2014 Mazda 3

[dishdude]

Originally Posted By: Voltmaster
Originally Posted By: kam327
Originally Posted By: Mark_Walk
Love the new 6 and that it's now a Japan made car.


Wow, absolutely no concern for your fellow American's job opportunities eh? Harsh.


Unitl American companies care for Americans, JAPAN FTW


20 year old japanesse car work well , 3 year old americans already have minor problems.


This is one of those threads that will just keep the ignorant comments flowing.

 

[BearZDefect]

If there is any reality in "the car could weigh hundreds of pounds less than its predecessor" then it could be even more fun to drive than the current model.

 

[bladecutter]

Originally Posted By: kam327
Originally Posted By: Mark_Walk
Love the new 6 and that it's now a Japan made car.


Wow, absolutely no concern for your fellow American's job opportunities eh? Harsh.


Hey, if those imaginary American Auto Workers truly want to build Mazda's for us to buy, then they can either move to Japan/Mexico, or, they can figure out how to build a car here in the US to the same standards as Mazda's are built in their Japanese plants, which is something the American made Mazda 6 cars could not equal for the entire time they were built in the factory they shared with Ford.

Why should any car company decrease the quality of the cars they sell with their name on them just to make local labor forces happy?

BC.

 

[Mykl]

Originally Posted By: asiancivicmaniac
A few years back when I was shopping for a car, a lot of Jettas that were 5-6 years old looked like they were falling apart. Almost all of them had Mexican VIN numbers. It's not proof of anything, but I'm a little suspicious of cars assembled in Mexico.


I would be a liar if I didn't say that I found it reassuring that my particular VW was built in Germany. With that said right up front, I think the primary issue with that particular vintage of VW is that they were sketchy quality cars built with marginal components

Many of the issues those cars had were due to individual component failure, stuff like coilpacks and window regulators, those are things that will fail no matter how well assembled the car was. The really confusing thing about those Jettas and Golfs is that some of them really were top quality cars, but then the one seemingly built right next to it was falling apart soon after it rolled off the lot.

It seems like the issues with Mexican built cars are mostly isolated to that particular one though. I foun a list of cars built in Mexico and I don't believe any of them are known to be particularly bad in any way. Even the new Jetta is built there and as far as I can tell it's a fairly solid car.

 

[kam327]

Originally Posted By: Bladecutter
Why should any car company decrease the quality of the cars they sell with their name on them just to make local labor forces happy?

BC.


Ha ha. You think Mazda pulled out of Flat Rock to increase their quality? No, my friend, it's strictly dollars and cents. The 6 did not have the sales volume to justify it's own (half of a) factory in the states.


And for all those touting Japanese-built Mazda quality over American, I'm just not seeing it in the Consumer Reports reliability data. The Mazda3 has no better reliability ratings than the Ford Focus of the same vintage say '05 - '11). The CX-7's ratings were horrid in the '07-'08 time frame, far worse than the Ford Escape or Edge. Similarly the Mazda5's reliability was worse than average '06 through '09 and only average in '10.

 

[dishdude]

Originally Posted By: Bladecutter


Hey, if those imaginary American Auto Workers truly want to build Mazda's for us to buy, then they can either move to Japan/Mexico, or, they can figure out how to build a car here in the US to the same standards as Mazda's are built in their Japanese plants, which is something the American made Mazda 6 cars could not equal for the entire time they were built in the factory they shared with Ford.

Why should any car company decrease the quality of the cars they sell with their name on them just to make local labor forces happy?

BC.


If Mazda gives them poorly engineered junk parts to screw together, what makes you think the end result is going to be anything other than one big piece of rolling junk?

 

[coolbird101]

Our 13' was built in Flatrock, as well as the 04' we had previously. Build, fit and finish was top notch on both. I knitpick everything, there is nothing to be found on these Flatrock built vehicles. Quality control appears to have been superb, at least on the two we have had from there. I have read posts that mention the poor quality and bad workmanship of the Flatrock plant, this has not been my experience at all. Im proud to say UAW did a fine job building our 2 Mazda's.

 

[Dave Hess]

I still wonder why Mazda designed such an ugly bumper on the current Mazda3.

 

[bustednutz]

Originally Posted By: LT4 Vette
I still wonder why Mazda designed such an ugly bumper on the current Mazda3.



