Typical Malaysian Mentality. It's also unfortunate that Mazda isn't being more aggressive with their advertising, the extra exposure would have helped their brand awareness.

If there's any issue, it would really concern those people living in the rural areas where spare parts and servicing could be an issue. Otherwise, major cities centers like JB, Melaka, KL/SEL, Ipoh, Penang should really have no such problems.

Latest review from Singapore.

http://www.sgcarmart.com/news/review.php?AID=107

And here's the opening statement:

I have to agree, the sight of this new car usually catches my attention so much that I speed up/slow down just to get a better view of it.

As a matter of personal opinion - the keyless push/start stop engine button is nice to have but it is not critical. I do drive my sis-in-law's BMW 320i which comes this feature so my experience is it's nice to have but the novelty wore out for me after 2 weeks

To potential buyers: I really wouldn't worry so much about resale value. However, feature wise - the Peugeot 308 turbo does give this car a run for its money but at the end of the day, it still comes down to which marque and design you like better.

This post has been edited by zweimmk: Jun 29 2009, 02:18 PM

A comparison between the Mazda 3 2.0L Sedan and the Peugeot 308 Turbo.
Advantage marked with (A). Each car have their own significant advantages over the other, at the end of the day - you choose the poison that suits you best

Price

Mazda 3 2.0L (CBU) Sedan
Price: RM 129,999.00

Peugeot 308 Turbo (CKD)
Price: RM 113,888.00

Price advantage: Peugeot 308 Turbo
Quality advantage: Mazda 3 CBU
Resale value: Even for both marques

Power:
Mazda 3 2.0L Sedan
Output: 108kW / 6500RPM
Torque: 182Nm / 4000RPM
Fuel Capacity: 55L
Features: SVT, Electronic Throttle Control

Peugeot 308 Turbo
Output: 103kW / 6000RPM
Torque: 240nM / 1400RPM
Fuel Capacity: 60L
Features: BMW Valvetronic system on intake side, gasoline direct injection

Power advantage: Mazda 3
Torque advantage: Peugeot 308 Turbo
Note: The engine found in the Peugeot 308 Turbo is the same engine found in the BMW Mini-Cooper

Transmission:

Mazda 3 2.0L Sedan
5 speed AT Activematic
Electric power assisted steering

Peugeot 308 Turbo
4 Speed AT Porsche Tiptronic System
Electric power assisted steering

Advantage: Mazda 3 gains the advantage with an extra gear

Dimensions:

Mazda 3 2.0L
L: 4580mm
W: 1755mm
H: 1470mm
WB: 2640
Boot Space: 335L

Peugeot 308 Turbo
L: 4276
W: 1815mm
H: 1498
WB: 2608
Boot Space: 430L

Dimension: Even for both cars
Bootspace advantage: Peugeot 308 Turbo.
Oddly enough, the Mazda 3 Sedan suffers from very poor cargo space compared to the hatchback version which comes with a whopping 480L of bootspace

Equipment

Mazda 3 2.0L Sedan
Multi-Information Display
Dual-zone Automatic Climate-control Aircon with Pollen filter
Keyless smart entry system c/w alarm & immobilizer (A)
17 inch wheels
Steering Controls c/w paddle shifters c/w cruise control (A)
Auto dimming rear view mirror
In-dash 6-CD/MP3/WMA player with AUX connection point for external audio sources and 6 speakers audio unit
Tilt and telescopic steering wheel
Center Console Box with Sliding Armrest
Power folding mirrors with turn indicators
Rain sensing wipers
Fabric seats and leather wrapped steering
LED Rear Combination Lamps (A)
60:40 split folding rear seat

Peugeot 308 Turbo
Trip computer
Dual zone Automactic Climate Control Aircon with active carbon & pollen filter and air conditioned glove box and fragrance diffuser
Keyless entry system c/w alarm & immobilizer
Rear passenger air-con vents (A)
Steering with audio remote control and cruise control with speed limiter
17 inch wheels
Panoramic Sunroof (A)
Auto dimming rear view mirror
RD4 Radio/ MP3 CD Player and 6 speaker system + AUX connection point for external audio sources
Tilt and telescopic steering wheel
Power folding mirrors with turn indicators
Auto wipers
Fabric seats with leather wrapped steering
Adjustable front centre armrest with built in storage compartment
Rear parcel shelf storage (accessible from passenger and boot compartments) (A)
Driver and front passenger under seat storage drawers (A)
60:40 split folding rear seat

Advantage: Clearly both cars have certain advantages over each other.

Safety features

Mazda 3 2.0L Sedan
Bixenon project headlamps with Auto-levelling and autolights sensor
Fog lamps (front)
Black-out meter instrumental panel
ABS+EBD+BA
Ventilated front disc and rear disc brakes
Active headrest
Crushable brake pedal
Collapsible steering column
Maidas body
6 Airbags (2 front, 2 side, 2 curtain)

Peugeot 308 Turbo
Project Headlights with “Follow Me Home” and Daytime Running Lights (DRL) and autolights sensor
Fog lamps (front and rear)
ABS+EBD+BA + Traction control, stability control and stability program
Ventilated front disc and rear disc brakes
Active headrest
Detachable brake pedal
Collapsible steering column
5 Star EuroNCAP ratings
6 Airbags (2 front, 2 side, 2 curtain)
ISOFIX seats

Advantage: The Peugeot 308 Turbo is the clear winner in the safety features section.

