Apparently some feel that the Miata can do no wrong!!!

[snaponbob]

Take a look at this - and then have a look at the dialog below the article.

http://blogs.edmunds.com/karl/413

Past Miatas were great cars. The current MX5 is a toad. When Ford and Mazda correct the MX5 all the ricers will be screaming "See how good the Miata is NOW" without admitting what the MX5 was - SOFT. As I said in the blog, Mazda has been developing the Miata for 18 years and screwed upthe handling in this current version. GM is on it's first version of the Kappa. If GM can do to the Kappa what Chevy did to the Corvette from the C4 to the C6. Now, if the ice will melt, I'll drag Streak out and go have some fun.

[wt2ga]

Can you get a Mazda Miata in Bluestone ..... ?

[fordman]

My wife and I looked at the mazda................ walked away from it...............a fully loaded mx-5 cost me about $22500 with the x-plan discount I get................the R/L cost us about $10000 more........still walking and no regrets............now if I just could get my R/L.................called my sales guy and was told the order is at the factory..............delivery date unknown............

[Caramel_guy]

Originally Posted by wt2ga

Can you get a Mazda Miata in Bluestone ..... ?

..."Everything goes great with Caramel"

...If not in BLUESTONE....then STONE the BLUE ones!

[Ernest]

MAZDA can't do right

[KappaMan]

And apparently toyota makes no mistakes, either.

Found this on another forum, since I have an interest in these big beasts...

http://missl.org/php/viewtopic.php?t...b57b8dbae4dbeb

Originally Posted by beertestr Friend of the SE Michigan Grease Munkee

Posted: Thu Jan 11, 2007 2:21 pm Post subject: Toyota recalls more cars than it sold in 2006

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Got this from our internal newsline. You wouldn't see this published by the press.

"A look at the competition
Toyota recalls more vehicles in the U.S. than it sold last year prompting study of Vehicle Development Process
Last year, Toyota recalled 2.38 million vehicles in the U.S. -- more than the 2.26 million vehicles Toyota sold in that year. This statistic resulted in a formal review by Toyota to determine what needed to change. After a two-month review of its product development process, the significant lessons learned include:
1. Engineers in some cases may have rushed out products without conducting enough quality checks, nor building a sufficient number of physical prototypes.
2. Toyota also concluded that it outsourced engineering perhaps more than it should have, and relied on computer-aided engineering and other computer analysis too much.
3. Toyota is determined to build more physical prototypes in the future to quell recalls and quality glitches.

Other actions taken as a result of the study include the decision to slow down Toyota's ambitious growth plans around the world. Each product plan in every market was reviewed to determine whether to delay, cancel, reallocate or proceed. This review was in response to product recalls and other quality problems.

Even as it slows down the pace of new product introductions, Toyota still wants to extend its business in every segment (of the auto market) in every region of the world. Toyota sees its growth coming from three key efforts:
1. To transform its Lexus premium brand, a North American-only franchise today, into a more global premium franchise;
2. To launch low-cost $6,000 to $7,000 cars in emerging markets around the world;
3. To develop commercial vans that would compete globally, including in Europe and North America. (Source: Wall Street Journal 12/11/2006)

Despite the recalls at Toyota, GM brands still lag behind most of our transplant competition when it comes to the public's "trust" perception, according to Strategic Vision Inc.
Volvo 61% Pontiac 22%
Toyota 43% Chevrolet 21%
Honda 35% GMC 20%
Cadillac 34% Hummer 16%
Buick 23% Saturn 7%
Saab 22%

Not all 'perceptions' are correct. They may influence reality, but that still doesn't make them 'right'...

[Robotech]

The editor is an idiot. He makes a comment about how with the top down you can get a couple of bags of groceries in the Miata but not in the Sky.

TOTAL CROCK! Now there is not a ton of room back there but I've had no problem getting five or six bags of groceries back there top down and a hell of a lot more with the top up.

