09 Mazda 3 or 09 VW rabbit

[newprot5fan]

Hey guys and gals,

I am getting rid of my 02 Protege 5 (just too many things breaking on it) and am stuck between choosing these two cars. Now I know this is a mazda forum, but if you had to choose between these two, what would you choose? It will be a 5-speed. I have had a 04 M3 and a 02 P5, but really don't know much about VWs...

Thanks for your help.

[mazda32008]

the VW rabbit may have more HP which is prob why you are leaning more towards it and is in the same price range as the mz3. My friend has it and i didn't like it, first off it didn't have an arm rest and reverse was in the top left corner and you had to push down on the stick to get it into reverse so if you happened to push down by mistake ready to launch you might launch in reverse if you aren't careful. The mz3 is a better bang for your buck. The rabbit surprisingly doesn't have such great gas mileage either. I did like the illumination and the features that came standard with my buddies bottom of the food chain rabbit. The stereo sounded pretty decent and had an aux port for your ipod and it also played MP3's. The rabbit is decent.

[Ar6entino]

I just went tru this last month, was between the two cars. I went for the 09 Mazda3 hatch. and I don't regret it at all, love the mazda so far, lot of fun. I went for a manual too, never drove stick before and i am learning with this one and it is a lot of fun.

Good luck

[mazdaspeedster3]

the VW rabbit may have more HP which is prob why you are leaning more towards it and is in the same price range as the mz3. My friend has it and i didn't like it, first off it didn't have an arm rest and reverse was in the top left corner and you had to push down on the stick to get it into reverse so if you happened to push down by mistake ready to launch you might launch in reverse if you aren't careful. The mz3 is a better bang for your buck. The rabbit surprisingly doesn't have such great gas mileage either. I did like the illumination and the features that came standard with my buddies bottom of the food chain rabbit. The stereo sounded pretty decent and had an aux port for your ipod and it also played MP3's. The rabbit is decent.

If you press down to launch you might launch in reverse.... Are you serious with that? WOW... Speed3's and 6's have the same reverse lock out, pushing down and upper left corner. Who pushes down on the stick in daily driving and why would you launch a standard Rabbit. LOL... Anyway, CD put the rabbit at the front of the economy hatches. I personally prefer the Mazda3 looks and fit/finish to VW. I also beleive that the mazda3 has a better service record. I had an 04 mz3 with ZERO problems. I have no owned a VW in a long time so I am not going to speak to the Rabbit. Drive them and buy the one you like the most. Do you know anyone that works for VW/Porsche or Audi? They give discounts now... Or you can get S plan from Ford with Mazda.

[LuckyKelleyK]

If you press down to launch you might launch in reverse.... Are you serious with that? WOW... Speed3's and 6's have the same reverse lock out, pushing down and upper left corner. Who pushes down on the stick in daily driving and why would you launch a standard Rabbit.

I was thinking the same thing. There is really no chance of making this mistake unless you are a total rookie and you aren't paying attention to what you are doing. I don't think this needs to be factored in to your decision.

[newprot5fan]

I was thinking the same thing. There is really no chance of making this mistake unless you are a total rookie and you aren't paying attention to what you are doing. I don't think this needs to be factored in to your decision.


Haha, I agree. That wouldn't be an issue.

I have always liked the 3 and I love the idea of a hatchback since it will be ful of dogs and camping equipment. I have heard great things about the rabbit but people also warn me against the reliability of VW.

The interest rate on the 09 3 sport is 4.9%-5.5% and on the VW is only 1.9-2.9%. Also, where I live right now, there is no mazda dealership (It is 90 minutes away where the VW dealership is in town).

All in all, I will probably go for the mazda. I just had a hell of a lot of things go wrong with the P5 and am leary of another mazda, but alot of people say they have no problems....

Once a mazda, always a mazda I guess:)

[DaleNixon]

The interest rate on the 09 3 sport is 4.9%-5.5% and on the VW is only 1.9-2.9%. Also, where I live right now, there is no mazda dealership (It is 90 minutes away where the VW dealership is in town).

