Mazda 3 MPS announced

[jim1606]

yeah they are called just minis here too but we tend to say BMW mini as they are the owner and creator , so who do you expect to sell the best? mazda or ford (ST and MPS)

[Miyagi]

If Ford and Holden could get the numbers in for their respective brands they'd probably win the war. That said, Mazda have been growing at a huge rate over here with lots of sales across their range, they keep hitting home runs with each car they bring in.

[jim1606]

i really like mazda, as they are part of ford motor company BUT i always feel there cars are just undercooked fords in uglier designs, exept the MX-5 and RX-8

[Miyagi]

Thats really a branding issue maybe in your part of the world. The Mazda as a brand is really on the up and up here in Australia whereas a manufacturer like Mitsubishi is really struggling as they've failed to provide cars that interest the public.

Toyota whilst known for its reliability produce some of the most boring cars available on the planet, whilst their sales figures are never in doubt, they are only now looking to move into the more performance oriented market.

VW, Audi and Renault are coming on strong brand wise from what i'm seeing on the streets.

[murcod]

Originally Posted by Uni

nah, oz has always been the domain of the big V8 sports sedan...

Well that's what a lot of the Neanderthal population lusts after anyway! : But the reality is they end up buying the cheaper six cylinder alternative with the same sized body.

The reality is any country's native manufacturers (ie. Holden and Ford are the big two here) will design a vehicle specifically suited to the local population's needs and local conditions. It also stands to reason that any imported vehicle, that's designed for the world market, will probably not suit as many people as well as the local product. :voldar02: So, they have an advantage straight away there; plus (given they're made locally) they should also be better value..... Although the new base model Commodore is $34990 plus aircon is an extra $2000-> so around $40000 driveaway would be my guesstimate which isn't exactly cheap!?

However high petrol prices are making people re-evaluate whether or not they really need a huge 1700-1800kg fuel guzzling 6 or 8 cylinder vehicle. That straight away means the locals have lost their main selling advantage - on size VS $$$ they cannot be beaten. A lot of people who drive these cars don't even have children so it makes it harder for them to justify the running costs involved.

Then there's the fact imports like the Mazda 6 have grown over the years with model updates and are now plenty big enough for an average family of four; and the 6 sedan actually has a larger boot than the new Commodore! As does the Focus sedan IIRC?

The two main locals also don't have the best rep for quality and aren't as nice to drive as most imported vehicles IMHO.