The key reason that people did not buy into Mazda brand is simply, for a Japanise brand, there are Toyota, Honda, and Nissan – each has dozens of vehicles in the line up, the majority of mindset simply won’t patiently count to the number 4. So unless Mazda narrows the distant gap to surpass Nissan, it won’t be selling like the top 3.

What could Mazda do to catch in sales? I think they needed a “car of the year” type of media boost. Unfortunately, the 3 did not get it mainly because the media in North America is like the audience they try to influence – the average car driver just want a “safe” buy, so they choose a “safe brand”, and the reporters also like to play “safe” to risk their reputation on a small player in the car industry. Hey, if every body say Honda is great, how can I go wrong naming two of its vehicles “car/ truck of the year!!

Oh, and to Peter way back at the top who wrote “…but nothing had ignited the passion of the general car buying public like a Solstice, or a Mustang, or a 300c.”. Ever heard of a little car called the Miata?? It just happens to be the world’s best selling sports-car (Google it). It’s what GM is copying with the Solstice, only it took them 16 years to figure how. Bet the Solstice wont be around after 16 years, or maybe even GM for that matter, but don’t get me started on GM…

Like someone else mentionned, here in Canada Mazda is doing very well with the 3. I recently bought a 3 sport and couldn’t be happier. It gets great mileage, the look is great, roomy, comfortable. The dealer is very professional and I was very pleased with my buying experience. I wanted a 5 door and compared the 3 to what the competition had to offer : Focus ZX5 (plain and boring), Toyota Matrix (underpowered and expensive if adding any extras), Kia Spectra5 (good pricing but aweful resale value + cheap interior materials), Suzuki Aerio Fastback (expensive as hell!!!), Hyundai Elantra GT (boring design and already had rattles during test drive). Didn’t look at the Golf because I owned a 99 just before that and the quality was horrible (it was built in Mexico).The 3 had the best interior/exterior design, best interior finish/materials, best quality/price ratio. It won hands down!!!

Mazda went through rough times and practicaly didn’t renew any vehicules during the 90′s because of a hard financial situation. Now they are back on track and have to work hard to overcome the perception of the image they had in the 90′s. Sounds similar to the people who are saying that Hyundai is making crappy cars, yet they still have Ponys and Stellars in mind.

While I agree the Zoom Zoom campain is getting old, I think the company just need to rebuild it’s reputation. Because it had the right products at the right price.

Also, a convertible RX-8 would garner a lot of publicity for Mazda.

As for the alphanumeric vs. name question, any make in any segment can make either scheme work. If a cars name has a good reputation, then changing from a name to an alphanumeric is absolutely stupid. Acura dropping its well respected Legend and Integra nameplates has to be one of the most boneheaded marketing moves ever! They tossed their entire image out the window then wondered why Infiniti and Lexus ate their lunch. Can anyone really tell any Acura name from another?!?! They look and sound so much alike that the market images of the various models just blur together. Alphanumeric naming can work great if your brand is strong, witness BMW….but the current fad among automakers for using only alphanumeric schemes, even when their alphanumeric scheme is utterly forgettable, is a sure sign that their management is desperate and incompetent and jumping on the next marketing bandwagon they hope will substitute for having a real plan. G6,G20,G35,GX,GS,FX,QX,TSX,RL,LA,ES,EX…..is everyone asleep now? Whoever wrote that only cheap cars use names and quality cars use alphanumeric, should go check a Rolls Phantom or Lamborghini Murcielago against a G6.

In good time they will do what needs to be done, imho.

I initially chalked the dealer experience up to simply a bad dealer. Later, when the vehicle was out of warrenty due to the mileage reaching about 60,000 miles the transmission failed. I researched this problem and learned that this was a common problem in this vehicle. Mazda refused to provide any compensation.

Last year I got rid of the Mazda and bought a Subaru Legacy. The dealer experience was good and the vehicle is reliable and performs well. I’ll never go back to Mazda.

I have recently purchased a new Mazda3 sedan as a replacement for a Ford Falcon (like a rear wheel drive Taurus). The Maz is much better built than the alternatives that I looked at (Honda Civic, Ford Focus, Subaru Impreza, Toyota Corolla) and on par with the VW Golf but more than $3,000 cheaper than the Golf. It was a no-brainer for me.

In addition to the fit and finish, I really like the design of their current range (the previous models of the 323 and 626 left something to be desired). With new models like the CX-7 and CX-9 the company’s future is looking good. The problem is that good design is not always a pointer to market share.

If Mazda wants to grab some serious attention, they need to either put more muscle in their line-up or seriously step up the quality to earn their “zoom-zoom.”. Infinity is a great example, they adopted a strategy that provided their company w/ a solid identity and pumped out w/ cars that were outside the box.

