seat accomodations in the two vehicles to be more-or less equivalent. The Mazda is better for two with more deeply countoured seating, but the Subaru had the edge in seatbelt placement and with three occupants. In front, the Mazda actually feels a little less roomy to me because of the very wide center stack. It was easy to get comfortable though with the telescoping adjustement on the steering wheel. All the controls are placed just right in the Mazda so they're easy to reach and easy to read. No complaints with the Impreza, I just felt the Mazda was better.
In driving, the Mazda3 was easily the more tossable of the two, but it also had a slightly stiffer ride, basically a case of you give a little, you get a little.
A note about red gauges. Lots of people, including those in the car journalism business, seem to think that red is a good color for gauges. I couldn't disagree more. If you've seen the lavender colour used in a Passat or the blue colour in a 1998 Windstar, then you'd have a better idea of what colour gauges should be. I don't care how sporty you may think red is - try driving for twelve hours straight after dark and then tell me how cool the red looks. That said, the red colour wasn't enough to stop me from buying a Mazda3 and, although I'll never love the red, you do get used to it.
The Subaru should win in the bad weather, but more important than the AWD is a good set of rubber. AWD is of limited value if you don't have good contact with the road. I'll find out the wisdom (or lack thereof) of that statement when the winter weather arrives.
Ultimately, the noise and the mileage are what disqualified the Subaru for me. If the mileage had been comparable to what I could expect from the Mazda3, then it would have been a much tougher decision. It just comes down to my not wanting to pay the gas premium 365 days a year for the added security the AWD would deliver on the half dozen days a year when it really matters.
As for the WRX, the insurance cost would be the killer there! The Mazda3 and Impreza were similarly weighted, but the WRX is in a league beyond them.
My thoughts (and lots of them). Your mileage my vary.
Imagine that 276hp turbo 2.3l with AWD coupled to the lighter 3...mmmm.
I'm surprised that Mazda chose the bigger 6 to go EVO and STi hunting, actually. The 3 might have been a better choice.
-juice
The tires stink, though.
-juice
reliability--did the 3 work out the kinks from the first model year yet?
gas mileage--have read varying thing on the difference between these two cars.
parts replacements--somebody said earlier that dealers overcharge for maz parts...what if i don't get them from the dealer? are these cars comperable in routine maint/wear and tear costs?
When I go to a dealer parts prices I'm quoted are astronomical. A wheel bearing cost us $900, an O2 sensor, part only, cost $220. My Miata's gas cap was $28 and oil filters are $8.
So plan on going to wholesalers. I've used Roebuck Mazda with some luck, but haven't ordered anything in a long time.
We dumped our 626 when it became a money pit. My Miata is fine, as are our 2 Subies.
Subaru parts prices have been lower, in my experience, with or without a wholesaler. Service can still be pricey, though.
-juice
But when it broke down we'd go to the dealer for repairs, and it just seemed like we could not walk out of there without spending $500-900 or so every time.
In contrast my Miata's been excellent.
-juice
Also, the Miata is reliable, unlike the rotary RX-8.
-juice
When I had my Outback Sport (previous gen Impreza with bigger tires than the rest of the line and two-tone paint), the most fun I had was driving it rally-style down dirt roads. It was an absolute blast for that due to the 50/50 AWD distribution and the extra-long suspension. If only you could try out today's Impreza RS under the same conditions, you would probably buy it on the spot, it is that much fun.
On the street though, the Impreza will supply a lot more understeer than the MZ3 because of the AWD. There will also be more body roll, and an altogether less "sporty" experience. It also weighs a couple hundred pounds more than the MZ3. But just remember my little story - the Impreza is a lot of fun to throw around on the road, especially where the pavement turns to dirt, and so sure-footed it is really hard to place a tire wrong.
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
Lift the throttle or add more in that corner, you can get the tail out.
If you want even more neutral handling, the SPT rear sway bar wholesales for just $78, the 18mm one. The 20mm SPT bar wholesales for just $82. And it's just 4 bolts to install them (I've installed 2 myself).
Stock bars vary from 13-19mm, but it's a cheap and easy upgrade if you don't like understeer.
-juice