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Hi there,

One of my cousins is planning to buy a hatchback and the models narrowed down to are,
the mazda 3- 2014 and VW Golf 2014/2015.
From basic reading, we see that Golf offers more seating comfort and space whereas Mazda 3 is better on driving dynamics front & handling.
Appreciate if we can get your expert view on both these and which one scores ahead even marginally. Cousin is looking at good handling/corners, nimble driving, interior design, seating comfort.

Thanks in advance.

Hi there,
It all comes down to personal preferance, as both cars rate highly.
Fuel economy and safety seem to rate the same.
They both have been recent NZ car of the year.
Price and personal taste may be the difference, Japanese or Euro.
The Mazda looks to be $2700 more than the Vw.

Will the maintenance cost on these differ by a very large amount( like servicing, parts if required)?
Also, is a diesel option better in terms of power that makes the car more zippy/responsive.

Thanks.

Maintenance costs would be similer on new vehicles. However Mazda have a
free 3 year scheduled service plan, that might be worth checking out.
The new Diesels are said to have good acceleration and would have greater fuel economy.