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I think they do not do a good job with marketing. When I think of Mazda, I think of some rebadged little Fords and the Miata. Really I just think of Miata becasue little Fords have never been of interest to me. Who else makes a decent roadster anymore? (Yes, I am aware of the whole "chick's car" image, but go drive one, They area hoot to drive on a nice day).
I think they make a little CUV too. Not sure what it is called. Some combinations of letters that do not make a word. Personally I think car companies make a mistake when they eschew words for meaningless combinations of letters. Miata, Mustang, Camaro, RAM, Silverado, Traverse, Avalanche - pretty much everyone recognizes those names and knows what they are, but how many people know the differences between and the make of CRV, CRX, ATS, CTS, XRT, BRX, etc etc. I cam remember a few of them, but most, I cannto tell you which is Honda, Subaru or Mazda. Not sure why they do that.
Funny about the rust-out thing. When I think about the rustiest cars ever, I think of Datsun (now Nissan), yet here someone indicated the Nissan outsells Mazda because of a rust perception with Mazda. - That must have developed while I lived in California. I would not expect any cars to have rust issues today.
The only perception I have of Mazda as a brand is they make very small cars, sometimes with very powerful engines. They are good cars for kids. If they make anything else, I could not tell you what it is. (oh wait, I think they made a little miniature pickup for a while too; and of course the RX7. Loved that car even if it did tend to dissolve in sunlight).
Mazda's lineup is pretty lean, they make three cars and three CUVs. The cars are the Mazda3 (compact), Mazda6 (mid-size) and the Miata (which is technically called the MX-5 Miata, but you never hear it called the MX-5). The CUVs are the CX-3, CX-5 and CX-9 (subcompact, compact and 3-row mid-size).
I agree with you about using alpha-numeric designations instead of actual names for each model. I'm a car enthusiast, but I couldn't list more than one or two models made by Cadillac or Infiniti (because they alpha or alpha-numeric and impossible to remember).
They really don't have any truly interesting models aside from the Miata and two seater rag tops aren't a practical choice for very many buyers.
Lots of competition from other makers for the rest of their line up. People just don't think Mazda first and by the time they do its likely they have found something else.
They do have one vehicle (can't think of it tho) the reviewer rave about out currently but really what percent of the car buying population actually reads car mag reviews of models they aren't currently considering?
They do have one vehicle (can't think of it tho) the reviewer rave about out currently but really what percent of the car buying population actually reads car mag reviews of models they aren't currently considering?
You're probably thinking of the Mazda3. It's the favorite compact of most auto reviews/journalists and has been since it was introduced in 2004. They've sold 105-110k per year for the last several years in the U.S. and around 40k per year in Canada. It has actually been the best selling car in Canada numerous times (in monthly reports) over the last five years or so.
Funny about the rust-out thing. When I think about the rustiest cars ever, I think of Datsun (now Nissan)
My '81 Datsun 510 rusted so bad even the bondo fell out!
I had a Mazda B2000 truck when I first got out of high school and that thing costs to buy parts for.
Just last month I bought an '04 Mazda Tribute and I love it. It has a ton of problems but I only gave $2500 for it. The parts for it are the same as the Ford Escape since they are basically the same SUV.
Counted cars in my apartment building parking garage. In a building with thirty units, there are six Mazdas. 3 Mazada3s, 1 Mazada6, 1 CX-5, and 1 CX-3. All the units are either one or two bedrooms and it is in downtown, so mostly younger professionals in the building.
My '81 Datsun 510 rusted so bad even the bondo fell out!
I had a Mazda B2000 truck when I first got out of high school and that thing costs to buy parts for.
Just last month I bought an '04 Mazda Tribute and I love it. It has a ton of problems but I only gave $2500 for it. The parts for it are the same as the Ford Escape since they are basically the same SUV.
The Tribute wasn't a 'real' Mazda, just a quick rebadge of a Ford Escape. Ford owner controlling interest in Mazda from 1996 to 2008, so they gave Mazda a small SUV via badge-engineering.
But I will agree with you that Mazda parts can be crazy expensive! I've had to buy a number of things for my 2006 Mazda3 and some were ridiculously high. My 2012 CX-9 hasn't needed anything in the first four years and I hope it stays that way.
They really don't have any truly interesting models aside from the Miata and two seater rag tops aren't a practical choice for very many buyers.
Lots of competition from other makers for the rest of their line up. People just don't think Mazda first and by the time they do its likely they have found something else.
They do have one vehicle (can't think of it tho) the reviewer rave about out currently but really what percent of the car buying population actually reads car mag reviews of models they aren't currently considering?
Where Honda's and Toyota's are boring when it comes to driving Mazda's are anything but. The Mazda 6 & the Mazda 3 is always getting great reviews when it comes to car mags. I believe it was C&D testing one of Mazda's SUV's and said that Mazda could build a Mack truck that would be fun to drive.
The Mazda2 I bought in 2010 is by far the most problem-free car I've ever owned, and if they had continued to offer it in the US I would not hesitate to replace it with a newer version. That's not an option, though, because it is no longer offered here.
The dealer basically told me that the company stopped importing it because they didn't make enough money off them (they're apparently sold in most of the rest of the world under different names).
Still, they've made a fan out of me, even if I can't get another Mazda2. The Mazda3 might be the logical step-up, but I'm not planning to ditch my 2 yet--48k miles and I'm still on the original set of brakes!
We bought a 6 about 6 months ago. We looked hard at all the mid size competition. It came down to the 6, a Passat, or a Fusion. The Fusion was dealer based as the dealership is near, and we had a couple of Mustangs. The Ford dealer recently went through a Major remodel and the pricing and service pricing really went up. I don't care about or need massage chairs and a movie theatre at my servicing dealer.
Once my wife drove the 6 it was an easy decision. She likes it much more than her beloved Mustangs, referring to it as her Mazadaratti. Great mileage, decent performance, intuitive features. It was a good decision. 100% Japan build was a feature for me as well.
Location: San Ramon, Seattle, Anchorage, Reykjavik
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You can see the current Mazdas all over NE Ohio. Not something I would want but I have friends with new Mazda 6s and a CX5 and they all love them.
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