Test drive Mazda Mazda 3 (Axela) Sedan 2004 - 2009 sedan

Wide consumption sedans

Golf class sedans are still the most popular product in the Russian market. So the debut of the Korolla of the new generation was, of course, the main event of the beginning of the year. But how does an ambitious beginner and potential bestseller look against the background of strong old -timers?
This Toyota immediately earned a nickname Mini-Kamri. The stylistic kinship of cars is obviously even through two steps of the class staircase. But the advances must not only receive, but also justify. It is clear that the 10th Corolla generation cannot become an unconditional leader in the golf class: to surpass the Russian focus with its unique combination of price and quality today. That is why in the rivals of Toyota we chose a non -budget Ford, not withdrawn from the production of Lancer, who did not significantly rise in price to the Endra and not even a futuristic Sivik, behind which lined up lines in a length of life. Mazda-3 is a completely different matter. Fashionable despite age, and the model has been produced for the fourth year, versatile, not the cheapest, very popular, this car, it seems to us, is ideal in the rivals of Corolla. Moreover, recently enlarged quotas allowed to reduce waiting time from six months and higher to almost tolerable four to five months.
By the way, judging by the design, the age difference between competitors is not felt. In our opinion, Mazda to this day is as fresh and bright as in the spring of its debut. The disputed predatory lines of the usual seemingly sedan do not make you look after only one reason for the threek on our streets of the pond pond.
But if Mazda simply refuses to grow old, then the new Corolla, on the contrary, was not young. Surprisingly, this sedan does not look new. The solidity of the dimensions, not least achieved by almost the Rubensian fullness of the waist line and loose overhangs, perhaps the only one, and even that is not quite obvious plus the exterior of Toyota. Otherwise, New Corollah is more likely to resting on the restyling of the past generation.
A little bit...
The salon of the New Corolla also did not become a revelation. The trouble -free ergonomics, the always -time Toyota metering of the assembly is wonderful. But the design is not impressive. The brightest element of the interior, perhaps, is the board comprehensive and control lamps, inscribed in two circle monitors, placed in the center of both a tachometer and a speedometer. Of course, a good decision. Information is always before my eyes, and most importantly, Corolla now communicates with us in the language of Pushkin, Tolstoy and Chekhov. Booking.
                                 
              
                                
Not everything is perfect and with finishing materials. Cheap door handles, made in the form of some thin pipes, openly dissonate with a rich graphite central console a la Ansis. A very wooden to the touch plastic upholstery excuses only a soft spit at the top of the torpedo. In short, New Corollah is far from golf, even the focus in the GIA version looks, perhaps, more impressive.
                                    
            
From Mazda we did not expect revelations in terms of the interior. Everything is familiar here. The sports style of the threek is clearly traced in the deep wells of the dashboard, and in textured chairs with a claim to kinship with racing buckets, and even in the dynamic design of the radio with running paths on LEDs. The disadvantages are also familiar. Poorly read due to slurred red backlight. A wide central console rubs the driver's right leg. In general, against the backdrop of the Corolla, the interior does not look outdated. By and large, the mazda is inferior to the opponent in the quality of decoration only in the same soft plastic here at all. But ideas and style, perhaps, will be more.
Ground, please
Here are the times! As soon as having overcome the Mazda due to ergonomics and thoroughness of the finish, Corolla immediately pierced in terms of spaciousness. The sofa is good in width. I would like to note the almost complete absence of the central tunnel. True, the compotors tried in vain sofa for two persons, so the third here will not be too free. But the main disappointment is a modest supply for the head of the sitting from behind. In the height of Toyota, the opponent loses the very least, only 2 cm, but this distance is enough to feel the difference.
                         
                                        
                          
And the driver’s chair in Mazda definitely liked more. Despite the slightly smaller pillow in length, it is perceived more comfortable, and solid lateral rollers provide hard support in corners. Finally, a slightly lower, passenger landing makes him bend the legs in the knees less. On the long road will come in handy.
                                      
A lot of noise out of nothing
Corolla's trunk is also not a masterpiece. To start with the fact that rude and massive loops for the 21st century machine is a Moveton. Not to mention the absence of an internal handle. Mazda, by the way, has a parallelogram folding mechanism, which does not threaten the luggage. True, there were no handles on the trunk lid here.
                        
