Mazda continues to lead in innovations....

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For the sake of a competitive and diverse auto industry I hope you're right. The article is a good antidote to one I read recently (can't find this moment) that they don't have the scale for purchasing "muscle".
Kevin
 
Excellent article, thanks for sharing. Mazda has really proven themselves to be a capable manufacturer since splitting from Ford.
 
Mazda is a leader in engine technology, but when it comes to solving the mystery of rusty cars they are the worst. It doesn't make sense to me.

Regards, JC.
 
Might be that splitting up was worse for ford then it was for mazda. Think they can still learn a lot from mazda when it comes to quality. Ofcourse i can only speak for the european fords.
 
Originally Posted By: JC1
Mazda is a leader in engine technology, but when it comes to solving the mystery of rusty cars they are the worst. It doesn't make sense to me.

Regards, JC.


Blame Japan's EPA paint laws. Mazda's made in the USA don't have any rust issues.
 
Originally Posted By: badtlc
Originally Posted By: JC1
Mazda is a leader in engine technology, but when it comes to solving the mystery of rusty cars they are the worst. It doesn't make sense to me.

Regards, JC.


Blame Japan's EPA paint laws. Mazda's made in the USA don't have any rust issues.


That is really interesting if true.
I wouldn't buy a Mazda due to the rust prone issue alone. I have seen some downright unsafe ones that are barely 10 years old. (Rotten strut towers on Protege 5)
 
I don't see it as a Japan paint issue, my Highlander was made there and is parked outside, driven in snow... etc. The paint is very prone to chip (which I understand is a problem with water based paint) but no visible rust. The aftermarket hitch looks terrible and the original steel wheels had to be sold due to rust, but the body seems fine.

As to Mazda's made in the US being better at rust, that seems plausible. I hope basing a lot of their cars on the 3/5/cx-5 chassis should give them the volume they need.
 
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The new Mazda3 is going to be built in Mexico, right?
That will be their high volume seller.

CX5 and the '6 have been winning comparos.

I don't see them leaving the US anytime soon.
 
Originally Posted By: jrustles
Originally Posted By: SteveSRT8
Hide your head in the sand if you want, the facts say if the yen swings like it is forecast to then Mazda is in big trouble if they don't hook up with someone.

Business is always a gamble.

http://www.caranddriver.com/features/doom-doom-why-mazda-needs-a-savior-feature


I think that's the reasoning behind these Yen-proofing measures.


Agreed. Don't get me wrong, I like mazda and their focus on the driving experience. They are also on the ball with their 'skyactiv' marketing, nothing really groundbreaking but again, a nice focus on efficiency. The way they are going someone may want to buy them as their success is catching a lot of attention.

I do not believe they can fully insulate themselves from their home market currency however. Time will tell.
 
Originally Posted By: SteveSRT8
Originally Posted By: jrustles
Originally Posted By: SteveSRT8
Hide your head in the sand if you want, the facts say if the yen swings like it is forecast to then Mazda is in big trouble if they don't hook up with someone.

Business is always a gamble.

http://www.caranddriver.com/features/doom-doom-why-mazda-needs-a-savior-feature


I think that's the reasoning behind these Yen-proofing measures.


Agreed. Don't get me wrong, I like mazda and their focus on the driving experience. They are also on the ball with their 'skyactiv' marketing, nothing really groundbreaking but again, a nice focus on efficiency. The way they are going someone may want to buy them as their success is catching a lot of attention.

I do not believe they can fully insulate themselves from their home market currency however. Time will tell.

If one looks at dyno plots, instrumented tests, and real-world efficiency numbers one will find that SkyActiv engines are good but not great. Honda's Earth Dreams K24W spanks it in power while delivering the same real-world efficiency.
That said, I really appreciate how Mazda isn't marching in lock-step with hybrid/plugins like robots. There's still more to be gotten out of petrol engines with rigid chassis made of new lightweight alloys, they recognize that, and have the will to prove it.
 
Originally Posted By: gofast182

If one looks at dyno plots, instrumented tests, and real-world efficiency numbers one will find that SkyActiv engines are good but not great. Honda's Earth Dreams K24W spanks it in power while delivering the same real-world efficiency.
....


Based on what? I see a 40 MPG rated Mazda6, but I don't see anything close to a 40 MPG rated Accord. What are you trying reference?

As for power, I can find 185-190 HP for the K23W# vs 185 HP for the Mazda 2.5L.
 
Originally Posted By: badtlc
Originally Posted By: gofast182

If one looks at dyno plots, instrumented tests, and real-world efficiency numbers one will find that SkyActiv engines are good but not great. Honda's Earth Dreams K24W spanks it in power while delivering the same real-world efficiency.
....


Based on what? I see a 40 MPG rated Mazda6, but I don't see anything close to a 40 MPG rated Accord. What are you trying reference?

As for power, I can find 185-190 HP for the K23W# vs 185 HP for the Mazda 2.5L.

I'm referencing a set of dyno plots I've seen, instrumented acceleration tests, and reviews where people cite real-world MPG. Despite the spec. sheet power ratings the K24W comes out more true to that on the dyno, has quicker acceleration, and is right there with it in observed MPG.
 
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Originally Posted By: gofast182
Originally Posted By: badtlc
Originally Posted By: gofast182

If one looks at dyno plots, instrumented tests, and real-world efficiency numbers one will find that SkyActiv engines are good but not great. Honda's Earth Dreams K24W spanks it in power while delivering the same real-world efficiency.
....


