2018 GSW Comfortline 4Motion 6M VS Mazda 3 Sport GT

Wife and I are in a bit of a conundrum on the above cars. And yes I know they're leaning a bit to an 'apples and oranges' comparison with one being a wagon, the other a hatch. To be honest, if I could get a Mazda 6 wagon in North America or anything but a bare bones CX5 with a wimpy 2.0L with the stick, this probably isn't even a discussion. Conversely The above GSW with a TDI would have likely made this an easy choice as well (way to go VeeDub )

Let me start by saying, I've come to the firm conclusion that I will stop driving a manual car when they pry the shifter from my cold, dead, right hand

Unfortunately that HIGHLY limits our vehicle selection based on requirements of:

-Needing to seat myself, wife, 2 kids and dog(hatch/CUV/wagon required for dog).

-Fun to drive/good handling.

-Relatively fuel efficient for commuting

-Occasional towing of our little utility trailer (and requisite power to do so and not feel like a slug).

-6 speed manual transmission

With those things in mind, I ended up with a field of the above 2 cars (and the Hyundai Elantra GT Sport that didn't make the final cut after test driving...despite having the most power).

Now clearly the GSW has a sizable advantage in cargo/trunk space (and a slight edge in rear seat room by my eyeballs) and AWD in it's favour. But the Mazda has a better quality interior and more features standard, including but not limited to LED head lights and safety systems like blind spot monitoring which are extra cost options on the Golf.

The Mazda is more fun to drive, better handling, better steering feedback, better power to weight and marginally more fuel efficient. The Golf rides nicer, is quieter/more composed and has far more tuning options.

The Mazda also has a lower purchase price and maintenance costs and is also likely to be more reliable. I think the Golf has a slight, small lead on resale (though that can certainly vary).

I'm having a hell of a time deciding to be honest. Not the least of which due to my wife already owning a Mazda 3 and hence us possibly having 'cute' 'his and hers' 3's. Barf.

We'd both love the added space of the GSW and the AWD IS nice (my current vehicle has it and it is handy). But paying more for otherwise less features (or a fair bit more again for comparable ones) on a more expensive, less fuel efficient and reportedly less reliable car is irksome. But we could use that size....

Any help? Convince me to buy my first VW?

Not sure how much this helps, but we had a 1st generation 3 (2006) Sport Touring, so it had the larger 2.3L MZR motor and sport suspension. The car was a dream. When we traded it at four years and 44,000 miles, it still drove and looked like new. It held up extremely well, and the resale value was outstanding. The dealer gave several grand over trade-in because he said they couldn't get enough used 3's to sell, and that it would sell instantly. This was 10 years ago, when the 3 was made in Japan. Not so sure about the 3rd gen 3's being made in Mexico and whether the reliability and/or resale are as good as they were with earlier generations.

We would have kept the 3, and eventually replaced it with a 3rd gen 3, if we didn't need the additional space for a growing family.

southpawboston said:

Not sure how much this helps, but we had a 1st generation 3 (2006) Sport Touring, so it had the larger 2.3L MZR motor and sport suspension. The car was a dream. When we traded it at four years and 44,000 miles, it still drove and looked like new. It held up extremely well, and the resale value was outstanding. The dealer gave several grand over trade-in because he said they couldn't get enough used 3's to sell, and that it would sell instantly. This was 10 years ago, when the 3 was made in Japan. Not so sure about the 3rd gen 3's being made in Mexico and whether the reliability and/or resale are as good as they were with earlier generations.

We would have kept the 3, and eventually replaced it with a 3rd gen 3, if we didn't need the additional space for a growing family.

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Pretty sure we still get at least some 3's built in Japan here in Canada. Either way, haven't had any problems with my wife's 2017 and they're still pretty high up on reliability lists.

Not really selling me on the GSW there though!

Space is indeed the main issue. We could probably 'make do' with the 3's space (though it's definitely less than ideal) and it's likely going to come in ~$6000 +/- less (even with a snow tire pack to compensate the lack of AWD) than a comparably equipped GSW after adding drivers assistance and light packs + tax.

Is $6000 worth a bigger trunk and AWD....? Sure could use that space though.

J.R. said:

Pretty sure we still get at least some 3's built in Japan here in Canada. Either way, haven't had any problems with my wife's 2017 and they're still pretty high up on reliability lists.

Not really selling me on the GSW there though!

Space is indeed the main issue. We could probably 'make do' with the 3's space (though it's definitely less than ideal) and it's likely going to come in ~$6000 +/- less (even with a snow tire pack to compensate the lack of AWD) than a comparably equipped GSW after adding drivers assistance and light packs + tax.

Is $6000 worth a bigger trunk and AWD....? Sure could use that space though.

