with only one option missing: an automatic transmission. That was a bold move, but in character for the brand known for the catchphrase I refuse to ever utter or type. (Side note: please move on, Mazda.) That’s right, manual transmission aficionados aren’t relegated to the lower trims or denied any of the options or engines (the 2.5L SkyActiv in this case) that shiftless shoppers can opt for. Bravo.
See, that disappoints me. The transmission differences always end up being part of the equation, and Mazda was smart - they knew that an automotive journalist would prefer the stick. It doesn't matter. I love you guys and know that you compare things well, but there's just that visceral feeling of driving a stick that makes the competition a little loaded, making your job all the more difficult. I can only imagine how distraught you are
So, I continue reading...reading...reading...and:
3rd Place: 2015 Mazda3 Sport GT
WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT? I still haven't read a single word beyond "GT" as quoted above, but there's...just...WHAT?! They even sent you a stick!!!!!!!!!!!
I knew that you guys always review well! Nice to see the Mazda not win a comparo for once
And those titles were won before Mazda was blessing Canadian buyers with a crisp-shifting six-speed manual transmission in the top trim of their sporty compact hatchback – now they’re really going to fly off the lots….
In this test, the beloved Hiroshima hatchback took only two category wins: cargo space and transmission
Yup...there it is. I knew it was coming.
compromises ingress and egress to both front and rear passenger spaces, and limits visibility when parking.
Wholeheartedly agree. Difficulty in outward visibility, ingress/egress, and seat comfort are the biggest complaints of mine with the MIL's Mazda3.
at $29,980, lowest priced in test.
HOLY CRAP. Seriously, when did cars get to be so damn expensive?! At $29,995, you can get a base WRX!!! Oh wait, no more hatch
Sorry, that was a crack at the lack of a hatch.
the Forte5 still lacks in refinement
My take on most Kias mirrors this. I really have come to like their strategy of value, engineering advancement, and what seems to be decent (at least acceptable) reliability.
...but Kia/Hyundai just don't seem to be getting the whole refinement thing down. Look at the dashboard. Functional? Absolutely. Pretty? Dear lord no. It's a sea of black plastics with little accenting. It looks like a 2001 Subaru interior, maybe a little rounder. Red backlighting is also a big let-down.
The leather actually looks and feels like leather, not like the Forte5’s, which might have come from plastic livestock.
...but you hit the word "refinement" when you discuss the power delivery of the little turbo: ok acceleration, ok, keeping up, POWAHHHHH, ok, running out of steam. I disliked it in the Mazda CX-7 and I would continue to dislike it anywhere. Turbo cars shouldn't have a "whoosh" of power in the middle - it should build evenly, and I understand that's what the vee-dub's 1.8T does very well.
Rumour has it that when Senior Editor Yarkony eats his Alpha Bits cereal in the morning, he sets aside the Vs and the Ws until the end because they’re special letters to him.
But we are biased. As Mr. Yarkony states, “We are biased in favour of refined, well-rounded vehicles that also offer an enjoyable driving experience.”
I agree. I think you're absolutely right. This is why people buy the Lexi, the Bimmers, the Audis, etc. It's not about luxury by features (because Kia would kill it!), but about as Lexus coins it, "the pursuit of perfection." I would argue that this is what makes the Corolla/Civic/F-150/Camry/Accord etc best-sellers: they've been around the longest, been refined the most, and have developed a reputation for excellence.
VW has a reputation for building greatly-engineered cars, refined to the tee, but reliability remains suspect. Hence my concern when I found out that they were going to start manufacturing in Mexico - another unknown (not a racial/cultural slur). I felt the same way about Toyota building in Cambridge, and Subaru in Indiana - at the beginning, they're unknowns, but over time, they can develop consumer trust.
No word yet on whether it will imbue Corolla-like reliability.
I'm not a huge fan of the reliability of the products coming out of Toyota's Cambridge plant though, to be honest, and I think the "Corolla-like" reliability has faltered. I think the new gen will bring that back up after Toyoda got all pis$y about Toyota's reputation, but there are some years that were allowed to fall too far.
In any event, I would have ranked:
1) Golf
2) Mazda
3) Kia
...because refinement matters most to me.
Great comparo, as always!
As a final thought, the 'cheapest' Golf I could live with is the 5-door, 1.8T auto, with cruise control, that is ~$24k with destination (everything but HST). For that, I'm not sure I prefer this over an Impreza, which has AWD, sunroof, etc. in Sport guise. As it always goes for me, VW = great engine and handling, 'meh' rest of car. The Mazda is too polarizing (i.e. pisses me off with driver's seat and outward visibility), and the Kia isn't refined. But that's because if I'm spending $30k on a car, I will nit-pick every little thing.
Is Yarkony getting an early start on Movember?
The flower-power rims don't help the cause, JY
I'm excited to do Movember for the first time this year - in the past, work has expressly forbade it because courts don't like the 'unkept' look of facial hair. Apparently, they relaxed a little in recent years and my bosses now allow it. They pay me, so I do what I'm told.
Re: fuel economy, I know how hard you sirs drive on these comparos...I won't ruin any surprises, but 9.6L/100km isn't great given what ya'll got in some 6-cyl AWD powertrains in larger cars...
