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Mazda 3 5-door likely to replace Miata; any factory-dealer incentives on '05 3's running now?
- Mazda holdback = 2% of base MSRP
Q: any factory-dealer incentives on '05 3's running now? Story: After a long series of comparisons between the Ford SVT Focus, Mazda 3 5-door, Toyota Matrix, Subaru wagons, and Mazda Protege5, I've basically decided to get the 3. The Miata will stay in the family. It's worth more to me in memories than $ anyway. The SVT Focus overall had the best handling, road feel, and braking. It won every driving category for its price in my first hand tests really. But the need to use premium gas, some niggling problems that owners have had, and not enough choices on the used market pushed me away. I'd have gone '03 or '04 for the 5 door style and any leftover mfgs warranty. Around $13k-$15k. The Subbies are either too expensive in WRX or higher form, or too unMiata-like for me in lower form, notably the braking. But I tell you, the WRX wagon I drove felt so ridiculously precise in everything it did I almost didn't believe it. Like a fine instrument. The Matrix I just didn't like, end of issue. The Protege5 came closest to a Miata-like driving experience. It just feels light and flickable and a blast to drive, with the 130 horse engine pushing that weight giving a similar power/weight feel as the Miata. No reason I shouldn't get a P5 really, just a matter of a good deal appearing on the used market to sway me away from the 3. Around $12k for an '02 or '03. The 3 has a surprisingly torquey engine, feels smoother, more solid, and more expensive than the cost, is pretty darn quick, has nice styling, the handling is close enough to very good that I'm happy, the tranny feels awfully good, the braking is good, and I'm kinda Mazda oriented anyway. I'm sure some bits in the future can make it even better. Around $18k new. So it's new 3 vs. used P5. Funny, but months ago when I first posed a Q in this group about replacing my Miata, someone suggested I take a hard look at the 3. Doug |
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