Gotta' give props to the Mazda3 5-door....

[Bobbyg123]

I realize that most of you guys (and gals) are loyal to your Vibe's to the death. AS IT SHOULD BE!!! I'm older and have come to appreciate that there are many sweet rides available today for under $20K. My wife and I looked at the Mazda3 Hatchback this weekend, and I was blown away. I don't think it's fair to compare it to the vibe, because the Mazda isn't really intended to be a CUV. I will say that if I were in the market for a Civic or Corolla, I'd take the Mazda3 in a heartbeat. What a beautiful little car. Zenon headlights, NICE 17" alloy's, beautiful leather interior (the 2-tone sport cloth rocks too) avalable ABS, side curtain air bags. Honestly, I'd rather have the Mazda3 than a BMW 3-series, and it's over $10K less.What a great country this is. So many sweet little rides to choose from.

[wicked1981]

Fully loaded and some extras, 160hp engine not bad price. Some rebates and its under 20 grand.

[goodvibe]

If it were bigger and available when I bought, it would have been a difficult choice.

[nismo]

See though. For the price of that car. You get a Vibe GT or a Spec V. Vibe GT with the toyota motor and more top end then Mazda. Plus that motor in the 3 is a Ford Motor. Jus to let everyone know. Spec V runnin better in take off and handling than that car. So, yeah. I would definitely go for the Spec in the comparsion. JMHO.Inder Singh

[Bobbyg123]

Inder, you're right. In the end, it's a personal preference. And to play devil's advocate with what you mentioned, the fact that it's a Ford engine doesn't bug me, just like the Pontiac label doesn't scare me away from the Vibe. In the Mazda 3's corner is the fact that it takes regular octane fuel and can still do 0-60 in under 7.5 seconds. It also comes with a 4 year / 50K mile warranty that includes roadside assistance. I hope you guys know that I'm not bagging on the Vibe at all. I think the Vibe rocks. I also think the Mazda3 kicks (removed) too. The thing I like most about them is that there aren't a ton of them on the road.

[wicked1981]

You can also get it for the regular 4 door for $13,680 or the 5 door for $17,105 thats a good price!!!!!!! The one I built had all the goods leather, 6 disc in dash changer, nav system, spoiler all weather mats, hatch carpet. 17in wheels, moonroof, abs for a little over $22,000 I dont think you could get a 05 Vibe with all the extras for 22k.

[nismo]

Tha's coo and all. I'm not a big Ford fan myself. So, yeah. You're gonna get a lot of this stuff outta me. Jus to let ya know, some of the Ford motors don't have any problems till after 50,000 miles. I know it cuz I had one. At 52000 miles, my tranny went out on my Grand Marquis. TWICE. So, yeah. Not good luck with a a Ford. Also, the 96-99 SHO's, camshafts would break up and fall apart and the motor would be history. So, yeah. Most of the people that have problems with the Ford's have em after 50,000. So, tha's when your warranty expires. This is jus me though. If anyone on this forum wants a Ford, or owns one, offense to anyone. I have yet to have a good experience with a Ford.Inder Singh

[goodvibe]

Don't scare me with that SHO camshaft stuff. Guess who did that motor for Ford. The same folks that did the 2zz. Yamaha.

[shibaman]

I think that the 5 door is a great looking car and priced better than Toyota ot Pontiac. My only concern is reliability. I don't think that it will be as good as the Vibes or Matrix. I test drove a Corolla XRS and was very impressed.It is a great sports sedan and a daily driver with toyota quality If I was looking for a sedan it would be my first choise.

[mu_ohio]

Quote, originally posted by TRD4reel »See though. For the price of that car. You get a Vibe GT or a Spec V. Vibe GT with the toyota motor and more top end then Mazda. Plus that motor in the 3 is a Ford Motor. Jus to let everyone know. Spec V runnin better in take off and handling than that car. So, yeah. I would definitely go for the Spec in the comparsion. JMHO.Inder SinghYou are wrong about 2.3L Mazda engine. It was developed by Mazda in Japan for the Mazda 6. The v6 on the other hand uses a Ford block with Mazda developed heads. I have also owned a Vibe GT which had a terrible engine if you wanted to do anything but stock. The Mazda 2.3L on the other hand can handle a turbo as done by many owners of the Mazda6 and now the 3. I have yet to see an ecomonical approach to a turbo or s/c on a Vibe GT which is why I traded mine in.

[NovaResource2]

The Mazda 3 is basically just a Ford Focus. No thanks.

[mu_ohio]

Quote, originally posted by NovaResource2 »The Mazda 3 is basically just a Ford Focus. No thanks.Which Ford Focus are you referring to? The US Focus is completely different than the European car which is seen as a great vehicle. That's almost as foolish as someone saying that the Vibe is just another GM vehicle. Secondly, the Mazda3 is a new generation vehicle which is shared with Volvo and will be used in the upcoming Focus. The car has been proven to be very safe and each manufacturer right now is using their own engine and drivetrain. For example, Volvo is offering their 5 cylinder with or without a turbo and AWD, Mazda is offering their 2.0 or 2.3L engine, and Ford will be offering their Duratec. Very similiar to what Toyota did with the Corolla/Matrix and GM with it's platforms. As we see with those, it's not who's involved, but what the company did with the platform.

[joatmon]

my 03 vibe had a sticker on it that said that the car was 60% US/Canadian parts, 20% from Japan. Assembled in Fremont California.What are the percentages for a Mazda3, and where are they built?Anybody know a web site that give this info for various makes/models?

[shibaman]

I did the factory tour at NUMMI and it was great. It gave me pride to think that my car was made there. It is a very quality consious plant.