Serious Mazda 3 (MXSportif) Concerns!!!

Ok, let me just get this out of the way, I LOVE the 3!!! I think it looks ultra hot and though some of you dislike the grill, I love it too. Sure it isn't perfect, but that is what the after market it for. Overall, I think this could be the best looking "do-it-all-for-cheap" car, without looking even remotely cheap!!!

However...and you knew a however was coming, there are issues that have me holding back from saying that it will be better than the MP5.

First, I will get to the points that are certain to work in its favour:
>>Hot design - like I said above, this car will make owners of the competitions' fare green with envy

>>Performance - Mazda is no-way-in-hell going to risk loosing all of the great praise it got for the Protege and the Protege 5 with a poor performing successor, also, Mazda will not want to stand still and suffer the same complaints of too little power, so it is likely that we will see a far better powerplant

>>Do-it-all-design - as I mentioned above, this car can do it all without compromise: load it up for camping on the long weekend, take it for a race on Friday night, and pick up the foxy ladies on Saturday night. With the exterior and the interior styling, you can be both active and fashionable while haveing enough performance to race those SiR kids

Now the danger factor:
>>Reliability - One thing that makes the Protege a GREAT car isn't just that it looks great, handles great, and is quite inexpensive, but it was able to do all these things while still being ultra reliable - ultimately makeing it a great car and a better deal. I couldn't for the life of me understand why someone would buy a Focus, despite the performance and whether you thought it looked good, because it was a piece of s***. The car was terminally unreliable, and no matter how good you look, I am not about to drop $20,000+ (CDN) for an unreliable car.

Now how did the Protege stay so reliable? Ford didn't touch it! The Protege was 100% Japanese and Ford didn't have a part on it. Don't believe that this is why? Well, look at every other Mazda Ford has "helped" with and tell me how reliable it was...thought so!

Now here's the thing, apparently Ford has their hands all over this good looking 3. Apparently the actual platform is based on a Ford! Now I don't know about you, but I wouldn't risk buying a new 3 (if Ford really has had their hands all over it) before 2-3 years of them being on the road so I can see what is ultimately going to happen to my hard earned $20,000+ (CDN).

Why, oh why did you let Ford touch such a successful car? You know what they say, if it aint broke, Ford will brake it

I just can't understand why the people who invented cars, and did so much for cars, are always screwing up their cars. What kind of business is that? They really need to get their act together. And I believe the platform is the only thing shared. The engine is going to be mazda ( I think, I dunno), probably something similar to the 6's engine.

Mazda is doing the engine, from scratch from what people are telling us here. All the 4Cyls are Mazda

The V6 in the Mazda 6 is based on the duratech V6 used in Taurus's. In other words, don't by the V6 version. Then again, Mazda claims to have made a lot of changes to the engine, and the only thing that's supposed to be Ford is the block. If that's the case, then no big deal. But, like you, anything with Ford written on it scares me.

that is why I'm trying to get into the Speed now( if a few things fall in place). I know it's 100% MAzda...well except the ECU

I want to see how these other Ford/Mazda cars last in terms of quality before buying one, so I figure I'll have the Speed for at least 3yrs before buying another Mazda....if I buy another Mazda.

Uhhh you need to check your facts..... P5 s have several ford parts on them. they are not 100% Mazda. Mazda may have designed it but there are ford parts on it. Don't beleive me just pull out your ECU and check it out for yourself. A big Ford logo right there on the case. Understand your points but think you should have your facts straight.

Actually I have checked my facts well, and ASIDE from teh ECU, the Protege if 100% Mazda...even Mazda bills it as their 100% Japanese car. I know alot of people think it shares parts with the Focus, but that is far from reality.

Now about the other replies stateing that the 3 will have Fords platform but a Mazda engine...who care? Engines never fail today. The reliability issues in cars comes from things like the body hardware, the drivetrain, etc, etc. If all you do is change your oil on time, the engine will last, so to say that Mazda handled the engine is of little consequence to me. In fact, if I was told that Mazda did everything and Ford only touched the engine then I wouldn't be so concerned.

I love the way the 3 looks and with a designe like that I am sure the aftermarket guys will ge all over it, but I really don't want to wait 2-3 years before getting one, something that I wouldn't have to do had Mazda told Ford to piss off, they would build it themselves.