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Why not consider the fwd sportwagen with the 5spd manual or even just the 5spd golf? You are three steps above the Mazda 3 with a GSW 4motion in terms of vehicle layout. The fwd Golf would be a direct comparison and the fwd GSW would be the step up in cargo. Also keep in mind that just about every part from a golf R or gti bolts right on to the golf models. Easy to upgrade things your not crazy about. Also, if you are looking to upgrade performance in any way, the golf gets the nod. That being said, a Mazda is not a bad car at all for fit, finish and build quality

TwinDad said:

Why not consider the fwd sportwagen with the 5spd manual or even just the 5spd golf? You are three steps above the Mazda 3 with a GSW 4motion in terms of vehicle layout. The fwd Golf would be a direct comparison and the fwd GSW would be the step up in cargo. Also keep in mind that just about every part from a golf R or gti bolts right on to the golf models. Easy to upgrade things your not crazy about. Also, if you are looking to upgrade performance in any way, the golf gets the nod. That being said, a Mazda is not a bad car at all for fit, finish and build quality

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If I can get AWD, I'm getting AWD. Particularly as it adds the 6th speed in the manual as well (5 speed? Is this 1995?). I'm willing to pay extra for it but that alone doesn't account for the not small price spread.

As for wagon vs hatch. If the GSW didn't have the added benefit of the additional space, this wouldn't even be a question on what car I'd be getting. The Mazda wins that hands down IMO until you start looking at GTI's. But likewise, I'm willing to pay for the space...within reason.

I'm a twin dad too Congrats!...And my condolences

These were the 2 cars I was shopping or close enough as makes no difference. In the end, the mazda just felt cheap. Not in the quality of materials, but more in how it went down the road. The Golf felt like a higher end car how it handled rough roads. The mazda felt chintzy. Don't know how to explain it better really other than the Mazda is tuned to handle well at the expense of comfort. The VW has a better compromise in terms of handling and comfort. I know you mentioned fun to drive/handling so your idea of a handing/comfort compromise may be different than mine.

Also the infotainment in the Mazda is dreadful. No Android Auto or carplay and just hard to use.

As far as economy, don't think there's as much difference as the numbers show unless you have a lead foot. The 1.8 can be really efficient.

The good thing about the Mazda is you can get a manual in the GT trim whereas with the VW, you're limited to the S(4 motion) or SE(Alltrack).

Edit: just realized you're Canada, so trim levels may not apply

MonkeyMD said:

These were the 2 cars I was shopping or close enough as makes no difference. In the end, the mazda just felt cheap. Not in the quality of materials, but more in how it went down the road. The Golf felt like a higher end car how it handled rough roads. The mazda felt chintzy. Don't know how to explain it better really other than the Mazda is tuned to handle well at the expense of comfort. The VW has a better compromise in terms of handling and comfort. I know you mentioned fun to drive/handling so your idea of a handing/comfort compromise may be different than mine.

Also the infotainment in the Mazda is dreadful. No Android Auto or carplay and just hard to use.

As far as economy, don't think there's as much difference as the numbers show unless you have a lead foot. The 1.8 can be really efficient.

The good thing about the Mazda is you can get a manual in the GT trim whereas with the VW, you're limited to the S(4 motion) or SE(Alltrack).

Edit: just realized you're Canada, so trim levels may not apply

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Yeah I can get manual all over the map here in Canada.

I personally don't understand the Alltrack. Particularly for what they're charging for it, it should at least come with the GTI motor for that price premium IMO. Otherwise I far prefer the cheaper, less tacky body cladding 'normal' GSW with 4Motion.

AA/ACP is coming to Mazda supposedly this fall FWIW and I otherwise quite like their Audi like interface personally.

I wouldn't say the Mazda feels 'chintzy' at all. It's definitely setup for better handling over ride whereas the VW is definitely biased and more tuned to comfort (while still handling reasonably well). The VW is certainly more composed (but it's also not as much fun in the twisties).

J.R. said:

Yeah I can get manual all over the map here in Canada.

I personally don't understand the Alltrack. Particularly for what they're charging for it, it should at least come with the GTI motor for that price premium IMO. Otherwise I far prefer the cheaper, less tacky body cladding 'normal' GSW with 4Motion.

AA/ACP is coming to Mazda supposedly this fall FWIW and I otherwise quite like their Audi like interface personally.

I wouldn't say the Mazda feels 'chintzy' at all. It's definitely setup for better handling over ride whereas the VW is definitely biased and more tuned to comfort (while still handling reasonably well). The VW is certainly more composed (but it's also not as much fun in the twisties).

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The Alltrack shares the DSG with the R where as the GSW does not so VW charges extra for that.

russiankid said:

The Alltrack shares the DSG with the R where as the GSW does not so VW charges extra for that.

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The plain-jane GSW 4motion also gets DSG, and I don't think the Alltrack gets a different DSG than the 4motion.

southpawboston said:

The plain-jane GSW 4motion also gets DSG, and I don't think the Alltrack gets a different DSG than the 4motion.

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Well then nvm.

Moot point. Got final numbers and after taxes I'm looking at another approximately $7200 for the added trunk space and AWD of the GSW over the 3.

I was hoping VW could get within a few thousand/$50'ish per month and we would have taken the plunge but $7200 is pretty insurmountable unfortunately. Looks like I'm staying in the Mazda family for now.

Thanks for all the input though folks!