vw rabbit vs. mazda3 vs. imprezza

[ourfamo4]

Quote:

A few issues with VW? Are you kidding? Have you ever been to a VW forum (such as PassatWorld or VWVortex)? Have you ever been to MyVWLemon.com? Do you wonder why VW/Audi tops the "least reliable automaker" lists every year?

Haha, most of the quailty problems VW has is due to the horriable dealer network. But most of the problems are just atypiical German car stuff, but at a lower price point. As for the least reliable, http://www.vw.com/vwbuzz/browse/en/us/de...ality_Index/211



Quote:
And as for your comment on Japanese doors, I'm not sure where that came from. Perhaps you were speaking of 80's era models. My Civic has a double door seal; the door "thud" is much beefier than my co-worker's Range Rover Sport Supercharged, which sounds like a sheet of metal falling to the ground.
All of the lower-end Mazdas I looked at this weekend did not have the overall quailty of my Jetta. Only the CX-9 had a better feel to it.
I have nothing but good things to say about the quailty of Japanese cars, but for me the "feel" of a automobile is just as important.

I will now get off my soapbox....

 

[Jeffdc5]

I love german cars especially BMW and VW. My next car after I finish college will be either the e46 m3 or 335i but you have to be ready when you buy a German car they have problems you would never get in a toyota, Honda, or nissan. VW probably offers the most standard feature best interiors and road feel in the cheap starter car segment but just be ready for issues and stay on top of maintenance

 

[simple_gifts]

Quote:

Haha, most of the quailty problems VW has is due to the horrible dealer network


???

From the experiences of my coworkers there appears to be a constant need to visit them.....

 

[televascular]

Originally Posted By: ourfamo4
Haha, most of the quailty problems VW has is due to the horriable dealer network. But most of the problems are just atypiical German car stuff, but at a lower price point. As for the least reliable, http://www.vw.com/vwbuzz/browse/en/us/de...ality_Index/211

I fail to see how dealer competence has an effect on new car reliability. And dismissing reliability issues as "typical German car stuff" doesn't score points for German cars, either. VWs are unreliable because of their overly complicated electrical systems and powertrain management, as well as less reliable parts suppliers (when compared to Denso, Nissin, etc.).

Strategic Vision's list is based on total perceived satisfaction, which includes driving enjoyment and emotional attachment; reliability is a small part of the equation. If you take a closer look at Strategic Vision's Total Quality Awards, VW won one category. Toyota won four and Honda won two. Heck, Ford tops everyone with five category wins!

Originally Posted By: ourfamo4
All of the lower-end Mazdas I looked at this weekend did not have the overall quailty of my Jetta. Only the CX-9 had a better feel to it.
I have nothing but good things to say about the quailty of Japanese cars, but for me the "feel" of a automobile is just as important.

I can see what you're saying, though a Jetta is several thousand dollars more expensive than the low-end Mazdas. The CX-9 is more Ford than Mazda.

Though it's a prodigious pain in my arse, my father's '03 Passat GLX wagon is a pleasure to drive. The suspension setup is excellent, especially in dampening, which makes the car feel less heavy than it is. The handling is comfortable, neutralizing any uneven pavement very well. Personally I think the interior should've been a lot nicer for the price VW is asking, but the dynamics of the car are well sorted. German cars have very nice qualities, it's just that you need to be prepared to pay for repairs and car payments at the same time.

 

[globey]

I bought a new Jetta in 98 and I loved the car. I really liked the way the car felt. Even though the price was less than 20K, it drove like a much more expensive car.

BUT, I had issues with this car from day 1. Intermittent check engine light...could never really track it down and every time I took it in, the light wasn't on. When I did have them look at it thoroughly, they wanted 1K to replace belts and some vacuum hoses. No thanks.

At 20K, the master cylinder went out and left me stranded in L.A.

The car always stalled out during the rain, even after we replaced an ignition coil which we were told was bad.

Once I moved out of SoCal, I had a hard time finding anyone that would service this vehicle. No one wanted to touch VWs. I had to drive a good 30-45 mins to find a service center, and when I did, they wanted to give it to me...dealer wanted 750 for routine tune up (plugs, wires, etc). I ended up just buying the 85.00 wires! at a parts place and taking care of it myself.

The car eventually succumbed to nature during Katrina and I watched it being towed away after being submerged with water at 120K on the odometer. All in all, I loved the car, but it had issues from day 1...we did own it 7 years though and it was still running when they were hauling it away. The insurance company ended up still giving me 8K for it afterwards, so the resale value of this car held up quite nicely.

I'd have to choose between the VW and the Mazda here. Just know going in it will probably be more of a hassle to deal with maint on the VW.

 

[MrCritical]

Wondering why we aren't mentioning Civic and Focus....

 

[bretfraz]

The only car you can get a good deal on is the Subaru. Looks like there is $1000 rebate available. Nothing on the Mazda or VW. And I don't imagine dealers will be selling them cheap nowadays so don't expect some hefty discount.

