what's wrong with mazdas?

just been car shopping recently and getting opinions from heaps of different people.

the general concensus seems to be DON'T GO THERE! for a mazda... why??

i've seen a few that i really quite like (demio/mazda 3) and i just want a better reason than "mazdas are shit" not to get one!

people who don't know what they are talking about maybe? :>

u get people saying that about most brands. kinda like how some people really hate lion red while others love it.

Unreliable and low resell value

What it comes down to is this - there will be a Nissan or a Toyota out there that suits your needs just as well as a mazda, but is far more likely to be reliable and to hold it's value better. Even a mitsubishi will do...

So why buy one?

Maybe in the past, but from what I've heard, the Mazda 2/3/6 range as is the current model line-up is said to be brilliant. I can't think of anything specifically wrong with older Mazdas either... like any manufacturer they have their problems, but I doubt they are more or less severe than you get with any model really.

Only specific problem I'm aware of is the Mazda/Ford 1600/1800 from the early to mid/late '90s used to have a habit of breaking the end of the crankshaft off with the cam pulley etc which usually called for a new motor... but even then it weasn't exactly a common problem.

I have a mazda - and love it! Have had it for about 5 years, having bought it second hand. As long as you keep taking it for check ups - its fine.

The only down side I've experienced is finding parts - can get expensive as its made in Japan. Wing mirror could cost up to $300 new or $80 second hand - was a mission to find the second hand one.

The new mazda's are great just look at all the awards they've won, especially the mazda 6 (car of the year)and RX8 (engine of the year) I never found anything wrong with the old mazdas either, I thrashed the crap out of my GTX for 2 years straight and hardly had an issue with it.

Rotary Mazdas are not known for their reliablily, but thats because they have rotary motors. Mazda piston motors are fine.

RX8 engine won engine of the year? Where? How? I find that a modern engine that's known to drink on average 6L of oil between oil changes is not likely to win an engine of the year award.... unless it's in NZ where the motoring press give the awards to the motor company that sponsors the magazine the most.... I'm looking at YOU NZ AutoCAR

The oil drinking is intentional.

My issue with it being engine of the year is .... where's the torque?

I heard that SOME oil consumption is intentional, but as the engines are wearing, the oil consumption is going through the roof.... the RENESIS engine was meant to be the first Rotary that was a reliable prospect as a practical everyday engine..... not surprisingly it drinks oil badly, drinks petrol even worse and produces about as much torque as the average bernina sewing machine.

Smooth and revvy it is, but it'll never be a practical road-engine....If ceramic engine technology comes of age where dry lubricants and hotter engine components are possible, THEN it might become viable, but until then it'll always be a niche.

go to www.rx8.co.nz mazda website, they list all their awards on there

Rotaries are awesome engines which is why they have such a large following and why mazda has stuck with them

complain about oil consumption all ya want, every engine has its issues, rotaries are not known for their reliability, they are known for their performance. A standard RX8 is just that, standard, rotaries require modification to be worth it, but once modded results are awesome.

As a race engine, Rotaries are a very good prospect... they're compact, lightweight and simple and for race puropses they're durable.... on the road they just don't make any sense! They guzzle gas due to their inherent thermodynamic inefficiency, they're unreliable when compared to an equivalent piston engine, they lack Torque when compared to a piston engine and they will struggle against tightening emissions standards over the next few years.

The rotary always has been and always will be an "enthusiast" engine..... you buy a rotary because you specifically like them and want one... they'll never be a universally GOOD engine... if they were, every motor manufacturer in the world would have a rotary engine option in their cars.... as it stands they don't. Mazdas rotary sales don't even recoup their R&D spending on the rotary.... it does however give them a bit of brand identity, which certainly has helped them.

nevermind...

except mazda has building rights. Rotarys are wicked engines, amazing power to weight ratio. It all depends on ur prioritys i guess. An RX7 prolly aint ur car if all ya want to do is carry grocerys. An in rgards to piston engines, I have a mazda familia 91' and i ahve had it 4 5 years and i have NEVER needed to repair n e thing... just oil and filter. Great lil run abouts

Because they don't make the Getz

so in conclusion piston mazdas are fine and rotary mazdas are fine as long as you know what your getting into

my series 5 rx7 drinks $50 worth of 98 for 200kms and approx 2-3l of oil between changes. but she farkin flys.........

On another note, plenty of my mates have piston mazdas and i had a 92 ford laser (same car as the mazda) and it was fine. agreed a nissan will still be going after a nuclear war but who cares? if you want a mazda, get a mazda....better than a daewoo

V. true

There are many known factory faults with Mazda's I have owned 3 different models and all have had exactly the same parts break down / along with a freinds who had exactly the same year and model



No more Subi's for PIE ?

there are many known factory faults with all brands of cars, to single out one brand is a mistake.