Thread: Which car?

Resale value in Thailand is always pretty good for second had cars, but probably not many Thais would understand which is better, a Ford or Mazda. I think westerners or even Chinese and Japanese would be willing to pay more for a Mazda than a Ford. If you have the cash for a Mazda 3, then buy one or even a Mazda 2 and you will never regret it. Not sure about the trade in value since I have not had much luck taking that approach.

Originally Posted by rickschoppers

Is that RX6 under a mill?

I'd assume so. Never looked for a Mazda 6.

Originally Posted by rickschoppers

I am always hesitant buying a performance car second hand since original owners are usually going to thrash them since they have so much power.

Me too.

Back in the U.K I'm used to fixing my own cars but I feel like it would be a hassle over here, but I've never tried.

I worry that there will always be a problem that need sorting and its usually something that I can do myself.

Originally Posted by Airportwo

The Mazda 3 looks ok, on a par with the Focus, wonder which has the best resale value?

I would pick a Mazda over a Ford anyday. It's probably over bad experiences with Fords. My stepdad always bought Fords and I hated the "Lift Gear Stick" (or push down, can't remember) reverse gearbox. I know that thats probably a thing of the past but I just can't like them.

Then I remember the day we had the new Escort Cosworth (yes the one with the stupid Whale Tale). We parked it at the local pub on the corner of a long straight road and a car carrying oil drums took the corner to fast an wrote our car off as well as 3 other cars in the car park.

Insurance said they gave us a new car but it never felt as safe as the one we took from the showroom.

I hate Fords!

If you are looking at the Ford also take a look at the new Chevy Cruze.

It's quite funny reading about choosing a Mazda over a Ford when they are the exact same car only with a different body and interior trim.

How do you figure thay are the same car?????????? Mazda is not made by Ford, to my knowledge, or are you just trying to stir something up?

Originally Posted by mobs00

23rd of November 2010 | 15:42 GMT | Daniel Patrascu
Chevrolet Cruze Launched in Thailand

The Chevrolet Cruze, one of the models in GM's lineup which promises to become one of the successful cars of the US carmaker, is now getting ready to enter Thailand, one of the fast growing markets in South East Asia.

The model has been officially launched in the country today, with the local version to come with several enhancements which will make it appealing to the local customers. The model comes powered by a series of engines, starting with the 2.0l turbocharged diesel which delivers 150 hp and 320 Nm of torque.

The Thai Cruze is also powered by a 1.8l gasoline engine good for 141 hp and 177 Nm of torque and a 1.6l unit which delivers 109 hp and 150 Nm of torque. Both are available with a five-speed manual transmission.

“Today’s introduction of the Cruze is a step forward for Chevrolet in Thailand. It is an all-new world-class sedan that offers superior design, technology, performance and safety. It looks great, is fun to drive and is responsive in every respect,” said Martin Apfel, GM Thailand/South East Asia president.

The Cruze is fitted with quick start button, remote keyless entry system, steering wheel-mounted cruise control and audio controls, USB and Bluetooth connectivity, windshield wipers with automatic control, auto headlamps and a navigating light system.

“The Cruze’s sales growth in every market in which it has been launched is phenomenal. We have a strong network of 93 dealers nationwide that are well-prepared to deliver best-in-class service to customers. That is why I am confident that the Cruze has the potential to attract more than 10,000 customers in Thailand in its first full year of sales,” added Apfel.

Interesting, but I hope the quality is much better than all the US cars GM makes. They are pieces of shiet in my opinion and the only car they make now worth a damn in the Corvette. Sounds like their price point will be around the Civic or Corolla since these are the cars they are comparing it to. I would guess they will try to undercut both in the beginning and will never achieve market share over the Japanese cars. I have owned a few GM products and they all seem to be OK for a year or two, but then they start falling apart. If you want a car to last awhile, I would not recommend any GM product. I guess time will tell how the Thai maket accepts another attempt by General Motors.

Originally Posted by rickschoppers

How do you figure thay are the same car??????????

Both made at the Auto Alliance Factory, Rayong

Originally Posted by Marmite the Dog

It's quite funny reading about choosing a Mazda over a Ford when they are the exact same car only with a different body and interior trim.

Actually, the "choice" is a valid consideration even though what you say is true. It is a matter of perceived quality and resale value, especially here in Thailand. It does not matter if the car-savvy know that the Ford and Mazda are the same vehicle, as a large percentage of the potential resale customers are very car-UNsavvy.

