at least its interesting

i like how cars are looking different from one another rite now, i didn't like when they all just had the 'generic car' look

 

ohhh boy...

 

Mazda is seriously stepping up it's game in their design language. I was slightly disappointed in the production 6 though but still better than many in it's class. Dare I say class leading?

 

Yes, I know there are those who disagree....and that my automotive tastes, except for bright paint colors, are somewhat more conservative than average, but I still find vehicles styled like the new Mazda3, with low, humpback-roofs, bullet-shaped bodies, and grossly oversized grilles to be distasteful. That is simply not my idea of automotive class....in my book, cars were not meant to look like bullets or spaceships.

(If you want to call me Grandpa, then so be it)

 

I like Mazda as a company. Always willing to try new things and push the design envelope. I like the new 6 (better looking than either the Camry or Accord or Malibu) and this 3 looks more expensive than the class it will compete in. I like the design overall. there are things I think could look better (I agree that the grill is a bit much). And as for the "new" 500, er, I mean Taurus... to each their own. Mmarshal, I love your car reviews, but lets just agree to disagree on this one.

 

Wow! I love it!! Waaay better than the '09 Maxda6. If this is what it's going to look like, then Mazda will own the compact class.

 

So ... is this a rendering, or the real thing? If it's a real pic, are there any more pics?

Assuming this is real, I have my doubts North America will get this. Mazda has already begun to screw us by releasing in North America a new 6 that's different than the 6 being released in the rest of the world. Most parts of the world get the global 6, while we here in North America are getting a different variant. The new global 6 looks great, while the new North American 6 looks lumpy, frumpy, and awkward.

I feel that the new 3 in North America will differ from the 3 in the rest of the world, and I think it will differ for the worse, not the better.

In terms of everything overall? Not so sure about that. In terms of performance and "fun to drive" factor, I agree. Styling is subjective, so no point arguing or discussing that. In terms of fuel economy, quality/reliability, or comfort, then no I don't agree.

IMHO, it's more like 3 ~ entire compact class. It's roughly (more or less) equal to the class leaders overall. The 3 is tops in some objective categories, but loses out in others. It all depends what an individual wants or is looking for in a compact car. If for example a well-rounded and economical car is what someone is looking for, the 3 loses out to some competition.

 

Because Americans need bigger frickin' cars! I'm tired of this ongoing mentality that even the automakers are stuck with. Don't they know that we almost always prefer Japanese/European style cars??? Why do they feel the need to Americanize them?

 

Remember, this is just a rendering for anyone using it as a completely real basis for judging the car.

 

That looks great IMO.

Hopefully it'll get mileage on par or better than the rest of that class. That's the issue with the current 3. Compact car with the mileage of a bigger/sportier car.

 

Canadians though always have, and still do like smaller cars. What frustrates me is that Canada is getting the bigger, frumpier-looking USDM 6, not the global 6. Mazda's excuse is that the Canadian market is "too small", and that it would be "too expensive" to adapt the global 6 for the Canadian market . Also to no surprise, fuel economy figures for the new 6 are pretty bad.

You would think with all this focus on fuel economy and the environment, Mazda would have understood the reasoning behind giving North America the global 6.

Doubtful. It's likely to use carryover engines from the current 3. Also, this is not just an issue with the current 3, it's been an issue for ALL Mazda cars for a LONG time now.

In the 1990s, Mazda hit a sales peak (especially here in Canada) with some of their cars. At one point cars like the Protege were quite popular during the 1990s. The 3 suffers from the same problems the Protege did. Just like the 3, the Protege had some different styling that set it apart from the rest of the class. It also had a fun-to-drive factor and some good performance, especially the Mazdaspeed Protege. The problem? Quality/reliability did not match the class leaders, fuel economy was quite poor for it's class, and the ride, as well as the car overall was not as comfortable or refined as the best-in-class in those criteria. The 3 pretty much has similar strengths and weaknesses as the Protege did.

Despite the talk of how Mazda has "revamped" it's lineup over the past few years, Mazda vehicles now are pretty much very similar to Mazdas in the 1990s, the only noticeable difference being styling (which of course is subjective).

Mazdas have never been known for comfort, refinement, quality/reliability, or fuel economy. I doubt this will change much in the future.

 

I dunno... the refinement and comfort of the 3 and 6 that I drove were very good. The CX series of SUVs has gotten rave reviews in those areas as well, and of course all of them score high marks in driving fun. As far as quality goes - build quality has appeared to be good though long term durability and reliability remains to be seen and very well not be any better than average.

Fuel economy could use some improvement but 10-12% would have them right on par with the base 3 engine. That's possible in this revision even without the actual engine changing... transmission, weight, aerodynamics are enough to make that improvement.

 

I've driven the current 3 and 6, and while refinement/comfort can be called "good" compared to Honda, it certainly was not up to Toyota levels. Mazdas in the 1990s had good build quality as well, but that did not translate into long-term quality/reliability as that was average at best.

While the 3 is a good choice for those wanting a small car that's fun to drive or that looks stylish, a problem might arise in the future. The Impreza may increasingly invade the 3's turf, and IMHO the Impreza is a better car overall than the 3. Then there is also the small RWD sports car coming from the Toyota/Subaru joint project. This sports car could be inexpensive enough to invade 3 sales, and could potentially offer fuel economy similar to that of the 3. Of course, the sports car won't have the same practicality as the 3, but it will likely have more performance as well as more appeal to enthusiasts.

Most non-enthusiasts that I see or personally know that own a 3 are doing it because it's a "cool car" currently. But that can change at any moment and 3 sales could deflate by quite a bit, which is exactly what happened with the Protege, the predecessor to the 3.

 

Wow, looks certainly are subjective. Its design hasnt advanced since the original 1985 Taurus and Sable!!

 

I find it interesting that this Mazda 3 grill is so similar to the Acura grill, yet this looks so much better. The 3 is easily IMO still the best compact out there. They just need to improve on the engines IMO and they are golden.