Praying for a success, but not about to bet $20,000+ (CDN) on it

I posted this on another thread, but here are two excellent articles outlining the Mazda3's new platform.

http://www.autoweek.com/cat_content.mv?port_code=autoweek&cat_code=carnews&content_code=07981115

http://www.autoweek.com/cat_content.mv?port_code=autoweek&cat_code=carnews&content_code=01221354

Now my commentary. I wouldn't write off the platform because it has Ford involvement. In fact, I quite like the fact that my new Mazda3 has the safety of a Volvo, the assembly of Mazda Japan combined with Mazda's focus on craftsmanship (especially in the interior), and Ford's excellent 'control blade' rear suspension.

Quite frankly until the cars are out we can't comment much on the new platform, but if done correctly (with the best of the 3 companies), there's quite a bit of potential.


Edit: One more thing, it's Ford USA that tends to have the unreliability problems, Ford of Europe has no such problems. And it's Ford of Europe that worked on this platform.

the protege is still built and designed in japan. Mazda makes almost everything for it.

Did I not state that the ECU was an exception???

I'm sure if you took our cars apart piece by piece you'll find other parts that have a Ford symbol on it too. But, for the most part, it is all Mazda

you can't say the same thing about the thier pick ups, MPV, Tribute, and now Mazda 6

That's more then 1/2 thier line up! And I would imagine a serious percentage of their sales.....ford getting more involved in Mazda is NOT a good thing. If you can't understand it, then you've never owned a "typical" ford. I have, been there done that.

Engines do die. I'll admit, they are getting better, but they do indeed die. For example, Compare a Honda 4 cyl to one from Dodge, Ford, or GM, and you can't argue that the big 3 create crap.

Crap, I won't buy. I will go back to Honda before I drive a car with a Ford engine in it.

first off the reason why we have the mazda pro5's and 6's is because of the investment ford made in to mazda.
they are controling shareholders.
as far as the engines are concerned they are were designed by mazda engineers. especially the SV-T (seq. valve timing)head design.
do not confuse this with fords SVT program.
they are a completely redisigned platform and can outflow any other heads in regards to airflow in the market at this point!
i own a mazda 6 and trust me its already been apart and flow tested by my partner in the shop.
anyway the rest i agree with wongpres
later

You bring up some interesting points wrongpress, but whether or not Ford Europe designed the platform is of little concern since it will surely be Ford America assembling it (ala Focus which was also Eurpoean designed), it onlyl makes financial sense. If Ford Europe designed and built the 3, then I wouldn't have any concerns either.

newf, I think you misunderstood me, I agree with you entirely, despite you being a newf (just some Canadian humor ), I was actually refering to FuNwaGoN's last post that suggested that the Protege had more Ford involvement than I suggested and that I should check my facts. I agree with you, while there may be the odd nut and bolt from Ford, the car, minus the ECU, is Japanese, hence its excellent reliability and value for the dollar.

Hey, who wants to sacrifice reliability and more money spent in maintenance simply for cool looks? If reliability didn't matter and performance and coolness was everything then many of us might have ended up in the Focus SVT or a Mini Cooper S. While we may all be able to argue which is the better looking car, you can't argue the fact that both the SVT and the Cooper S are quicker than the Protege and the Cooper S also gets more attention.

if the cooper didnt have BMW money backing it it wouldnt get that much press here in america
it has been around alot longer

colincor said:

You bring up some interesting points wrongpress, but whether or not Ford Europe designed the platform is of little concern since it will surely be Ford America assembling it (ala Focus which was also Eurpoean designed), it onlyl makes financial sense. If Ford Europe designed and built the 3, then I wouldn't have any concerns either.

Click to expand...

The Mazda3 will be assembled in Japan. Specifically, the exact plant that will assemble the Mazda3 (for all world-wide markets) is Mazda's Ujina (Hiroshima) plant II in Hiroshima. Up until Sep 2001, this plant assembled the current Pro sedans, but it was closed down because Mazda's future wasn't looking so great around the '98-'00 area. This plant is being re-opened for Mazda3 sedan & hatch/wagon production, and also to help out Ujina plant I with Mazda2/Demio production.

Slightly off topic, but as an FYI, the current Protege sedan is assembled in Ujina plant I (it got moved here after plant II's Sep '01 closure), and the current P5 is assembled at Mazda's Hofu plant I.

Of the 3 new cars off the Mazda3's platform, only the N. American market Ford Focus will be assembled in N. America (in both Michigan and Mexico).

See, now it is good news like that that gets me giddie about the new 3 coming out

Come to think about it, I am going to give the sales guy who sold my girlfriend her Protege Sedan a call and tell him that I would like one put on hold for me.

Thanks wongpress.