IsItSnowing

the 5 door is kind of interesting

lak512

lak512

i was also thinking about the mazda 3...

Blastedmax

Really?
I heard all companies accept tC as sport car.
But isn't State Farm Rip off anyways?

dante

nope, got quotes from several other companies (including progressive, can't remember the others) and SF was lowest. I don't think that any of them actually classified the tC as a "sports car" as the quotes definitely weren't astronomical, we're paying $900/6-months. High, but that's what you get for living in NY in the tri-state area. For comparison only ~40 more/month than my old 1995 Jeep Cherokee. Can't really think of any reason to qualify the tC as a "sports car" except maybe the fact that it only has 2 doors. Its got front wheel drive, only 160hp, 5-seats...

bdballer69

i agree with him...cept for the handling...but yea...for the most part Toyota reliability, price...yes indeed, and design and design and price played the most part of my choice.

Bpth of the 3 and tC are nice cars. I have the tC and younger bro has a 3, both of them nice cars, i like the seats, dash on the 3, but i like the waterfall cover, and dual moonroof on the tC.

2eZee

Mazda 3 yellow paint OWnz the TC
Mazda 3 red guage color owns the ___ orange Tc ones
TC wins in every other category,

I just couldnt justify everything else being superior on a TC and still getting a yellow 3...... hence im a scionlife member : )

Somnambulated

For an extra 30 dollars a month, I'm driving on a 6-year warranty. I think the choice is really one of personal taste. Get the one you'd enjoy driving and be happy with.

basilisk4

Warranty-wise, I'd rather have a 36,000-mile basic warranty and not need to use it than have a longer one that gets worn out. ;)

Somnambulated

Mercury Insurance classifies the tC as a "Two-door, Five Passenger Vehicle." It's not a sports car. It's a Sporty Coupe. Not a sports car.

mredz

Well I bought the Tc, The down payment has been made and my car should be arriving in about 2 weeks. Anyone want to buy my Mazda Protege5?? Or know anyone who might be interested? I'm Asking $9,800 here is the link: http://www.atcomdot.com/P5-FORSALE/

Phelios

Most of the Mazda 3 reviews I've read have been really good. Compared to the TC it would seem the Mazda 3 is the more sporty / fun car to drive. I've read complaints about a clustered center console, a lacking air conditioning system & a dramatic rise in price when you start to put the extras on.

I was looking at the Mazda 3, but there's one reason why I didn't buy it.................Mazda's relationship with Ford. My family has owned the following Fords:

1 used Mercury Cougar, 1 new Ford Escort, 2 new Ford Probes, 1 new Ford Tempo, 2 new Ford Countors + a new Ford F150

When I think about all the problems my family has had with these cars(except for the escort) it makes me want to take a dump. A big volcanic splatter on the side of the toilet dump. I've had to endure a never ending cornacopia of electrical problems. Enough tie rod replacements to start my own scrap metal factory. More recall work than should be allowed by law & oh yes, last but not least; that horrible feeling on long trips that you might not make it where you're going.

Toyota is known for relibility. While Ford may not be known for making crap somehow or another their products magically turn into it.

Having purchased so many Ford products because I let my American pride get in the way of my .......well my brain. I won't buy another Ford product until I see the japanese driving it. Thats right I said it .........when hell freezes over.

I say buy the TC. I love mine & I love Toyota.

Poison

Strongly Agree

TheQuietThings

The last time Mazda made something turbo, look how reliable it turned out. The car didnt last a week without breaking down. Even though the mazdaspeed sounds nice, i highly doubt its going to be reliable.

Aside from that, the tC is more upgradable than the 3, will hold its value better than the 3, is faster in straight line performance than the 3, and looks much better than the 3. People confuse the tC with BMW's while people confuse the Mazda3 with Ford Focus's. Yes, initally the 3 may handle better, but with some sway bars and new springs, the difference is negligible.

