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Any Mazda or Subaru drivers here?
- Thread starter shinji
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My Dad is a sales manager for a Subaru dealership, so he gets new Subaru models as a company car whenever he wants. Currently he drives a 2009 Subaru Impreza WRX... awesome car IMO. Great sound, smooth performance... even good on petrol. The new Legacy is very luxurious inside; no longer has that 'plasticy' feel in it that the previous models did. You'll notice that the Impreza's and Legacy's interiors are rather different (different finishes).
Mazdas are very reliable cars too (like most Japanese cars these days). I'm considering buying a Mazda 2 for myself actually. My Mum owned a Mazda (Astina V6 Sedan) about 10 years ago, and from what I remember it was a very comfortable, reliable and quiet car (I was only about 5-6 at the time).
The decision is entirely up to you... both car manufacturers are reliable and will give you an excellent run for your money.
Mazdas are very reliable cars too (like most Japanese cars these days). I'm considering buying a Mazda 2 for myself actually. My Mum owned a Mazda (Astina V6 Sedan) about 10 years ago, and from what I remember it was a very comfortable, reliable and quiet car (I was only about 5-6 at the time).
The decision is entirely up to you... both car manufacturers are reliable and will give you an excellent run for your money.
My mother has a Mazda Demio (not sure whatyear). Depending on the year, Mazdas are quite reliable, but they can also be a pain in the sit-upon. They have custom-made centre consoles with custom fitted radios / CD players (actually the same one as in some Fords), which means you cannot easily put a new radio in and all the gods of financing help you if you ever loose battery power and don't know the radio's security code ... it's damn expensive to replace it!
I have owned 3 straight Mazdas. I have had two Proteges (not sure what it is outside the US) and a Mazda 6/Atenza. My first Protege had 190k miles on it when I got rid of it. The only major problem I had was the air conditioning died right before I traded it. Everything else was routine stuff.
My 6 had 85k miles on it with no problems. I got rid of it after some idiot did some free bodywork on it with his jacked up truck. The body shop did a great job of repairing it, but it never was the same afterward. It was a blast to drive, though.
I currently have a 2003 Protege5. It's a fun little car. It isn't as powerful as the 6, but it handles really well. It's also a lot of fun to drive. It has 65k miles on it with no problems so far.
So yeah, I like Mazdas. I hate the current design, though. The 6 is tolerable, but I really hate the new 3 design. Mechanically, it is a better car than the last gen, but I hate that front end design. It's sad, too, since the last gen 6 and 3 were great looking cars, IMO.
My 6 had 85k miles on it with no problems. I got rid of it after some idiot did some free bodywork on it with his jacked up truck. The body shop did a great job of repairing it, but it never was the same afterward. It was a blast to drive, though.
I currently have a 2003 Protege5. It's a fun little car. It isn't as powerful as the 6, but it handles really well. It's also a lot of fun to drive. It has 65k miles on it with no problems so far.
So yeah, I like Mazdas.
I hate the current design, though. The 6 is tolerable, but I really hate the new 3 design. Mechanically, it is a better car than the last gen, but I hate that front end design. It's sad, too, since the last gen 6 and 3 were great looking cars, IMO.
used to have a Protege
I had it for 12 years and put over 115,000 miles on it. The most expensive repair I remember was replacing the motor in an outside mirror. I know that the second owner still drives it. It's been 15 months since it changed hands.
I had it for 12 years and put over 115,000 miles on it. The most expensive repair I remember was replacing the motor in an outside mirror. I know that the second owner still drives it. It's been 15 months since it changed hands.
I had an '03 Mazda 6. I wasn't a fan at all. The transmission slipped all the time, and when it did, it felt like I was getting rear-ended.
Just remember, Mazda is owned by Ford. I attribute that to my disdain.
I recently purchased a Honda Accord. So far, it's a fantastic vehicle.
Just remember, Mazda is owned by Ford. I attribute that to my disdain.
I recently purchased a Honda Accord. So far, it's a fantastic vehicle.
'06 Mazda3. 64,500 mi. Great car! Has one of the best steering I've ever seen. No problems other than the normal, minor maintenance. The 2010 wrx is really nice, haven't had much of a chance to look into it more though.
mgargan, Mazda is owned by Mazda. Ford owns shares.
