miraclecreator

Before we start, we need to clarify something. For those who dont know, Mazda GT is the Mazda3 S model for Canada. (Apparently they have three models and we only have two)

Anywayz, there's a chance that I will get a new car in 2 months. So, I've been comparing cars that I can afford and it comes down to these two of course (Mazda3 and tC) Why? Because IMO I think they're quite EQUAL. That's right, I said EQUAL, I know you might say tC is faster and better and stuff but I dont mean they're the same in everything in perfomance, exterior and interior. I meant they both have ups and downs and when it comes down to the end, they're the same! Why again? Well, let me explain briefly so that u guys can understand why i say that:

PERFORMANCE:
First off, the performance, I can bet my life that tC IS faster! Due to the fact that tC does better in 1/4 mile run(3: 15s tC:14s i think?) and 0-60(3: 8sor 9s? tC: 7.3 or 7.4 depends on the trans.) Plus the fact that tC get 160hp @ 6200rpm while 3s gets 160hp @ 6500rpm and tc gets 163lbs torque @4200rpm while 3s gets 140lbs torque at 4500rpm. BUT here's the thing, tC weights about 2900lbs while the 3 weights only 2700lbs so tC's got more to push with the more HP. Although they both have DOCH, 3 gets VVT and tC gets VVT-I, they are some differences. 3 gets timing chain (UPPER) tC's s/c that's going to be covered by warranty (UPPER).

EXTERIOR:
I dont know about u guys, but i like them both. I know sometimes 3 can look kinda weigh and high (due to the fact that it's not as wide and it's longer than tC) But 3's got standard projector lights with optional XENON HID (UPPER) plus i love the S model taillights. One of the biggest argument b/t the two is the DOORS. Think of the convienence of four door! (UPPER) (Although tC's two door is actually better than most of the coupes out there plus the it's got plenty of space back there (UPPER))
tC IMO also has better WHEELS of course! (3's look kinda.. ok i guess with their 16" and bad tires (goodyear)) I want bridgestone!

INTERIOR:
Well, for the interior I think the 3 has a slight advantage over the tC b/c it looks more stylish and sportier in my opinion. I mean did u guys see the tri-mode gauges? (dash or whatever u guys called it) It looks REALLY GOOD b/c it changes color at night and the design is sporty (If you dont know much about this, go to www.mazdausa.com and check out the interior of 3 especially the gauges) I think they center console of 3 looks better and more stylish (especially at night) However, I do love the fact that tC has POWER EVERYTHING! and the slide door of the radio which looks like a perfect spot to put the navi. tC also has the reclinable back seats (UPPER) and once again really comfortable seats and space back there. (UPPER)


What i like about tC:
(1)It's a two door coupe!
(2)Standard of SOOOO many things (ABS, HUGE moonroof, temperature gauges, tires monitoring system, cool 17" bridgestones alloy wheels, etc..)
(4) better performance
possibly more...

What I dotn like abotu tC:
(1) ok looking interior
possibly more...

What I like about 3
(1) Well... it's a FOUR DOOR too! (convienence)
(2) The projector lights and lovable taillights
(3) stylish center console and gauges.
(4) timing chain
(5) better milieage
possibly more...

What I dont like about 3:
(1) Standard of NOTHING! has no a/c no temperature meter, no monitoring system, navi, SRS, ABS, and moonroof!
(2) them wheels!
possible more...


Well, the point of this post? I just want OPINION of what should i get and why. THANK YOU>

psyontific

You forgot the reliability issue. I think scion wins there. plus you know that the mazda 3 is a reskinned volvo or maybe vice vesa? there is the point of exclusiveity. how many mazdas are there and scions?I've been where you are too and I won't tell you what to buy. You have to live with the car not me. keep looking at this site tho and g'journey

johnnyicesae

tC is a better value hands down. Take all the features of the tC and equip the 3 with them. I have no hard numbers but i would bet th tC will be 2-3000 cheaper.

tC= Camry drivetrain (ie rock solid) on a redesigned Toyota Avensis platform (sold in europe for years if i am not mistaken, and reliable.)

Mazda3= All new design yet to be proven design (i could be mistaken so don't quote me on that)

Also Toyota Quality vs. Ford Quality (Mazda is a Ford when it's all said and done)

SuperCrunchyAction

The Mazda 3 series is based on the Ford Focus.

qualityscion

One more thing the tC has a timing chain and iridium spark plugs!!!