If Mazda wants to grab some serious attention, they need to either put more muscle in their line-up or seriously step up the quality to earn their “zoom-zoom.”. Infinity is a great example, they adopted a strategy that provided their company w/ a solid identity and pumped out w/ cars that were outside the box.

http://wheeltalk.fancal.net/?p=150

Mazda is in a difficult space where it has to compete against the Honda and Toyota jargonauts.

It’s a tall order to compete.
- continue to thrill with the zoom-zoom effect with cool products
- develop the reliability and durability that have made Honda and Toyota legendary

And then there’s their role within the Ford empire to be sorted out.

But in the meantime, an RX-7 would be nice.

I watched my neighbor go from “thrilled at what he got for the price” to “I need to sell this things before it nickel-and-dimes me to death” in 4 years. Goodbye Protege, hello Civic.

They don’t seem built for the long term anymore.

Plus, not all alphanumeric schemes are logical. Look at Mercedes: the C is small, the E is the next step up, but then it goes back to the CLS, before going to the S; the ML is smaller and cheaper than the GL which is cheaper but bigger than the G. Lexus is the same way: ES to IS then back to GS then back up to LS; RS to GX to LX. Acura: RSX to TSX to TL to RL. The logical progression is not immediately obvious for any of them. Frankly, I thought G6 was a stupid name for the Grand Am replacement, especially when paired with trim levels: G6 GT, G6 GTP. And alphanumerics certainly didn’t help Saturn. Alphanumeric names are expected for luxury brands but have had little success with volume brands.

European Americans don’t want to buy it because it’s Japanese: cheap, and remember Pearl Harbor!
Asian Americans don’t want to buy it because it’s a Ford: low mpg, bad quality paint.

Oh dear, Mazda is screwed. On the other hand, the CX-7 and CX-9 should do quite well, considering the only other competitor in that style/size market is the Nissan Murano and Rav4.

You have to be out of your mind. Car brand names are the indiator of cheap car. I think mazda was absolutely correct in going to a numerical naming scheme, look at all the high end cars.

BMW – 3,5,6,7,Z,X
Lexus – LS, LI, etc
Mer. Bnz – (they have so many I can’t get into it)
Acura – TL, 3.2
Infinity – G35, etc.

Those marks are the mark of an expensive car. Nobody wants a car with the name “percephony” (to quote the simpsons). For a while there it was like American and japanese auto makers were just picking words out of the dictonary and seeing what stuck! Even low end brads like pontiac are going away from the names (G6 anyone?)

Personally I always thought the miata sounded like an italian taquito or something. With an alph-numeric naming convention the consumer can tell the difference from the model like very easily. For instance without ANY prior knowldege could you tell me which one is better? Accord/Civic or 330ci/545

Just my 2 cents.

Mazdas are very nice cars (and perhaps neglected by Ford as only 33% owned by Ford!).

All in good time – they’re working their way to desirability. They already know their cars rock – been 2 yrs most reliable in the UK so far.

I LOVE the poster’s idea of a scion pricing structure. Maybe even allowing the products to be delivered to get around the bad dealer network? Maybe they SHOULD have more Ford ownership so they could be sold alongside Mercury and Lincoln? They need to be more like the saturn of the Japanese…

Drop zoom-zoom. Get better dealers/pricing.
I think all of us making suggestions should get some kind of focus group fee.

I owned a ’94 Mazda 323, which I bought because it was a cheap, good, practical car. I bought it on the advice of a GLC owner, who loved his car. And like the GLC, It had no options whatsoever – it was designed to move people, move things and to do so reliably. And it did – I treated the car like crap and it never let me down, and it still ran like a top with 250K on it until it was impaled by a Jetta in a parking lot.

I bought a Tercel which was an unreliable POS, and then bought a Protege5. The latter was a fantastic car – Mazda managed to once again make a practical wagon into a fun car. But this time around the car came with everything – power windows, fog lights, A/C, 4 wheel disc brakes, a completely different animal. The 323 was no more, the 323 became the Protege and the Protege became the Protege5. But somehow throught that process, Mazda forgot their ‘make a cheap and reliable car’ roots and sought to impress the owner with features and options. And they jacked up the price!

Then I fell asleep and put the Protege5 off the road (oops) and had to go car hunting again. I looked at Mazda’s offerings and compared them to everyone else… and got angry. The 3 Sport seems like a good car to me, but once again – more options and features, larger rim size, more radical styling, and again – HIGHER PRICE!

Forget that. I bought a Golf, and it cost less.

