And yet both the Jetta and Focus sell in large numbers
Large, but not class-leading. I guess "large" is relative.
With the Mazda 3, the Skyactiv engine was only available in the mid level GS which ranged from $19,695 for the base GS sedan manual all the way to $25,390 for a GS Sport (5 door) with moonroof, leather, touring package, and automatic transmission. The Skyactiv models made up about 53% of Mazda 3 sales.
My 2012 Mazda 3 GS sedan with moonroof and leather package MSRP'ed at $21,890. At the time the cheapest Jetta TDI was $23,500 I think for the Trendline+, I see it's dropped to $22,490 now. I would've had to forego a lot of features compared to the Mazda 3. They did a decent enough job with the rear torsion beam setup but the multi link rear setup was noticeably better in the 2014 I drove. Steering was German good either way.
If I were car shopping today, the $22,290 Comfortline 1.8TSI manual would be my trim of choice.
And let's call the base engine for what it is, the 2.Slow. The only thing quick about it is the fuel consumption.
That's my point - I think the Mazda3 is also overpriced, yet undercuts the VW by a big margin! Maybe it's that the Corolla and Civic and Elantra are underpriced, but what are the top 3 sales leaders for C-segment cars in Canada?
Passenger Cars 2014 2013 % gain/loss
1 Honda Civic 12,407 11,287 9.9
2 Hyundai Elantra 10,373 11,337 -8.5
3 Toyota Corolla 9,162 7,881 16.3
4 Mazda3 8,286 8,851 -6.4
5 Chevrolet Cruze 6,916 6,579 5.1
6 Volkswagen Jetta 6,179 7,024 -12.0
7 Ford Focus 3,900 4,734 -17.6
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-drive/honda-civic-ford-f-series-top-canadian-car-truck-sales-in-first-quarter/article18122769/published 3 hours ago.
The Jetta had a price reduction of ~$900 this year and included more standard kit (like 4 wheel disc brakes). Still, VW is currently selling 12% fewer for the first quarter of this year than the same period last.
I think Mazda's styling has become too polarizing or people are seeing them as too expensive.