We have a camry engine, its BULLET PROOF, and has been over-engineered, i havent heard a whole lot about the 2.0 and 2.3 in the Mazda 3. Personally, i love knowing that in 7 or 8 years, my car is going to run like brand new.

Mazda's track recent has been so-so, and everyone knows toyota will soon become the worlds largest car maker, and by no co-incidence. They offer the total package.

Phelios

Totally agree

SilverRSXJezus

Um, Mazda hasn't actually had any real problems with F/I engines...


If you are referring to the RX7, the main problem was that was not the turbo, but the rotary engine design.


And actually, while it's true that the scion tC may look like a BMW, most people would say that the Mazda car lineup is the closest thing to a cheaper/lower end BMW. Their cars are more driver oriented than other brands like Toyota or Honda.

The tC may be more reliable, "look better"(subjective argument), and have slightly more power, I doubt it'll be as sporty as the Mazda3. It's kind of like saying....well so my Accord V6 can outrun a BMW 3 series so it's a better car, but no, not really. A little something called driver feedback.

TheQuietThings

The problem with the RX7 was the tremedous heat that built up in the engine bay. If there was a problem with the rotary engine, they would have never re-introduced it in the RX8.

I've never heard anyone say that a Mazda felt like a BMW. Never.

And yes, stock for stock the Mazda3 does out handle the tC, but very few people are keeping the stock suspension on the tC. Most people are adding sway bars and dropping them a few inches. That being said, the tC is much more upgradable than the Mazda 3. And i get plenty of driver feedback in the car, i'm not totally sure why you said that.

rimjay2

mazda3 hatch looks nice imo. the mazdaspeed3 will own the tc, even the s/c tc...

SilverRSXJezus

There are still problems with the rotary engines in the RX8, it's not completely problem free.

Mazda is compared to BMW in that both sell mainly driver oriented cars. While Honda and Toyota have a few sports/sporty cars, the rest of theirs are made to be practical/purpose focused cars. Mazda and BMW cars care a lot more about the "fun" factor in driving.

I was saying that the 3 probably has more driver feedback due to a more sporty feeling transmission and just the way it drives. When I was in the tC, I just feel as if all the sound insulation and everything was a bit subdued, whereas the 3 would probably make you feel more to drive it harder.

Obviously this may be just an opinion, but I'm sure most people would agree with me on that.

Skunk

Mazda has in fact had a history of troublesome f/i engines. Several were rotary based like the Cosmo, T2 FC, and FD. They've also had a very unsuccessful history with f/i piston engines, to include the Mazdaspeed Miata and Protege, as well as other cars like the 323 Turbo. The rotary based engines often suffered from detonation and quality problems, and most all of Mazda piston-based f/i motors have been basically anemic. Honda has 2-liter engines pumping out more power naturally aspirated than most of Mazda's f/i piston offerings. There's no point in using forced induction if you can produce a better engine that's naturally aspirated. The Miata's intercooler was about the size of a box of Girl Scout cookies, no joke.

The main problem with the FD RX-7 wasn't the engine bay heat, or the rotary design. It was the turbo system itself. The sequential twin-turbo system in the FD is retardedly over-complicated, with a massive "rats nest" of vacuum lines. It's also comprimised by some inferior quality materials in the engine bay. Notably the vacuum lines themselves, which tend to become brittle and break over time due to the huge changes in temperature. The other problem is the engine does not care at all for knocking. A bad tank of gas, a fuel system malfunction, improper tuning, etc. can all lead to an apex seal-blowing lean condition. This is why so many RX-7 tuners like to switch to a single-turbo, and do reliability mods like getting a bigger intercooler and changing out the vacuum lines.

The only Mazda f/i engine that has proved to be reasonably successful really is the Series 8 FD RX-7s that were made from 1999-2002. They basically worked all the major kinks out of the FD's design. Though, the Efini turbo system was still needlessly complex. Unfortunately none of these cars were ever sold in the US.