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  1. Join Date
    Dec 2003
    Posts
    483
    #1
    mazda in trouble in the US?not really, unlike mitsubishi.but it's frustrating for the folks at Mazda closing up 2004 and not selling as much vehicles as they wanted to compared to behemoth Toyota.Mazda sold 76,080 3s last year in the US while Toyota sold 333,161 Corollas; 72,148 6s vs 426,990 Camrys; 24,860 MPVs vs 159,119 Siennas.
    The problems?Mazda said Mazda vehicles have these shortcomings per their surveys and research:
    1.small cupholders (against supersized American drinking cups?)
    2.subpar climate controls
    3.smallish seats(against supersized American butts?)
    4.too firm a ride(that's why they're sporty!)
    5.no techno help for iPod,bluetooth,satellite radio and navigation system

    so somehow Mazda makes good-looking and great products but not reaching out to the American public.Mazda should fix maybe the cupholders and A/C but shouldn't give up on its "zoom-zoom" image vs soft,wallopy ride (that's why their is the Camry). should the brand change just to compete with Toyota or Honda?

  2. Join Date
    Oct 2002
    Posts
    4,801
    #2
    compared to behemoth Toyota.
    Well, there's the answer at grabe ang margin At marami pa ding average driver as opposed to sporty driver na mas gusto ng softer ride.

  3. Join Date
    Oct 2002
    Posts
    14,825
    #3
    well... the Mazda brand is more directed to a smaller segment of the market (and a loyal one) - which would by the sporty / stylish driver as opposed to the soccer mom / grocery hauler driver (sister company Ford is responsible for that). and I wouldn't want the brand to change just to compete directly with Toyota & Honda.

    though if you sum up the Ford Group's (Ford, Jaguar, Mazda, Land Rover, Lincoln, Mercury, Volvo, Aston Martin) they present a very varied and formidable offering (their SUVs are still selling like hotcakes).

  4. Join Date
    Jan 2004
    Posts
    3,362
    #4
    Ano ba ang gusto nila?

    I mean, if they have a market and are making money, they should be ok as a niche player.

  5. Join Date
    Oct 2002
    Posts
    14,825
    #5
    here it is... I don't think that they are aiming to topple Toyota

    Mazda aims to achieve margin goal

    TOKYO: Mazda Motor Corp. will aim for an operating profit margin of 6 percent in closer to two years within a 10-year, longer-term business plan, a top official at the Japanese auto maker said on Tuesday.

    “We want 6 percent in the not-so-distant future,” Stephen Odell, director and senior managing executive in charge of Mazda’s marketing and sales told Reuters in an interview.

    Between the auto maker’s medium-term business plan that runs over the next two years and the longer-term, 10-year plan, Odell said Mazda would aim to reach that target within the “closer end” of that range.

    Outlining its new medium-term and longer-term strategy, Mazda said on Tuesday it wants to lift the margin to more than 6 percent some time within the next 10 years, up from 3.5 percent in the July-September quarter and 2.4 percent last business year.

    That would still be lower than a margin of 9.2 percent at top Japanese car maker Toyota Motor Corp. in the latest quarter and around 10 percent for second-ranked Nissan Motor Co.

    Mazda’s strength so far has come mainly from its stellar performance in Europe, where its sales grew by 20 percent during the first business half-year to Sept. 30.

    But Odell said that also meant Mazda had “plenty of opportunity” to grow in other markets such as the United States — its Achilles’ heel — and the promising Southeast Asian region, where its presence is still minimal.

    As the auto maker invests in the U.S. market to turn more dealers into exclusive Mazda showrooms, Odell said it would be able to sell more vehicles while retaining more customers for future sales.

    He noted that 70 percent of its U.S. sales were made through its exclusive dealers, which make up just 30 percent of all showrooms selling Mazda cars.

    Odell said U.S. dealers were showing interest in turning exclusive at a faster pace than Mazda had expected, prompting Mazda to bring forward its target of having 50 percent exclusivity by one year to 2006. — Reuters

  6. Join Date
    Feb 2004
    Posts
    1,704
    #6
    you have to hand it to toyota though, they are now part of (or very close to becoming) the Big Three in the USA. i'm not sure which one they will bump off, i forget.

    andy

  7. Join Date
    Jan 2004
    Posts
    3,362
    #7
    OT: Hahaha kala ko si odell ng tsikot ang iniinterview... missed the full name.

    Teka medyo number crunching na yan...ayoko nang magcompute. Basta if their studies indicate that their current market is enough for their goal, ok na, otherwise, they will have to introduce models for the "Toyota buyers" group.

  8. Join Date
    Jan 2005
    Posts
    1,230
    #8
    If you check the numbers in the past few years, Mazda we're never been that hot.

    2003
    http://www.edmunds.com/reviews/list/...8/article.html

    2002
    http://www.edmunds.com/reviews/list/...8/article.html

    2001
    http://www.edmunds.com/reviews/list/...7/article.html

    2000
    http://www.edmunds.com/reviews/list/...8/article.html

    JDPowers - the best known organization that conducts surveys to car owners have compiled the data and shows that the new Mazda 3 and Mazda 6 has this flaws:
    Mazda 3 Mazda 6
    Mechanical Quality : 2/5 2/5
    Feature & Accessory Quality: 5/5 3/5
    Body & Interior Quality: 2/5 2/5
    Overall Quality: 2/5 2/5
    Performance: 3/5 3/5
    Comfort: 5/5 3/5
    (see link to check result)

    Overall, if you look at the quality 5 or 10 years before that (3 series, Protege (US version of 323), 6 series and 626), you will see that they fall short to quality. Mazda and Ford had a lot of quality issues in the past and even now (google "mazda recalls" and "ford recalls").....

    I know, a lot of us buy our cars based on looks. But looks doesn't necessarily mean quality.
    Here's the link:

    http://www.jdpower.com/cc/auto/jdpa_...ndJdAwards.jsp

  9. Join Date
    Oct 2002
    Posts
    14,825
    #9
    here's a side by side comparo of the 3, civic, corolla & focus. this is just the "initial" ratings (90 days from purchase - ?).

    performance? hmmm....

  10. Join Date
    Jan 2005
    Posts
    1,230
    #10
    JD Power has been there for a long time and their survey is based on actual owners.

    For people who buy small cars (im talking about US Market) - they are usually owned by average daily driver who is looking for these:
    1. quality
    2. fuel economy
    3. price

    Kia, Hyundai, Mazda, some Mitsubishis and all american car makers who produce compact cars have been always short in quality and that affects their resale value. I have yet to see an average american who buys his automobile just by looks alone.

    Hyundai's annual sales is doing better every year just because of their 10-year-100,000 mile powertrain warranty compared to 3year-36,000 mile warranty for other manufacturers. But, they still do have quality issues.

    The reason why quality and reliability is so important here is because time here is so important and getting your car fixed is so time-consuming and expensive (cheapest shop i've seen is $65/hr - average is $75/hr and they usually charge extra hours for a simple job).

    I guess its a different thing in the Philippines because people buy their cars there based mostly on looks.

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mazda in trouble?