| 2010 Mazda 3 vs 2010 Honda Civic | January 6, 2010 | AUTORIVALS.NET |
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| While the Toyota Corolla and Honda Civic remain the two sales leaders in the compact car segment, the Mazda 3 is gaining more and more attention. The previous generation was highly regarded for its driving dynamics and refinement but was never really a looker. Not much has changed with the new Mazda 3. The 3's driving mechanics remain just as dynamic as before and the interior is a few levels above the competition. If only they could make it look good, they'd have a real winner. | ||
| 2010 Mazda 3 | vs | 2010 Honda Civic |
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| Sleek and sexy are the last things that come to mind when you look at the new Mazda 3. The body is bubbly, not curvaceous, just bubbly. It's as if they were trying to compete with the Volkswagen Beetle rather than the Civic and other compact sedans. To match its bubbly persona, they topped it off with the new Mazda family face. A very happy face but I'm not amused. The new five-point grille is the vocal point of the entire front fascia and it's hard to get past it. It takes up the entire front and then some. The Civic looks fairly aggressive when placed next to the 3. The thin headlights, redesigned air inlets, and new chrome bar across the upper grille give it a more masculine appearance compared to the 3. | ||
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| Don't get me wrong, the 3 isn't all
bad. It'll actually look good to some people (mostly women and
teenage girls I'd imagine). I would just prefer something that
my friends won't make fun of me for driving. A body kit might be the
best remedy but those don't always look good either. I guess
we're stuck until the next generation but who knows what they'll
slap on it next time. Honda on the other hand, has been able to do well with the Civic's design although the body is now a few years old. The design looks different enough to make it stand out but still remains tasteful and appealing to the majority of public. |
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| The 3's profile is where things get better. The door surfaces and creased side look pretty good and give it some definition. The roofline looks smoother than the Civic and the C-pillar is better designed. | ||
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| The 3's taillights are an interesting design with a mash-up of clear and red lenses. The rest of the rear is a bit plain with a vast trunk that bubbles out like the rest of the car. The Civic's taillight arrangement isn't the best either and the chrome bar connecting them seems like an unnecessary touch. | ||
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| This is where Mazda got things right. The interior looks sleek, upscale, and more luxurious than the Civic and other competitors. They've done they're own rendition of the Civic's two-tier design but places a tiny navigation screen and other information in the upper tier above the center stack. Honda gave the Civic the split dashboard design back in 2006 which places the digital speedometer and other gauges up top within easy view of the road. The rest of the dashboard still looks futuristic even four years later with vents randomly placed and an unusual steering wheel. | ||
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| RECAP | RECAP | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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PROS +At least the side looks good +Sleek interior with Honda ergonomics CONS -Bubblicious -Mazda's family smile |
PROS +Still looks good four years later +Revised bumper helps a lot +Was first with the split dashboard CONS -It's getting old -Interior is poorly arranged |
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| Video Source: Cars.com via YouTube | Video Source: Cars.com via YouTube |
| NOTES |
| The Civic is getting old by automotive standards and the next generation has been pushed back due to a refocus on reducing weight. Hopefully it'll be worth the weight. |
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