New Focus or Mazda 3?

I looked at both and selected the Mazda3. The European version of the focus is based on the Mazda3 platform. I understand the next US version of the focus will be also.

My daughter has a 2002 Focus which I bought for her with less than 10,000 miles on it. It now has close to 50,000 miles on it.

I have a 2005 Mazda3 that I bought last year with less than 5,000 miles on it. I've put 10,000 miles on it since last November.

The Mazda scores better on any test you want to apply to the two cars. It's quieter, it handles better, it has better power and gas mileage. It just "feels" better. It feels tight and solid. The Focus is loose and clunky. The Focus will probably last well over 100,000 miles with basic care. So will the M3, but it's a LOT more fun to drive.

-- Jack

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Interesting you mentioned the Mazda is quieter than the Focus. I just rented a new Focus wagon in the UK for 3 weeks, 1.6L 5 sp. stick. Great luggage capacity, passenger space, handling and good mileage at 35 imperial MPG over 1,000 miles with about 90% highway. BUT it was very noisy, in fact too noisy on most roads to talk. The noise was wheel noise from all 4 wheels. In the previous two years we have have rented two Focus hatch backs in the UK and didn't find them excessively noisy. So although I liked the Focus form factor very much the road noise turned us off this car.