Avensis V Mazdfa 6 V Mondeo

[Tawse57]

Hi,

I am thinking of buying my first large family size car. I have always had small family cars and had set my heart on a Mazda 3 or Corolla only to discover, at 6 foot 2 inches tall, I could not fit into either. In fact, the only small family car I can get comfortable in is the new Golf but...

So I have concluded that I need to move up to a bigger car and have also decided to go for a diesel option. My short-list is the Mondeo TDCi, the Mazda 6 and the Avensis... which just got named Whatcar's Car of the Year for the second year running in its category.

I most likely will not buy new but will, at best, buy a 1 yr old pre-registered deal or one that is 2 - 3 years old as there seems to be loads of these around for a considerable saving on new.

My gut tells me not to go for the Mondeo because, um, it has a blue oval Badge on it but I can't find a bad review about the Mondeo. In fact, all review seem to be great and it is amazing what you can get for 10K in terms of a 1 or 2 year old Mondeo.

Anyhow, I have seen some negative posts on this forum re the build quality of the Avensis and wonder what would people do if choosing one of the above 3 cars today? Would you buy an Avensis again? Are they that poor? Is the Mazda 6 or Mondeo TDCi a better bang for buck?

Thanks,

T.

[Fidgits]

hi and welcome..

Please dont take this the wrong way, but expect a biased view from this forum..

I've heard the Avensis is very well built, but the mondeo has been the class leader for a while for a very good reason...

Stay away from the mazda though, terrible car the 6!

[Fmrl]

I am thinking of buying my first large family size car. I have always had small family cars and had set my heart on a Mazda 3 or Corolla only to discover, at 6 foot 2 inches tall, I could not fit into either. In fact, the only small family car I can get comfortable in is the new Golf but...

Humph - I'm 6 foot and I've got a Corolla, never had a problem fitting into it - I guess those extra 2 inches make all the difference. ;)

Personally, I'd go for a Mazda 6 as I think they look nicer than an Avensis or a Mondeo - I'm very shallow and superficial though.

(whispers) What about the Renault Laguna?

[Tawse57]

I considered the Laguna until mot of the reviews I read slammed them for reliability. The Avensis, 6 and Mondeo all do incredibly well for reliability... even the blue Badge....

[Fidgits]

yeah, and as much as i hate to say it, the TDci (common rail diesel) engines from Ford are some of the best available...

[eg5ferio]

Whats wrong with the Mazda 6?? i think it looks very nice, not driven it tho but seen the quality & very well built & good quality.....

hi and welcome..

Please dont take this the wrong way, but expect a biased view from this forum..

I've heard the Avensis is very well built, but the mondeo has been the class leader for a while for a very good reason...

Stay away from the mazda though, terrible car the 6!

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[jamesholden]

Well the Mazda 6 and Mondeo are essentially the same car and if you get the diesel it uses the Mondeo's engine.

[Tawse57]

Well the Mazda 6 and Mondeo are essentially the same car and if you get the diesel it uses the Mondeo's engine.

Apparently not - the Mazda uses a diesel of their own design and manufacture currently.

[Zz24hours]

Funny .. I've just been in the same situation, the exact same cars to choose from also

I think that the Mondeo is "getting out of style" .. it's one of the cars in the class that have been on the market longest as it is now. The engine and 6speed transmission should be great though

Mazda6 .. great design, no doubt about it. In test they are critical about road-noise and that the fuel-economic isn't as good as others in the class

Avensis .. giant leep from from the previous model, quality impression is great. Loads of standard equipment.

... I decided on the Avensis .. will be getting it late March B)

[Fidgits]

whats wrong with the Mazda...

Okay, ignoring the blatent plagurism from the Lexus IS200 (rear lights, heater controls etc etc....) the build quality is awful - I've driven one, the dash is very plasticy and cheap, not to mention there is a lot of rattles in the cabin. to drive, its okay, but nothing exciting...

The only advice i could give, is go try them all...

[Tawse57]

Have to agree here.