And the Miata more fun to drive!? Sorry, have driven both and they are equally fun...except I'm cramped in the Miata and am very comfortable in the Sky...but nevermind that.

[GetAboutRL]

I think we forum members should do an ad for GM Saturn telling and showing how much the trunk holds and a strong positive sound bites about our strong love for this car. This is the first car in which I joined a forum or drove five hours to join up with other car owners to do a cruise run.
This is a great car .. !

[jimbo]

Originally Posted by Robotech

The editor is an idiot.

That is all you needed to say.

[NC LE]

Originally Posted by Ernest

MAZDA can't do right

I would not say that at all, Mazda North America reported a 72.4% increase in sales of the MX-5 from December 2005 to December 2006. Actually I think Mazda is doing somthing right.

[Caramel_guy]

Originally Posted by NC LE

I would not say that at all, Mazda North America reported a 72.4% increase in sales of the MX-5 from December 2005 to December 2006. Actually I think Mazda is doing somthing right.

..Everything goes great with Caramel

...In my humble opinion..the Mazda MX-5..is the automotive sport car equivalent of "Vanilla" ....(Universal appeal..however souless and boring ) .....I have NEVER looked at a MAZDA,..since BEFORE or after the SKY/SOLSTICE hit the market.......and said to myself..."wow I gotta have that"......The MAZDA MX-5 is the kind of car I would expect a female CEO to show up at a meeting with...Or ANY "woman" for that matter.....

[jimbo]

Originally Posted by NC LE

I would not say that at all, Mazda North America reported a 72.4% increase in sales of the MX-5 from December 2005 to December 2006. Actually I think Mazda is doing somthing right.

Yes, but did you see the dismal sales numbers for the Miata in December 2005? Ther was nowhere to go but up, or to quit building them.

The thing that stumps/amazes me is that the NC Miata (MX-5) is a completley new-from-the-ground-up design but the '06s aren't selling for $2000 below MSRP, so they had to raise the ante to $3000 below MSRP. By contrast, the combined number of the Sky and Solstice sold in December '06 was well above the MX-5's number, despite no discounts of any kind. They are just about selling every Sky and Solstice they can build unless it still has an insane markup.

Something is wrong with this picture. The established champ MX-5 is all new and should be besting the Sky/Solstice hands down. IMHO, it is because the Kappas looks sell itself while a lot more people are turned off by the looks of the MX-5.

[KappaMan]

Originally Posted by NC LE

I would not say that at all, Mazda North America reported a 72.4% increase in sales of the MX-5 from December 2005 to December 2006. Actually I think Mazda is doing somthing right.

Well, then the fire at the plant really hurt 2005 volume or something. Or maybe that ship of Mazda products that nearly sunk...

Originally Posted by drex, Solsticeforum '2006 is over and the winner is...

The Solstice @ 19,710

The MX-5 came in a couple thousand less @ 16,897

The Sky end up at more than half of sales of the MX-5 @ 8,671. If they would have pushed out another 15 cars in December, the Sky would have beat the December's sales of the MX-5.

GM

Grabbed Mazda's break down off of Page Ranking Newswire, no direct link to it.

And before anyone starts trying to count worldwide volume, I'll point out that 1) GM (actually any of the domestics) is prevented from selling in an open and fair Japanese market, while the MX-5 is allowed to sell in an open and fair North American market. Serious disadvantage to kappas (or advantage to MX-5).
2) There is no RHD (maybe related?) kappa. Why go to all the engineering trouble if the country you might sell them in slaps crazy tarriffs on your product?


I'm pretty sure that the Solstice/SKY volume doesn't include more than a few rental cars. I'd be interested to see how many rental cars make up the US Domestic volume for MX-5s. I bet the answer is surprising...

[KappaMan]

The three local Mazda dealers around Ann Arbor have several RETRACTABLE HARDTOP MX-5s sitting on the lot.

