Kia Rio vs. Honda Jazz vs. Mazda 3

[kiakulas]

Hi Tsikoteers,

First off is the big question:
Which is best: Kia Rio, Honda Jazz, Mazda 3?

I just got out of college and earning just fine. I decided to get a car for my own and was considering an affordable "starter" car, but not exactly cheap in value and quality. I'm just starting to learn to drive so half the people says I'd rather buy a pre-owned "bump" car and the other half says get a brand new one as I might face more surprising problems with pre-owned, given I'm incapable of finding a "good" used car and fixing a car myself.

Anyway, my choice is down to Kia Rio, Honda Jazz, and Mazda 3. Mazda 3 looks best for me, but is also the most expensive (and I guess a bit on the higher-end). Rio looks awesome, great value for such a low price but the downside is being "Kia". Jazz seems interesting, but largely because it's Honda. Siempre I'd go for the looks din.. hehe.

Please anyone can give advice on which would be the best pick? I'm thinking of fuel efficiency, overall value, and maintenance cost (durability and parts) in the long run. I'm not planning to sell the car in 4 or so years..

Heard Kia has a bad history but now doing well. Honda is pricey to maintain (expensive parts). Mazda - don't know much about it really.. astig lang talaga dating !

Also, I'm new here in this forum -- decided to hop in as with all the posts I read, everyone's very intelligible on the topic and Tsikot is the best place to know it all..

Thanks!!!

[mazdamazda]

Hmmm... tough inquiry... these 3 cars cater to different market segments.

Anyway, if money is no object I'd probably get the Mazda3 for the level of refinement that it has over the other two. It's comfortable enough, good NVH, nice build quality, pretty interior & exterior, etc. In terms of performance, it is the best handling car in class though it is pretty much tamed by the mediocre engine & transmission.

Second choice will be the Jazz... BUT there's a new model just around the corner. But still, it's a solid performer and might have the best fuel economy among your choices. The interior though is bland compared to the Mazda3 and the build quality is kinda iffy for a Honda.

If you really are on a budget, the Kia Rio is a decent choice also. The engine has enough oomph to get around town and it's quite spacious. It looks very European from the outside and is a breath of fresh air from the sea of Vios & Citys out there. Forget about it being a "Kia"... it's a whole new ballgame now when it comes to Korean cars. Their entry-level cars might not be as refined as their Japanese counterparts but they are getting there.



bigbigcar.com Review: Hyundai Tucson 4x2 CRDi 2.0 A/T

[badkuk]

the rio's an interesting choice...the only thing i'm concerned about is availability of parts.

have you considered the vios? for me it's the best price/fuel economy/passenger space compromise

[kiakulas1]

Thanks mazdamazda, badkuk.

Medyo magkakaiba nga sila ng segment but I was considering Rio and Jazz kasi di nagkakalayo yung price nila - Rio (600k) Jazz (650k). Naisama ko lang yung Mazda 3 kasi may kakilala akong nagbebenta ng Mazda 3 2006 and I was only to pay the rest of the loan.

The main concern really is which of the three would be most economical to own and maintain. We can also throw in, considering they're all almost the same price, which would last longest and would provide most features. But for the looks, I'm hands down to Mazda 3!

Vios is a nice one - actually I was considering Vios earlier but dropped it somehow because I was trying to avoid a very "common" car as it sells very well and I guess almost everyone owns one.

Rio seems a bit rare, kaso yun nga, baka rare din yung parts so in the long run I might suffer unavaialblity of parts, or kung available naman, baka masyadong mahal. Anyone has an idea about the Kia parts availability/affordability?

How about Mazda and Honda?

(By the way, I lost my password for the "kiakulas" account so I created a new one.. it's still me)

Thanks!

[mo_lester69]

don't be too worried about parts availability of kia. they have been here in the philippines for quite some time already and with the growing number of kia branches in the country as well as other kia models (like carens and sportage) you see in the streets, i dont think it will be a problem. plus, im sure mura ang parts ng kia.

i own an opel astra and i was worried too about parts availability before buying it. i did a little research and found at least 3 sources for parts aside from the GM casa. ano pa kaya ang kia diba which is less uncommon than an opel?

bottomline, parts and maintenance should not be a concern for kia or any other cars not named toyota and honda. ilan beses ka lang ba magpapalit ng major parts diba? im sure after around 6-8 years you will think of selling it again and by that time, dun pa lang talaga lalabas mga problema ng kotse.

re mazda, good choice din yan if the 2nd owned car you're looking at has low mileage and still looks brand new. di naman kelangan laging brand new.

if you're after fuel efficiency and long term reliability, then go for the jazz. we own one and fc is really good. sobrang matagtag lang, nakakaawa idaan sa lubak. saka marami na rin naka-jazz sa kalye.