Went to look at the Mazda 3 and 6 and was amazed how cheap and plastic they were inside. Most reviews do seem to make an issue of road noise and, over on fleet news and a few other sites, they get criticised for their fuel figures not being as good as other cars in the class. I am also a tad concerned about the NCAP test which saw the foot well ruptured... don't expect that on a modern car of this size. Fleet news also says the seats are like something out of the 80s and I have seen a few owner reviews reporting 'numb bum' after long journeys.

The Mondeo is the oldest, and due to be replaced in 2006, but the recent TDCi is supposed to be superb and you seem to get an awful lot of kit in their Ghia model that other makers charge for. I have never seen a bad review of one and they are supposed to be really comfy on even the longest of journeys. Alas, it has that oval blue Badge but you can get a heck of alot of car at 1 or 2 years old for 10K or under. It is still considered the class leader.

Road noise and bland looks seem to be the main criticism of the Avensis - looks like you need to be 80 plus years old or wearing a flat cap to drive one. Toyoto seem to have a serious design issue.

Whatcar and Fleet news says that the market for large family cars is shrinking as people move to either MPVs, smaller city cars or to executive models. Hence why the Avensis and Accord are both trying to crack the 'executive' market.

[Fidgits]

have you looked at the Accord? not perfect but supposed to get a lot for your money, and if you get the exec spec, you get a lot of extras...

[Tawse57]

Yes, I have looked at the Exec Accord and frankly would buy one today if they had a hatch. They don't and every review I have read says that this is a big mistake, along with the high price, by Honda.

In fact, to be frank, I would not buy an Accord even if they had a hatch as the price range is in BMW/Audi territory.

The new Accord diesel is a great car but no hatch and too expensive means it has ruled itself out. I believe Honda, ( I could be wrong here), are not selling anywhere near the numbers they had hoped for.

[runboy]

I was in the market for a family hatch late last year, so have been through (looked at):

Vauxhall Vectra

Ford Mondeo

Honda Accord

Mazda6

Jag X-Type

Lexus IS200

SEAT Altea

SAAB 9-3/9-5

VW Passat

Volvo S60

Audi A4

BMW 5-Series

And the Avensis.....

So a lot of motors to research. A few I managed to discount just on my knowledge, initial and ongoing costs and reviews. So that left me with Vectra, 6, Accord, Mondeo and the Avensis.

Vectra and Mondeo-just too many of them on the roads, nothing special and I don't think the build quality is as good as the Avensis. The Accord was too small and not well equipped compared to the Avensis, and the Mazda 6 looks great on the outside, good spec etc but from the inside it's like a cheap 1980's Hi-Fi unit. Just didn't wash with me. My other constrain was an auto so that knocks some motors out as the combination of spec and auto box didn't suit me.

Ultimately the Avensis won. For me it looks good, has the spec I want, was comfy, big, well built and felt quality inside. They are not too common on the road and costs are low for the size of motor.

If I wanted mainstream cheapness then the Mondeo or Vectra would have done, but they wouldn't give me that feeling I was in something that bit different. The Mondeo or Vectra wouldn't make me have a glance back at them when the sun is shining down on the paintwork like the Avensis does.

Most motors these days are well built and comfy, but each has a bit more of what you want so thats why there are so many different cars on the road-if 99% were bad and 1% good, we would only see 2 models of car on the road!

[Tawse57]

but from the inside it's like a cheap 1980's Hi-Fi unit

That is the best description of the inside of a Mazda 6 I have heard and sums them up perfectly. As I have said in another thread I have seen ones only 6 months old that look tatty and knackered inside.

[tubaman]

but from the inside it's like a cheap 1980's Hi-Fi unit

That is the best description of the inside of a Mazda 6 I have heard and sums them up perfectly. As I have said in another thread I have seen ones only 6 months old that look tatty and knackered inside.

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I have a black Avensis SR (2 yr old) and it looks a bit different from the bog standard Avensis with a much more attractive front & rear end.

Worth a look.