My wife and I in need of purchasing a 2nd car. We are looking at late Mazda and Toyota.
Question1: Is Corolla CVT reliable? My friend coworker at Valvoline had Corolla CVT broken down, what is your thought?
Question2: Is Mazda 3 reliable? That's the 2.5L non turbo with 6AT. Which one do you think it's better?
Clarification: How many years and miles do you need the vehicle to last you?
Also, what is your budget?
I am currently looking at under $18,000. I am thinking right now 2020 Corolla CVT with launch gear, or 2018+ Mazda 3.
I know right now its a bad time, but unfortunately, things happen (glad its good thing), so we need to get a 2nd car by July.
We are planning to have the car as long as possible.
Does anyone know when Scooty will be back to TN? I live in the Nashville Metro area
Adding @Dan to the discussion
If I were you, I would avoid the CVT transmission on those Toyota’s especially if you intend to keep the vehicle for as long as possible. The newer CVTs (K120) with launch gear mated to the 2.0L Dynamic Force Engine only rolled out in 2018 and, along with the brand new Dynamic Force Engine series, the jury is out on long term reliability of those. For 2019 model year some of those Corollas had been recalled. The other one (K313) mated to the 1.8L engine - those had been around since 2014 but some of them have had abnormal wear. If I were getting a new Corolla, I would personally go with the stick shift or manual transmission but those are only offered on the 2.0L Dynamic Force engine (and jury is out on the longevity of that engine as well).
In short, between those 2 options you mention I would actually go with the Mazda with the more true and tried 2.5L naturally aspirated (NA) engine and 6-speed conventional automatic transmission. But be aware, because after 2018 model year (you will have to check the brochures of the 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021) they introduced cylinder deactivation in those 2.5L engines - I want to say 2019 or 2020 model year (but check the brochures). Mazda make it confusing, because on some of their vehicles (I forgot which ones) they introduced cylinder deactivation on the 2.5L NA engines but only on certain trims but on other (lower) trims the 2.5L NA did not have cylinder deactivation - anyhow, avoid the years and trim levels that has that technology (it’s unproven for Mazda and can potentially lead to wear/tear over time).
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=mJB8LdMrM-w
Thanks for letting me know about the cylinder deactivation, I really did not know it. I just check the Mazda website, looks like the cylinder deactivation only equipped on Mazda 3 AWD but not the FWD.
one question: Is the 1.8 Corolla engine realiable?
@RunningMan That engine (2ZR-FAE) was first used on the Corolla for the 2014 model year, and has proven fairly reliable.
@DayWalker Is Mazda 2018 Mazda3 2.0L better? Or 2.5L is better?
@RunningMan while both are good, I would go with the 2.5L version.
Both are good, but I would say that the Mazda is a little better because it has that proven 6 speed auto as opposed to a CVT. Plus, you’ll find a slightly better deal in the Mazda than the Toyota, but Mazda is still reasonably reliable; however, right now is a bad time to buy a used car because of that chip shortage. I would have an honest mechanic check out the Mazda before purchase.
Longevity wise, Corolla beats Mazda. I would personally go for the Corolla but find out about the manufacturer of the Mazda transmission first of you plan to get the Mazda.
The Mazda 3 OP is referring to (especially 2018 model year and newer) uses Mazda’s own 6-speed SkyActiv-Drive AT, which has been pretty good so far.
I agree with @DayWalker
Yep. The Mazda 6 speed is better then the Aisin 6 speed.
The Aisin one is the exact one they had in Opels and Alfa Romeo and the ones are known as the weak spot of all early 2000s Volvos
1. Similarly to Dual clutch transmissions, almost all CVT transmissions tend to break down. The Corolla CVT is not exception, they’re somewhat better then the early ones sold outside of the US but they still are a flawed product.
2. The Mazda3 is great. It uses a reliable good old conventional 6 speed automatic. (Either a great Mazda made unit, or an ok-ish Aisin made unit although it’s euro-spec and quite a dated design)
In the engine department Mazda’s SkyActive engine is miles ahead of Toyota’s DynamicForce - especially when it comes down to reliability.
IMO the Mazda3 in recent years is much better then the Corolla.
@DayWalker thanks for letting me know of this question.
Scotty had mentioned in his videos that he’ll be back in TN around mid June.
Set up an appointment by emailing him at scottykilmer@gmail.com with repair appointment Tennessee as the subject.
All the best.
My want to have scotty check it out before I buy. I am still shopping around, but I found a dealership in AL sells cheaper than those in TN. What should I do? Should I buy it then have Scotty check it out? I found the 19 Camry and 20 Corrola have similar price
Only if you can return the car after you purchase it. If you can’t get a 100% refund, I recommend you find a guy like Scotty near the dealership to check out the vehicle, before you purchase it. You don’t want to purchase anything before a professional mechanic checks out the vehicle (or if you have a return window).. All the best!
Good news is that the cvts in Toyota’s aren’t made by jatco and are made by Aisin and aisin is probably one of the best automatic transmission manufacturers in the world. Mazda’s are reliable from the older years now I’m not to sure but one thing for sure is that Toyota corollas are the most reliable models Toyota ever puts out. Now don’t go driving like a maniac with the cvt and keep up to maintenance and you should be fine.
The jury is out on the longevity of this new generation Corolla, especially with their new Dynamic Force Engines. Not everything that Toyota touches turns to gold.