To me these cars are basically the same so I'd go with the one I can get for the lowest price.

 

[Mr Nice]

I rented a Mazda 3 and the A/C barely cooled, the car only had 1300 miles on it.

Is this common on the Mazda 3 ??

 

[MrCritical]

Several complaints here about Mazda 3 a/c performance.

 

[mpvue]

I like mazdas (have had 2 626's, a '00 MPV and now my current '96 MPV) and the AC has never been a strong point in any of them. the entire 626 HVAC system IMO sucked; always had problems w/ foggy windows in the rain and wintertime. but I really like my '96 MPV, lots of room, capable 4WD, easy to work on.
I have also liked VW's (had an '86 and '87 GTI, and an '85 golf auto). that '85 was the absolute worst car I've ever owned, low power, slow, AND bad mpg! (no overdrive). but I loved the GTI's.
never owned a subaru, but I had a friend who had one, an outback I think, new car, engine blown 1st year. new engine knocked bad, whole car felt like a P O S.
so, all that being said, if I was in the market for a new small car today, I'd test the 3 and the rabbit, and biased towards the 3. around here, they are at the same dealer, it'd be easy.

 

[buster]

We have a 3. Great car.

2 complaints: Gas mileage should be better. Power with AC on is horrendous. AC should get more cold.

 

[01rangerxl]

Originally Posted By: MrCritical
Wondering why we aren't mentioning Civic and Focus....

My guess is those cars are probably too bland for the original poster.

As for VWs, I agree that they "feel" nice, but they do have a tendancy to give their owners regular, if not constant problems. My roommate's girlfriend traded her Jetta for a Mini recently because of the Jetta's constant problems. Something always needed to be fixed. My brother in law's Jetta hasn't been quite that bad, but it still has some annoying issues (namely broken A/C). He loves VWs though, so he accepts those problems as part of VW ownership. VW people like my BIL are willing to do that because they love everything else about the car, and that's cool, but a lot of people don't want to deal with the problems.

 

[rationull]

Originally Posted By: MrCritical
Wondering why we aren't mentioning Civic and Focus....


Or it's possible the OP is looking for a hatch.

 

[Titan]

Originally Posted By: 01rangerxl
Originally Posted By: MrCritical
Wondering why we aren't mentioning Civic and Focus....

My guess is those cars are probably too bland for the original poster.

As for VWs, I agree that they "feel" nice, but they do have a tendancy to give their owners regular, if not constant problems. My roommate's girlfriend traded her Jetta for a Mini recently because of the Jetta's constant problems. Something always needed to be fixed. My brother in law's Jetta hasn't been quite that bad, but it still has some annoying issues (namely broken A/C). He loves VWs though, so he accepts those problems as part of VW ownership. VW people like my BIL are willing to do that because they love everything else about the car, and that's cool, but a lot of people don't want to deal with the problems.


They may have gone from the frying pan into the fire with the Mini!

 

[MrCritical]

Titan brings up a good point.

What's the Mini quality rating?

Scuttlebutt on the street?

I confess, I have no idea, but they look like a blast to drive.

 

[bennyG19]

Originally Posted By: rationull
Or it's possible the OP is looking for a hatch.


exactly, i want a hatch. i have a honda element right now and am looking at other vehicles. my element is having problems, i'll put something in the 'maintenance' section to get some opinions.

i have a miata, thus the mazda3. i love the miata and i think the 3 is a cousin.

my wife has an '03 jetta that has been 'relatively' trouble free. i've always liked subarus. thanks for all the opinions. if i can't fix the honda soon i'm going to drive all three of these and pick my favorite.

 

[rationull]

If it were me I'd go for either the Mazda or the VW I think. The Subaru would be tempting if it weren't for the efficiency drag of having AWD when you don't need it. Deciding btw the 3 and the Rabbit would be tough for sure, IMO.

 

[Yuk]

I own a 1999 Passat and chose never to buy another VW, based on the incompetent, thieving dealer network. My beloved Passat (I'm not kidding, I love the Passat driving experience) was in the shop at least 5 times in the first 10 months, for mostly niggling problems. My 2007 Mazda 6 (2.3L, I4) is now 10 months old and has, so far, been completely reliable. No dealer visits have been required.

I hope Mazda service doesn't end up being sucky too.

 

[01rangerxl]

Originally Posted By: MrCritical
Titan brings up a good point.

What's the Mini quality rating?

Scuttlebutt on the street?

I confess, I have no idea, but they look like a blast to drive.

I don't know much about Mini quality, but so far her car seems to be okay. I haven't driven it, but it is pretty quick.

 

[TooManyWheels]

Be aware that the A/C in the Mazda is generally considered to be a litle ineffectual. I recently considered buying one but the A/C performance would be an issue in this part of the country.