Car people! Mazda V Ford

[maliciousteve]

Fingers crossed my car will be sold tomorrow and I've got 2 cars in mind

2002 Ford Mondeo 1.8 LX
2003 Mazda 6 1.8 TS

Now the Mondeo has 65,000 miles on the clock, in good shape for £1750.

The Mazda has around 90,000 miles in good shape for a little bit more.

Now what one do I go for? Are Mazda's alot more expensive to keep on the road and repair?

[soliloquy]

i'm not sure how euope is with cars, but
fords are generally less reliable once they get that old. the
first five years wont really give you much of a
headache, but after that, its one problem after another.
sometimes its a small fix like lights, then their exhaust
gives out, then their chassie, their engine, so on and so forth.
since i was a kid, i've had NUMEROUS american cars, and most of them
fords, so its not like i'm pulling this out of my ass. never had a good experience with em.


mazda i cant say much about, as i've only had one mazda way back in 92. but 90 000 miles is quiet a lot.

[Chickenhawk]

EDIT: nevermind

[MaxOfMetal]

Go for which ever one is more comfortable to drive. At the end of the day that's what really counts. By all accounts my Mom's 2009 Jeep Cherokee should have been a better vehicle than my beat () 99' Ford Explorer, but my Exp felt so much better to drive, better visibility, turning, responsiveness, etc. It's just like buying a really nice guitar, you have to test it out to really know which is going to suite you better.

I'd also look up some basic parts costs. Stuff like oil changes, batteries, etc. The stuff you will need to change regularly.

[HighGain510]

Might be off but hasn't Ford owned Mazda (or at least part of it) for a few years now?

[Daiephir]

Originally Posted by HighGain510

Might be off but hasn't Ford owned Mazda (or at least part of it) for a few years now?

Not ownership, it was more of a partner ship between them, since 1979, to this day (according to wikipedia) Ford only owns 3% of Mazda.

But it doesn't matter, from where I come from, any <80 000$ american car thats past 5 years will be a heap of problems, so I'd choose the Mazda, but even then, it's gonna have problem of it's own (probably less thought )

Why can't you buy a more recent vehicule?

[Bigfan]

Go for the one with the best-feeling neck, you can always change out the picku...

Oh wait, wrong thread.

Uh, MIJ for the win?

[maliciousteve]

A few reasons really

I haven't got a full time job. I work but it's not regular work. I could work a whole month doing 60 hours a week and then have nothing for a couple of weeks so when I get the money I have to be careful with it.

I'm getting married next year and need to pay towards that and help save towards a deposit on an apartment with the future wife. So I'm looking for something that doesn't cost a lot and will be fairly reliable.

My 2001 Ford Focus has done me well and hasn't given me any major issues but it's got over 110,000 miles now and want to shift it before I can't.

[squid-boy]

Boat.

I've never been a Ford or Mazda fan. Keep shopping around, but for the sake of the thread, I vote Mazda.

[Korngod]

I have a 91 Mustang and its still kicking just fine with over 200k miles and I beat the shit out of it.

[Daiephir]

Originally Posted by Korngod

I have a 91 Mustang and its still kicking just fine with over 200k miles and I beat the shit out of it.

How is that relevant to the thread?

Also, Steve, I'd definatly take the Mazda, it's probably gonna last you a bit longer than the Ford IMO

[Metal_Webb]

Nothing wrong with either tbh. I got (still have) a 99 Ford Laser hatchback, crack open the bonet and it says "Manufactured by the Mazda Motor Corporation" lol. The thing's done 260,000 km and it's still ticking over. The trick is to get a mechanic to go over it before you buy it and make sure you get it regularly serviced, don't thrash the shit out of it, etc etc.

[brutalwizard]

i hear biased things about fords alot

"ford stands for FOUND ON ROADSIDE DEAD" and ect

so just for that reason i would probaly get the mazda if there really that simailar


but i am happy with my 86' honda accord

2 wrecks, 160,000 and runs fine

and i drive it like a crazy person

[Korngod]

Originally Posted by Daiephir

How is that relevant to the thread?

Also, Steve, I'd definatly take the Mazda, it's probably gonna last you a bit longer than the Ford IMO

There was mention of Fords quality... and by sharing that I drive a Ford with a ton of miles on it, gives an example of their quality. Perfectly relevant if you ask me.

[Hollowway]

Originally Posted by HighGain510

Might be off but hasn't Ford owned Mazda (or at least part of it) for a few years now?

Yes, for more than a decade. The important fact is that they share a lot of the same parts. Mazda and Ford use the same chassis for a lot of their cars that appear similar. Although the Contour/Mondeo isn't shared with Mazda.

But really, the best way to check reliability, etc., is to look at Consumer Reports, or another source like that. Cars are weird in that one model year can be plagued with problems, but the year before and after can be really good.

[BucketheadRules]

Originally Posted by Korngod

There was mention of Fords quality... and by sharing that I drive a Ford with a ton of miles on it, gives an example of their quality. Perfectly relevant if you ask me.

True, but US and EU Fords are quite different

[Daiephir]

Originally Posted by Korngod

There was mention of Fords quality... and by sharing that I drive a Ford with a ton of miles on it, gives an example of their quality. Perfectly relevant if you ask me.

