rode in my coworkers 2015 mazda 3 hatch

[Wreckem]

lol. No. Not even close. The st handles like a car twice it's price. Its loaded with features and did I mention turbo? I tested a 3 before deciding on the st. They weren't even close. The 3 was asking prices I'd expect from a loaded accord. It felt every bit of econo box. I don't get that feeling in my st. In fact I've had dude's stopping to check out my st.

So you paid ~$20k for a loaded, turbo charged/tuned sub-compact. Good for you. If you really wanted a hot hatch you should have spent a few more buck and got a GTI, because while the FiST is a good car. The GTI completely outclasses it and then some and in the end you still just have a Fiesta no matter how souped up it is. The reality is both the 3 and the FiST get great reviews, your biased bashing of the 3 has no basis in reality.

Also the 3 S in no way feels like an econobox. The stripper iSport maybe, but the iGT, sT and sGT, not a chance. The only interior in a non luxury compact car that beats the iGT, sT, and sGT are VWs. Period. And you cannot really knock its handling/braking/acceleration considering it is more or less best in class in most of those categories.

 

[slugg]

Seriously, you're getting all brash over a 15 second 1/4 mile time car? Even still...


2014 Mazda 3s Grand Touring Hatchback (Manual) 0-60 mph 6.6 Quarter Mile 15.2
2014 Ford Fiesta ST 0-60 mph 6.7 Quarter Mile 15.0

I'm not sure that qualifies as "gets its ass handed to it"...

Who fabricated that information? Didn't we just establish that you can't buy a 2014+ Mazda 3s hatchback with a manual transmission? Fail post is fail.

 

[Wreckem]

Who fabricated that information? Didn't we just establish that you can't buy a 2014+ Mazda 3s hatchback with a manual transmission? Fail post is fail.

He's likely using numbers for the rest of the world. As for them being available in the US, they, as 2015s, are reportedly hitting shores in a month or so(some time in September) as multiple dealerships have said they are already in transit from Japan(dealers already have vin numbers for their first allotment of 2015s). MazdaUSA is not releasing 2015 model information until shortly before arrival as there are a ton of 2014s(specifically 2014 sedans) on dealer lots that they are still hoping to clear through before the 2015s reach US shores.

That said, be wary of the 2015 Mazda 3 depending on what features you want/don't want. There are reports of trim level changes to both the S Touring and S Grand Touring, as well as the rest of the lineup. For example, reportedly the S Touring is gaining a moonroof(pretty much confirmed by change in headroom for the S touring) and losing bi xenons(not officially confirmed but its looking plausible). We will know soon enough if that is true as product sheets should start leaking out(once they hit dealers, they will be leaked).

 

[OILFIELDTRASH]

So you paid ~$20k for a loaded, turbo charged/tuned sub-compact. Good for you. If you really wanted a hot hatch you should have spent a few more buck and got a GTI, because while the FiST is a good car. The GTI completely outclasses it and then some and in the end you still just have a Fiesta no matter how souped up it is. The reality is both the 3 and the FiST get great reviews, your biased bashing of the 3 has no basis in reality.

Also the 3 S in no way feels like an econobox. The stripper iSport maybe, but the iGT, sT and sGT, not a chance. The only interior in a non luxury compact car that beats the iGT, sT, and sGT are VWs. Period. And you cannot really knock its handling/braking/acceleration considering it is more or less best in class in most of those categories.

So please lead me to professional reviews that verify that the gti is a better buy than the st? Yes its a fiesta in name but that's about where it ends with a comparison to the regular fiesta. Thankfully I am smart enough to look past the badge on the car and see it for what it is. The st is not winning reviews and garnering praise worldwide for no reason. And here you are pretending to know cars.

 

[Wreckem]

So please lead me to professional reviews that verify that the gti is a better buy than the st? Yes its a fiesta in name but that's about where it ends with a comparison to the regular fiesta. Thankfully I am smart enough to look past the badge on the car and see it for what it is. The st is not winning reviews and garnering praise worldwide for no reason. And here you are pretending to know cars.

The Mazda 3 and GTI are also winning reviews and praise worldwide as well. But yet you basically called the 3 a garbage econobox.