It sounds like the Rabbit would be your better bet here.

[mazdaspeedster3]

Yea, I would even say the Rabbit. Service is local and that interest rate is GREAT! The 2.3l Mazda motor is far superior to the outgoing Protege motor (no offense to anyone). I have seen a lot of Protege motors blow/seize and need rebuilds. That 2.3 so far is pretty bullit proof. But, I wouldnt want to have a 90 min commute for ANY service work and that interest rate dif can make or break a payment.

[newprot5fan]

Yea, I would even say the Rabbit. Service is local and that interest rate is GREAT! The 2.3l Mazda motor is far superior to the outgoing Protege motor (no offense to anyone). I have seen a lot of Protege motors blow/seize and need rebuilds. That 2.3 so far is pretty bullit proof. But, I wouldnt want to have a 90 min commute for ANY service work and that interest rate dif can make or break a payment.

SO is the VW reliability issue not true? I really can't afford outrageous repair costs out of warranty.

Thanks again..

[DaleNixon]

That I can't help you with. You'll have to do a bit of research or find out just how good VW's warranty is. I've heard the electronics in Audis and VW's can be a nightmare, but I'm not sure if that should be taken with a grain of salt or not. Sorry I couldn't help you more here.

[ehidle]

If it were me, it would simply come down to which car was less of a rattle-box, which no doubt would end up being the VW. My 08 Mazda3 with 8k miles on it sounds like a plastic box filled with gravel...

[skylar2ups]

I had a 2005 Jetta and now my sister drives it it's never had an issue my mom has a Bug Convertible and it too has yet to see the dealership VW is a good car company they are getting ready to release the 2010 models of both cars in the spring I believe I know the interest rate is awesome but it might be worth the wait to see both of those?

Personal I like the 09 model of the Rabbit and I own a 3 so? I'd go for the Rabbit if you have to get a new car like now.

[BurnoutX]

vw's have their own demons..but i will say, the interior on vw's is nicer than a mazda.

that is one thing vw does well..interiors.

[DaleNixon]

Yea a lot of Euro-car fanatics I know tend to talk about the interiors of them most of all. Rightfully so. There's an extra touch of class in those things.

[BurnoutX]

should i start talking about the wonder and awesomeness of vw's then :lol:

yeah....i guess at the end, what are you looking for in the car and whats important. rabbits are great..but smaller than the 3.....

also with todays interests rates: what's cheaper? :)

[eg6motion]

well, based on simple studies done by consumer reports, VW has had numerous "least reliable" ratings. The Jetta has been one of the worst so far, claiming least reliable small car for a few years in a row. I think the 2007 consumer reports testing actually had 3 VW vehicle's in the least reliable categories, passat, Jetta and toureg. VW bug was also on previous years' lists. There are always exceptions but generally speaking they are less reliable than american cars according to the studies.

[DaleNixon]

Well I certainly didn't buy my MS3 for its interior. Having said that, I find it to be pretty awesome... even on the Sport model.

[eg6motion]

Well I certainly didn't buy my MS3 for its interior. Having said that, I find it to be pretty awesome... even on the Sport model.

heh, so true. but after sitting in numerous cars, doing test-drives and looking online, the MS3 has a sick interior, least the 2008.5's do :) I hated the STi/WRX interior (looks cheap as hell) and VW was bland. I DID like the civic (08 si) Interior's in Black, dash is a bit different but quality is top notch and solid.

[logicalfaith]

Being an ex VW owner, I feel responsible to chime in. It depends on how long you want to keep the car. VW comes with 3 yr maintenance free plan. Afterwards, you're on your own. VW parts are CRAZYYY expensive. I don't like leaving broken things unresolved, so on average I spend $500 every time I replace ONE part.

On the bright side, I would say VW has more of a solid feeling when you're driving it. Mazda is on the light side, but that saying, the HP difference won't matter that much because of their respective weights.

Oil filter for Mazda $4-$5. $8 for VW if you buy in bulk.