This post has been edited by zweimmk: Jul 9 2009, 11:19 AM

There is cruise control in the Malaysian spec Peugeot 308 Turbo.

Equipment wise - except for paddle shifters and bi-xenon headlights, everything else can be done or obtained with aftermarket parts. Even push/start stop smart entry system is obtainable in the aftermarket if you're willing to spend and modify your car a little.

As far as support goes, I think Naza/Nasim is doing a pretty good job with Peugeot right now. They just seem more aggressive in pushing and promoting their products as compared to Mazda. Even on the road, you see more Peugeots out there than Mazdas. If this trend continues, even resale value will swing in favor towards Peugeot.

Last time I checked around the forums, Nasim is doing a decent job with its servicing for 407 owners. The 308 is under the Nasim badge as well, so at the very least, it can't be that far off. Parts seemed to be rather well stocked and prices after comparison is rather on par with Japanese makes. We've been through this discussion with the Mazda 6 vs Accord thread, it's the same case here. Since the 308 is on a 20k service interval as well, I doubt it would cost very much more to service the car as you would with a Mazda. Any difference is between the exchange rate vs the yen and the Euro and how much the respective marques want to make off their customers

The smart entry feature is very nice to have - I agree. But it's not critical and to be honest, it's not like you can't get this from the aftermarket. It's stuff like paddle shifters or factory fitted Bi-xenon headlights that can't be had even if you have the money to spend. Those are 2 very good things found in the Mazda 3 that is not present in the Peugeot 308 Turbo. But on the other hand, you won't get stuff like Panoramic sunroof or rear air-cond vents in the Mazda 3 either.

I don't know about the rest of you but I see it this way:

Mazda 3 2.0L Sedan
Paddle shifters - Fun (for driver)
Bi-Xenon Headlights - Safety (for passengers & driver)

Peugeot 308 Turbo
Panoramic Sunroof - Fun (for passengers & driver)
Rear Aircond vents - Comfort (for passengers)

Obtainable items in the aftermarket

Leather seats (for both makes)
Push start/stop button (for both makes)
Wireless smart entry system (for Peugeot 308 Turbo)

Comparatively speaking, if it's the Mazda 3 vs other Japanese C-segment sedans found in Malaysia then its a no brainer - I'd take the Mazda 3 any other day. However, if you throw the 308 into the equation and suddenly you're presented with 2 equally stunning offerings:

CBU vs CKD (Mazda 3 has the quality advantage here)
16k price difference between Mazda 3 and Peugeot 308 (308 Turbo has the advantage here)
Stylish car designs (subjective to individual)
Almost equal resale value
Attractive equipment offerings from both marques
Class leading safety features from both marques (308 Turbo has the bigger edge here)

Regardless of what car you choose, you can't really go wrong either way. If budget is a concern then the 308 Turbo is the clear winner, if you are willing to pay that extra for quality then the Mazda 3 2.0L sedan is a good choice as well.

I don't think I can agree with you on the resale value just yet. Probably in a year from now when and if we have this discussion, we'll probably see something concrete. However, I can say that the Mazda 6 still isn't selling as well as it should be, which is regrettable considering how it absolutely trounches the Camry/Accord. One consolation is that there are more new Mazda 6s now than there are for the older model. Still no concrete info on the M6 resale value yet, perhaps in another year or 2.

But like in our previous discussion, resale value is really something that you don't consider as much if you are going to buy either a Mazda or Peugeot. You know for certain, the resale value will at least be 5 to 10% lesser than the typical Camry/Accords or Civic/Corollas. I doubt most people will want to sell their car in 3 years time when they buy either marques.

One major flaw in the Mazda 3 is the medicore boot space - 325L is quite appalling in this day and age. Even the Proton Saga BLM gets about 415L of boot space!

Dunno about the FC for Mazda 3 2.0L but as far as NVH is concerned, the Civic is no match for the Mazda 3. Go read around Civic forums and you can see scores of complaints about the quality and sound insulation of the Civic. It's CKD Melaka (Civic) vs CBU Japan (Mazda), there's no contest.

People can only discard their H&T mentality if they are even aware of Mazda to begin with. This is where brand awareness and marketing comes in. First comes their website, details are scarce to begin with. That's already the first negative point and secondly, advertising - Flip open the papers and you see H&T constantly advertising their cars and services so their imprint can be constantly seen throughout. They have to start somewhere, even if they have good products - it won't sell if people don't know about it. That's why I think they should go aggressive with their marketing then worry about being able to supply enough units later.

Service centers are also another issue but they can tackle that once they got the vibe going for them.

I don't think Berjaya group is any less well connected as the other companies. So the issue of not having enough AP is more of a minor technicality for them than a real obstacle. But I see your point and aggressive marketing of the Mazda 3/6 is not the best route as those cars are not catagorized as entry level vehicles to begin with. However, the Mazda 2 is the perfect vehicle for them to enter into the mainstream mass market. If they can CKD that vehicle line, then they should be able to start from there and move on with the others later.