Mazda says yes to ICE

[Nick R]

http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/nb20111203a1.html

Not really news, but Mazda continues to say no to electric vehicles, and hybrids, focusing instead on high efficiency, "proper sized" gas and diesel engines.

 

[Klutch9]

Good on them. I can't ever see myself buying a hybrid or electric vehicle. At least Mazda is still 100% committed to building proper cars with gas/diesel motors

 

[needsducktape]

maybe they'll go nuclear...

 

[CivicFan]

They are too small to develop their own technology and they are far behind the others in the market. They could get the technology from Ford but it's a steep curve to become a major player in those markets. Even Honda, the first one to come up with hybrids, is having a hard time competing with Toyota.

They will be OK with their choice for the next 10 years or so.

 

[FusilliJerry82]

Great, now they just need to come back out with less hideous cars.

 

[needsducktape]

Originally Posted By: FusilliJerry82
Great, now they just need to come back out with less hideous cars.


the pac-man mazda 3 kinda grew on me

-at least they are enjoyable to drive...

 

[Dakota1820]

I'm glad hybrid cars are a joke. Every decade has there great idea hybrids are this decade. I pray it goes away soon there making cars look and run like [censored]. If I want battery powered ill buy a darn rc car.

 

[HerrStig]

There was a puff piece on the Volt on AOL a while back and a snarky
(claiming to be female) poster was extolling the wonders thereof. When I mentioned that the AC doesn't work unless the engine is on, snarky said "I just roll down the windows" to which I suggested "she" (probably a white shoe plaid pants GM salesman "pretending") try THAT in Miami traffic in August. Now I see GM is buying them back because of a little "burning" issue. Wish I could add some more to that thread. That AOL "Automotive" section is a trip.

 

[NHGUY]

I'm surprised they didnt get a version of Fusion Hybrid.Afterall,Fusion is Mazda based.

 

[dparm]

Originally Posted By: NHGUY
I'm surprised they didnt get a version of Fusion Hybrid.Afterall,Fusion is Mazda based.


I bet Ford wants to keep a few things to themselves for better product differentiation and competitive advantage. Still, anyone shopping for hybrids is effectively ignoring Mazda. A hybrid 6 or CX-7 would be nice.

It's true though that smaller turbo motors, and even diesels, are still matching or beating hybrids on the mileage front (though not necessarily on the emissions side).

 

[Nick R]

Originally Posted By: chevyboy14
I'm glad hybrid cars are a joke. Every decade has there great idea hybrids are this decade. I pray it goes away soon there making cars look and run like [censored]. If I want battery powered ill buy a darn rc car.



Hmmmm. I dunno about that. The Fusion hybrid gets excellent mpg, much, much better than the non-hybrid version. The prius is easily capable of 40mpg, without a manual transmission (The cruze, while capable, will generally only acheive it with a manual). I think that hybrids are a good way to save gas. Sure they generally aren't particularly pretty, when it's a dedicated hybrid (Prius, Insight.

What's this "run like [censored]" nonsense? The fusion hybrid handles well and is comfortable, and is no slouch in acceleration. Even the prius isn't really THAT slow. Other than the "I hate anything more complicated than a carbeurateor and OHV and it better have a mechanical distributor" stuff, I don't really understand the vehemency towards hybrids.

EVs are an even better idea, if they can bring the price down where it belongs.

 

[IndyIan]

I think mazda might be the company to introduce an F1 style Kinetic Energy Recovery System. No big lunky batteries and its keeping with their sporty image.
For my commute I only spend maybe 3-4min out of 40 stopped so something like KERS could help mileage just as well as a battery hybrid system matched with a smaller efficient diesel.

 

[91344George]

Originally Posted By: chevyboy14
I'm glad hybrid cars are a joke. Every decade has there great idea hybrids are this decade. I pray it goes away soon there making cars look and run like [censored]. If I want battery powered ill buy a darn rc car.


The sarcasm is right on the money.

The fact is that solid, proven, reliable technology for the hybrid or electric car is just not here...yet. I'd say the solely electric vehicle that is actually as reliable and practical as the typical gas or diesel powered car we have today is a century away possibly more.

Even the hybrids that are reliable today are not enjoyable and even odd to drive, not to mention to get diesel like MPGs you have to operate these hybrids in a deliberately unusual way compared to any ICE car, like a diesel and get top MPGs.

Not to mention the huge price increase of something like the Fusion Hybrid over the regular gas engine model.

For now the Hybrid and electric cars are big pricy mostly unpleasant to drive "toys".

I always remember what the CEO of Mazda said once concerning his company dumbing down the companies products to increase US market share, he stated something like "Mazda refuses to compromise our brand to increase our share in the US".
Bravo Mazda this will make your brand a likely next purchase for me, and I live in the US.

 

[Patman]

Mazda is going to regret this decision in the future, when everyone else is offering a hybrid and/or electric and they are left in their dust. The future of the automobile is heading in this direction and they are foolish to ignore this.