Sitting on the lot.

Going for about MSRP. Go on in and pick up or test drive one.

The RHT is Mazda's next hot thing for the MX-5, right?


There are also Solstices sitting on the lot, and one SKY in stock in a local Saturn dealer. BUT, the Solstices are within MSRP or a bit higher, and you can't find a GXP to save your life. The SKY is an 'owner loan' but estimates are that you can order one and get it 'pretty soon'. That one is (was?) a base car, they estimate about 2-4 months if you want to order a RedLine - presuming they have an allocation...

(of course that info is two weeks old, so things may have changed).

[NC LE]

Apparently this is not the place to express an opinion. I was not trying to bash the Sky in any shape manner or size only to say that I disagreed with the statement that was made about Mazda. Instead of a civilized reply I get to read this S_ _ _ “The MAZDA MX-5 is the kind of car I would expect a female CEO to show up at a meeting with...Or ANY "woman" for that matter.....”
My girlfriend owns a Sky and I find the car a pleasure to drive it a nice change from my MX-5 and Boxster. To me the cars are two different animals each with it good and bad points and one is not as good as the other.
I used to enjoy this forum (mostly reading) to keep up with the platforms issues and learn about the car, but when someone responds with attack on a person because he or she drives a particular car, I will find out my information elsewhere.
I suggest you change the title of this thread to Apparently some feel that the Sky can do no wrong!!!
I won’t ruffle anyone’s feathers anymore by posting on this forum.
Happy motoring with your Sky”s and drive safe.

Aloha

[Skip]

Everybody has their opinions. You stated your opinion and everybody stated theirs back. So what, you did not get a good opinion back and decided to move on. What do you expect out of a Saturn Sky forum? Hamburger? If you still want to post, the forum peoples do not mind but just make sure you have thick skin because as you can see we are opinionated on this forum....Skip...

[AnonNomis]

I really don't understand why some here complain about this guys blog. He is an editor in chief. Editorials are by definition nothing but personal opinion. When I read the blog, I got the impression he was recommending the sky. I think he likes it, he is just looking forward to the mazdaspeed mx-5 more. Please don't resort to calling people idiots because they perfer another car. I think it gives other people a bad impression of all of us. I would not want people to be discouraged from coming here and sharing their opinion because they think we are all a bunch of prejudiced name callers.

[wt2ga]

Originally Posted by AnonNomis

I really don't understand why some here complain about this guys blog. He is an editor in chief. Editorials are by definition nothing but personal opinion. When I read the blog, I got the impression he was recommending the sky. I think he likes it, he is just looking forward to the mazdaspeed mx-5 more. Please don't resort to calling people idiots because they perfer another car. I think it gives other people a bad impression of all of us. I would not want people to be discouraged from coming here and sharing their opinion because they think we are all a bunch of prejudiced name callers.

[Caramel_guy]

Originally Posted by Skip

Everybody has their opinions. You stated your opinion and everybody stated theirs back. So what, you did not get a good opinion back and decided to move on. What do you expect out of a Saturn Sky forum? Hamburger? If you still want to post, the forum peoples do not mind but just make sure you have thick skin because as you can see we are opinionated on this forum....Skip...

..."Everything goes great with Caramel"

... ...I agree with the above comment....For example if u wrote an OP -ED piece in a national (Public) newspaper...and that paper was distributed to say ..100,000 readers ...U know each INDIVIDUAL reader WILL FORM AN "OPINION" of ur OP-ED piece..!!....well it's NO DIFFERENT here in a PUBLIC FORUM...with one HUGE EXCEPTION....here u get FEEDBACK immediately, in REAL TIME..!.....It takes some MATURITY..to realize that not all of the COUNTER POINTS will be FAVORABLE......THAT'S JUST REAL LIFE..DEAL WITH IT..don't put ur tail between ur legs and RUN...THAT'S COWARDLY.......