I’m mystified why Mazda isn’t a bigger selling car. Their cars are nearly always at or near the top of just about every “Best …” list out there. They’re relatively cheap, extremely reliable, and most of them get great mileage compared to the other cars in their class. IMO they’re also beautiful and have a coherent design theme running through their whole line of cars.
But I’ve seen claims that, for instance, Toyota Corollas outsell the entire line of Mazdas combined. This despite the fact that the Mazda3 kicks its ass in all the head to head comparisons.
Yeah, yeah, it’s my second Mazda thread in as many days. What can I say except I’ve been inspired by some other threads like the ongoing one about the Lexus.
What are your thoughts about why they’re not higher up on the car pecking order?
Because when I think of a relatively inexpensive car that has great handling characteristics and superior fit and finish, I think VW, not Mazda. I don’t dislike Mazdas. I just think there are better alternatives for the money. If I was pressed to buy an Asian brand, I’d pick Hyundai or Honda over Mazda, Toyota or Nissan. In that order. For my money, Hyundai is walking all over the other asian brands in consistently strong design across the entire line of cars. Their warranties are second to none.
No rotary engines any more, but I think it’s a valid point. It’s a perception thing, and they probably took a big hit when those engines started falling apart. I’d like to see a chart of Mazda sales before and since the Wankel fiasco. Maybe they’ve never completely recovered.
They’re not owned by Ford anymore. And I think hardly anyone would know in any case. I didn’t until I heard that Ford sold its interest, which was 40%, I think. I hate Fords too. Back in 2002 when I bought my first Mazda, I had no idea Ford owned a piece of their business. Maybe if I knew, I would have had second thoughts about it.
A lot of this–there is undoubtedly quality there, but nothing that ‘stands out’ from the other car makers that would make me determine to buy one. I suppose when it comes time (probably 2017) to get my “geezer” car (I’ll be 64), I’ll look at their models, but I doubt they’ll stand out enough to get me away from comparable Chevys and Toyotas (which have been my choices for the past 20 years).
It took a marriage to Ford to get Mazda competitive. Now that they are divorced, I don’t think they will have the backing to really go places in today’s world or develop new technology.
Toyota has over 1500 dealerships in the US, Mazda has just over 600. Toyota has 3 brands*, Mazda has 1. Toyota has 15 distinct models (by my count, others may group them differently), Mazda has 9.
I think if you handed over Toyota’s dealer network, their production capacity, and advertising budget to Mazda, Mazda could sell just as many cars. But they have very little name recognition, very few buyers have a history with the brand, and fewer people could even get to a dealership to buy one if they wanted to.
It really didn’t take much research for me to zero in on the Mazda3 that I bought. Pretty much every one of the compact car comparison articles I read, for all model years from 2012 to current rank the Mazda3 first or at top-3 in every major category. One word that appeared unfailingly in every review was “fun.” And when the Mazda was deemed equal with another model in every other category (most often vs the Ford Focus), the “fun” factor always put it over the top.
In the case of the last car my household purchased (a Honda, as it happens), the answer was “because the intended driver of the vehicle did not fit comfortably into any vehicle Mazda offered that fit our other (relatively modest) criteria”. My husband (the intended driver) is both big and tall. In the range of automobiles that met our baseline criteria (at least 25mpg highway, sedan/station wagon, large trunk space), there were exactly two vehicles that he could set the driver’s seat/steering wheel combo to maximum space, sit down, and get his legs under the steering column without playing Leg Tetris or having his inside leg crushed between the console and the steering column in a fashion that would be uncomfortable after 10 minutes and also have something that resembled reasonable visibility out of the windshield (as opposed to having to duck his head to see out).
They were both Hondas. C’est la vie. We bought a Honda.
Well, I’m an all wheel drive station wagon sort of guy so Mazda has never really been on my radar, but if they were, I’d say the lingering olfactory remnants of the “Zoom-Zoom” commercials would have me looking at just about any other brand. I hated those damned commercials so very much.
For me, when I bought my car last year, IIRC it was a cost issue. My then boyfriend got me all hepped up about the wankel engine and then it turned out the model I wanted was out of my range. The first car I had / learned to drive on was a GLC. Ugly as sin but boy was it zippy. A really great car, the memory of which led to our Mazda conversation and my considering buying one. When it’s time again to get another car I will definitely revisit Mazdas. So in answer to your question, I don’t know. Glad I could help.
