Quote:
Originally posted by castex
You can see the difference in the cars. Mazda is not wholly owned, iirc, Volvo and Jaguar are. For all your irony, I seriously wouldn't drive something so obviously badge-engineered as the models the latter two marques are beginning to churn out.
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Sorry, don't mean to venture off topic, but as a big fan of Volvo (and perhaps the only on this board), I have to say that Ford's acquisition of Volvo has gone over really well in that, by and large, Ford pretty much leaves the Swedes alone. In fact, in as much as badge engineering goes, there has been a reverse effect. The upcoming Ford 500 and Freestyle vehicles as well as the Mercury Montego are all based on Volvo's P2 platform (which Volvo uses for all their cars except the new S40/V50) which was developed prior to the Ford acquisition. The S40/V50 are the first cars to actually come out having been designed after the acquisition, and they've had excellent reviews. They share the platform with the upcoming Ford Focus as well as the... MAZDA 3.
And why should Ford start messing with Volvo? IIRC Volvo is the only member of the Ford PAG that's really turning a profit.
Not sure about Jaguar. Not a fan of the X-Type's styling, but my grandfather/mother just got an S-Type and it's pretty slick (that set of grandparents are big fans of Jaguar, and have owned several in the past). Other than a couple of minor ergonomic issues for the driver, the interior is incredibly comfortable. Just like the older models, but scaled down to fit the smaller car.
And to be slightly on topic, a friend has the Mazda 6s and it is a pretty nice car. The styling all-around seemed nice and clean to me, and he's been very happy with the performance of the car. I have no experience with the TSX.
okeef19, glad to hear that you've been happy with the purchase. Here's to it staying that way for many many miles to come. Cheers!