Interestingly, the latter may be the cheapest approach of all, at least in the case of Mazda, which already had endemic engineering know-how. Still, getting the buzz among young buyers these days requires either cute design (read VW), expensive marketing or excellent street cred. Golf and Mitsubishi Lancer, neither of which, in base trim, have much going for them once you get past the glam ad campaigns.Īnd the logic of a Mazda that starts by selling small, inexpensive cars to young buyers who can afford them-and eventually sells larger, plusher sedans like the excellent new 6i and 6s-makes eminent sense. , Dodge and Chevy, as well as expertly youth-aimed products, the And that competition includes the likes of Honda, Stack up the newest Protegé versus the competition in the same, $15,000 ballpark, and Mazda spanks all comers for handling and a high fun factor. And Mazda truly has the chops in this arena.

We actually think a niche player like Mazda might grow fatter by doing what it seems to do best, which is to sell spirited, small cars that appeal to younger buyers who are generally on a tight budget. Torque-steer, wing on the back, inscrutable audio controls.īut Mazda cannot live by sporty cars alone, right? Well, maybe wrong. Superbly balanced handling, quick motor, ironed-out interior. (The new RX-8 may well live to be as influential, and there will be a reborn RX-7 down the line as well.) The cute Miata convertible is the best-selling sports car of all time, and the RX-7 was one of the best-loved sports cars in recent history. In the 1970s and 1980s, and BMW of late, being small doesn't mean you can't make a big impact. , by comparison, sold nearly 1.8 million cars (including Lexus) to American buyers in 2002.īut as we've learned from other, once small carmakers, like Last year the Japanese firm that's controlled by Ford Motor-Ford owns 33% of Mazda-sold only 258,213 cars in the U.S.

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