Fobulous
Premium
join:2002-08-14
Missouri City, TX
clubs:
 ·Comcast
| reply to biggbrother
Re: 2006 Mazda 3 or 2006 Civic EX?
biggerbrother,thanks for your informative comment!
After researching for awhile i know that the mazda3 is made in Japan, and to me that is a huge selling point since as you said mazdas are madein Ford plants and generally Japanese plants will produce better quality products.
As for Honda's warranty, i was told by the sales team that Honda has upped it's standard warranty to 5/50,000 but of course this is far different from it's official Boucher of 3/36,000
--
Character is like a tree and reputation like its shadow. The shadow is what we think of it; the tree is the real thing.-Abraham Lincoln |
biggbrother
Premium
join:2001-11-07
Providence, RI
| reply to Fobulous
I own a Mazda6 and I can comment a bit on Mazda in general. If it's quality you are after, go for the Honda. Honda will unquestionably have better quality. Reliability will also be better on the Honda overall, although this is the first year for the new '06 Civic so expect some minor issues. The 2005 Mazda3, its first year in production, had some problems that Mazda had to fix. Mazda also had some nagging issues with the Mazda6 that they were reluctant to fix under warranty, but relented once owners threatened a revolt.
There is a big difference between the two models however. The Mazda3 is built in Japan, whereas the Mazda6 is built in the U.S. I have noticed that overall build quality is a bit better when Japanese cars are built in Japan vs. the U.S. However, this is not always true since Honda and Toyota have been able to build cars of high quality in the U.S. for years. But remember, Mazda is Ford-owned, so Mazdas are built at Ford plants in the U.S.
I have not driven the Mazda3, but I did consider downsizing to it from my Mazda6 once gas looked like it would stay above $3 a gallon.  From everything I have read and heard from fellow Mazda owners, the Mazda3 is fun to drive, had peppy power had a beautiful and sporty interior, and handles great. You also may be able to snag it at a great price since dealers are willing to deal on the Mazda3 now, vs the Civic which will be selling at MSRP for a while since it is a brand new model.
Plus check the warranty. Mazda offers a 4 year/ 50,000 mile bumber-to-bumper, whearas Honda may still be sticking to the outdated 3 year/36,000 mile warranty.
Also, check these forums:
»www.mazda3club.com/ |