[freespin]

i would go for Kia Rio. 2007 COTY ito at tinalo pa ang vios at jazz. Ganda ng porma nya, very european. I know 5 star crash rating pa sya sa states kaya lng strip off na ang safety features nyan pagdating dito sa pinas. Maganda rin rating ng Rio sa JD Powers reliability rating nito, it got 4 stars out of 5 sa mechanical aspect.

[the one]

Kia Rio

Mazda3

Honda Jazz

[kiakulas1]

Sa totoo lang, I'm starting to get convinced that Kia has improved enough to make me worry less about quality and durabilty. And given the price range of Kia cars, I don't think parts would be as expensive as others nga naman. Any insight from Kia or Rio 2006 owners? Sakit-ulo po ba?

About the Mazda 3 I'm eyeing at, it's only a year old, office-bahay lang ang takbo nun, nakasakay na ko one-time and it's well kept. Kulay lang ayoko sana.. I'm just worried that if I own it, baka ma-drain naman lahat ng budget ko sa usage and upkeep.. Is it really expensive to own a Mazda car?

Based on the photos, Jazz looks less appealing than the sedans, though still looks catchy in person. At 50k more, parang you get less features/specs pa against Rio. So I wanted to know kung di nalalayo ang quality and economy ng Rio sa Jazz.. kasi kung hindi, maybe Rio would be better?

On the sidenote.. I talked to a Kia dealer and he's willing to throw in some freebies.. Is that common (or is it fishy)? Lahat po ba ng dealer puedeng hiritan ng freebies?

Thanks for all your replies!!

[orly_andico]

The Mazda is bigger than either the Jazz or Rio. It is also more comfortable and has a much better suspension (multi-link in the back, not a 1950's era torsion beam like the Jazz or Rio).

In fact it shouldn't be in this comparison at all, since it costs a lot more and doesn't compete in the same price class. Since the Mazda is 1 year old, it still has 2 years to go on its warranty. So I would not be worried about maintenance just yet.

The maintenance costs are almost the same -- talo ka lang sa fuel.

My former colleague gets a consistent 10 km/L with his 1.3L City i-DSI CVT. I get a consistent 7 km/L with our Mazda3. This is all city driving (home to office).

If you drive 30km per day, the Mazda will cost you 200/day or 4400/month (assuming 22 work days). The City will cost you 135/day or 2970/month. That's a 1400/month difference right there. Add that to your amortization.

The Rio should be somewhere in between, but note that the Rio is only available with a manual transmission.

But here's the thing -- these cars are in very different price ranges.

Kia is 590K
Jazz 1.3 MT is 650K (+60K)
Jazz 1.3 CVT is 690K (+100K)
Mazda3 is 800K (+210K)

In practical terms, that means you'll be paying 1000/month more amortizing a Jazz MT, 2000 more on the CVT, and 4000 more on the Mazda. That's on top of the additional fuel cost of the Mazda. (assuming 5-year term)

So the Mazda is the most expensive by quite a lot -- almost 6000 pesos. Only you can decide if you are willing to pony up that much extra cash.

[orly_andico]

Edit: the lesser car dealers always give freebies.

Mazda and Kia included.

Honda has such high self-regard that they never give useful freebies.. you will get floormats and an umbrella from them. And the umbrella has a Honda logo.

In the end it boils down to the budget. I'm partial to the 850K Ford Focus 1.8L hatchback myself, it's in the same price range as the Mazda3 and Ford is so desperate that they give LOTS of freebies.

Wala pa halos kagaya :-)

Really depends on your budget. the Rio is not priced close to the Jazz.

If I were you, I'd figure out how much I am willing to pay every month, then work backward from there.

[jkaizer]

galing ng advice ni sir orly.

kulas, madami ka talaga ma-pi-pick up sa mga experts dito sa tsikot.

add ko lang na if there is a way for you to test drive lahat ng choices mo, that will help you decide too, after carefull consideration ng mga pro's and con's of each of your choices.

[the one]

5 star Kia Rio
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j2PNr0Rd3RQ"]YouTube - kia rio/pride frontal crash test[/ame]


[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fTJfdwhJiNg"]YouTube - Honda Fit-1[/ame]


[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lHMN4wH9a6w"]YouTube - Crash Test of Mazda 3[/ame]

[niky]

Ask around about the release date for the new jazz, the dicker with the dealerships for discounts on the current one. If you can get a Jazz for just 50k more than a Rio, i suggest you go for it.

[kiakulas1]

Thanks sir Orly! Your posts are exactly what I've been looking for!

Ok, so that makes me think Mazda 3 is perhaps not for me... Maybe next time! (hayyz)

About fuel efficiency, Ive been hearing a lot about Jazz'. Perhaps the main thing that kinda steps me back from actually picking Jazz is its looks. Rio appears to be more refined and sportier..

