Mazda 6 sales are up 45 percent, but the 3 is down. What's up with that? Is the oversized proboscis hurting sales that much? Or is there supply problems, or.....? I'd like to trade in our CX-7 on one, but am not in a hurry to assume more car payments.
My purely uneducated guess?
The 6 looks great, has more room than the 3, and now does as well on fuel as the non-Skyactiv 3 from just 2 years ago.
Supply. They just started production in a new facility in Mexico last month, so that problem should go away.
Not sure about sales numbers, but I haven't liked the 3 for a while now. The first generation was a good looking car, the second was so bad I would never have bought one, no matter how good it was otherwise. The 6 is another story.
Supply and market saturation is my guess. The 2g cars got cheap because they were ugly, and now with the Shinari 6 hitting the streets, a lot of the people that were in 3's are moving to 6's now. A loaded up 6 can be had for around 30k, a loaded 3 is 25+....
I'm waiting for a turbocharger. Either attached to an oil burner or otherwise.
How about pricing? The 3 can get to 38k and starts just a couple grand under the 6. Shooting themselves in the foot.
In reply to chandlerGTi:
BS! 38k? for a 3?
I think the grand touring starts at 25, base model is 18.
the 6 grand touring can get to 38k pretty easy though.
"What's up with the 3?"
First time that question didn't have a thing to do with stock car racing.
Didn't the 3 just get a Best Car in Segment award?
(edit) Motorweek:
http://thenewswheel.com/2014-mazda3-wins-best-compact-car-category-motorweek-awards/
Where is the diesel!!
I wasn't particularly impressed with it. I was shopping base model cars and ended up with an elantra. The 3 had a cramped interior (narrow front seats, large intrusive dash/center console, very small rear seats). I didn't find it particularly sporting feeling. The engine had poor low end torque and the car felt artificially heavy. Its a very nice looking car but for me it just wasn't the best value in its market.
nocones wrote: I wasn't particularly impressed with it. I was shopping base model cars and ended up with an elantra. The 3 had a cramped interior (narrow front seats, large intrusive dash/center console, very small rear seats). I didn't find it particularly sporting feeling. The engine had poor low end torque and the car felt artificially heavy. Its a very nice looking car but for me it just wasn't the best value in its market.
As much as I am a mazda fanboi- I think you're right. What was once a segment leading automobile and set the compact market on its ear has just become an also ran. Sure it's probably still the most fun to drive, and IMO with the new Shinari design language is pretty much STILL the best thing I've seen recently, (especially that Mazdaspeed chop floating around) it's an also-ran to the Koreans in a LOT of departments. Hyundai/Kia are doing what Mazda did years ago with the 1st gen 3, redefining value.
nocones wrote: I wasn't particularly impressed with it. I was shopping base model cars and ended up with an elantra. The 3 had a cramped interior (narrow front seats, large intrusive dash/center console, very small rear seats). I didn't find it particularly sporting feeling. The engine had poor low end torque and the car felt artificially heavy. Its a very nice looking car but for me it just wasn't the best value in its market.
Were you shopping the old one or the new one? I've heard that the new one is the best "small" car in existance, bar none.
I've also heard that the 2.5 has significantly more oomph than the 2.0
Are the new 3's being sold everywhere yet? If the numbers are mostly old 3's then it's about what I'd expect. I haven't seen a new 3 in the wild yet. I see a LOT of the new 6's.
This thread is the first time I've read anything negative about the new 3.
I've seen a couple new 3's at the local mazda dealer, none on the road yet but I haven't really been looking or driving at all much lately.
I saw my first new 3 on the road. It was a white pearl hatch, and I wanted to have its children. I'be been inside one, but my Mazda guy was too busy to let me drive it. Overall I was very impressed- its just gotten pretty spendy for a GT and the Koreans caught up.
The shifter insanely impressive to me almost on par with my RX8, though my only real issues were that the clutch too light and the tach was quite small.
From what I understand though sometime this year the 2.5 will have a M/T. Would LOVE any details on the new MS 3/5/6/Miata/CX-5/9 hell anything mazdaspeed labeled!
JtspellS wrote: The shifter insanely impressive to me almost on par with my RX8, though my only real issues were that the clutch too light and the tach was quite small. From what I understand though sometime this year the 2.5 will have a M/T. Would LOVE any details on the new MS 3/5/6/Miata/CX-5/9 hell anything mazdaspeed labeled!
So I got this raccoon.....
mndsm wrote:JtspellS wrote: The shifter insanely impressive to me almost on par with my RX8, though my only real issues were that the clutch too light and the tach was quite small. From what I understand though sometime this year the 2.5 will have a M/T. Would LOVE any details on the new MS 3/5/6/Miata/CX-5/9 hell anything mazdaspeed labeled!So I got this raccoon.....
Too shifty, needs more feathers too, maybe a Blue footed booby?
JtspellS wrote:mndsm wrote:Too shifty, needs more feathers too, maybe a Blue footed booby?JtspellS wrote: The shifter insanely impressive to me almost on par with my RX8, though my only real issues were that the clutch too light and the tach was quite small. From what I understand though sometime this year the 2.5 will have a M/T. Would LOVE any details on the new MS 3/5/6/Miata/CX-5/9 hell anything mazdaspeed labeled!So I got this raccoon.....
Works for me.
It was a 2014 2.0l the one I drove was max options for a manual trans. Something like 24k msrp (I didn't really pay attention since I was not going to be buying those options).. Its not that its a bad car. It was fine. Its just for me the cost and loss of space compared to the elantra were not justifiable. I did not find it any sportier feeling than its rivals.
I drove one of the optioned out ones. The navigation screen is hideous and you can't move it. I liked driving it, but not as much as I liked my 1st gen 3. Felt less tossable. I still may buy one when my daughter starts driving and takes my 4Runner away
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