Not that this is really that relevant since you are looking at a new model but my '94 Legacy has almost 200,000 miles on it and has had very few issues. I think almost all Subaru owners will tell you the same thing. If I had the money I'd love a 2010 WRX!
Ford never totally owned Mazda. They owned 33% of the company at one time, but have since sold off 20% of their shares, and are down to about 13% now.
http://www.egmcartech.com/2009/01/21/mazda-ceo-ford-and-mazda-relationship-remains-unchanged/
Mazda provided much of the design and engineering for Ford's car platforms. The 3 was the basis for the European Focus and the Volvo S40. The 6 was the basis for the Ford Fusion and Volvo S60.
I think part of your problems lie in the fact that 03 was the first year of the 6, an entirely new design. I'm not dismissing your problems, but the first year of any new design will usually produce the most problems. I have a personal policy of not buying the first gen of any new design in both cars and Macs.
I still have a '93 Mazda MX3 with 144,000 miles on it. Still gets 30 mpg city and is a blast to drive. My ex is on her second Suburu Outback and likes it. She would still be driving her first if she kept better care of the mechanical stuff. She has my '77 Rotary Pickup. It is on it's second engine, but still does what you would expect from a 32 year old truck. More, actually.
Mazda and Suburu share one thing. They build a good engine and don't mess with the design.
By the way, my MX3 has an 88 horse power 4 and can pass like a rocket.
Dale
Mazda and Suburu share one thing. They build a good engine and don't mess with the design.
By the way, my MX3 has an 88 horse power 4 and can pass like a rocket.
Dale
My parents have owned 4 subaru's over the years. First one they got rid of after 250k miles of reliable service, the second they got rid of after near 200k miles of worry free service. the other two they still drive (and they are awesome and have never had a problem) I can highly recommend them. Comfortable cars, reliable, and drive nicely. Consumer reports usually gives them a top rating too.
I want an impreza. One of these days.
I owned a 2003.5 MazdaSpeed Protege for a few years - absolutely loved that car! Handled like it was on rails, and despite being FWD, had a bit of pickup due to the turbo. Ended up trading it in for the current "family car," a Mitsubishi Outlander. Not really a bad trade, but I still have the sport car feeling in me....
My wife's old Legacy was awesome. I wish we hadn't sold it (of course, not haveing to pay insurance on two cars for the last four years hasn't been that bad either). It was reliable and efficient, for an AWD. The only problem was that there weren't as many Subaru dealers as there were Mazda/Honda/Toyota/most other non-luxury makes.
Right now, I'd love to see Subaru release the Exiga in the US. I've heard good things about the Tribeca, but it's a bit more vehicle than I'd like.
Right now, I'd love to see Subaru release the Exiga in the US. I've heard good things about the Tribeca, but it's a bit more vehicle than I'd like.
I've got an '05 Impreza Outback Sport that I just bought this summer, and absolutely love it! The turning is fantastic due to the AWD, it's comfortable and I have had zero issues so far. Given I've only had it for a few months, but it's already seen some heavy use in that time, including a coast-to-coast drive.
Well my first Miata (2000) fouled a plug in 2005, close to 100k miles. Other than that...
but I do know that Miata's are special at Mazda... as in its hard to find them with wide ranging issues
In our family we have both a 1998 Legacy and a 2003 Forester, both of which are great cars. I think we'll be Subaru loyalists for the foreseeable future.
Mazdas are great cars, perhaps the most underrated brand. Driving dynamics like German cars, reliability like Japanese cars (because they are), and priced like American cars
We've had 3 Mazdas in the family, owned for 10 years each, and not have had anything break, ever. The one thing I would warn against is buying a brand-new model of a bigger car, as Mazda is less experienced manufacturing these and sometimes needs a model year or two to work out some kinks. This does not apply to you. With the Mazda3 you really can't go wrong.
We've had 3 Mazdas in the family, owned for 10 years each, and not have had anything break, ever. The one thing I would warn against is buying a brand-new model of a bigger car, as Mazda is less experienced manufacturing these and sometimes needs a model year or two to work out some kinks. This does not apply to you. With the Mazda3 you really can't go wrong.
I had a Subaru WRX and now I've got a Mazda Speed 3. Can't go wrong with either brand, unless you're getting the Impreza 2.5 RS. It's got a 4-speed auto.
How is the Speed3? My concern with that thing is putting that much power to the front wheels only can produce insane torque steer. Have you encountered that?
It's not a problem.
