Scotty,
I am about to buy a brand new 2022 Mazda 3 with the Manual 6 speed Transmission.
Only thing is that I haven't decided between the Hatchback or the Sedan.
I've never own a Hatchback before, and I am not sure of having the trunk on the 'same' cabin as the passengers. I feel like having things stored in an enclosed / separate area such as in the Sedan would be safer in case of an accident.
But regardless, the sedans are 'made' in Mexico, while the Hatchbacks are made in Japan. I know you prefer Japanese made vehicles but, which design would you recommend someone getting?
Is it truly just a design difference? Or do you know of any advantages / disadvantages of one another?
I plan on keeping this car for many years to come.
Thank you for teaching us so much to us around the world!
Greetings from Mexico.
Hi folks,
I'm new to this forum.
I just purchased a 2022 Mazda3 Sedan this weekend. These cars are made in Japan- not Mexico.
According to AutoTrader, you can see where your car is manufactured by the VIN #
If the first character is 1, 4 or 5, then the car was built in the United States. Japan is the letter J, while South Korea is K, Germany is W, Canada is 2, Mexico is 3, Italy is Z and the United Kingdom is S.
The country of origin and Manufacture date is listed along with the recommended tire pressure on the driver door opening.
Hope this helps!
for hauling cargo: hatchback
for hauling people: sedan
The Japanese one will be better made
The sedan offers more boot space, 450 litres versus 334 litre for the hatch.
The hatchback is 20cm shorter also, so it's really not great for Cargo.
I personally love hatchbacks, but in this case even I think the Sedan is more stylish and with the better boot it's a safer bet.
Thank you so much for this and your previous response and information. I've never seen the Corolla Space. I live in a northern state; perhaps they sell it down south? I doubt so, as car dealerships are "regulated" meaning prices and trims are all the same throughout the country.
Anyway, most people's main concern seem to be cargo space.
Me, personally, only care about pleasant and safe (and fun) rides to work, to neighbouring cities on the weekends (think of my state as the Mexican equivalent to Texas: long distances between cities... and lots of pick ups!) and the occasional 'road trip' into the US.
I should also mention that me wife and I are thinking on starting a family soon. So perhaps ease of loading / unloading cargo should not be on the end of my list, come to think about it...
I might be wrong and they might no sell the corolla estate in Mexico, I live outside of that area.
But yeah the Mazda 3 is very safe, it got 98% on the EuroNCAP - that's on the same level as the safest Mercedes or Volvo. And the 2.0L engine is reliable and fun, they do have a bit of oil consumption, but it seems to be minor.
https://www.euroncap.com/en/results/mazda/3/35876
According to consumer reports, the Mazda3's reliability is only average compared to the rest of their lineup that ranks much higher (BUT, it's best to take their assessments with a grain of salt)
https://www.consumerreports.org/car-reliability-owner-satisfaction/who-makes-the-most-reliable-cars-a7824554938/
And that the Mazda3 is not a sports car, it's handling is quite average.
https://youtu.be/wKoiO5EeCZY
So yeah it's a great car, but I'd watch out for the fact that it's not sporty handling at all, and that there are possible issues with the AC/Electronics and inspect suspension rubber components each fluid service.
-
You might want to consider a CX-30 as no one complaints on it's reliability at all - it is the safest small SUV out there and it's probably more reliable than a Toyota CH-R or a Honda HR-V, But it's biggest drawback is that dealers love to markup SUVs (for no reason) and that it handles a bit worse.
Thanks for sharing this information, makes me feel better knowing about the safety ratings given to this car. 'It looks sporty,' to quote the dealership sellers, but that is all.
I will be getting the 2.5 engine, as its the only engine they sell it with, unless you pay like 5,000 usd more for the 2.0 turbo version.
To be honest, I drive like a grandad in the city. I just want something reliable and safe while road driving. I understand this isnt a sports car at all.
Everything is pointing out at me getting a Hatchback by the end of this Month, if everything goes well. I've never had a Hatchback before and I welcome new experiences.
Having a full digital dashboard along with a push to start system isnt my cup of tea, but there's nothing I can do about that. So I will always keep an eye on the electronics and the suspension rubber as mentioned.
I would go for the hatchback, both for the Japanese manufacturing and the flexibility the hatch gives you. You can carry all kinds of stuff with a hatchback that you can't get into a sedan.
I’d probably get the hatch because it’s not only more versatile than the sedan, but the quality is better than the ones made in Mexico.
The Mazda 3 hatchback's boot is tiny - it's very short.
A tiny bit off topic, but still may be useful to OP.
He's from Mexico, for hauling cargo they got (90% sure) the Corolla TREK, a Corolla that's stretched to the length and almost the width of a RAV4. And there’s a regular wagon Corolla but it’s less exciting.
Where I live it's called "Corolla Space" and owners love them, they claim it's better than any other car meant for "hauling cargo" especially compared to the typical Opel Astra K (Chevy Cruze) and Ford Focus Mk3.5 that are underpowered, are both very slow if you're trying to tow anything and have very troublesome powertrains and age terribly.
Is the hatchback generally the most sold type of car?
It's just a different body style, IMO it's better unless it's much shorter than the sedan like some car makers began to do.