need help. mazda 3 vs altis 1.6E vs civic vti-s

bucksville · #1 09-08-2006, 11:50 AM

need help badly. planning to buy a car ano b maganda mazda 3, altis 1.6E, civic vti-s all are 2004 model. thankyou! hope matulungan nyo ko. tnx.

niky · #2 09-08-2006, 02:39 PM

The mazda 3 and the VTi-S should have slightly higher consumption than the Corolla if all three are automatic, but they should all be relatively good.

Tha Mazda is the most exciting to be in, among the three, and it's the most fun to drive, despite being the slowest. Basically, the inside is very good, roomy front seats and decent rear seats, huge glove compartment and square and useful trunk... I've seen integrated amps/subs built into the trunk wall, and there's still a lot of space left over.

The Civic is also fun to drive, but not as much fun as older Civics. Still a good car. Medyo soft daw ang suspension, but I wouldn't know. Should be the quickest car here, too.

The Corolla is a nice car, too. Very easy and relaxing to drive, if kind of boring. Lots of aftermarket kit available for it, too, if you want to play dress-up.

Of the three, the Corolla is probably easiest to service outside the dealership. I've heard of no problems in quality or reliability for the 1.6 Mazda3 so far, and build quality is excellent.

vinj · #3 09-08-2006, 04:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by niky

The Civic is also fun to drive, but not as much fun as older Civics. Still a good car. Medyo soft daw ang suspension, but I wouldn't know. Should be the quickest car here, too.

Yup, the springs and shocks of this generation of Civics are tuned to the softer side (not as fun to throw around as the EK)... I had to upgrade to KYB gas shocks on mine as i found it too soft for my taste.

There are several threads on these ride outlining the pros and cons... The observations of Niky are quite accurate IMO; test drive and go where your heart is.

mazdamazda · #4 09-08-2006, 05:50 PM

mazda3
+ sharpest handler
+ best looking among the 3
+ best interior among the 3
+ good features
- sluggish manumatic
- 1.6L engine is easily overwhelmed by tranny & body weight

altis
+ large cabin
+ comfy ride
- boring looks inside & out
- boring ride
- most frugal in gas consumption

civic
+ good engine, VTEC3
- FD civic already out

basti08 · #5 09-08-2006, 05:57 PM

Mazda3 1.6V...the mid level variant.

its the best buy. more features than the rolla or civic.

more handling...more looks too.

bucksville · #6 09-08-2006, 11:39 PM

tnx sa info, so mas ok pla mazda so far. madali b maghanap parts ng mazda. plan to keep it for long kc. since dis might be my first car. hirap kc mag ipon eh

more info from you guys will help me a lot. tanx!....

mackieboy · #7 09-09-2006, 12:13 AM

ano nga ba ang vote ko...
m3 sakin...

oldblue · #8 09-09-2006, 05:57 AM

syempre mazda 3

ronald_m · #9 09-09-2006, 06:14 AM

Test drive em all.Everyone has personal preference.

vinj · #10 09-09-2006, 07:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ronald_m

Test drive em all.Everyone has personal preference.

I agree...

I used to not like the Mazda 3 too much until today. I test drove a 1.6V and i really loved the handling and feel of this car as compared to the Altis and the 8th Gen Civic.

If only they added a little more HP to the engine while keeping the price constant then it would have been a sure buy.

jg2003 · #11 09-09-2006, 07:47 PM

mazda3 din for me. siyempre love your own. nice handling, nice looks, fun to drive...you may need to control your stepping on the gas nga lang, it is not as fuel efficient as the other 2.

squala · #12 09-09-2006, 08:18 PM

I tried all these cars and I liked the Altis best. It feels light-footed under acceleration and very solid through our 'off-road' highways. The suspension is a bit on the hard side, but this is better for our driving conditions. What I didn't like though was its drooping nose (not great for bumper-to-bumper traffic) and rather tall height (could not be ideal for Autocross). The Civic is a bit lower, but it felt loose, soft and had minivan-like driving position (high chair, flat dash and low hood). I did like the interior though, because of its best space, and the quality seems good despite the cheap-looking exterior. Acceleration-wise, it didn't really feel responsive. Our EK A/T will surely outrun this one. The ES automatic is apparently tuned more for economy than performance. And speaking of pace, the Mazda 3 had little of it, if any. The engine is just too weak for the heavy body, and the absence of a manual gearbox makes things even worse. But the 3 handles the best and its steering has great feedback compared to the other two.

Bravoexo · #13 09-09-2006, 08:36 PM

Mazda3 here.. but I have the hatch. I have forgotten how to drive it in "D". I just love the brakes, the large cabin space and driver and front passenger legroom, the handling + activematic combo, the huge utility use of the liftgate + trunk + 60/40 split rear seats, and how easy it is to mod this car... seriously, I recently saw how a civic is undone to install speakers and HU's... too much work... sa Mazda3... everything is two screws away from removal... door trim 2 screws...HU, two screws.. middle trim (zero screws)... and not the least, the larger than visually expected glove box...

Bravoexo · #14 09-09-2006, 08:37 PM

Ah..to attach leds sa tail lights... two screws din. (he he double post kasi so changed it nalang..)

number001 · #15 09-09-2006, 09:06 PM

@Bravoexo

Can your Mazda3 hatch's passenger seats fold flat or tumble or both?, much like a Jazz? I am looking for pics around the net and can't find any that shows whether it can be folded or tumbled. I really like to get an idea of how much volume of cargo it can hold. Thanks!