It's of no relevance at all, the mustang is THE car Ford sells, of course they're gonna make it better than the rest of their line.

And by adding nothing else to that message you rather seem to be showing off that you have a (shitty IMO) sports car.

[TomPerverteau]

I find it funny how most Americans (especially self-proclaimed Ford experts) are not aware that their has been a Ford Europe since before WWII. Long, successful racing history.

Mazda is now what Datsun used to be: Excellent & affordable performance cars, great racing record, strong aftermarket support...

They're both really good, with comparable cost for parts. I must agree to go with the one you enjoy driving the most.

[Rook]

They're both the same car.

Nobody here seems to realise just how much Ford Europe and Mazda share.

The Mazda 2 and Fiesta are identical, literally, save for a touch of bodywork
The Mazda 3 and Focus are the same, same chassis, same engines but fewer
The Mazda 6 is a Mondeo

A lot of them even have pretty much the same interior.

I'd go ford because it's cheaper and has less mileage. Don't take anyone saying for are unreliable, I had a 16 year old Escort for ages that worked perfectly, now I have a 55 plate Focus that hasn't gone wrong once in the 90000 miles it's done (50000 of which I put on it in the last 3 years).

I'd go Ford. If you prefer the drive on the Mazda that much then go for it, but at the kinda ages they're at, the slight extra tightness and firmness you get from the Mazdas will have faded a bit


EDIT: Just noticed I'm on 3500 posts, happy 3500 post day to me?

[HighGain510]

Originally Posted by Hollowway

Yes, for more than a decade. The important fact is that they share a lot of the same parts. Mazda and Ford use the same chassis for a lot of their cars that appear similar. Although the Contour/Mondeo isn't shared with Mazda.

But really, the best way to check reliability, etc., is to look at Consumer Reports, or another source like that. Cars are weird in that one model year can be plagued with problems, but the year before and after can be really good.

Yep, I'd say check Consumer Reports (the online report is what I've used in the past, it's inexpensive and offers a great deal of information especially if you're going used). But yeah that's what I was getting at, they are "the same" company essentially as a lot of their models run on the same platform now with interchangeable exterior/interior parts, but those main pieces are still the same regardless of which brand you go for.

Originally Posted by Fun111

They're both the same car.

Nobody here seems to realise just how much Ford Europe and Mazda share.

The Mazda 2 and Fiesta are identical, literally, save for a touch of bodywork
The Mazda 3 and Focus are the same, same chassis, same engines but fewer
The Mazda 6 is a Mondeo

A lot of them even have pretty much the same interior.

Yeah that's pretty much what I was looking for, I don't know a ton about the aesthetics of the Euro market but I know mechanically they're supposed to be very much the same or extremely similar.

Side-point: I had a '05 Mazda3-S back in 2006 and it was an awesome car. Very agile ride, fun to drive and the gas mileage was decent but not great. I still miss that car, the performance factor was great for what it was, would love to get a Mazda Speed3 but there's really no reason to own it since the traffic down here is garbage so until I move somewhere where there is way less traffic, no faster cars for me, all about fuel efficiency. My brother has a Mazda 6 currently and loves it, very peppy car with a decent amount of pickup and a lot of legroom IIRC (been a few months since I've been in it). If they're similar, grab the one you like the most based on fuel efficiency, ride and aesthetics. Can you test drive them both?

[GuitaristOfHell]

Originally Posted by Daiephir

How is that relevant to the thread?

Also, Steve, I'd definatly take the Mazda, it's probably gonna last you a bit longer than the Ford IMO

Yeah we both have Fords at my house. The older they get the SHITTIER and I mean that. Our Expedition is nice, hauls ass, but we've had so many issues with it, it's not even funny.

[Korngod]

Originally Posted by Daiephir

It's of no relevance at all, the mustang is THE car Ford sells, of course they're gonna make it better than the rest of their line.

And by adding nothing else to that message you rather seem to be showing off that you have a (shitty IMO) sports car.

It is a Ford with a "Mazda" engine. The engine is a 4 cylinder, so its not THE car Ford sold. How about that? . Either way, somebody out there could have actually used the information I provided instead of just saying one brand is worse than the other, without providing any evidence. So lets let these guys have their topic back?

[dantejayg85]

It basically comes down to what car you prefer, the Engine in both cars is the same, however, the Mondeo and Mazda6 are NOT the same car. The 6 (which I own) is built on the CD3 platform the mondeo is not, the 1.8 is based off Ford 4 cylinders but was designed by Mazda, and used in both Ford's and Mazda's.

One thing to note, the early 1.8's had a problem where the the butterfly valves in the intake manifold would break and send pieces of plastic and metal into the combustion chamber.
The problem was fixed in 2002/2003 so I would check on both cars to make sure they've been brought in and checked/repaired for this problem, the ford being a 2002 was probably built in 2001 so it would be a prime candidate for this problem, the Mazda being a 2003 was mostly likely built in 2002, if it was built late in 2002 it may have the upgraded butterfly valves and have no problems though. But I would still check nonetheless.