 

[tig1]

Originally Posted By: Nick R
Originally Posted By: chevyboy14
I'm glad hybrid cars are a joke. Every decade has there great idea hybrids are this decade. I pray it goes away soon there making cars look and run like [censored]. If I want battery powered ill buy a darn rc car.



Hmmmm. I dunno about that. The Fusion hybrid gets excellent mpg, much, much better than the non-hybrid version. The prius is easily capable of 40mpg, without a manual transmission (The cruze, while capable, will generally only acheive it with a manual). I think that hybrids are a good way to save gas. Sure they generally aren't particularly pretty, when it's a dedicated hybrid (Prius, Insight.

What's this "run like [censored]" nonsense? The fusion hybrid handles well and is comfortable, and is no slouch in acceleration. Even the prius isn't really THAT slow. Other than the "I hate anything more complicated than a carbeurateor and OHV and it better have a mechanical distributor" stuff, I don't really understand the vehemency towards hybrids.

EVs are an even better idea, if they can bring the price down where it belongs.


What MPG does the hybrid Fusion get? The problem is that they are so very expensive. Takes several years to recoup the price differance.

 

[91344George]

Originally Posted By: Patman
Mazda is going to regret this decision in the future, when everyone else is offering a hybrid and/or electric and they are left in their dust. The future of the automobile is heading in this direction and they are foolish to ignore this.


Actually they won't because as the number of these vehicles increase the PROBLEMS and ISSUES that surface will have many buyers returning to the good old diesel or gas engine cars.

The bottom line is the products that are hybrid have two big things going against them. Track records and cost.

On the contrary I think the car makers in the US that have refused to offer diesel products are going to be left behind.

 

[Nick R]

Originally Posted By: 91344George
Originally Posted By: Patman
Mazda is going to regret this decision in the future, when everyone else is offering a hybrid and/or electric and they are left in their dust. The future of the automobile is heading in this direction and they are foolish to ignore this.


Actually they won't because as the number of these vehicles increase the PROBLEMS and ISSUES that surface will have many buyers returning to the good old diesel or gas engine cars.

The bottom line is the products that are hybrid have two big things going against them. Track records and cost.

On the contrary I think the car makers in the US that have refused to offer diesel products are going to be left behind.


Well that's interesting that you say that, because Ford, and Toyota, and even GM, report absolutely minimal increase in problems. In fact, Ford has said that despite the hundreds of thousands of hybrid Fusion and Escape hybrids, they've never had a single electric motor failure, and only something like 3 battery CELLs (and there are hundreds/thousands per battery pack) fail. That is an extremely good reliability record.

You are assuming that they have or will have more problems. So far, this has proven to be absolutely, positively, false.

 

[The Critic]

Originally Posted By: 91344George
Originally Posted By: Patman
Mazda is going to regret this decision in the future, when everyone else is offering a hybrid and/or electric and they are left in their dust. The future of the automobile is heading in this direction and they are foolish to ignore this.


Actually they won't because as the number of these vehicles increase the PROBLEMS and ISSUES that surface will have many buyers returning to the good old diesel or gas engine cars.

The bottom line is the products that are hybrid have two big things going against them. Track records and cost.

On the contrary I think the car makers in the US that have refused to offer diesel products are going to be left behind.


Ownership costs have actually been quite low for hybrids, often lower than a conventional car.

 

[91344George]

Originally Posted By: Nick R


You are assuming that they have or will have more problems. So far, this has proven to be absolutely, positively, false.


I guess I didn't mention that I hate the way hybrids drive.

Not assuming they will BUT it is newer technology and there are bound to be problems, not to mention that they COULD offer a diesel for less money that actually would get better MPGs and a more practical buy to boot. Sorry but you cannot convince me that having TWO engines is better than one proven engine, and it also costs less to purchase and service too. Diesel engines are proven to have great longevity. That is one track record that hybrids just can say they have at this point. A century vs what a decade ? LOL

 

[The Critic]

Originally Posted By: 91344George
Originally Posted By: Nick R


You are assuming that they have or will have more problems. So far, this has proven to be absolutely, positively, false.


I guess I didn't mention that I hate the way hybrids drive.

Not assuming they will BUT it is newer technology and there are bound to be problems, not to mention that they COULD offer a diesel for less money that actually would get better MPGs and a more practical buy to boot. Sorry but you cannot convince me that having TWO engines is better than one proven engine, and it also costs less to purchase and service too. Diesel engines are proven to have great longevity. That is one track record that hybrids just can say they have at this point. A century vs what a decade ? LOL

Modern day diesels are nowhere as simple and "reliable" as the old diesels. Apples to oranges. Doubt a diesel will get better mpg in mixed driving, maybe for an interstate cruiser but even that's a stretch.

The electrical motors are near bulletproof. On a diesel you'd have to change fuel filters and worry about fuel quality. On a hybrid, you'll be using 87 fuel and none of those issues to worry about.