As for the GTI. Go drive one. The only thing the FiST has going for it vs the GTI is, is its cheapness. Both are great cars, but the GTI is clearly superior and not just because its $5-10k more.

I never said the FiST was a bad car, nor did I bash its performance or interior or anything other than it being a Fiesta(its look ie: exterior). You and your biased opinion bashed the 3, which is out of touch with reality based on you know professional reviews, reviews you count as positive for the FiST but seemingly discount for the 3. My comment on the FiST still being a Fiesta, you can soup up a car, but it still looks like a Fiesta. Not a fan of the Fiestas look.

Look the FiST and 3 aren't even in the same class/category. They can have similar prices yes, but they aren't really direct competitors. The fact of the matter is the Mazda 3 is class leading for its class. You can bash it all you want but that is reality. The Mazda3Speed will be interesting. We will have to see how it compares to the FiST, Focus ST, and GTI. It will probably compete quite well. To bad its going to be a 2016 model at best.

 

[theeedude]

Mazda3 is in Focus class, not Fiesta. Fiesta is a class below.
That means cheaper interior, twist beam rear suspension vs multi-link independent, less room, etc.
If you like the Fiesta, great, but there is no getting around that it's based on a car that's designed for a significantly lower price point than base Mazda 3. That means the base of the car is designed to a budget, and then it's souped up. My philosophy is to buy the lowest end higher segment car, than a souped up lower end segment car. Then you are getting a car where everything is designed to a higher standard, not one where it's souped up after a lot of the major components are baked in with a lower price target. It's not going to be the fastest or whatever, but 99.9% of the actual driving time, it's a better car, in my experience.

 

[Wingznut]

The st handles like a car twice it's price.

Hard to argue, since you didn't specify what kind of $40k+ car... But no way your Fwd Fiesta handles as good as a $40k+ RWD sports car. (Or any priced RWD sports car, for that matter...)

Who fabricated that information? Didn't we just establish that you can't buy a 2014+ Mazda 3s hatchback with a manual transmission? Fail post is fail.

Obviously the "manual" was a mistake. So nice job on completely ignoring the point, and attacking the mistake. Pat yourself on the back.

The point was that OILFIELD was bragging about something that's not really that special to brag about.

I'm not saying the FiST is a terrible car or anything. If you enjoy it, more power to you... Just don't get all arrogant about it.

 

[Brian Stirling]

I have the Mk3 Titanium hatch and love it. I'm not racing it as it's not really the best choice for race car and I don't like paying through the a$$ for insurance. What I do like is the high level of tech in a car that cost me $23.5K. Tech like:

* Voice control of audio, phone, climate control and navigation
* Sat Nav with 8.4" touch screen
* Backup camera as well as sonar sensors all all four corners
* Rain sensing wipers
* Rear wiper
* 2-zone auto climate control
* Electrochromic rear view mirror
* Auto park using sonar sensors
* Leather
* Electric drier seat adjustments
* Radiator shutters
* Upgraded suspension
* Fog lights
* 4" center display with avg MPH, trip time, trip distance, DTE (2X)

I have 33K miles on it and my average mileage over that is 38.4mpg.


I looked at the Mazda 3 and others but none can touch the tech I have for much less than $30K let alone $23.5K.


Brian

 

[OILFIELDTRASH]

The Mazda 3 and GTI are also winning reviews and praise worldwide as well. But yet you basically called the 3 a garbage econobox.

As for the GTI. Go drive one. The only thing the FiST has going for it vs the GTI is, is its cheapness. Both are great cars, but the GTI is clearly superior and not just because its $5-10k more.

I never said the FiST was a bad car, nor did I bash its performance or interior or anything other than it being a Fiesta(its look ie: exterior). You and your biased opinion bashed the 3, which is out of touch with reality based on you know professional reviews, reviews you count as positive for the FiST but seemingly discount for the 3. My comment on the FiST still being a Fiesta, you can soup up a car, but it still looks like a Fiesta. Not a fan of the Fiestas look.

Look the FiST and 3 aren't even in the same class/category. They can have similar prices yes, but they aren't really direct competitors. The fact of the matter is the Mazda 3 is class leading for its class. You can bash it all you want but that is reality. The Mazda3Speed will be interesting. We will have to see how it compares to the FiST, Focus ST, and GTI. It will probably compete quite well. To bad its going to be a 2016 model at best.

