Mazda's hot sales

[M=SP^2]

I think it's 9 months in a row now of double digit increases. What could this mean for future models? More Mazdaspeeds? Less Mazdaspeeds? Another rotary car...a sporty coupe perhaps? Should mazda dump all its attempts at truck and SUVs and focus solely on passenger cars? It's fun to speculate, so feel free to jump in.

[JOS3]

i think that mazda has found its niche in building cars that look nice and are fun to drive. the 3, 6, and rx-8 are all very good cars with a lot to offer in terms of styling, practicality, fun, and overall value. people seem to be taking notice and mazda is benefiting.

i also think mazda should ditch the tribute and their trucks. they can keep the mpv because it is the best looking van and ive heard it is fun to drive for a van

[NJP5Guy]

Yeah mazda is a "niche" company(their own words) and it pays off. i'd like to see them ditch the trucks too....i'm not a truck fan. i think it'll be cool when they come out with a turbo'd rx-8. Also heard that the 3 is going to be AWD and turbo'd as well. as homer put it best "ah sweet sweet can." all in due time but lets hope that time comes soon.

[batmang]

id honestly almost consider trading in my p5 on a mazda 3. but the looks of the p5 make me wanna keep it forevar! i just wish we had the 2.3

[NJP5Guy]

id honestly almost consider trading in my p5 on a mazda 3. but the looks of the p5 make me wanna keep it forevar! i just wish we had the 2.3

id even settle for the base 2.0L engine in the 3. that extra 18hp would be nice plus better mileage with a slight loss in torque.

[JOS3]

i told my wife, if they come out with the mazdaspeed3 and it is worth the money, im trading my car in.

[NJP5Guy]

i told my wife, if they come out with the mazdaspeed3 and it is worth the money, im trading my car in.

The 3 is a nice drive but i prefer my p5 over it. our dash layout is nicer with better looking materials, especially the steering wheel. If they do make a mazdaspeed3 they better give it a big shot of oomph. That thing better be running mid to low 14's in the 1/4.

[JOS3]

The 3 is a nice drive but i prefer my p5 over it. our dash layout is nicer with better looking materials, especially the steering wheel. If they do make a mazdaspeed3 they better give it a big shot of oomph. That thing better be running mid to low 14's in the 1/4.

thats why i said "if it is worht the money." right now, it would take a lot for me to trade the p5. i think the p5 owns the 3 in terms of styling

[Captain KRM P5]

i told my wife, if they come out with the mazdaspeed3 and it is worth the money, im trading my car in.

you'd trade the sleek lines of the 5 for the bulbous tenacity of the 3? and besides, 5 is a bigger number than 3 so......

bah, who am I kidding. i like the 3 plenty, especially the front end of the five door variant. i will say that the 2.3, while smooth. isn't all that and a bag of chips. it feels seriously 'de-tuned' and feels like it should have much more umph than what it currently does. the level of refinement between the protege and the 3 is night and day though. i felt like i was driving a real high end vehicle just by sitting in the thing.

mazda sells a good bit of b-series trucks so i doubt they are going anywhere. they manufacture the four cylinders for it and the ranger pickup as well. The escape I could personally do without. Its about as useful as a Mazda Navajo was (anyone remember that?). I would personally like to see the millenia or 929 return, perhaps with a rotary engine (three rotor? we can dream ). I think the rx-8 is really a test for Ford management who, lets face it, killed the rx-7 over warranty debacles. if the rx-8 can prove to hold up better than the 93-95 rx-7s did then we just might see more of those nice engines roll into production models.

[NJP5Guy]

the level of refinement between the protege and the 3 is night and day though. i felt like i was driving a real high end vehicle just by sitting in the thing..

you really think its that much nicer than the p5. to me it didn't feel any roomier(actually a little tighter). some interior aspects were nice but i definately like the simplicity of our center dash console.

as for the power i know what you mean. granted i test drove the auto(becuase i did the mazda rev it up and it was kinda like practice) but it didn't feel that much quicker than my lightly modded p5. with the 2.3 being N/A needs at least 15-20 more horses and more torque.

[Captain KRM P5]

you really think its that much nicer than the p5

overall, the seat material, the materials used on the interior trim and controls, the noise reduction, tigether fit and finish of the body panels and interior pieces and the basement sized glove box - yeah the whole package screams uptown girl to me. (which isn't to say the protege screams drag queen either.) for all the audiophiles who hate the stereo and would want to change it, i appreciate how it blends and flows into the interior from a design stand point versus a box sitting in rectangular cutout in the dash.

[NJP5Guy]

Yeah that glove box is a damn cave and a half. i could sleep in there if i wanted to. I'd have to agree with you and the body panels....it does look like a tighter fitting package. Lets just hope the paint quality is better(next to power the biggest downfall of the p5)

[JOS3]

while i have never driven a 3, i did just read the road & track article on it and they praised it. they also named it americas best economy car

[NJP5Guy]

I read the review as well. i'm not saying its a bad car....by no means at all. i like it, just i like my p5 more thats all. id take the 3 over lots of more expensive cars anyday.

[NRRfrogmanP5]

they should make a ms mpv