All in all, it depends on your needs and what you're willing to sacrifice. PM me if you have anymore questions.

[kisuke-urahara]

If you press down to launch you might launch in reverse.... Are you serious with that? WOW... Speed3's and 6's have the same reverse lock out, pushing down and upper left corner. Who pushes down on the stick in daily driving and why would you launch a standard Rabbit. LOL... Anyway, CD put the rabbit at the front of the economy hatches. I personally prefer the Mazda3 looks and fit/finish to VW. I also beleive that the mazda3 has a better service record. I had an 04 mz3 with ZERO problems. I have no owned a VW in a long time so I am not going to speak to the Rabbit. Drive them and buy the one you like the most. Do you know anyone that works for VW/Porsche or Audi? They give discounts now... Or you can get S plan from Ford with Mazda.

(first)i would love to see this though

i did this in a bmw 3-series, completely suprised that i was going backwards

[Reyan]

If you live in South Florida and choose the Rabbit pm me I can give you a good deal. If you choose the Mazda I can get you a good deal also.

[Reyan]

Being an ex VW owner, I feel responsible to chime in. It depends on how long you want to keep the car. VW comes with 3 yr maintenance free plan. Afterwards, you're on your own. VW parts are CRAZYYY expensive. I don't like leaving broken things unresolved, so on average I spend $500 every time I replace ONE part.

On the bright side, I would say VW has more of a solid feeling when you're driving it. Mazda is on the light side, but that saying, the HP difference won't matter that much because of their respective weights.

Oil filter for Mazda $4-$5. $8 for VW if you buy in bulk.

All in all, it depends on your needs and what you're willing to sacrifice. PM me if you have anymore questions.

The warranty is the same 3/36 b2b 5/60 powertrain except vw have free maintaince for the 3/36.

[justanothermp5]

not sure if you bought a car already cuz i dont feel like reading this whole thread

but get the VW, its got a 2.5l 5cylinder engine and vw's last a long ass time

i have an 84 rabbit that im rebuilding right now and all the engine parts look almost brand new after 200k, cept the camshaft that is....

[Scorpeo]

I know this thread is a bit old so you've probably made your choice already, but ... I had a 82 VW Rabbit that my parents bought new, and then after 8 years, they gave it to me to drive in college. I loved that little rabbit, had no problems whatsoever until I cracked the block (forgot to put the mix in the radiator and just had water). I don't know if they make them the same now, but mine was a diesel and I got absolutely awesome mileage and it just kept chugging along.

[p5stockr]

well, based on simple studies done by consumer reports, VW has had numerous "least reliable" ratings. The Jetta has been one of the worst so far, claiming least reliable small car for a few years in a row. I think the 2007 consumer reports testing actually had 3 VW vehicle's in the least reliable categories, passat, Jetta and toureg. VW bug was also on previous years' lists. There are always exceptions but generally speaking they are less reliable than american cars according to the studies.

I've been studying these " reliability ratings" for some time, and I have come to the conclusion that they are simply calculations based on some reports obtained by customers and from service records such as recalls or simply TSBs for minor problems, and are then published by writers that try to tell you what to buy even though they don't know their ass from a hole about cars..(moon)

[Olestra]

The warranty is the same 3/36 b2b 5/60 powertrain except vw have free maintaince for the 3/36.

Wow, I didn't know VW has that in the states.
We don't get that in Canada.
We get:
4-year/80,000 km new vehicle warranty
12 months/20,000 km adjustments
5-year/100,000 km powertrain warranty
12-year, unlimited distance warranty against corrosion perforation

As for owning a VW, my brother has an 02 Jetta and he was scared of the horror stories he read about online but bought one anyways.
His car has been relatively problem free except in the first year, he had defective coil packs causing loss of engine power. He limped in to the dealership and got them replaced under recall.
He just now has been getting the "starter squeel" - the starter makes a high pitched squeeling noise when starting the car and is known issue but supposedly doesn't affect anything negatively.
We'll see what happens once he passes 100k kms...

My 06 Mazda3 has been problem free.