Mr_Rabbit

My girl has the mazda3 S (5 dr.)and have not had any problems yet(over a year now).
She has the winning blue with full options except navigation.
It cost a few dollars over $20.000.
The one part I love is the hid lighting, it adjust up and down the height of the beam.
I also think Ford as a company realised their previous mistakes in quality.
I feel the 3 is very well built.
I'm not telling you what to buy but I prefer the 3.

I am not KNOCKING any tc owner.I do love the Tc for the looks and for products that will be available soon.
I will always be a toyota guy, I've own a few.

TC = tuner car
3 = nice car to own and drive.

psyontific

the mazda3 is a reskinned volvo s40. yes they are both partially owned by ford,but how much of toyota is owned by gm? ford also owns part of nissan(45%) and jaguar and aston martin. We all know toyota is a global comglomarate(sp). they (the tc and the mazda3) have pros and cons. I'm married w/kids but despite the lack of four doors I still preferr my tc to the 3. in some ways they feel like comparing apples and oranges and we all could go around and around till we cant see straight it's still not our desicion to make. We as posters to this thing will probably all ssy "buy the scion already and get off the fence"

jmiller20874

Dude are you high? Honestly.

Toyota owned by GM? Nissan owned by Ford? Where in the world did you get this stuff? If GM did own Toyota (big IF) then why use Honda engines in the Saturn?

Fahrenheit

On what planet is a stock tC running 14s in the quarter mile? I've read 15.4 at BEST. That's pretty good for a 4-banger, but come on, it's not in the league of Grand Prix GTPs and such.

I also don't buy that the tC is a tuner car and the Mazda 3 is not. Any car, properly modified with the right parts, is a tuner car. I think that the Mazda 3 five-door has found quite a fan base among the Chicago tuners (and ricers). The idea that a car is a "tuner car" just because it has decent power and 2 doors in stock form is faulty.

All that said, I still chose my tC over the Mazda 3s. I was interested in the 3, but the build quality felt lower and the drive just wasn't as fun. I also wasn't a huge fan of the dash/center console layout. It all comes down to subjective, personal preference. Buy what will make you the happiest.

icdedppl

yeah, i was "on the fence" just as you were with these two cars. for now, my decision lies with a tC, but in my area they are charging alot of extra "fees" that make the tC value go down. i'm still leaning more for the tC because of the "easy mod" options, but the mazda3s still entices me sometimes.

and it seems like there are quite a few people here who were/are in the same boat. here is a poll asking what your 2nd/other choice was to a tC: https://www.scionlife.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=45712 it looks like the mazda3s/gt is definately being considered by people who have interest or have invested in a tC.

a few other things to keep in mind:
- the tC reliabilty *could* be good, considering it's based on tested toyota parts, but the base warranty for the tC is three years. the base mazda warranty is for four years. the powertrain warranty on the tC is five years. the mazda is four years.

some more base features included with the mazda3s vs a base tC:
- fog lights, floor mats, four doors, an actual trunk

- price wise, i just went and configured both cars with matching standard/base accessories. the mazda, retail, is going to cost you ~$1,900 more, but also consider, there is much more "play" with mazda dealerships getting to come down on the cost vs. scion dealerships.

but like most people will tell you, they are NOT the same car. same price range, yes, but not the same car and built for different people. consider what is MOST important to you (ie 4 doors vs 2 doors, cargo room, specific options, etc) and make your final decision.

motozen

This thread is in the wrong forum completely. Who cares about the mazda 3 ? Some people have WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY too much time on their hands....

bigmouth2008

I think buy either car will make you a very happy person...

brian

as well as the volvo s40.

i personally was looking into the mz3 before i bought my tc. this was before the tc was released and the only reason i didn't get the mz3 was because no one had the color i wanted (winning blue) and the ONLY option I wanted was the ABS package. There was only one in my whole state and the problem was the dealership was being a jackass and wouldn't budge on the price. i personally really like the mz3 and would be driving one if everything had worked out. interior wise i like the mz3 better, but just about everything else the tc wins for me. i like hatchbacks, and a 5 door hatch would've been awesome (i so wished they made a 3 door hatch, i would've bought it in a second). but anyway, try to go in unbiased, although I'm sure you're already leaning towards one car. test drive both back to back to compare and look at pricing and interest rates you can get. remember this is a SCION forum, so ppl will be biased. check out both and really see which one you like better.

maybeillcatchfire

the tc has a timing chain

vAnt

https://www.scionlife.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=457400

Most of the arguments you can come up with these two cars are in that post

The Focus that will be sharing the same platform as the Mazda 3 is not in production yet. They are not based on each other, rather they are all based off of one platform that Ford/Mazda/Volvo developed together.