Based on what? I see a 40 MPG rated Mazda6, but I don't see anything close to a 40 MPG rated Accord. What are you trying reference?

As for power, I can find 185-190 HP for the K23W# vs 185 HP for the Mazda 2.5L.

I'm referencing a set of dyno plots I've seen, instrumented acceleration tests, and reviews where people cite real-world MPG. Despite the spec. sheet power ratings the K24W comes out more true to that on the dyno, has quicker acceleration, and is right there with it in observed MPG.


If the Motor Trend tests mean anything, the 6 is actually tenths of a second faster than the Accord in the 0-60.
 
Originally Posted By: gofast182
Originally Posted By: badtlc
Originally Posted By: gofast182

If one looks at dyno plots, instrumented tests, and real-world efficiency numbers one will find that SkyActiv engines are good but not great. Honda's Earth Dreams K24W spanks it in power while delivering the same real-world efficiency.
....


Based on what? I see a 40 MPG rated Mazda6, but I don't see anything close to a 40 MPG rated Accord. What are you trying reference?

As for power, I can find 185-190 HP for the K23W# vs 185 HP for the Mazda 2.5L.

I'm referencing a set of dyno plots I've seen, instrumented acceleration tests, and reviews where people cite real-world MPG. Despite the spec. sheet power ratings the K24W comes out more true to that on the dyno, has quicker acceleration, and is right there with it in observed MPG.


Calm down, and just post the dyno plots and fill us in on the details about who the people are that ran these objective tests, because quite frankly, you're the first to make these claims.
smile.gif
 
Not to mention one of the biggie review sites rates Mazda as highest in real world MPG numbers vs EPA numbers than every other manufacturer. I can't remember it that is motor trend, consumer reports, or what. I just remember the thread on this site about it.

My skyactiv is EPA rated at 39 and I have only had 2 tanks below 40 MPGs. One was a long road trip at 85 MPH into some headwinds. I'm usually at 42-43 MPGs for work commuting.
 
Originally Posted By: asiancivicmaniac
Originally Posted By: gofast182
Originally Posted By: badtlc
Originally Posted By: gofast182

If one looks at dyno plots, instrumented tests, and real-world efficiency numbers one will find that SkyActiv engines are good but not great. Honda's Earth Dreams K24W spanks it in power while delivering the same real-world efficiency.
....


Based on what? I see a 40 MPG rated Mazda6, but I don't see anything close to a 40 MPG rated Accord. What are you trying reference?

As for power, I can find 185-190 HP for the K23W# vs 185 HP for the Mazda 2.5L.

I'm referencing a set of dyno plots I've seen, instrumented acceleration tests, and reviews where people cite real-world MPG. Despite the spec. sheet power ratings the K24W comes out more true to that on the dyno, has quicker acceleration, and is right there with it in observed MPG.


If the Motor Trend tests mean anything, the 6 is actually tenths of a second faster than the Accord in the 0-60.

The auto skyactiv is only quicker over the 0-30 interval because the mazda allows brake torquing and wheelspin for an optimal launch. After that, the Accord's power/weight ratio kills it over every other interval. Kudos to Mazda for allowing a good launch, but the Accord engine is clearly much stronger.

In Motor Trend, you can easily see the advantage the 6 got from its launch in the 0-30mph result - 2.5 seconds. The Accord is quite a bit behind at 2.9 seconds.

However, the Accord is already faster to 70mph and anything above. Also the 1/4 mile trap speed shows that the Accord has more power. The 45-65mph time is also a good indication of power as launching is taken out of the equation.

In C/D, the difference between the two cars from 0-30mph is even bigger, 2.5 seconds vs 3.1 seconds. However, the Accord gets to 100mph faster, despite falling behind hard initially. May be this is easier to see: The 6 takes 17.5 seconds to go from 30mph to 100 mph (20s - 2.5s). The Accord takes 16.2s to ho from 30-100mph (19.3s - 3.1s). Top gear acceleration comparison is irrelevant since the CVT's artificial 7th gear is set at 37.1mph/1000rpm, while the 6's 6th speed gear ratio is at 33.7mph/100rpm.

Now, if one takes the auto transmission out of the equation (since they're different types) and goes for a comparison of manuals the 6 takes 7.9s to go from 0-60, 20s to go from 0-100, and 16.1s to cover the quarter mile. The Accord takes 6.6s to go from 0-60, 17.9s to go from 0-100, and 15.3s to cover the quarter mile.

It's plain to see that the K24W is a more robust engine especially when the transmission variable is factored out of the equation. Then if you couple that with the fuel economy numbers folks are reporting (real-world) they're really close to the 6. I really don't mean this to be a [censored] contest because I happen to like the new 6 but there are certain facts out there which indicate the SkyActiv engine, while quite good, isn't a clear leader.
 
Originally Posted By: gofast182

However, the Accord is already faster to 70mph and anything above. Also the 1/4 mile trap speed shows that the Accord has more power. The 45-65mph time is also a good indication of power as launching is taken out of the equation.


To take issue with your claim here, 45-65 mph times are more often a function of where the transmission puts the engine in its power band (and how much shifting the transmission is allowed to do) and frequently have very little to do with engine power.

Some vehicles are absolute dogs when going from certain speeds because they're way out of their power band.
 
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