Oh ree eee eeee alll lllyyy? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5ShewsWHzE
Fiesta st vs GTI on a track comparison. Thanks for not knowing what you're talking about... Again.

 

[toronado97]

I have the Mk3 Titanium hatch and love it. I'm not racing it as it's not really the best choice for race car and I don't like paying through the a$$ for insurance. What I do like is the high level of tech in a car that cost me $23.5K. Tech like:

* Voice control of audio, phone, climate control and navigation
* Sat Nav with 8.4" touch screen
* Backup camera as well as sonar sensors all all four corners
* Rain sensing wipers
* Rear wiper
* 2-zone auto climate control
* Electrochromic rear view mirror
* Auto park using sonar sensors
* Leather
* Electric drier seat adjustments
* Radiator shutters
* Upgraded suspension
* Fog lights
* 4" center display with avg MPH, trip time, trip distance, DTE (2X)

I have 33K miles on it and my average mileage over that is 38.4mpg.


I looked at the Mazda 3 and others but none can touch the tech I have for much less than $30K let alone $23.5K.


Brian

I've got almost everything on that list (except for auto park because seriously, you've got a backup camera how much easier do you need it to be, and voice controlled HVAC because I've got climate control and I've yet to need to change the temp setting on it) but I've also got blind spot monitoring, auto headlights, LED DTRL and Tail Lights, Adaptive bixenon HIDs, a moonroof, a bigger engine with more output, a better handling and driving vehicle in general, and I paid 1,400 more for mine than you did yours. You also don't have leather, in spite of you listing it as such. It's fake leather, real leather isn't an option in any Focus. My 3 does however have real honest to God leather. Some people don't like the real stuff, but there's no question it's softer and a better feeling product in general. My 3 also isn't covered in hard plastic everywhere.

I'm not knocking the Titanium either, because it was #1 on my list of cars to buy before I drove the 3, but the interior doesn't begin to compare to the Mazda, MyFordTouch is just as buggy as the Mazda Connect system is, if not more crippling (at least I can reset my infotainment by pressing 3 buttons instead of driving the car to Ford and having them do it). Your tech assertation is also an outright falsehood. Sticker on my car was 27,200 with every option except the tech package (on the 3s GT that adds the regenerative braking, lane departure system, and radar cruise basically) and I purchased the car for right at $25,000. $1,500 well spent. I rode in my buddy's '14 Focus ST last week and was shocked at how cheap that car felt to me now after owning my 3.

 

[Brian Stirling]

I've got almost everything on that list (except for auto park because seriously, you've got a backup camera how much easier do you need it to be, and voice controlled HVAC because I've got climate control and I've yet to need to change the temp setting on it) but I've also got blind spot monitoring, auto headlights, LED DTRL and Tail Lights, Adaptive bixenon HIDs, a moonroof, a bigger engine with more output, a better handling and driving vehicle in general, and I paid 1,400 more for mine than you did yours. You also don't have leather, in spite of you listing it as such. It's fake leather, real leather isn't an option in any Focus. My 3 does however have real honest to God leather. Some people don't like the real stuff, but there's no question it's softer and a better feeling product in general. My 3 also isn't covered in hard plastic everywhere.

I'm not knocking the Titanium either, because it was #1 on my list of cars to buy before I drove the 3, but the interior doesn't begin to compare to the Mazda, MyFordTouch is just as buggy as the Mazda Connect system is, if not more crippling (at least I can reset my infotainment by pressing 3 buttons instead of driving the car to Ford and having them do it). Your tech assertation is also an outright falsehood. Sticker on my car was 27,200 with every option except the tech package (on the 3s GT that adds the regenerative braking, lane departure system, and radar cruise basically) and I purchased the car for right at $25,000. $1,500 well spent. I rode in my buddy's '14 Focus ST last week and was shocked at how cheap that car felt to me now after owning my 3.

My Ti HB has upgraded suspension and there was an option to go with 18" wheels and even stiffer suspension but I chose to stay with the 17" wheels as the price for replacement 18's was, at the time I bought the car 27 months ago, about $75/tire more expensive. Also, I tend to drive long distances so having a really firm ride, though great for pushing it in the twisties, is not so go on 10 hour drives.