2011 Mazda 2 is Not a Rebadged Ford Fiesta

Jun 25th, 2010 by Ross Edwards


The 2011 Mazda 2 will go on sale soon, and will compete in the increasingly crowded subcompact segment with the Ford Fiesta. But the Mazda 2 is a significantly different car than the Fiesta.
The Mazda 2 rides on the same platform as the Fiesta, and like the Fiesta, the Mazda 2 has been around for a couple of years elsewhere in the world, but they aren’t identical. According to a a Mazda spokesperson, the Mazda 2 and Ford Fiesta have several interchangeable parts, but only three are actually the same. Think of them more like fraternal twins. They both came from the same place, but they’re definitely different.
Compared to the Ford Fiesta, the Mazda 2 is focused on being sporty and fun to drive, while the Fiesta is more luxurious and has more cool technology for drivers to play with. Ironically, even though the Mazda 2 is the sportier tiny car, it has a substantially less powerful engine, with 100-hp to the Fiesta’s 120. Autoblog recently spent some time with the Mazda 2 and their opinion from the drive was that the engine and transmission on the Mazda 2 are so well sorted out that it actually feels sportier. Autoblog called the 2’s 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine a “total workhorse.”
In their review, Autoblog says that the interior of the Mazda 2 isn’t on the same level as the Fiesta, and from their description, the Mazda sounds more like what you’d think of when you hear ‘base model’. They complained about the poor quality seats and the lack of a telescoping steering wheel. Combine that with the absence of all the gizmos found in the Fiesta and it’s pretty clear that the Mazda 2 and the Ford Fiesta are designed at different buyers. The Ford Fiesta is for people who want to be entertained on their drive, while the Mazda 2 is for people who want to be entertained by their drive.
Image via Autoblog.

Design

2 Cars Separated at Birth

By PHIL PATTON

Published: September 10, 2010

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THE Ford Fiesta and the Mazda 2 are sibling subcompacts, so-called B-segment cars built on what Ford engineers call the B3 vehicle architecture. They sell for roughly the same base price, starting around $14,000, and have similar mechanical components.

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Two Ways to Skin a Minicar






Related

• Behind the Wheel | 2011 Ford Fiesta: A Wee Taste of Europe: Will Americans Bite? (September 12, 2010)

But they do not look much alike: the cars are intended to project different personalities and attract different buyers. So they offer textbook illustrations of how design can differentiate vehicles.
Both have a wedge shape, but while the Fiesta emphasizes the “kinetic look” Ford is using in Europe — and was developed in the company’s European design studio under the direction of Martin Smith — the Mazda 2 aims for a less aggressive mix of organic and angular shapes. The 2’s chief designer, Ikuo Maeda, calls the design “a rhythmic interplay between soft surfaces and sharp contours.”
Mr. Maeda, now the general manager of Mazda’s design division, recently unveiled a new look for future Mazdas with the Shinari concept car. Mr. Maeda has been with Mazda for some 30 years; his father was also a designer there.
Both the Fiesta and the Mazda 2 were initially sold overseas and had to be adapted for the American market. The Mazda 2 was introduced in 2007 in Japan — where it was called the Demio — and went on sale in 2008 in Europe, Australia and parts of Asia. The Fiesta made its debut in Europe in 2008.
In Michigan, Kevin George directed the design of the North American version of the Fiesta. He reshaped the front to conform to federal impact standards while keeping the look substantially the same. “I spent about two years trying to make it look like I did nothing,” he said.
Derek Jenkins, Mazda’s chief of design in North America, said Mr. Maeda gave the Mazda 2 prominently arched front fenders to evoke the RX-8 sports car, which Mr. Maeda also designed.
The rear designs affect how long the cars are perceived to be. Because the Mazda 2 was first sold in Japan — intended to appeal to women buyers in congested urban areas — the design aimed to stress the car’s small size. But Mazda did not want to alienate men, so the designers also tried to give the car a confident, sporty stance.
Ford, in contrast, has tried to emphasize the length of the Fiesta to Americans, who want a sense of getting more car for their money.
On the Mazda 2, the rearmost roof pillar (the “C” pillar) angles forward, giving the viewer a visual conclusion. On the Fiesta it angles upward, lending a kick to the lines so that they appear to continue on.
The face of the Fiesta is aggressive, with a version of the inverted-trapezoid grille found on other European Fords. Sedans sold in the United States get a different, more conventional grille with three horizontal bars, mimicking the larger Fusion and Edge.
Mazda, on the other hand, has given the American version of its 2 a grin: a smiling lower grille in place of the rectilinear shape on models sold earlier in Asia and Europe.