                               
                                           
But the main thing, like most sedans, the Toyota’s cargo capabilities are limited by a three -bind constitution. Yes, the trunk of New Corolls himself added to the volume for this, the Japanese even changed the design of the rear suspension. But in real life, you will not notice 35 liters of advantage over the Mazda. After all, both cars will easily swallow two large road suitcases and ... only. The folding back only slightly improves the situation of the overall luggage interferes with the restrictive arch between the salon and the trunk. And the small height does not allow both to argue in real carrying capacity with the focus, perhaps the best sedan in the class in this discipline.
Do not joke with robots
Buyers of the Corolla, who do not like to switch the programs themselves, are waiting for an unpleasant surprise. She does not have a machine gun in principle, so an alternative is only one robotic MKP multimoud. And it is a ball of compromises. To begin with, to achieve a smooth shift of the gears The task of almost from the field of fantasy. Having relying on the usual automatic mode (EASY), in which the robot sifts itself, you will have to get used to the nervous shakes at every turning on. Those who are familiar with semiautomatic devices are recommended at the time of the desired switch to the top to remove the leg from the gas for a moment and the box will switch itself, and without jerks. Tried, helps. But not always. With a calm ride in the stream, there are no problems, but if you want to accelerate, and the robot painfully tries to jump down down for a long time. You can click the programs and manually, again flying the gas, but here it will not be possible to deceive the multimodal. The fact is that when slowing down, the box will begin to ... sequentially sort out lower gears, while twitching slightly. So it turns out that the multimoud adopted only the worst features from the mechanics and the machine gun. From the first, he was rolling back on the hillock, from the second pause on the Kik Dawn, increased fuel consumption, worst dynamics and higher cost. Finally, the Toyota robot does not know how to effectively slow down the engine. But what does he even know how if our 124-horsepower Corolla lost the parallel start of the 105-horsepower venue with a traditional automatic transmission?!
From zero to a hundred, the treshka brought Toyota one and a half buildings, and only then did the Corolla, thanks to a more powerful motor, took her. Of course, any dynamics for threeking ends at a mark of 160 km/h. It is here that the fourth step in the automatic transmission is included, and the mazza crawls to its passport 174s, already in no hurry. But believe me, confident 190 km/h of the Corolla, without hesitation, we would have changed the understandable, comfortable and, as it turned out, faster than a mazda machine gun.
One step is closer
Among the cars for the driver of Corolla in any of its nine previous generations did not belong. All the more amazing it was to find such a sharp steering wheel in the novelty. Wow! Behind his movements, the car follows with the detachment of Kamikadze instantly and without thinking. Intriguing, however, the beginning. Impeccably good Toyota in the left row of a suburban highway. Even at the maximum 190, the car is perceived by exemplary and insistent and impatiently forth. The suspension is remarkably filtered by the whole rubbish under the wheels from cracks to trenches of deep rudeness, not allowing the body to swing and jump along the waves. And only in quick turns you understand that the aggressive riding is still not the Corolla's business. The sharp steering wheel is good, but the diagonal swing, with sharp rebuilding, the car cries on the inner front wheel and picks up the stern knocks down the driver worse than the panadol. It is strange that at the same time ESP does not even receive an ESP for Toyota even for a surcharge.
                                               
