Quote:
Originally posted by kafromTN
Mazda is owned by Ford, so you're really just buying a ford, look at the Explorer [91-94] and Navaho, exact same.
Just my $.0198597 worth.
-Mark
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While the Navajo and the Exploder were built off the same platform, the majority of Mazdas aren't. My family owns 3, and two were built in Tokyo and have absolutely no Ford connections. Ford also owns only 33% of Mazda. I'm actually refusing to buy the new 3, which I would love, because I believe they're being manufactured here. I do not want American hands touching my car.
My family is big fans of foreign cars - after years of problems with Fords (a Windstar, an Escort, and God knows what my parents had before they had me) and Chevys (my parents drove them in high school and when they first got married) we pretty much stay foreign now. My daddy is looking at getting the new 6, which is very similiar to the 626, and I think my mom is keeping her Tribute (similiar to the Escape but much more visually appealing) for a few more years. I've decided I'll be rocking my Protege until I'm out of law school and I have a nice Audi to take home and love.
One of the other big reasons we steer away from American cars is that my dad and I will both only drive stick shift, and most American manufacturers won't let you get a fully-loaded car with stick. (yet they claim they want us to get better fuel economy....) Because Ford played such a heavy role in manufacture of the Tribute, the only stick available is on the four-banger, which is obviously going to be a pooch in such a large SUV. My mom doesn't mind driving automatic, so that's okay for her, but it wouldn't fly for us. And like Blaine said, Ford isn't gonna be making a rotary car that's as awesome as the RX series anytime soon. In addition, the few Ford vehicles that have been successful were based on designs from Mazda or Volvo.
Sorry for the enormous post, I'm just really passionate about Mazdas.
Zoom zoom,
GP