Which to buy? Mazda3 vs VW Golf TDI

[90TurboLude]

Hi all,
My "90 Turbo Lude" is far from turbo these days, the washer spray pump and the interior vent/fans no longer work :( ...
So i'm going to buy something newer
I've narrowed my choices down to two (fairly different) cars. The Mazda3 and the Golf TDI GLS:

Here's what I have as pros/cons of ea.

Mazda3
Cheaper (The one I'm thinking of is about 17,000), though not over the long run due to fuel economy
I like they styling better
More room in the back/trunk
Mazda3 parts/service should be less expensive (right?) (Ford parts)
Car could warm up by idling
Less reliable gas engine, FORD.


GolfTDI
I like the styling less.
Smaller back seat.
Diesel engines last longer (right?)
Cheaper over the long run (fuel economy)
Sunroof
heated seats
Have to get used to differences in diesels (like not warming up by idle etc.)
New Diesel model coming out this year, value may drop when that comes out.

What does everyone else think?


-90TurboLude

[Aleks]

How many kms per year do you drive?

[Accord_tunerx]

i think mazda3...

[jesterme2007]

TDI ALL THE WAY!!!

[GQBalla]

TDI definately depending what year though.

the newer ones FOR SHURE!

[The Cosworth]

Mazda is part owned by Ford, ford doesnt make their parts and that, they still have their own HQ.


if you look at your list you said you like the mazda3 and then gave us reasons why you hate the TDI.

I think you made up your own mind.

[ExtraSlow]

I own a 2007 Mazda3 and I really like the car however.
- There is less room in the trunk than you think. It's pretty tight back there.
- The fuel economy isn't spectacular.

Bring some suitcases or golf clubs to the dealership when you do your test drives if luggage room is important for you.

Also, there aren't that many ford parts you can use on the Mazda3. Sure, it's based on the same platform as the euro focus, but it's not the same car.

[InLoveWitRSX]

whichever one is better on gas

[90TurboLude]

yeah, Its funny that i listed more negatives about the TDi, I'm actually more in favor of it, the price is the only thing that is holding me back (about 3-5k more than the Mazda3)..

The TDI is by far the better choice for fuel economy.
infact the 3-5k price difference is made up in the fuel economy of the vehicle..

for who ever asked, i Drive about 27,000 a year.

can any one confirm that Diesels last longer?

-90 turbo lude

[nismodrifter]

TDI's FTW.

www.tdiclub.com for all the info.

[BlackArcher101]

I'm looking at both vehicles now. I'm assuming you are referring to the Mazda 3 Sport, not Sedan since you mentioned it has more room than a golf.

Here's the pros/cons of each:

Mazda 3
Pros
-Better styling
-Better handling
-Cheaper to maintain
Cons
-Poor gas mileage (especially if 2.3L)
-Referred to as a womans car

Golf TDI
Pros
-Awesome mileage
-Better interior
Cons
-More expensive to maintain (eg. timing belt)

Now, you can go back and forth between the two, but there some other things to consider. What year is the golf?

If you are looking at a 07 Mazda and you want to keep the cost the same, I'm guessing you are looking at a 2004 TDI with close to 100,000km? Now, keep in mind that the mazda will have warranty remaining, nullifying any maintenance costs in the near future. With the TDI however, you have an older car with more km and guarenteed will need work (like a $800 timing belt). They both hold their values quite well, but lately the TDI's are inflated due to their high demand.

If you bought a Mazda 3 with the same year and km, you're upfront cost savings would greatly outweight what you would save in fuel costs if you were to get the TDI.

Frankly, your decision lies on what your priority is. Fuel savings, overall cost of car including maintenance, how fun it is, and even financing will factor in.

Oh, if you find a TDI you like and seems like a deal, buy it. The good ones don't last longer than one day.

[dimi]

Buddy's 99 TDI only started having problems after 300,000km so I can say its definitely a reliable engine (if maintained properly $$$)

[asp integra]

vw for sure, but go with the 1.8t instead of the tdi, more power and still pretty good on gas! i have mine up for sale right now!