Seriously, it's there, but it's not a problem. There is a small tug when you put your foot down in 2nd gear, but if you've got a hand on the wheel, you're fine. The people who claim it's a big problem are the WRX AWD fanbois who think AWD is the ultimate handling device even if they are in socal.
I had a highly modded WRX/STi and drank the AWD koolaid, so you know I'm not lying.
Yes, I have a 2000 Subaru Forester and I love it. I have about 148k miles on the car now and look forward to rolling it over 200k before I even think about buying another car.
The coming (to the US) diesel powered Subaru Forester looks promising, but I'll try and hold out until my current Forester dies. Given how reliable it has been I may be waiting a long time.
The coming (to the US) diesel powered Subaru Forester looks promising, but I'll try and hold out until my current Forester dies. Given how reliable it has been I may be waiting a long time.
I used to drive a 2007 Mazda RX-8. Even though it did not have raw power, it handled superbly. I just place an order for a 2010 Mazda Demio 13 C-V version as my daily commuter car as I do not want to use my 2009 Nissan Skyline for such a boring daily grind. I will post my Demio whenI get a delivery of it.
I have a 2000 Subaru Forester. The only criticisms I would level at it would be average fuel economy and a cheapish interior. However, there are lots of things to like - great ride over rough pavement/dirt roads, legendary winter/foul-weather capabilities due to a proper AWD system, torquey engine, lots of space in the wagon body, good towing performance, and above-average reliability. They are not elegant cars, but I am very satisfied with mine. It needs a 6th gear though, for better highway fuel economy.
I also wish I had a turbo model, though that would hurt fuel economy even more. I have over 130k miles on the clock and I plan to take it past 200k miles at least.
As for Mazda, I thought the Protege was a very good car. The 626 and Millenium were underrated cars, the RX-7 was a landmark sportscar. The 6 and 3 are competent steeds as well, the RX-8 is neat too.
I disagree somewhat - many powerful FWD cars do a good job of managing torque steer, others do not. I'm sure there are plenty of people who argue without facts one way or the other, but the reality is that given otherwise identical cars, AWD will always provide better traction and control under acceleration than FWD (or RWD). Some cars are notoriously bad torque-steerers, like the Saab Viggen and those horrid FWD V8 Cadillacs.
With that being said, many FWD cars like the Mazdaspeed 3 handle larger amounts of power pretty well, largely due to the presence of a limited slip diff. A FWD car with a limited slip has lots of grip and benign driving qualities - most people won't be able to tell that it's not an AWD car unless they are driving in mud or icy conditions. A friend of mine has a turbocharged Integra with a Quiafe LSD and despite putting 250ish horsepower to the wheels, it's quite easy to drive.
It's also worth noting that the WRX STi is a fairly brutal car - despite it's obviously very high performance, it's not as smooth to drive as many less-powerful cars. But for the most part I agree with Capt Crunch in that torque-steer is not the big issue it was 15-20 years ago, especially when you have a limited slip.
I also wish I had a turbo model, though that would hurt fuel economy even more. I have over 130k miles on the clock and I plan to take it past 200k miles at least.
As for Mazda, I thought the Protege was a very good car. The 626 and Millenium were underrated cars, the RX-7 was a landmark sportscar. The 6 and 3 are competent steeds as well, the RX-8 is neat too.
Capt Crunch said:
I disagree somewhat - many powerful FWD cars do a good job of managing torque steer, others do not. I'm sure there are plenty of people who argue without facts one way or the other, but the reality is that given otherwise identical cars, AWD will always provide better traction and control under acceleration than FWD (or RWD). Some cars are notoriously bad torque-steerers, like the Saab Viggen and those horrid FWD V8 Cadillacs.
With that being said, many FWD cars like the Mazdaspeed 3 handle larger amounts of power pretty well, largely due to the presence of a limited slip diff. A FWD car with a limited slip has lots of grip and benign driving qualities - most people won't be able to tell that it's not an AWD car unless they are driving in mud or icy conditions. A friend of mine has a turbocharged Integra with a Quiafe LSD and despite putting 250ish horsepower to the wheels, it's quite easy to drive.
It's also worth noting that the WRX STi is a fairly brutal car - despite it's obviously very high performance, it's not as smooth to drive as many less-powerful cars. But for the most part I agree with Capt Crunch in that torque-steer is not the big issue it was 15-20 years ago, especially when you have a limited slip.