The 3 does look like a great car so I wont hurl any insults your way but when I was shopping a couple years ago I couldn't find anything within about $5K more that had the tech the FF Ti has.

OK, just went to the Mazda site and 'built' the 3 without the technology package and the total came out to $28.4K -- a little under $5K more than I paid. Of the feature in the tech package the thing I'd like the most, and they offer it for the Focus in Europe, is the adaptive cruise control. Basically everything in the tech package is available in the Euro version but for whatever reason they chose not to offer that in the USA.


Brian

 

[toronado97]

My Ti HB has upgraded suspension and there was an option to go with 18" wheels and even stiffer suspension but I chose to stay with the 17" wheels as the price for replacement 18's was, at the time I bought the car 27 months ago, about $75/tire more expensive. Also, I tend to drive long distances so having a really firm ride, though great for pushing it in the twisties, is not so go on 10 hour drives.

The 3 does look like a great car so I wont hurl any insults your way but when I was shopping a couple years ago I couldn't find anything within about $5K more that had the tech the FF Ti has.

OK, just went to the Mazda site and 'built' the 3 without the technology package and the total came out to $28.4K -- a little under $5K more than I paid. Of the feature in the tech package the thing I'd like the most, and they offer it for the Focus in Europe, is the adaptive cruise control. Basically everything in the tech package is available in the Euro version but for whatever reason they chose not to offer that in the USA.


Brian

For the sake of argument I'll accept your 28.4k quote even though out the door you could get that vehicle for $26.5 easily right now. Building a Titanium hatchback Focus on Ford.com with the features or their equivalents of my Mazda 3s GT, including the moonroof, the 18 inch tires that come standard on my 3, and the navigation that's also standard on my 3, it comes out to $26,080. About $2,400 less, which certainly isn't insignificant.

Of interest to this comparison however is the fact that the Focus Titanium doesn't even offer an HID option, let alone adaptive HID. Nor is blind spot monitoring an option. Or real leather. Radar cruise and city brake assist, while a tech package granted on the 3 aren't even options on the Focus at any trim level. The 3 also earned a 5 star safety rating, and if I remember correctly earned a higher aggregate safety score than any other vehicle in its class. Your engine also outputs 160 hp and 146 ft lbs of torque whereas mine outputs 184 hp and 185 ft lbs of torque. In spite of the output differences in our vehicles, we're both rated at 27/37, and Mazda hasn't recently had to retract its performance estimates unlike certain automakers that I won't mention here.

Again, not dogging the Focus at all, but there seems to be a good segment of people that have it out for this car because of its price tag, and it's obvious that they've either not done the proper research or experienced one in person. This car winning accolades left and right isn't happening by accident, and it's not like Mazda has the money to pay anyone off.

 

[Brian Stirling]

For the sake of argument I'll accept your 28.4k quote even though out the door you could get that vehicle for $26.5 easily right now. Building a Titanium hatchback Focus on Ford.com with the features or their equivalents of my Mazda 3s GT, including the moonroof, the 18 inch tires that come standard on my 3, and the navigation that's also standard on my 3, it comes out to $26,080. About $2,400 less, which certainly isn't insignificant.

Of interest to this comparison however is the fact that the Focus Titanium doesn't even offer an HID option, let alone adaptive HID. Nor is blind spot monitoring an option. Or real leather. Radar cruise and city brake assist, while a tech package granted on the 3 aren't even options on the Focus at any trim level. The 3 also earned a 5 star safety rating, and if I remember correctly earned a higher aggregate safety score than any other vehicle in its class. Your engine also outputs 160 hp and 146 ft lbs of torque whereas mine outputs 184 hp and 185 ft lbs of torque. In spite of the output differences in our vehicles, we're both rated at 27/37, and Mazda hasn't recently had to retract its performance estimates unlike certain automakers that I won't mention here.

Again, not dogging the Focus at all, but there seems to be a good segment of people that have it out for this car because of its price tag, and it's obvious that they've either not done the proper research or experienced one in person. This car winning accolades left and right isn't happening by accident, and it's not like Mazda has the money to pay anyone off.