[gqmw]

I guess a factor can be also how long are you planning to use this car for?

[403civic]

Mazda 3
0% finance
and I think they will match your down payment up to $3000
so if you put down $3000 they will put down $3000 so in total will be $6000 down payment
I'm not totaly sure, but thats what I was told

[BlackArcher101]

Originally posted by 403civic
Mazda 3
0% finance
and I think they will match your down payment up to $3000
so if you put down $3000 they will put down $3000 so in total will be $6000 down payment
I'm not totaly sure, but thats what I was told

That's not true... at least for the Red Deer dealer.

[Jayson]

I bought my wife a 2007 Mazda 3 sport, and i love it... Very good car, fuel economy isn't as good as a TDI or a Civic, but it does handle very nice and it's a blast to drive. Very good at taking corners.... Drove it to Kootaney lake last summer and it was awesome. We were going to go with the Sedan, but after driving both the Sport was more appealing. I used to have a '95 GSR, and although i miss the integra, i'd rather drive the Mazda.

I personally have never driven a TDI before, but i've had friends with Jetta's... The thing i like about the Mazda 3's are they are built in Japan, so you know the quality is there.

Good luck with you decision

[ryanallan]

+1 for the 2009 jetta "clean diesel"

[JordanAndrew]

+1 for mazda3.. heck if you want to go all the way you should buy mazdaspeed3. ;)

[Aleks]

I haven't seen many MS3s go for ~ $17K lately :nut:

If you drive 27-30k per year it might be worth it getting a diesel. Proper maintenance is key for those cars so finding a 1 owner one with records is your best bet.

If you drive both of them back to back you should also know which car is for you as they are very different in driving nature and the way they are built and feel on the road.

[Klobi-1-Kinobi]

I believe the mazda 3 has always been a consumer reports best buy, and have excellent reliability ratings. Something to consider when choosing your daily driver.

I had a gti 1.8t with a fair bit of mods and really enjoyed driving it. But over time a lot of little things broke on it, maf, o2 sensor, coilpacks, phantom cels, etc. Nothing serious mind you, and it never left me stranded, but all of that "little stuff" can be expensive without warranty.

Like Aleks said, you should try to get seat time in both as they're completely different cars to drive.

[90TurboLude]

Hi all, thanks for so many replies..

I've done seat time in both, I think I like the 3 better just cause im used to a gas car... I stalled the TDi a few times during the test drive cause I drive by sound, and it growls more at lower rpms, so I was trying to start at like 500rpms.. :P but Im sure I'd get used to that in a jiffy, just a little retraining, it seems to have alot of power, especially once the turbo kicks in...

We've decided to go with the 3 for a few simple reasons... I think the TDi prices are inflated right now, but will drop a lot once the 2009 diesels come out. We can get the Mazda3 for about 3-5k less now, and we need to have more money available now rather than later (we dont finance cars btw). I did some excel spreadsheet calculations of estimates of all the costs and it seems that over time the TDi costs the same as the mazda3. The TDi has higher initial cost (purchase price) but will save us money over time due to fuel economy. If the cars were the same price I'd probably push for the TDi.

So, who has a 2007 Mazda3 GS w/ <40,000 kms for sale?

Thanks again for everyone's help.
-90 turbolude (guess im going to have to change my user name :P )

[gretz]

you would probably end up putting gas in the TDi anyways

[90TurboLude]

I would not you knob-vacuum . I know what gas does to a TDi...

[Eleanor]

Originally posted by ryanallan
&quot;clean diesel&quot;

That better not be what they're advertising it as :rofl:

[vipstyle2]

TDI + 1 !!!

[kelseymuhle]

Go with the Mazda 3 if you want to drive the kids to soccer practice, the VW is the way to go for a daily driver

[BlackArcher101]

Originally posted by kelseymuhle
Go with the Mazda 3 if you want to drive the kids to soccer practice, the VW is the way to go for a daily driver

Uh, what? Mazda 3 for the kids? How does it work better for kids than a VW? Were not talking minivan vs sedan here.