A version of this article appeared in print on September 12, 2010, on page AU8 of the New York edition.


Just because two cars are made in the same factory, it does not mean they are "exactly" the same.

^
Did you read post #30 ?

Originally Posted by Marmite the Dog

It's quite funny reading about choosing a Mazda over a Ford when they are the exact same car only with a different body and interior trim.

Yes, this is an interested statement that says, "they are exactly the same car with a different body and interior trim." The article referred to "several interchangeable parts, but only three are actually the same" and "they both came from the same place, but they’re definitely different " and "Compared to the Ford Fiesta, the Mazda 2 is focused on being sporty and fun to drive, while the Fiesta is more luxurious and has more cool technology for drivers to play with" and, well I don't really need to quote all the differences in both artilces. Dog does have a point about being made in the same factory, there was a better point made that resale has a lot to do with perception. Ford has a completely different following than Mazda, so hence the two "different" cars. Personally, I do not think they are that similar and warrent two different places on the resale or approval scale.

Originally Posted by rickschoppers

"several interchangeable parts, but only three are actually the same"

That has to be smoke & mirrors.
It makes sense to separate the models for marketing reasons.

The investment of 500 million USD on a joint factory was to save on costs so it has to be more than three parts.

Mazda 3 & Focus

BT50 & Ranger

Originally Posted by Marmite the Dog

Mazda 3 & Focus

BT50 & Ranger

Do you mean the Ford Fecus ???

Yes Dog, your point is understood.

So if someone were to choose between the two, what makes them choose one over the other?

Originally Posted by khang

Originally Posted by Marmite the Dog

Mazda 3 & Focus

BT50 & Ranger

Do you mean the Ford Fecus ???

No. I'm talking about the Ford Focus that keeps on winning Car of the Year awards all over the world. Admittedly, the US gets an inferior spec version than Europe does, but that still puts it above most of the dross that is made there.

Originally Posted by rickschoppers

So if someone were to choose between the two, what makes them choose one over the other?

Looks, colour choice, spec levels and resale value, same as any other car. The M2 supposedly has better rear vision than the Fiesta, which is quite important in town, but the Ford seems to have a beefier engine spec which would be preferable if you do a lot of highway driving.

Originally Posted by Marmite the Dog

US gets an inferior spec version than Europe does

Yep.
I had a look at the Thai models last week and the 1600cc version does not get the same gearbox as the european models.

Originally Posted by rickschoppers

Sounds like their price point will be around the Civic or Corolla since these are the cars they are comparing it to.

That video showed nothing other than the bloke's bias... You'd be brave (foolish?) to buy the Cruze. I don't see that it's as good as the current Focus, Mazda 3, Civic or Corolla - it will lose much more value here in Thailand, that's for sure... The new Focus next year will be a much better car. The new Civic next year will once again be the class leader by some distance.

Some things on the Cruze just looked poor, rear leg room looked virtually zero, and the boot small too (both smaller than my city, and when the missus goes off to the market, our boot becomes full!).

Mazda and Ford cars are both good, mazda is perecived by Thai buyers as a better vehicle. Mitusbishi and Nissan are fine too, if even more boring...

Honda and Toyota are always the sensible buy here. No way can a Cevrolet compete on price...

Originally Posted by Thetyim

I had a look at the Thai models last week and the 1600cc version does not get the same gearbox as the european models.

The 2.0 diesel Focus is probably the best car available around the 1 million baht price range, but not many thais will buy it when you can get a Honda Accord and Toyota Fortuna for similar money...

Originally Posted by Thetyim

Yep.
I had a look at the Thai models last week and the 1600cc version does not get the same gearbox as the european models.

It is sad that they don't offer a manual transmission with the 1.6 engine, here, but that 6-speed dual clutch "automatic" is an interesting piece. That transmission is not yet offered on the Mazda 2, and that is an advantage for the Fiesta if you are in the market for the automatic. I just hope they prove reliable.

Though Mazda and Ford are the same, would say that Mazda tend to be a little more "stylish"
Mazda 3 & the Focus seem quite different, the Focus has a 2.0L diesel engine, Mazda is gasoline.
I have previously owned both Ford and Mazda, Mazda have been the more reliable, but we are going back over a 35 year period so not so pertinent today.
I'm tending to agree with Betty B that the Focus is the better car, but with the worse resale value, guess it will come down to what deal can be made.
Anywhere else you would go by the best trade in price either dealer would give you, but that doesn't seem to be the case in Thailand!