Part of their Nagare design and aerodynamics. At least thats what I read on the interwebs. Also reduction in cabin wind noise.

 

[Spazdog]

Originally Posted By: coolbird101
Our 13' was built in Flatrock, as well as the 04' we had previously. Build, fit and finish was top notch on both. I knitpick everything, there is nothing to be found on these Flatrock built vehicles. Quality control appears to have been superb, at least on the two we have had from there. I have read posts that mention the poor quality and bad workmanship of the Flatrock plant, this has not been my experience at all. Im proud to say UAW did a fine job building our 2 Mazda's.

Every single component that has failed on my Flat Rock built Mazda has been emblazoned with a Ford oval, FoMoCo, or both symbols.

Every single one of them.

That is Ford's fault, not Mazda's.

And my car has still been more reliable than either of a friend of mine's leased and dealer maintained Smyrna, TN built Altimas.

 

[asiancivicmaniac]

Originally Posted By: Spazdog

And my car has still been more reliable than either of a friend of mine's leased and dealer maintained Smyrna, TN built Altimas.


My Japanese made Nissan is solid

I wish the Maxima was still made in Japan.

 

[SteveSRT8]

Originally Posted By: Spazdog
Every single component that has failed on my Flat Rock built Mazda has been emblazoned with a Ford oval, FoMoCo, or both symbols.

Every single one of them.

That is Ford's fault, not Mazda's.

And my car has still been more reliable than either of a friend of mine's leased and dealer maintained Smyrna, TN built Altimas.


Anecdotal evidence at best. IME all mfgrs make some lemons, and these are the ones you hear about online. The majority of owners do not experience these issues or simply do not squawk about them in public forums. Plus mfgrs keep that data close to the vest!

I know folks with cars identical to mine who have had problems, most of them were absolutely unrelated to assembly and more likely poor quality components. I've had none. Not a one.

I count myself as lucky, not as a smarter buyer...

 

[rshaw125]

My SIL has a Mazda 6 in his garage. Blown engine. Google Mazda 6 blown engine and read for yourself.

 

[coolbird101]

Originally Posted By: rshaw125
My SIL has a Mazda 6 in his garage. Blown engine. Google Mazda 6 blown engine and read for yourself.

Google Porsche, Plymouth voyager or any other vehicle you can think of for blown engines, "read for yourself"
With abuse, lack of maint. or running with no oil will blow most engines, what exactly are you getting at? Are you saying Mazda's have a tendency to blow up?

 

[rjundi]

I am floored this so so rendering of a very boring(squished roof Rogue) car excites anyone.

 

[Spazdog]

Originally Posted By: rshaw125
My SIL has a Mazda 6 in his garage. Blown engine. Google Mazda 6 blown engine and read for yourself.



Sooooo, you take this design, engineer the responsiveness out of it, stick a Ford badge on it, and make it in Mexico and all of the sudden it is a good car? That seems to be the consensus. The Hermasillo made Fusion is regarded as a good reliable car. The Michigan made Mazda is regarded as a terrible car.

Never mind that they are mechanically the same car.

If you neglect the PCV valve on the pre-2005 Ford Duratec 30 in the Mazda and neglect the oil level, you will kill it. Let a 5.3 Chevrolet with Active Fuel Management consume all of it's oil and you will kill that too. The 5.3 and the Duratec 30 are tough engines. The loose nut behind the wheel is generally the deciding factor.

...and if it's the 2.3?

How bad did he neglect and abuse this thing???? People put many 100s of 1000s of miles in Focuses (Foci?), Fusions, Escapes, Rangers, Mazda3s... etc....with the MZR/Duratec23

 

[GMFan]

Originally Posted By: coolbird101
Our 13' was built in Flatrock, as well as the 04' we had previously. Build, fit and finish was top notch on both. I knitpick everything, there is nothing to be found on these Flatrock built vehicles. Quality control appears to have been superb, at least on the two we have had from there. I have read posts that mention the poor quality and bad workmanship of the Flatrock plant, this has not been my experience at all. Im proud to say UAW did a fine job building our 2 Mazda's.


I second this. So far my '11 has been excellent. Not a single issue in 35k miles. I hope this reliability continues.