                       
Mazda, in the sharpness of the steering wheel, will easily argue with the Toyota, but it is the pendant of the treshka that provides it with the advantage in terms of controllability. The car holds the road perfectly in any situation. The rolls by the standards of a standard family car are minimized, and the readiness for restructuring at any speed starts a driver. Finally, the speed threshold in the turns of the Mazda is much higher. So even with a weak motor and automatic, Mazda gives true pleasure from driving. The only minus of the excessive sensitivity to rutterness. If the joints and holes of the treshka passes without grimacing, then it literally grins from the rut, like a cork from a bottle of champagne. Here it is, the reverse side of a shorter handling and hard silent blocks.
Holy Brothers ...
Sports notes of the character of three -tires are also emphasized by the evil rod of the engine, which is heard literally in the entire speed range. He is not devoid of musicality, but is it worth listening to this song constantly? The Toyota engine, for example, is much less annoying, it is heard only when the tachometer arrow approaches the red zone. And up to 3000 rpm about its existence, one can not at all guess.
But both cars cannot but be criticized for by no means perfect sound insulation of the bottom and, in particular, the rear arches. This sin has been found behind the Mazda from birth, but the fact that the rumble of rubber is already at a speed of 100 km/h will be so much felt in the salon of the latest Quela, we admit it pretty surprised. It’s not necessary. Finally, the suspension of both cars can not be called unnecessarily comfortable or too hard. So the middle is half.
It is almost not considered
In the Krash-tests of Euroncap, Mazda-3 received an assessment well. Moreover, by the number of points (33), it seemed, she deserved five stars. However, experts noted that during the frontal blow, the elements of the dashboard pose a threat to the hip joints of the driver and passenger. So even for perfectly passed side and pillar tests could not correct the situation. But Mazda pleased with six Air Bags and ABS in the base.
 
Corolla received the maximum rating from Euro-NCAP. Here are just 7 pillows, including the knee, which helped Toyota achieve such impressive results, are available only in the most expensive prestige. Basic comfort costs four eire-beams, which means that we have no right to put an excellent assessment for safety.
A meatball with rice
Today, no one will believe that in 2001 in the year of the debut of the previous generation, the price of the sedan began at $ 12,400. In 2007, Toyota in the basic version with a 1.4-liter engine (97 l.) $ 18 600. Feel the difference! True, the equipment also significantly improved now the air conditioner, ABS, CD magnet and front electric windows. A more powerful 1.6-liter engine requires $ 1350. Moreover, Korolla with a manual box can only be bought in configuration of comfort. If you wanted, say, climate control, cast discs or heating the seats, be kind to pay for eleans ($ 22,700), which is supplied only with the robot. Prestige already includes excesses such as the engine starting system without a key, rain and light sensors, as well as the transmission system on the steering wheel. Such a Corolla is $ 24,600 and is again available only with the robot. How can you not recall the famous: a meatball with rice, a cutlet with potatoes. You can’t change!
And Mazda does not belong to the most affordable representatives of golf class. But unlike Toyota, its configurations are not tied to the type of transmission. The price starts with $ 17,900, and the sedan and hatch-bek are the same. The optimal version of touring is already $ 19,800 with a pen and $ 21,300 with automatic transmission. Add 16-inch alloy wheels and climate control instead of air conditioning for $ 1000 and get the optimal price-improving venue.
On the side of the threek, more affordable prices for spare parts, as well as interservice intervals of 20,000 km twice as long as Toyota. Warranty for both three years or 100 thousand kilometers.
We decided:
Having calculated the amount of points, we came to an unexpected conclusion, the novelty from Toyota lost to a four -year -old Mazde. Sensation? Only partly. After all, to say that we did not expect anything like this, it means undeservedly offend the threek. No wonder this car is still the sedan! The most popular Mazda in Russia. Ethnic, convenient, safe, of course, he is not deprived of shortcomings. But the vivid emotions that Mazda gives (, the average rating is 4.0), of course, outweigh. Alas and ah, Corolla (, the average rating 3.8) remains only on the second line. This car was surprisingly different. Yes, it has become safer. I would like to note an excitingly sharp steering wheel, as well as the great potential of the new 124-horsepower 1.6 liter engine. But what to do with the not -so -spacious sofa or weak trunk transformation in the height? Why is it equal to both successful and dubious solutions in the interior? And the robotic gearbox completely spoiled our nerves with unique sophistication. It does not add optimism and price list. If, to independently, we are accustomed to the inability to independently choose additional options, the exclusive Toyota know-how in Russia, then poorly compiled configurations, which also push the buyer to choose a stupid robot, this, you know, does not climb into any gates. It seems that in Toyota they relate to Russian customers, as the administration of the school dining room for students: what, they say, the difference, what to cook for lunch, if everything is swept off the trays? However, judging by the confident demand for New Corollah, the kids were very hungry.
                           
Text: Mikhail Medvedev
Photo: Maxim Goncharov

Source: Magazine buy a car [08/2007]