The car that Mazda impressed me with, they don’t make anymore. Where did the cheap hatchback with window crank handles, manual steering and a 5 speed go?

1. Mazda is NOT owned by Ford. So ur not buying them out of ignorance. Ford owns a % stake in Mazda.

2. U should check relibility from a solid source.

3. Comparing th 8 to a g35? the 8 is more comparable to the 350z (which the g35 platform is built on, just weighted more). Except compared to the 350z, the 8 is cheaper. i own one since 2003 and have had no reliability problems.

Jon.

Now look at Honda, Nissan, and Toyota. Everyone knows what a Civic, Accord, Camry, Altima, Xterra, or Corolla are. I understand that companies use alphanumerics to place more emphasis on the brand rather than the model, but I think that’s seriously hurting Mazda at the moment rather than helping it.

ford/lincoln, gm/cadillac, chrysler;
vw/audi, mb, bmw;
nissan/infiniti, toyota/lexus, honda/acura

any room left for mazda? not in my brain…

One glaring problem is guys like Bill, with a dated and generally uninformed view of the automotive landscape. Mazda is a small fry next to Toyotas and Chevys, and it shows with face time in the media. Middleweight manufacturers need heavyweight marketing. Volkswagen’s provocative and entertaining mainstream and viral adverts should be the pattern here. Reel buyers in.

Also, many dealers are clueless and awful. I’d drive two hours to another dealer just to avoid my local Mazda peddlers. Tighter image, education, and discipline is required. Plus, the minivan, cute ute, and light truck offerings have never made a splash as long as I’ve been around. The CX-series SUVs may help, but the boring truckish stuff needs some attention, too.

Mazda has a good thing going, but will ailing Ford support it, let alone allow it to continue?

I am going to take a look at the new CX-7 but I’m prepared to be underwhelmed.

….and like Saab with GM; Ford’s having an IV into Mazda cannot be good for the bloodline.

j i m

Then the RX8… Great looking car from the front, good job keeping it RWD, but there are too many lines and creases from the side… They shouldn’t have done the mini doors on it… People buy coupes or sedans, forget about this in between stuff… Also in my personal opinion, rotary is not something I want to deal with, I’m not sure about the rest of the public… But I think they could have also used the mazdaspeed 6 motor, maybe with a bigger turbo for their “halo” car…

I hope they build the kabura, and I hope they do it right. Plenty of power, RWD, and no gimmicks… Keep it simple… Make it tuneable…

If they want to be compared to BMW, they need to ask why BMW is selling… BMW is about good classic design… No crazy lines that scare people away (with exception to the Z3, and Z4). But most importantly, EVERY BMW IS RWD!!! RWD has many benefits… It launches better than FWD. It’s lighter than AWD. It handles better than FWD. And staggered wheels can be put on it, so it looks better… Look at a lot of BMW’s, they come with fatter tires in the back, it’s functional and it looks good. And to top it off it’s the same cost as FWD, and cheaper than AWD.

A lot of times designers go too crazy on cars and it scares buyers off… Proportions and stance are more important than crazy lines. Make the soul first… use plenty of power (more the better), RWD or AWD. Ask what kind of car you are making… Who is it competing with, or is it in a league of it’s own? Is this design going to look good in 5 years? 10 years? 20??

I can’t wait for a japanese brand to decide none of its cars are going to be FWD anymore.

1. They’re owned by Ford, I’ve been burned by buying domestic before with a Fiero (caught fire), Neon (paint pealed off within 2 1/2 years), and an escort, entire exhaust system dropped off the car after less than 8000 miles.

2. reliability (see above)

3. option packages price the cars out of their competition. Looked at an RX8, added the options I wanted, and was same price as an Infiniti G35 coupe. G35 has more power, better comfort and will be worth much more after 5 years and 120,000 miles than the RX8 will be.

You’ve obviously had some good luck with european cars. My experience has been with Honda, Subaru, BMW, Volvo, and VW.
Honda – no problems ever up to and past 150,000 miles.
Subaru Impreza – rock solid, fast, fun (out handles any MG or Triumph I owned years past) particularly in winter, more than 125,000 miles.
Now, I’ll admit the interiors have had a little to be desired in terms of material quality but I can live with that for the price point.
VW – Great materials, nice fit and finish, fun to drive, but mechanically a disaster after 75,000 miles. Never will buy one again.
BMW, Volvo – Another class of car which I would never compare to Honda or Subaru.
Incidently I did have a Jeep Cherokee for over 265,000 miles. Fit and finish – lousy, but mechanically I couldn’t kill it. Sold it with the original clutch and engine in working order, etc. Go figure.