They do offer the added tech in the Euro spec car but not in the north American versions and can only guess that's either due to liability reasons or they don't want the Focus to offer tech options not available in higher cost models until all the higher cost models have had a redesign to add these options.

Yeah, dealer incentives and discounts effect the total cost and as I remember my sticker price was more like $26K before the discounts and incentives.

As far as handling goes the FF Ti is very good. Again, it's hard to call any front wheel drive car a true sports car, but I've been very pleased with the handling. When I was younger I'd probably have opted for the even sportier handling package but with the kind of driving I do the standard Ti has a nearly perfect balance of reasonably firm and reasonably smooth. The lower trim models have a lesser suspension package.

BTW, I've owned many 4-bangers in this segment including:

1985 Celica GTS, 1989 Nissan 240SX, 1998 Acura Integra GSR and now the 2012 Focus Titanium. Of those the best handling car stock was the 240SX (rear wheel drive). The Integra was not quite as good stock but I lowered with Eibach springs and after market shocks and that made a pretty decent difference. Lowering increased the negative camber and they included the parts to correct that but I left it with the increased negative camber because that improved the understeer...


Brian

 

[Wreckem]

And because it got lost in the shuffle, I am reposting this, because it is pretty much confirmed by spec sheets floating around.

The 2015 Mazda 3 S will come in both manual and auto. So the knock against the 3s not offering a manual goes away in Sept/Oct.

Thats said there is bad news.
The S GT loses its adaptive headlights.
The S T loses bi xenons altogether in favor automatic halogens and a moonroof.

 

[Wreckem]

They do offer the added tech in the Euro spec car but not in the north American versions and can only guess that's either due to liability reasons or they don't want the Focus to offer tech options not available in higher cost models until all the higher cost models have had a redesign to add these options.

Yeah, dealer incentives and discounts effect the total cost and as I remember my sticker price was more like $26K before the discounts and incentives.

As far as handling goes the FF Ti is very good. Again, it's hard to call any front wheel drive car a true sports car, but I've been very pleased with the handling. When I was younger I'd probably have opted for the even sportier handling package but with the kind of driving I do the standard Ti has a nearly perfect balance of reasonably firm and reasonably smooth. The lower trim models have a lesser suspension package.

BTW, I've owned many 4-bangers in this segment including:

1985 Celica GTS, 1989 Nissan 240SX, 1998 Acura Integra GSR and now the 2012 Focus Titanium. Of those the best handling car stock was the 240SX (rear wheel drive). The Integra was not quite as good stock but I lowered with Eibach springs and after market shocks and that made a pretty decent difference. Lowering increased the negative camber and they included the parts to correct that but I left it with the increased negative camber because that improved the understeer...


Brian

That was Mazdas sales problem with the 3. They had refused, until very recently, to have lower prices. My 3 MSRP'd for $25.3k($26k if you add in overly inflated DIOs I ended up getting for free), I got it for $22700($1625 under invoice). Prior to July of this year, your best deal was pretty much going to be at best ~$500 below invoice, and the majority of people bought at invoice or even above invoice. Now that has changed. Keep in mind this is for the sedan, not the hatch. The hatch pricing hasn't budged as much, but there aren't lots full of hatches like there are sedans. I have a feeling for the 2015, the ratio of sedans to hatches is going to be changed. Really though, 1 year pricing on a complete redesign typically doesn't see much discounting. I expect better discounting on the 3 going forward.

One other thing regarding pricing in the US, the 3 was made in Japan for most of the 2014 MY. And the S's continue to be made there. While the Focus is made in the US and labor costs are similar, the 3 has higher shipping costs that are passed on to the consumer.

 

[AreaAffect]

My daily driver is a 2012 BMW 550i Sport; MSRP was 92K (I purchased CPO two years ago); that's not to brag but to make a point.

Car interiors in general are basically exceptional these days. I have been in (recently - 2014-newer cars) a decked out Chrysler 200C, a Toyota Avalon, a Mini (base model with leather). I can't believe how nice these interiors are - they are as nice as my BMW, no joke. 10 years ago, no way would anyone make that claim.

These days, pretty much every car is available with a really, really nice interior. In some cars it's an option (like on the Mazda 3) but it is available, which is outstanding in my opinion.