Very true... And with the money you haggle and save each year with gas milage... It is even closer then you think.

bdballer69

well i have a tC and my younger bro has a 3 (5-door)...both are nice cars...but sometimes the tC feel kinda cheap with all the rattle it makes and stuff...i don't know if my bro has any problems with his...but to me...if you are goin for look get the tC but if you are goin for comfort drive go for the 3, i like the 3's suspension alot compare to my tC... Both cars are great...

bigmouth2008

By the way, I do wish tC comes with on steering wheel audio controls. It's becoming very common nowadays.

RacerZack

OK, being a 4-hour old tC owner and longtime Mazda owner, I think I can be fairly unbiased here. I just chose the tC over a Mazda3 and yet I really still have my "heart" in the Mazda camp (despite the electrical fit my Miata is giving me, forcing me to leave it at the Toyota dealer.... grrrr)

First of all, the Mazda3 is NOT a Ford. It is also NOT a reskinned Volvo. Where do you guys get this propoganda? The Mazda3 is an all-new design straight from Hiroshima with help from Mazda USA in Irvine, CA.

That said, the posted numbers for the Mazda3 vs. tC are kinda wrong. The two cars are basically the same in performance. In fact, some testing I've seen puts the Mazda3 0.1 second faster on the 0-60 and 1mph faster with the same time on the quarter mile.

The same is true for reliability. While Toyota always beats Mazda on quality, the Scion line has come out rather poor. I hesitated buying the Scion because its initial ratings were very "off" from Toyota. As much as my boyfriend loves his Lexus and swears by all of Toyota's stuff, he even said "Scion has some bugs to work out." This coming from a man who nearly has a shrine to Toyota. LOL.

However, Mazda's reliability is not equivalent to Ford. Just because Ford has a financial stake in Mazda is not to mean that Mazdas are suddenly being built by Teamsters at River Rouge! The only Mazdas which would "be" Fords are those built in the U.S. and rebadged (Tribute = Escape, B-Series = Ranger). None of Mazda's passenger cars are Ford rebadges.

In fact, the Mazda-developed Mazda6 platform is being adopted by Ford and other subsidiaries for future products. While I am digressing a moment, where did anyone get the idea that Ford owns 45% of Nissan? OMG! *eyeroll* Nissan is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Peugeot now. Ford NEVER owned any of Nissan. And GM doesn't "own" any of Toyota; it has entered into shared-development agreements and may own a small percentage of stock as part of that deal. And there are no Honda engines in Saturns. But this isn't about all of that...

As many people have said, the two cars are in a similar price range but are designed for very different drivers. No 4-door sedan is going to be the "same" as a 2-door hatchback. Me, I prefer the hatchback design and more sporting appearance of the tC. I feel like a complete adulterer for buying something other than a Mazda (the Miata was my first car, new in 1994 and now 215k miles and many, many, many mods later...). But when push came to shove, the Mazda3 didn't excite me like the Scion tC does. If I could have afforded it, I'd have gone with the hatchback Mazda6 in Lapis Blue. But, alas, that was not meant to be.

I'm a Mazda Boy but I love my Scion tC. The Miata gets the garage, but its "little brother" Scion is going to be my daily driver.

DeuceCoupe

well my younger brother also has a Mazda 3 sedan. i like the style of the car and the interior is great. all i can say is that the 3 redlines at almost 7 while the tc only a bit after 6, thus giving the 3 and advantage. i have raced him many times, but our cars redline so low that ill be in 3rd while his in 2nd ... pulling. none the less i love both cars and wouldnt mind having one my self.
here are some pics.

r26

check this out. i love my tc but am also blown away with this mazda 3 w/ body kit