But now you've mentioned the soon to be released new Jazz.. hmmm.. to be honest the looks isn't quite impressing (siguro sa pictures lang, ibang-iba pag totoong buhay e) but quite neat nonetheless. Maybe I can wait to know what features it has to offer.

Orly's computations gives me a good picture of how much I'll spend for daily fueling. Maintenance siguro I can worry about it at least after 3 years pa.

So, as I understand it (please correct me if im wrong by all means) that Rio and Jazz are (almost) at par with each other on economy, maintenance and quality (?).. should I then decide now by merely how it looks? Rio seems to be more feature-packed. Both fits my budget..

How about performance and driving satisfaction?

Thanks the_one for the visual-aided comparisons.. Really appreciate that effort! Thanks for all your replies!

[excitecar]

Hmm... Mazda 3

[niky]

The Rio handles surprisingly well, but it's just no match for the Jazz in on-the-limits driving satisfaction. But for those used to older cars, the light electric steering rack of the Jazz might be a turn-off. The one big issue with the Rio is suspension quality. It's okay in the city, but big heaves and bumps can really upset its composure. The stiff Jazz also reacts to bumps, but it feels more controlled in the way it goes over them.

Interior space isn't very far off... the Rio is surprisingly roomy for a car with a regular roof, but the Jazz is much more flexible in terms of cargo space. Both cars suffer from low seat cushions... this means some knee pain if you're arthritic (like me), but they're unobjectionable, otherwise. Some people complain that the Jazz seats are too hard, but I don't find anything wrong with them.

As for fuel economy... the Rio 1.4 MT is good, but I'd wager a 1.3 Jazz would be much better. Whether it's 90k pesos better (based on fuel consumption alone... in terms of quality, yes, it's probably worth at least that much...), I don't know... but like I said, if they discount it even more before the new Jazz comes in, snap it up. A manual-transmission Jazz 1.3 is like the 21st century version of the VW Beetle... it's the first and last car you'll ever need. The Rio, on the other hand, feels a lot like the old Honda City. a nice, playful little commuter car, with no major drawbacks. I did a long test-drve last year, but we haven't published it yet.

But if you have the budget, the Mazda3 is a virtual luxury car compared to these small cars. Legroom in the rear isn't much better than the Jazz, but it's plusher and better appointed than most other common cars, and it makes you feel like a lucky sunuvagun driving it...



Fuel economy isn't terrible out on the highway (between 10-12 km/l... maybe up to 14-16 on the NLEX), and it seems that they've reprogrammed the engine for better fuel consumption, but it's nowhere near the Jazz's league in city traffic... 7-8 km/l might be the best you can expect.

[Type 100]

If you still have doubts about Kia, I suggest you erase them. They've gotten much, much better over the late 1990s in terms of mechanical reliability---the Kias sold back then were really unsung heroes. Take good care of them and be religious with your tune-ups and they will just keep on running.

The only things Hyundai and Kia need work on nowadays are proper suspension tuning and improvement of interior build quality. Korean cars tend to wallow and be floaty over roads with lots of seqeuential bumps, IMO. There's not much point in having a multi-link rear suspension over a cheap torsion beam axle if you can't tune it properly.

[Lucius]

Sus Mazda3 syempre... Hahaha basta 2.0!

[orly_andico]

*kulas,

re: next time: if you're gonna be paying for your new car for the next 3, 4, or 5 years, then "next time" is gonna be a long time from now... since a car is an emotional purchase, sometimes you just gotta go with your emotions.

picture this: you save 6k/month by not getting a mazda3, then a year later you get a 10k/month raise.. so you can now afford the mazda3, but you're still paying off your Jazz or Rio, so you can't.. (and you can't sell off the existing car because the bank has the title -- besides first owner always takes a huge hit on resale so talo talaga)

then you realize that you should've gotten the mazda3 in the first place.

of course, only you can say whether the increased up-front costs are worthwhile. a car is a MAJOR purchase and getting a car more expensive than you can afford will crimp all your future financial decisions for the next several years.

other side of the coin: it's always better to err on the side of financial conservatism. Better to have more money, than less money, right? a car is just transportation anyway and the cheapest transport that can get you there is the best (think: Toyota Vios 1.3J)

so you have to think ahead a few years... money decisions you make now, will affect you in ways you can't imagine, down the road. to be VERY safe, since it's your first car, get the cheapest one. I would go for the Vios.

[CVT]

We own a 1.3L iDSI CVT Jazz and are very satisfied with it. However, my recommendation is to go with the Mazda3......

Jazz is 2nd and Rio is distant 3rd....

5303:burp: