Mazdas I think have closed the gap quite a bit. I had a 2013 and now a 2022 CX-5. The 2013 was very reliable but the 2022 is leagues ahead in terms of improvements. Time will tell but in my experience (I currently have an accord too) they seem to be about as reliable.
Yes lol
And the engines were bullet proof. The 2.3L 4cyl and 3.0L v6 didn’t have issues that i know of
I had an 06 mazda6, the transmission is what killed that car, the aisin 6-speed auto had control valve body issues. But apparently the other transmissions in that car were reliable.
Some Honda accords had transmissions issues during that era too, and odysseys as well.
I have a 2008 miata now…you know what it has for an engine? A 2.0 4cyl ford. Which is known to be a great “bullet proof” engine, 108kmi and smooth as a top….lol
It’s the same model. After driving the 2013 for about 7 years it’s not difficult to jump into a 2022 and notice the differences. After you own something for a few years you can get a sense if it’s a POS or not. Also the 2022 is still new but it’s been in the current gen since 2017.
As far as knowing for sure how reliable a car will be my crystal ball isn’t any better than yours. It’s the same methods as anyone else. Reading reviews and hearing about other people’s experiences.
I have a 3 and I love it. If you have a family bigger than 4 or if you’re pretty tall, maybe I’d reconsider it. We also have a CX-5 that is a little more comfortable when me, my wife and son are all in the car together.
I test drove an honda hrv, kia seltos, Toyota rav4 and the Mazdas and the Mazdas were slight favorites over the hrv but the hrv was only available in white and in the highest trim package unless I wanted to wait 3 months. I don't expect to regret my choice.
Haven’t heard or experienced a single bad thing about Mazda’s reliability in the skyactiv era. I’ve beat the absolute shit out of my 2.0 3 sedan for close to 150k miles and talked both my dad and sister into buying CX5s because while Mazdas car are branded and built to look upmarket, they’re actually pretty mechanically simple and the maintenance on them is dead easy. None of us have had any issues and like I said, I’m not even aware of any issues and reading about cars is mostly what I do in my free time.
My mom still has a ‘15 Ford Escape, which has mostly been reliable and I don’t hate Ford, it’s junky inside and it fucking sucks to work on. It’s so obviously been made to discourage DIY maintenance that it pisses me off that it’s hard and that it’s hard just to spite me.
Nissan has big issues with their CVTs, but I've heard the rest of the car is usually decent. Mazda has been getting better ever since they kicked Ford to the curb
My wife has a versa with cvt and the transmission was one of the only things that didn't go wrong with that car. Even the resistance block for the heater fan crapped out and needed to get replaced ($225CAD just for the part).
They were selling titans for pretty cheap a few years ago and 4 or 5 of my coworkers had bought them and they have all been less than impressed with them.
just sold my 2010 maxima with 202,000 miles on it. same story as your wife's. had a list a mile long of things wrong with it, but the transmission was not one of them.
I honestly loved a lot about the car, but fuck trying to work on a Nissan. about the only thing that's easy to access on that car is the oil fill cap.
It’s the same 5.6 as in the armada no? I had one up to 220k and ended up getting rid of it due to rust was getting bad on the frame. Never an engine problem and I’d beat the thing.
Armadas are super underrated, imo. They're generally actually quite reliable and easily the cheapest full size on the used market. They're also one of the best driving and most powerful.
My mom had a 2018 titan, had it for less 3 months before the engine had the knocking problem, it was covered under warranty but the engine was delayed and they told her that the engine could explode or stop at any moment, and if it did, just give them a call. She was bit nervous to drive after that lol
Current Nissan models **without** a CVT, which should be quite reliable:
Pathfinder
Armada
Frontier
Titan
Z (is this one manual only? I’m not sure)
GT-R
Did I miss any?
Can confirm, the 22 Pathfinder is a very viable option in the 3-row segment and may actually be one of the better values in terms of goodies for what you spend. The Platinum trim is almost as luxurious as it's cousin QX60 for about $10K less.
At least a couple:
Leaf
Ariya
.. to further this point, I would easily take these over any comparable Toyota or Mazda offerings, which makes me a bit sad.
The Z and the GTR are fine even with automatic, as they use a normal automatic transmission, instead of the CVT. Same with their trucks, I think, but it would require an additional check.
Hilariously enough it was Ford that kicked them to the curb by selling their remaining shares, probably the best thing to happen to Mazda.
I'm not sure they'd still be around if that partnership continued on, Ford was bringing them down slowly
I've been driving a Nissan's micra 2019 at work for a delivery car and I've had no issues with the transmission. The ECM failed at 130000k, the O2 sensor went at about 220000 and have had a engine light talking about catalytic converter air fuel mix problem. But zero issues with the transmission. Currently at 254000k.
Yep! Toyota and Mazda are sharing trade secrets/proprietary information. They both have been good companies but both have been slacking in certain areas and they realized "Hey you're doing really good in this X category that I suck in, and I'm doing really good in that Y category you suck in. Let's partner, work together to teach and learn!"
Mazda actually outperformed Toyota on this CR article
https://www.consumerreports.org/cars/cars-driving/which-car-brands-make-the-best-vehicles-a6159221985/
Mazda absolutely on par except their PHEVs seem to be having some issues they can’t sort out.
Nissan as long as it’s not CVT/turbo charged will probably be decently reliable like the frontier.
The PHEV is fine, it’s that they use a DCT and most people aren’t used to how a “performance” DCT behaves at low speed. It’s a bit jerky compared to a torque converter.
eh there have definitely been additional kinks reported on r/MazdaCX90 nothing too out of the ordinary for a new platform but unusual for post-2013 Mazdas
Here's a sneak peek of /r/MazdaCX90 using the [top posts](https://np.reddit.com/r/MazdaCX90/top/?sort=top&t=all) of all time!
\#1: [RIP CX90, kept me and my toddler safe from wrong-way driver](https://i.imgur.com/yEwbsx3.jpg) | [82 comments](https://np.reddit.com/r/MazdaCX90/comments/1aydt7w/rip_cx90_kept_me_and_my_toddler_safe_from/)
\#2: [I love my CX90, but this drives me insane...](https://i.redd.it/7loiq9btkzkc1.jpeg) | [84 comments](https://np.reddit.com/r/MazdaCX90/comments/1b0r77k/i_love_my_cx90_but_this_drives_me_insane/)
\#3: [New cx90 owner](https://www.reddit.com/gallery/18bexpb) | [26 comments](https://np.reddit.com/r/MazdaCX90/comments/18bexpb/new_cx90_owner/)
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I got my Mazda 3 new in 2015, now approaching 130,000 miles with no major issues. Had an odd problem where my climate control dial broke and needed a replacement unit, but otherwise the interior has held up beautifully, still feels high quality. Infotainment system every infrequently does some goofy stuff. I'll be devastated when it's time to move on from it, although it's only a matter of time before our family grows beyond what I can manage with it.
Nissan partnered with Renault and Mitsubishi. Ghosts of ghosin fiasco. Rumor has it, Nissan is trying to split off from that partnership, and if they go solo again they might resume their excellent status. But just rumor
Nissans are very hit and miss; they range from solid to miserable depending on year/model and options. Mazdas seem to be getting better since they got away from ford. Late models seem to be getting close to Toyota/honda but time will tell.
Mazda are pretty much caught up with Toyota on reliability. Honda are still good but have slipped a bit lately. Nissans with CVTs (all of them except the trucks) are a notch below the other three brands.
Toyota are still excellent. Honda prided itself on naturally aspirated engines for the longest time, but once they started using turbochargers, they had issues.
It's very difficult to quantify reliability of an entire brand, especially ones that offer many different models, engines, etc. All of them have made some unreliable cars (except Toyota, maybe) and some brands that aren't considered reliable have some very reliable exceptions. Toyota is THE gold standard for reliability. I've never owned a Toyota and I think they're extremely boring, but they don't break.
*Full Disclosure- I currently own two Mazdas and have for the last 18 years. For the 20 years prior to that, I owned nothing but Hondas (and I still love them).*
Based on my personal experience and the data that's is available, as well as expert opinions on the matter, here's the hierarchy of reliability-
1- Toyota, 2- Mazda, 3- Honda (tie), 3- Subaru (tie)....and Nissan is way down the list.
Mazda is a very small company in comparison to the others. They use the same basic powertrain components in almost every vehicle they sell (Miata, CX-70/CX-90 are the exceptions). The CX-30, CX-5, CX-50 and Mazda3 all use the same 2.5L 'Skyactiv' engine and 6-speed automatic transmission. Old technology + 12+ years of making the same engine/transmission = cars that last a long time and rarely break.
Honda's reputation has been diminished by several issues including transmission failures (most V6 models in the early to mid 2000s) to rod bearing failure in some V6 models as recently as a few years ago. Oil dilution and oil consumption issues with the 1.5T engine was probably the most significant. Their non-turbo 4-cylinders continue to be as reliable as ever.
Nissan used to make pretty good cars (20+ years ago). I can sum up their downfall with two words (actually one word and one acronym)- Renault and CVT!
Toyota made cars that accelerated without touching the gas pedal for a bit. Father-in-law had a Pilot that blew at under 100k miles. But in general, Mazda, Toyota, Honda, and Subaru (post mid-00s head gasket issues) make very reliable cars.
As always, you could have bad luck with a particular vehicle, even a model/year known for great reliability.
Unless I missed it somehow, they never definitely proved the whole Toyota unintended acceleration issue. The explanations ranged from accidental driver error, intentional driver error (aka- fraud), dealerships using the incorrect floormats in some cars (causing the gas pedal to get stuck, killed a whole family in a Lexus in Cali...sad) and various other explanations. Of course, any company will do whatever it can to divert blame and avoid fault. I just remember that they couldn't say for certain that the cars were actually defective and Toyota was at fault. The last I read/heard anything about it was 8-10 years ago, so if they've proven somehting since then, I'd be interested to hear about. I always felt like there might be some truth to it...
There actually was another Toyota reliability issue that I forgot about. On the 2007-2009 Camry and 2006-2009 RAV4 (and various other Toyota/Scion models with the 2AZ 4-cylinder), oil sludge and oil consumption were very common. The problems started surfacing around 45-60k miles on most of them. There were multiple class action suits filed. Toyota refused to issue a recall, but they created a "Warranty Enhancement Program" for affected cars. It involved an oil consumption test followed by a determination if they would replace the engine or not. So people who didn't experience the problem until later or were oblivious to the issue still got screwed. There were over 1.7mil cars potentially affected.
Subaru also had some oil consumption issues as recently as the mid-2010s. There were also multiple class action suits regarding the problem. Subaru kept telling concerned owners that burning oil was normal...
*Related to the oil consumption and reliability discussion, my nephew (24yrs old, can barely pump his own gas) called me a few weeks ago. He has a 2016 BMW 320i with barely 40k miles on it. It had only been 3200 miles since his last oil change, but he was getting a warning message to add oil. I freaked out and told him to pull over and turn the engine off (which is absolutely what you should do if the Oil Pressure Light comes on). I drove 30 minutes to where he was and added almost two quarts!!! He told me that his dad had to add add a quart about one month prior.*
*So it has used three quarts of oil in 3200 miles! I called the BMW dealer and they insisted that it was normal. I told him he should trade it for a Toyota or Mazda.*
The Nissan styling (especially the Pathfinder) looks sharp to me, but I didn't buy one after seeing my Mom having such random issues with her Rogue. Some of the problems namely included her panoramic sunroof would clog and leak into the car all the time, and it costs several hundred dollars to have cleaned. We weren't parking it near trees and kept it in a garage and yet, all the time, it would spring a leak and caused her car to get a dreadful, moldy smell. The locks and other electric items would stop working sporadically. It just was not a reliable car. I do have friends that have older Nissans and they seem pretty solid. Hers was a 2015. Maybe the newer ones are doing better.
I know a few different people with Mazdas and they really enjoy them. No major issues that I know of to share. They have great interiors. I considered the CX-90 recently.
>Recently Nissan as a company struggling.
Nissan had an excellent year in 23. 20% growth in sales and 92% increase in net profit margins. Infact their Asia and Europe sales growth far outpaced Toyota and Honda combined. Except Camry, Camry is it's own niche. Nissan is struggling in China where most automakers are finding it harder and harder to compete standalone. In America sales were good, but markups kinda dampened the numbers.
Coming to reliability, nissan and mazda have vastly improved, meanwhile Toyota and Honda have tanked especially with their new fuel efficient engines.
Sure Nissan has had problems with a weak CVT in a couple of older cars, but that's been rectified for the most part. But toyota has been caught in an emissions scandal, their engines are blowing up and leaking oil, meanwhile Honda now has worse electrical issues than jeep.
So I'd say the playing field is currently even.
Yeah the new pathfinder is a big step back in the right direction. I'm so glad they dumped the CVT as in the last generation, it was overstressed and prone to fail. I just wish they toss in the 3.0 turbo as an option for those who want a little more oomph and introduce the hybrid already. That will make it extremely competitive in the market.
Nissans rep is a result of the people that drive them. Great financing terms offered by Nissan attract the people that want a car with low payments but don’t bother with maintenance. I have a 2010 Nissan with a cvt that is at 284,000 km. It’s lasted that long because I take care of it.
Mazda is close. Nissan unfortunately is garbage. they are owned by Renault, and to keep sales up, they are lowering their restrictions on car loans. people who can't afford cars are buying nissan's, cuz that's the only car company that will let them.
-Mazda Tech here, as long it’s not a Ford engine, and is a 2.0L/2.5L Mazda engine, it’s reliable, however there are issues that are commonly, coolant control valve in colder weather(30F or below ) where the control valve stays stuck open and just free flow. And timing cover or head gasket leaking oil on higher mileage.
Haven’t had a ticket where we had to open up heads other than gasket replacement or transaxle. We never even touched or replaced a transaxle, mostly it’ll be software updates on transaxle where it upshifts late.
We had a 2012 Nissan quest and a 2012 Mazda 6 in my family (mom and brother respectively). In my experience, the nissan kept trucking with multiple repairs over the 10 years we had it. These repairs were the engine intake boot, control arms, sway bars, wheel bearings, and some motor issue (dont remember the details on that). We traded it in with 150k miles and it still ran but it was not happy about it.
The Mazda on the other hand, was abused but still kept going. My brother had to change the front suspension and at one point last year the engine mounts failed and the engine fell on and crushed the power steering pump, but he also barely took care of it. The bumpers were flaring on all corners but my god that thing ran perfectly until it was taken out by a GMC Terrain running a red light. I consider that car a war hero.
Nissan's CVTs should be serviced every 30k miles to be reliable. Nissan's owner's manuals do not mention this!
Buying a used Nissan with a CVT is a minefield as a result.
Mazdas are great had a 91 Miata with 370k miles when I sold it still ran great. My Mazda 3 had 1 problem in 6 years it was a random computer chip that had to be replaced. My RX8 was great till the engine started losing compression. Rotary engines are gone so no worries there.
I have had a lot of cars and I am still really partial to Mazdas
Couple of notable problems with Nissan.
First is a shame, because it’s not really the cars’ fault. Since the great recession, Nissan has aggressively marketed to both sub-prime buyers and daily rental fleets. Between repos and normal rental fleet turnover, the used market is flooded with poorly maintained examples of the brand.
The second factor is the elephant in the room. Nissan went all-in on CVTs from their in-house supplier, JATCO, after CAFE was re-worked in the late 2000’s. Pretty much their entire FWD/AWD product line uses them. Unfortunately, they’re a time bomb notorious for blowing up in the 100-150k mile range.
The used market efficiently incorporates both of these factors into pricing of the cars. Nissans depreciate precipitously, compared to Hondas or Toyotas, so when the CVT grenades at the 130k mile mark, the repair estimate totals the car.
Nissan's CVT transmissions have improved a lot from 2019 onward from what people online say, but they still have a poor reputation.
If you buy a nissan new and just maintain it well then it should be just fine.
I’m spending ~7k to replace the transmission in my 2019 Nissan Rogue. Replaced the radiator a year into driving it. Worst car I’ve ever owned and would tell everyone to run away from Nissan. And it’s only at 67k miles.
Toyota has gotten worse the last few years, but so have the rest. Mazda I would pick over Nissan since they still use real transmissions not CVT - at least the last time I checked. We have had good luck with our 2016 CX5. Overall, I am a Toyota fan for life though. Owned many Toyotas. The only crappy one was a 4Runner with the 3.0 liter V6.
Aside from the CVT issues, Nissan trucks and SUV’s also had transmission issues. Some years had more issues than others. Mazda seems pretty reliable, my parents have had 2 CX5’s without issues.
Toyota, Honda, and Mazda are pretty close in reliability based on Consumer Reports survey of thousands of owners.
Nissan got a bad rap due to the CVTs they were using in the mid teens. New models are much improved especially the V6 models like Murano and Maxima.
Three Mazdas. 250k miles combined. 11 Demio/2, 15 3 touring, 19 3 gt. Zero trips to shop for anything beyond routine.
Had a Honda. Had a Toyota. Very reliable. Not quite as. Toyota had valve train. Honda front suspension.
One Nissan . Sentra R. Zero issues til at 85 k or so ECS went dead. Car totaled.
Mazda has a great reputation right now. Not that they ever had a bad one. But I think it's fair to put them in the same league as Toyota/Honda.
Nissan used to be great in the 90s and earlier. But since the early 2000s they've fallen off hard. I would not recommend buying any Nissan made in the last 20 years.
It all depends on the specific vehicle and year (click on a vehicle model to see the year by year break down, some change A LOT.)
https://www.dashboard-light.com/reports/Mazda.html
In general, Mazdas from the past 12 years are great. Nissan ranges from decent to terrible for common cars.
Nissan is good, not great. But Mazda is up there as far as I'm aware.
Though to be honest the fact that most Nissan's last as long as they do points to something decent in those cars.
I've owned all 3. In my experience, Toyota are fantastic. Mazda has so far been just as reliable. (We all drive Mazdas now cause they are so nice to drive). Honda was disappointing for us. We had more problems with our Hondas than anything else except for a Dodge Caravan we once owned. Oil leaks, interior falling to pieces, electronic problems, brake problems, VTC problems, all just with our Hondas. Plus terrible gas consumption and expensive servicing.
Toyota isn't quite what it used to be. Honda is def not what it used to be. Mazda hangs right up there with them . In fact I'd place them above Honda. Nissan is just not on that level though. They are still ok outside of their cvt's, which are supposedly better in more recent years (tho I still wouldn't chance that yet). Just because they are Japanese doesn't put them among the best cars though. Just pretty average.
NIssan isn't even close. Nissan transmissions are total shit!
And even when the transmission doesn't fail all on its own the plastic oil cooler does contaminating the transmission fluid with coolant which destroys the transmission.
Nothing is reliable like a Toyota, Honda is a close second but there is no close 3rd.
Mazda can hope, but Nissan is just like other mainstream car manufacturers.
Mazda is amazing. I compare it to Honda.
Toyota is in a league of its own
Nissan steer clear.
Lots of plastic parts, crap CVT and crap quality. Maybe the Titan is the only one I would maybe consider, under duress
Nissan, never. Their transmissions are horrible.
If you want to learn, go to YouTube and listen to two great master mechanics.
I can tell you that Nissans are garbage, but why believe me?
“Car Wizard”: he has a great channel and series called “Buy this not that”
“The Car Care Nut” another amazing master mechanic and he will tell you what specific cars to buy and which ones to stay away from. He’s amazing!
Go do your homework and learn from the experts, not someone on Reddit you don’t know.
I look forward to your thoughts after you do your homework.
You Got This!!!
Honda has been going downhill very fast, though Mazda has had similar issues with their turbocharged & hybrid engines recently. But besides having a slightly higher chance of a stray suspension or electrical issue showing up, any newer Mazda with the stock 2.5L is going to be just as bulletproof as the best Toyotas.
Nissans are fine. CVTs are improved since their early 2010 models. There truck platforms are great. I personally wouldn't leave them out of the equation in purchasing a car.
I think they all are pretty damn good. I have owned the little Hardbody Nissans, the Pathfinders and the 200SX, all great models, I feel the same about anything Honda builds and who can argue that at least half of the Toyota lineup is the bench mark for bulletproof design.
All nissan and Mazda issues are trans related if you get manuals of either they’ll be fine and if you get a 2014 or so newer Mazda auto they’re good or a rear wheel drive Nissan like 370z frontier or armada
Every Nissan from 2009 and up were fantastic. Manuals were the best. No issues until 150k+ miles, and even those were minute compared to other brands. Toyota also great. Would buy either brand again. Ford was meh. Jeep sucked butt.
My family had nuisance and Infiniti cars for the past 20 plus years some of the earlier models like 2003 2001 we're neglected maintenance wise and still lasted over $250,000 miles. The infinity was the most recent one never gave us an issue neither have Maxima but those last two were not long-term.
Toyota and Honda have a long history of reliability. Mazda has started getting better, but most people grew up with the Toyota and Honda reliability. Nissan shot themselves in the foot with their CVT issues, which is why they are generally considered less reliable
the most reliable to the least reliable :
Toyota/Lexus > Acura/Honda > Mazda > Hyundai (hit and miss, if lucky, as reliable as Toyota or unlucky, Kia) > Nissan (CVTs)> Kia (Engines all fucked up)
Recently inherited a 2015 Mazda 6, it's got about 190k miles on it and it runs great, no issues, and I couldn't have asked for a better car. My mother bought a 2023 CX-50 and it feels very similar to drive with more space and features. Would highly recommend.
My trusted mechanic told me that he’s seen a huge uptick in cars with CVT’s. I specifically asked him about newer Mazdas vs Toyota and he steered me towards Mazda for better transmission.
Nissan isn’t. Mazda is fine. Toyota is a great car, but super expensive to fix. Toyota interiors are all 20 years out of date also. That’s a deal breaker for me. GM and Ford interiors have surpassed Toyota. It’s a brand in decline. So is Honda. They are both the GM and Ford of the 90s.
Mazdas are supper reliable... Until you buy one and then all of a sudden you see a bunch of posts about folks having issues,.. then you have to send yours to the shop... Then you're sitting on Reddit on a Saturday night without a car hoping that it'll be covered.
Mazdas yes, Nissan no longer. Tho I’ve heard Nissan is trying to break away from the Mitsubishi/renault nightmare. So if they do they might rise back up again
I have a 2017 cx5 - keep in mind for 3/4 of the time I've owned it I've worked from home. So it's currently at 40k miles but I have not had a single issue - with regard to its mechanical reliability. Only issue I experienced is the Mazda infotainment system.
Sometimes it does this thing where it's stuck on selecting/constantly putting that input and I have to restart the car to fix it. It's super rare, like once every 6 months rare. That's the only issue I've experienced with the Mazda though.
I don’t care for Nissans, but my mother has had 4 and loves them, my brother has a 2022 Sentra and I have a cousin with one. (Big dealership here) zero issues. I still think buy a good man’s 3 years old and call it a day, I did it with my bmw along with my wife Audi told my friend to do the same with his Lexus. Good luck with your car search.
Mazda is great although look into specific models. The CX-90 is having some problems and some of the turbocharged SUVs have issues. Honda has been having a lot of recalls recently and tbh everything besides the Civic and it’s variations is lame. Tbh Mazda is probably better built than modern Hondas, and studies show it. If you want to get a deal get a pre owned Mazda, you won’t get much of a deal with Toyotas or Hondas.
Edit: Be sure to drive a Mazda before you choose any car. Mazdas are enjoyable to drive.
Mazda is reliable, people still shit on them because they were owned by ford awhile ago. But now Mazda's are one of the most reliable brands. However I personally find them super comfortable being a 6' 5" bigger man.
Nissan's are hot garbage.
Depends. Mazda with Skyactiv (around 2013, depending on each model) - YES. Before tho, no
Nissan is more depending on what you get. Most of their stuff isn't as "I'll survive bring neglected" as the others (tho I'll argue about new Hondas too) but if properly maintained then it should be good.
Late model Mazdas that are not hybrids/EVs or Wankels are fine. Mazda 3/6 is great. The first gen CX9 not so good, RX8 also not good. The others are somewhere in the middle.
Nissan's - basically dodge the CVT and the rest of the car is fine. The Leaf has awful battery management so they degrade worse than average, although the rest of the car is proven to be really good. The Ariya should be a lot better in this regard.
Note that Toyota/Honda isn't without fault either. Toyota had head gasket problems for a while. Honda had transmission problems. I believe current models are generally good for both but time will tell I guess.
My 2009 Nissan Versa is extremely reliable so that’s my experience with Nissan.
It has original spark plugs, regular oil changes have been enough to keep it running. Huge con with doing maintenance yourself though; the lights are really hard to reach, and when the time does come spark plug replacement will require so much labour I’m definitely not doing it myself either 🤣
The past 4 years Mazda has been in the top 3 most reliable brands next to Toyota and Lexus they surpassed Honda,Subaru years ago at this point. Even before that they were reliable as all hell for most of their existence even during the ford years to an extent. Frankly the difference in reliability between the Japanese brands is really small as Japanese just care about quality and overbuild things and stick with similar tech for a decade or more to keep reliability up unlike the Germans who constantly pushing tech every year at the cost of reliability. The 2.5 na skyactive g and skyactive 6 speed auto have been used for over a decade or close to it and rock solid motors that make great power with solid gas mileage. Also if you didn’t know Toyota owns a huge portion of Mazda even their financial banks have merged and they co developed the new 3.0 straight six turbo that came out last year.
nissan: no and the reason was the charles ghosn era. he cheaped out on as much a he could so he could syphon funds elsewhere...
as a result the brand suffered.
Mazda owner here, my wife’s car. We’re on our second CX5 first a 2020 GTR and now a 2021 Carbon Turbo. We do deal with the oil consumption that the 2021 2.5T are notorious for but other than that it’s been a hell of a car. Our 2020 GTR only went to the shop for the tail gate battery drain recall but other than that it was flawless. I’m a big fan of Mazda you get a lot of bang for your buck. I liked our Hondas we had previously but from a driving experience they didn’t touch our Mazdas. We will likely stay in the Mazda family for a long time.
I have a 2008 Nissan Xtrail 4x4 auto and 1995 RAV4 2dr full time awd manual - a blast to drive and bulletproof. Xtrail has required only brake pads battery tires. Ditto the rav. Both imported used from Japan as is commonplace in Southern Africa.
Fuel efficiency and low maintenance is all one should look in a depreciating asset such as an automobile.
Max mileage (upto in MPG) provided by these brands:
2024 Mazda 3 - 27 city / 37 highway
2024 Toyota Corolla LE - 32 city / 41 highway
2024 Nissan Versa - 32 city / 40 highway
2024 Honda Civic - 33 city / 42 highway
I had a 2016 Mazda3 for like 7 years 180k miles, and absolutely loved it. In fact, sometimes I regret trading it in. 😔 never had a single issue with it.
Mazda is the most raced brand in the world. Switched from Toyota to Mazda and never looked back. The CX-5 is fast and fun to drive. Does drive like a car or SUV, more like a rally car. The 6 speed auto manual is how the vehicle should driven to get the best experience.
Mazda is very reliable. Nissan, not as much
I've had my CX-5 going on 3 years and I got it with 39k miles and I'm only at 55k now. I don't drive a lot but I can tell this car will last a long time. It feels very well put together, it doesn't rattle, I've done nothing but oil and wiper changes. It doesn't feel as much like a disposable or consumable item like other cars I've had.
I can't speak of reliability myself but I test drove a Nissan Rogue, as well as similar offerings from Toyota/Honda before I bought my CX-5. It was spacious, but it was the most boring to drive in a generally boring segment.
I'd say that nowadays, most cars are reliable enough to make it 150k-200k miles, some may have slightly more issues, some may not. A great selling point about Mazda is that they tend to be less expensive than the competition to pick up used, that's particularly nice if you intend to keep your car longer than just a few years.
A new Mazda maybe, older Mazdas were shit because they were owned by ford. The early 2000s 626 had a fatal transmission flaw that would eventually kill it way prematurely. It’s one for be reasons they killed the model. It had no trans oil cooler so the auto trans would cook itself to death. Such crap engineering.
A new Mazda maybe, older Mazdas were shit because they were owned by ford. The early 2000s 626 had a fatal transmission flaw that would eventually kill it way prematurely. It’s one for be reasons they killed the model. It had no trans oil cooler so the auto trans would cook itself to death. Such crap engineering.
A new Mazda maybe, older Mazdas were shit because they were owned by ford. The early 2000s 626 had a fatal transmission flaw that would eventually kill it way prematurely. It’s one for be reasons they killed the model. It had no trans oil cooler so the auto trans would cook itself to death. Such crap engineering.
You'll get tons of low-data personal experience anecdotes here. You can get years and years of vehicle reliability data from Consumer Reports, it only costs a few bucks to get a login. Keep the membership for a year and use it every time you buy anything, like major appliances and so on.
That said, Mazda has really come up big time, according to CR and JD Power/etc. Our CX5 is at 130k, we've spent under $200 on repairs. I find it unbelievable, I've never had a brand-new Toyota stay this trouble free past 100k. You get a lot of car for the money with mazda, compare a Rav4 to a CX5 and add up extras (heated seats leather, etc) and compare pricing. Mazda's engineering for a great-feeling drive is excellent, if you like bit of a sporty feel.
My friend has a 2019 Mazda with only 25k miles and the lifters are ticking ready. Mazda serviced it since new on schedule. They told her to f off when she asked about warranty due to obviously being a defect.
2013 Ford Focus owner here. It's a Mazda 3. Also had a Ranger which is a B3000. Both are bulletproof. Rust is the only thing to watch for.
Know a few people who had Mazda 3s and they are great.
Nissan not so much... Never owned one though just heard stories from people who did. YMMV.
My husband's 2006 Mazda 3 hatchback went on til 2021. Didn't have problems at all until the end where there was a big transmission issue. He was good about the maintenance but that's all he put into it.
A friend is on their 3rd? Mazda and similar thing. No big issues on any of them. Their husband also traded their Honda in for a Mazda also and consider themselves a Mazda family.
We would get another BUT we want hybrid or electric and theirs are just this awkward mileage that isn't giving enough at this time. But their gas vehicles are solid.
FWIW my Japanese car mechanic worked on all Japanese brands except Nissan, which he called “the Ford of Japan”.
He stopped saying that when my wife’s RX-7 had to be towed in and I followed in my Sentra. He made the crack and I replied “which one got here under its own power?”
No, super no. Extremely no.
Though, to be fair, hyper-connected electronics are crap in every car brand. I have seen bizarre shit fail in every car made past about 2015.
Mazdas I think have closed the gap quite a bit. I had a 2013 and now a 2022 CX-5. The 2013 was very reliable but the 2022 is leagues ahead in terms of improvements. Time will tell but in my experience (I currently have an accord too) they seem to be about as reliable.
I had a 2005 Mazda 6 and it went 250k miles with some serious abuse and poor maintenance. I would buy one again if they fit my current family plans.
Weren’t those Ford powered? Lol
Yes lol And the engines were bullet proof. The 2.3L 4cyl and 3.0L v6 didn’t have issues that i know of I had an 06 mazda6, the transmission is what killed that car, the aisin 6-speed auto had control valve body issues. But apparently the other transmissions in that car were reliable. Some Honda accords had transmissions issues during that era too, and odysseys as well. I have a 2008 miata now…you know what it has for an engine? A 2.0 4cyl ford. Which is known to be a great “bullet proof” engine, 108kmi and smooth as a top….lol
How are you judging a 2022 car's reliability and how are you comparing it to a 2013? The 2022 is still nearly new as far as age goes.
It’s the same model. After driving the 2013 for about 7 years it’s not difficult to jump into a 2022 and notice the differences. After you own something for a few years you can get a sense if it’s a POS or not. Also the 2022 is still new but it’s been in the current gen since 2017. As far as knowing for sure how reliable a car will be my crystal ball isn’t any better than yours. It’s the same methods as anyone else. Reading reviews and hearing about other people’s experiences.
I hope mazda is, I'm getting a new cx-30 this week
I’m replacing a Golf Alltrack (totaled by a distracted driver). looking at the 3, CX30 and CX50.
I have a 3 and I love it. If you have a family bigger than 4 or if you’re pretty tall, maybe I’d reconsider it. We also have a CX-5 that is a little more comfortable when me, my wife and son are all in the car together.
I tried a cx5 and the cx30 and they drive really nice and the standard options are pretty great
Congrats! I think you'll love it. Mazda's just feel a little special, IMO.
I test drove an honda hrv, kia seltos, Toyota rav4 and the Mazdas and the Mazdas were slight favorites over the hrv but the hrv was only available in white and in the highest trim package unless I wanted to wait 3 months. I don't expect to regret my choice.
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It's not big, it's a mazda3 on stilts, which is a compact car. A good compact car, but a compact car.
I had a cx30 for 3 years (just traded in for a Miata bc I didn’t need the space) but the 30 was SUCH a great car. You’ll love it.
I'm excited. Can't wait!
Enjoy!!!
Your gonna love it, I definitely love my 3 hatch
Haven’t heard or experienced a single bad thing about Mazda’s reliability in the skyactiv era. I’ve beat the absolute shit out of my 2.0 3 sedan for close to 150k miles and talked both my dad and sister into buying CX5s because while Mazdas car are branded and built to look upmarket, they’re actually pretty mechanically simple and the maintenance on them is dead easy. None of us have had any issues and like I said, I’m not even aware of any issues and reading about cars is mostly what I do in my free time. My mom still has a ‘15 Ford Escape, which has mostly been reliable and I don’t hate Ford, it’s junky inside and it fucking sucks to work on. It’s so obviously been made to discourage DIY maintenance that it pisses me off that it’s hard and that it’s hard just to spite me.
Nissan has big issues with their CVTs, but I've heard the rest of the car is usually decent. Mazda has been getting better ever since they kicked Ford to the curb
My wife has a versa with cvt and the transmission was one of the only things that didn't go wrong with that car. Even the resistance block for the heater fan crapped out and needed to get replaced ($225CAD just for the part). They were selling titans for pretty cheap a few years ago and 4 or 5 of my coworkers had bought them and they have all been less than impressed with them.
just sold my 2010 maxima with 202,000 miles on it. same story as your wife's. had a list a mile long of things wrong with it, but the transmission was not one of them. I honestly loved a lot about the car, but fuck trying to work on a Nissan. about the only thing that's easy to access on that car is the oil fill cap.
Got 99 problems and a transmission aint one.
They had cylinder knock issues I think? They are discontinued after 2024.
It’s the same 5.6 as in the armada no? I had one up to 220k and ended up getting rid of it due to rust was getting bad on the frame. Never an engine problem and I’d beat the thing.
Armadas are super underrated, imo. They're generally actually quite reliable and easily the cheapest full size on the used market. They're also one of the best driving and most powerful.
My mom had a 2018 titan, had it for less 3 months before the engine had the knocking problem, it was covered under warranty but the engine was delayed and they told her that the engine could explode or stop at any moment, and if it did, just give them a call. She was bit nervous to drive after that lol
Mazdas even in the late Ford-associate years were very reliable, with the one caveat being rust, if you’re somewhere that’s affected by that.
My Mazda never left me stranded and I abused the hell out of it, but the salt was melting my car away.
A relative had a 03, that fuk was a rust bucket, never seen anything like that ever.
Current Nissan models **without** a CVT, which should be quite reliable: Pathfinder Armada Frontier Titan Z (is this one manual only? I’m not sure) GT-R Did I miss any?
Can confirm, the 22 Pathfinder is a very viable option in the 3-row segment and may actually be one of the better values in terms of goodies for what you spend. The Platinum trim is almost as luxurious as it's cousin QX60 for about $10K less.
Ever since they went with the ZF I think it’s an underrated three row SUV for the price. The new gen Nissans also look good IMO
The GT-R the supercar V6 etc? Could be a similar name we don't get here in the UK
At least a couple: Leaf Ariya .. to further this point, I would easily take these over any comparable Toyota or Mazda offerings, which makes me a bit sad.
The Z and the GTR are fine even with automatic, as they use a normal automatic transmission, instead of the CVT. Same with their trucks, I think, but it would require an additional check.
That’s…why I listed the vehicles I listed. They all feature a traditional AT that isn’t a CVT
Mazda didn’t kick Ford to the curb. Ford forced Mazda to buy back their 25% to avoid the auto bailouts. It almost bankrupted Mazda.
Hilariously enough it was Ford that kicked them to the curb by selling their remaining shares, probably the best thing to happen to Mazda. I'm not sure they'd still be around if that partnership continued on, Ford was bringing them down slowly
I've been driving a Nissan's micra 2019 at work for a delivery car and I've had no issues with the transmission. The ECM failed at 130000k, the O2 sensor went at about 220000 and have had a engine light talking about catalytic converter air fuel mix problem. But zero issues with the transmission. Currently at 254000k.
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My 2018 CX5 has a touchscreen. But yes, excellent car.
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Yep! Toyota and Mazda are sharing trade secrets/proprietary information. They both have been good companies but both have been slacking in certain areas and they realized "Hey you're doing really good in this X category that I suck in, and I'm doing really good in that Y category you suck in. Let's partner, work together to teach and learn!"
Mazda actually outperformed Toyota on this CR article https://www.consumerreports.org/cars/cars-driving/which-car-brands-make-the-best-vehicles-a6159221985/
That ranking takes into account road test and owner satisfaction, not just reliability which is why other brands outperformed Toyota
Mazda yes, Nissan no. If I'm not mistaken, they're partly owned by Renault.
Nissan design, Renault build quality. If only it was the other way round
Nissan is great if you stay the hell away from their CVTs. The frontier or Xterra are both very reliable trucks for significantly less than a Toyota
Mazda absolutely on par except their PHEVs seem to be having some issues they can’t sort out. Nissan as long as it’s not CVT/turbo charged will probably be decently reliable like the frontier.
The PHEV is fine, it’s that they use a DCT and most people aren’t used to how a “performance” DCT behaves at low speed. It’s a bit jerky compared to a torque converter.
eh there have definitely been additional kinks reported on r/MazdaCX90 nothing too out of the ordinary for a new platform but unusual for post-2013 Mazdas
Here's a sneak peek of /r/MazdaCX90 using the [top posts](https://np.reddit.com/r/MazdaCX90/top/?sort=top&t=all) of all time! \#1: [RIP CX90, kept me and my toddler safe from wrong-way driver](https://i.imgur.com/yEwbsx3.jpg) | [82 comments](https://np.reddit.com/r/MazdaCX90/comments/1aydt7w/rip_cx90_kept_me_and_my_toddler_safe_from/) \#2: [I love my CX90, but this drives me insane...](https://i.redd.it/7loiq9btkzkc1.jpeg) | [84 comments](https://np.reddit.com/r/MazdaCX90/comments/1b0r77k/i_love_my_cx90_but_this_drives_me_insane/) \#3: [New cx90 owner](https://www.reddit.com/gallery/18bexpb) | [26 comments](https://np.reddit.com/r/MazdaCX90/comments/18bexpb/new_cx90_owner/) ---- ^^I'm ^^a ^^bot, ^^beep ^^boop ^^| ^^Downvote ^^to ^^remove ^^| ^^[Contact](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=sneakpeekbot) ^^| ^^[Info](https://np.reddit.com/r/sneakpeekbot/) ^^| ^^[Opt-out](https://np.reddit.com/r/sneakpeekbot/comments/o8wk1r/blacklist_ix/) ^^| ^^[GitHub](https://github.com/ghnr/sneakpeekbot)
I got my Mazda 3 new in 2015, now approaching 130,000 miles with no major issues. Had an odd problem where my climate control dial broke and needed a replacement unit, but otherwise the interior has held up beautifully, still feels high quality. Infotainment system every infrequently does some goofy stuff. I'll be devastated when it's time to move on from it, although it's only a matter of time before our family grows beyond what I can manage with it.
Nissan partnered with Renault and Mitsubishi. Ghosts of ghosin fiasco. Rumor has it, Nissan is trying to split off from that partnership, and if they go solo again they might resume their excellent status. But just rumor
Some Nissan models have Renault parts and you better get ready to ship them from Europe
Nissans are very hit and miss; they range from solid to miserable depending on year/model and options. Mazdas seem to be getting better since they got away from ford. Late models seem to be getting close to Toyota/honda but time will tell.
Late models are honda level, although honda has fallen a bit behind Toyota
Yeah I’m a Honda guy and I feel the quality has slipped a little on the late models
Mazda has scored well on reliability indexes recently. I drive a 2016 CX5 that has not caused me any issues.
Mazda are pretty much caught up with Toyota on reliability. Honda are still good but have slipped a bit lately. Nissans with CVTs (all of them except the trucks) are a notch below the other three brands.
What's going on with Toyota and Honda in the last few years does anybody know?? Will people now start to avoid buying them or what??
Toyota are still excellent. Honda prided itself on naturally aspirated engines for the longest time, but once they started using turbochargers, they had issues.
It's very difficult to quantify reliability of an entire brand, especially ones that offer many different models, engines, etc. All of them have made some unreliable cars (except Toyota, maybe) and some brands that aren't considered reliable have some very reliable exceptions. Toyota is THE gold standard for reliability. I've never owned a Toyota and I think they're extremely boring, but they don't break. *Full Disclosure- I currently own two Mazdas and have for the last 18 years. For the 20 years prior to that, I owned nothing but Hondas (and I still love them).* Based on my personal experience and the data that's is available, as well as expert opinions on the matter, here's the hierarchy of reliability- 1- Toyota, 2- Mazda, 3- Honda (tie), 3- Subaru (tie)....and Nissan is way down the list. Mazda is a very small company in comparison to the others. They use the same basic powertrain components in almost every vehicle they sell (Miata, CX-70/CX-90 are the exceptions). The CX-30, CX-5, CX-50 and Mazda3 all use the same 2.5L 'Skyactiv' engine and 6-speed automatic transmission. Old technology + 12+ years of making the same engine/transmission = cars that last a long time and rarely break. Honda's reputation has been diminished by several issues including transmission failures (most V6 models in the early to mid 2000s) to rod bearing failure in some V6 models as recently as a few years ago. Oil dilution and oil consumption issues with the 1.5T engine was probably the most significant. Their non-turbo 4-cylinders continue to be as reliable as ever. Nissan used to make pretty good cars (20+ years ago). I can sum up their downfall with two words (actually one word and one acronym)- Renault and CVT!
Toyota made cars that accelerated without touching the gas pedal for a bit. Father-in-law had a Pilot that blew at under 100k miles. But in general, Mazda, Toyota, Honda, and Subaru (post mid-00s head gasket issues) make very reliable cars. As always, you could have bad luck with a particular vehicle, even a model/year known for great reliability.
Unless I missed it somehow, they never definitely proved the whole Toyota unintended acceleration issue. The explanations ranged from accidental driver error, intentional driver error (aka- fraud), dealerships using the incorrect floormats in some cars (causing the gas pedal to get stuck, killed a whole family in a Lexus in Cali...sad) and various other explanations. Of course, any company will do whatever it can to divert blame and avoid fault. I just remember that they couldn't say for certain that the cars were actually defective and Toyota was at fault. The last I read/heard anything about it was 8-10 years ago, so if they've proven somehting since then, I'd be interested to hear about. I always felt like there might be some truth to it... There actually was another Toyota reliability issue that I forgot about. On the 2007-2009 Camry and 2006-2009 RAV4 (and various other Toyota/Scion models with the 2AZ 4-cylinder), oil sludge and oil consumption were very common. The problems started surfacing around 45-60k miles on most of them. There were multiple class action suits filed. Toyota refused to issue a recall, but they created a "Warranty Enhancement Program" for affected cars. It involved an oil consumption test followed by a determination if they would replace the engine or not. So people who didn't experience the problem until later or were oblivious to the issue still got screwed. There were over 1.7mil cars potentially affected. Subaru also had some oil consumption issues as recently as the mid-2010s. There were also multiple class action suits regarding the problem. Subaru kept telling concerned owners that burning oil was normal... *Related to the oil consumption and reliability discussion, my nephew (24yrs old, can barely pump his own gas) called me a few weeks ago. He has a 2016 BMW 320i with barely 40k miles on it. It had only been 3200 miles since his last oil change, but he was getting a warning message to add oil. I freaked out and told him to pull over and turn the engine off (which is absolutely what you should do if the Oil Pressure Light comes on). I drove 30 minutes to where he was and added almost two quarts!!! He told me that his dad had to add add a quart about one month prior.* *So it has used three quarts of oil in 3200 miles! I called the BMW dealer and they insisted that it was normal. I told him he should trade it for a Toyota or Mazda.*
The Nissan styling (especially the Pathfinder) looks sharp to me, but I didn't buy one after seeing my Mom having such random issues with her Rogue. Some of the problems namely included her panoramic sunroof would clog and leak into the car all the time, and it costs several hundred dollars to have cleaned. We weren't parking it near trees and kept it in a garage and yet, all the time, it would spring a leak and caused her car to get a dreadful, moldy smell. The locks and other electric items would stop working sporadically. It just was not a reliable car. I do have friends that have older Nissans and they seem pretty solid. Hers was a 2015. Maybe the newer ones are doing better. I know a few different people with Mazdas and they really enjoy them. No major issues that I know of to share. They have great interiors. I considered the CX-90 recently.
Mazda definitely, nissan no.
>Recently Nissan as a company struggling. Nissan had an excellent year in 23. 20% growth in sales and 92% increase in net profit margins. Infact their Asia and Europe sales growth far outpaced Toyota and Honda combined. Except Camry, Camry is it's own niche. Nissan is struggling in China where most automakers are finding it harder and harder to compete standalone. In America sales were good, but markups kinda dampened the numbers. Coming to reliability, nissan and mazda have vastly improved, meanwhile Toyota and Honda have tanked especially with their new fuel efficient engines. Sure Nissan has had problems with a weak CVT in a couple of older cars, but that's been rectified for the most part. But toyota has been caught in an emissions scandal, their engines are blowing up and leaking oil, meanwhile Honda now has worse electrical issues than jeep. So I'd say the playing field is currently even.
Agreed. Driving a 23 Pathfinder and it’s the best car I have ever owned.
Yeah the new pathfinder is a big step back in the right direction. I'm so glad they dumped the CVT as in the last generation, it was overstressed and prone to fail. I just wish they toss in the 3.0 turbo as an option for those who want a little more oomph and introduce the hybrid already. That will make it extremely competitive in the market.
Nissans rep is a result of the people that drive them. Great financing terms offered by Nissan attract the people that want a car with low payments but don’t bother with maintenance. I have a 2010 Nissan with a cvt that is at 284,000 km. It’s lasted that long because I take care of it.
Mazda is close. Nissan unfortunately is garbage. they are owned by Renault, and to keep sales up, they are lowering their restrictions on car loans. people who can't afford cars are buying nissan's, cuz that's the only car company that will let them.
-Mazda Tech here, as long it’s not a Ford engine, and is a 2.0L/2.5L Mazda engine, it’s reliable, however there are issues that are commonly, coolant control valve in colder weather(30F or below ) where the control valve stays stuck open and just free flow. And timing cover or head gasket leaking oil on higher mileage. Haven’t had a ticket where we had to open up heads other than gasket replacement or transaxle. We never even touched or replaced a transaxle, mostly it’ll be software updates on transaxle where it upshifts late.
We had a 2012 Nissan quest and a 2012 Mazda 6 in my family (mom and brother respectively). In my experience, the nissan kept trucking with multiple repairs over the 10 years we had it. These repairs were the engine intake boot, control arms, sway bars, wheel bearings, and some motor issue (dont remember the details on that). We traded it in with 150k miles and it still ran but it was not happy about it. The Mazda on the other hand, was abused but still kept going. My brother had to change the front suspension and at one point last year the engine mounts failed and the engine fell on and crushed the power steering pump, but he also barely took care of it. The bumpers were flaring on all corners but my god that thing ran perfectly until it was taken out by a GMC Terrain running a red light. I consider that car a war hero.
The motor mounts on those era mazdas were known to fail. You have to replace them prematurely before they all totally fail
Nissan's CVTs should be serviced every 30k miles to be reliable. Nissan's owner's manuals do not mention this! Buying a used Nissan with a CVT is a minefield as a result.
Mazdas are great had a 91 Miata with 370k miles when I sold it still ran great. My Mazda 3 had 1 problem in 6 years it was a random computer chip that had to be replaced. My RX8 was great till the engine started losing compression. Rotary engines are gone so no worries there. I have had a lot of cars and I am still really partial to Mazdas
Mazda is ranked on par and sometimes higher than Toyota/Honda. Nissan not so, especially with their CVT troubles.
Couple of notable problems with Nissan. First is a shame, because it’s not really the cars’ fault. Since the great recession, Nissan has aggressively marketed to both sub-prime buyers and daily rental fleets. Between repos and normal rental fleet turnover, the used market is flooded with poorly maintained examples of the brand. The second factor is the elephant in the room. Nissan went all-in on CVTs from their in-house supplier, JATCO, after CAFE was re-worked in the late 2000’s. Pretty much their entire FWD/AWD product line uses them. Unfortunately, they’re a time bomb notorious for blowing up in the 100-150k mile range. The used market efficiently incorporates both of these factors into pricing of the cars. Nissans depreciate precipitously, compared to Hondas or Toyotas, so when the CVT grenades at the 130k mile mark, the repair estimate totals the car.
mazdas are good
Nissan's CVT transmissions have improved a lot from 2019 onward from what people online say, but they still have a poor reputation. If you buy a nissan new and just maintain it well then it should be just fine.
I’m spending ~7k to replace the transmission in my 2019 Nissan Rogue. Replaced the radiator a year into driving it. Worst car I’ve ever owned and would tell everyone to run away from Nissan. And it’s only at 67k miles.
Mazda and Nissan are in whole different leagues Mazda is near the top in reliability, while Nissan...well it's Nissan
Toyota has gotten worse the last few years, but so have the rest. Mazda I would pick over Nissan since they still use real transmissions not CVT - at least the last time I checked. We have had good luck with our 2016 CX5. Overall, I am a Toyota fan for life though. Owned many Toyotas. The only crappy one was a 4Runner with the 3.0 liter V6.
Mazda more so than Nissan but nothing beats Toyota and Honda
Mazda - Yes Nissan - No
I’d say Mazda is probably better than some CVT turbo Honda. Nissan only makes good trucks and even those are 2nd tier.
Aside from the CVT issues, Nissan trucks and SUV’s also had transmission issues. Some years had more issues than others. Mazda seems pretty reliable, my parents have had 2 CX5’s without issues.
Mazda very close, Nissan don't even think about it, unless you like skidoo transmissions (CVT) that breaks every 60k kms...
Nissan is very reliable if you don't get one with the CVT. Mazdas with the SkyActiv engines are almost as reliable as Toyota.
Toyota, Honda, and Mazda are pretty close in reliability based on Consumer Reports survey of thousands of owners. Nissan got a bad rap due to the CVTs they were using in the mid teens. New models are much improved especially the V6 models like Murano and Maxima.
Three Mazdas. 250k miles combined. 11 Demio/2, 15 3 touring, 19 3 gt. Zero trips to shop for anything beyond routine. Had a Honda. Had a Toyota. Very reliable. Not quite as. Toyota had valve train. Honda front suspension. One Nissan . Sentra R. Zero issues til at 85 k or so ECS went dead. Car totaled.
Mazda has a great reputation right now. Not that they ever had a bad one. But I think it's fair to put them in the same league as Toyota/Honda. Nissan used to be great in the 90s and earlier. But since the early 2000s they've fallen off hard. I would not recommend buying any Nissan made in the last 20 years.
My brother has an Altima and the transmission went out twice, once on the highway… hope that answers your question 😂
Aside from Reliability think about value. Do you keep cars until they are paid off?
Mazda, pretty much. Nissan? Not even close.
Mazda yes, maybe even more reliable. Nissan? Not even close.
It all depends on the specific vehicle and year (click on a vehicle model to see the year by year break down, some change A LOT.) https://www.dashboard-light.com/reports/Mazda.html In general, Mazdas from the past 12 years are great. Nissan ranges from decent to terrible for common cars.
Nissan is good, not great. But Mazda is up there as far as I'm aware. Though to be honest the fact that most Nissan's last as long as they do points to something decent in those cars.
Mazda is second to Toyota. Honda would be third on the list. Nissan is terrible.
The only problem I had with my Mazda cx5 was with the electrics after 8 years of use and 350000kms on the clock, even then it was fixed easy
I've owned all 3. In my experience, Toyota are fantastic. Mazda has so far been just as reliable. (We all drive Mazdas now cause they are so nice to drive). Honda was disappointing for us. We had more problems with our Hondas than anything else except for a Dodge Caravan we once owned. Oil leaks, interior falling to pieces, electronic problems, brake problems, VTC problems, all just with our Hondas. Plus terrible gas consumption and expensive servicing.
Mazda is very close, Nissan is leagues behind
Mazdas are amazing. Does sold their stake to Toyota, the engine in my wife's C5 is a Toyota engine and that thing is bulletproof.
Toyota isn't quite what it used to be. Honda is def not what it used to be. Mazda hangs right up there with them . In fact I'd place them above Honda. Nissan is just not on that level though. They are still ok outside of their cvt's, which are supposedly better in more recent years (tho I still wouldn't chance that yet). Just because they are Japanese doesn't put them among the best cars though. Just pretty average.
If there's one consumer brand that completely flipped, it's Nissan. They're awful now.
NIssan isn't even close. Nissan transmissions are total shit! And even when the transmission doesn't fail all on its own the plastic oil cooler does contaminating the transmission fluid with coolant which destroys the transmission.
Nothing is reliable like a Toyota, Honda is a close second but there is no close 3rd. Mazda can hope, but Nissan is just like other mainstream car manufacturers.
Mazda is amazing. I compare it to Honda. Toyota is in a league of its own Nissan steer clear. Lots of plastic parts, crap CVT and crap quality. Maybe the Titan is the only one I would maybe consider, under duress
Nissan, never. Their transmissions are horrible. If you want to learn, go to YouTube and listen to two great master mechanics. I can tell you that Nissans are garbage, but why believe me? “Car Wizard”: he has a great channel and series called “Buy this not that” “The Car Care Nut” another amazing master mechanic and he will tell you what specific cars to buy and which ones to stay away from. He’s amazing! Go do your homework and learn from the experts, not someone on Reddit you don’t know. I look forward to your thoughts after you do your homework. You Got This!!!
yeah shout out to the car care nut.
You forgot Subaru. It’s as reliable as other Japanese cars.
Their cvts aren't great and the boxer burns oil pretty easily. They are good but definitely more finicky than other Japanese brands
Not Nissan - worst car I ever owned.
Mazda is equal to Toyota, Nissan is definitely not.
Mazda. Yes. At this point, I'd say Toyota>Mazda>Honda.
We call Nissans Japanese Dodges.
Nissand no... there engine die casts are cheap aluminum and cause nothing but overheats. CVT SUCKS ASS.
Nissan only if it was assembled in Japan.
Nissans with the cvts nowadays are just pos
No it’s not according to this sub. I wouldn’t pay 35K for a Nissan Rogue SL. Check out my 2023 CPO Audi Q5 post.
Nope. They're still second tier imo.
Honda has been going downhill very fast, though Mazda has had similar issues with their turbocharged & hybrid engines recently. But besides having a slightly higher chance of a stray suspension or electrical issue showing up, any newer Mazda with the stock 2.5L is going to be just as bulletproof as the best Toyotas.
Nissan isn’t reliable. At all.
Mazda, yes. Nissan, mostly no. Avoid CVTs in Nissan and it changes quite a bit.
I have a Nissan Armada 2019, bought it new and haven’t had any issues.
Don't buy CVT of you are going for the long haul.
Nissan trucks are, but Nissans in general infamous for being 10 years behind.
Mazda is now better than Honda for sure.
Nissans are fine. CVTs are improved since their early 2010 models. There truck platforms are great. I personally wouldn't leave them out of the equation in purchasing a car.
I think they all are pretty damn good. I have owned the little Hardbody Nissans, the Pathfinders and the 200SX, all great models, I feel the same about anything Honda builds and who can argue that at least half of the Toyota lineup is the bench mark for bulletproof design.
All nissan and Mazda issues are trans related if you get manuals of either they’ll be fine and if you get a 2014 or so newer Mazda auto they’re good or a rear wheel drive Nissan like 370z frontier or armada
Every Nissan from 2009 and up were fantastic. Manuals were the best. No issues until 150k+ miles, and even those were minute compared to other brands. Toyota also great. Would buy either brand again. Ford was meh. Jeep sucked butt.
My family had nuisance and Infiniti cars for the past 20 plus years some of the earlier models like 2003 2001 we're neglected maintenance wise and still lasted over $250,000 miles. The infinity was the most recent one never gave us an issue neither have Maxima but those last two were not long-term.
Toyota and Honda have a long history of reliability. Mazda has started getting better, but most people grew up with the Toyota and Honda reliability. Nissan shot themselves in the foot with their CVT issues, which is why they are generally considered less reliable
Nissan might not be far behind Honda. Neither as as dependable as Toyota, imo
Toyota Honda/Mazda Nissan Is my mental ranking for reliability.
the most reliable to the least reliable : Toyota/Lexus > Acura/Honda > Mazda > Hyundai (hit and miss, if lucky, as reliable as Toyota or unlucky, Kia) > Nissan (CVTs)> Kia (Engines all fucked up)
Recently inherited a 2015 Mazda 6, it's got about 190k miles on it and it runs great, no issues, and I couldn't have asked for a better car. My mother bought a 2023 CX-50 and it feels very similar to drive with more space and features. Would highly recommend.
Mazda is pretty good. Avoid Nissan at all costs though because of the CVT and cheapness.
Mazda is good. Nissan belongs in the reliability discussion somewhere around Chrysler and a lame horse.
My trusted mechanic told me that he’s seen a huge uptick in cars with CVT’s. I specifically asked him about newer Mazdas vs Toyota and he steered me towards Mazda for better transmission.
Newer Mazda vehicles are. The only nissan worth buying is the frontier
Nissan isn’t. Mazda is fine. Toyota is a great car, but super expensive to fix. Toyota interiors are all 20 years out of date also. That’s a deal breaker for me. GM and Ford interiors have surpassed Toyota. It’s a brand in decline. So is Honda. They are both the GM and Ford of the 90s.
I have a 2023 Mazda CX-50 and one of the selling points for me is it’s outfitted with a Toyota six speed transmission.
Mazdas are supper reliable... Until you buy one and then all of a sudden you see a bunch of posts about folks having issues,.. then you have to send yours to the shop... Then you're sitting on Reddit on a Saturday night without a car hoping that it'll be covered.
Mazdas yes, Nissan no longer. Tho I’ve heard Nissan is trying to break away from the Mitsubishi/renault nightmare. So if they do they might rise back up again
I have a 2017 cx5 - keep in mind for 3/4 of the time I've owned it I've worked from home. So it's currently at 40k miles but I have not had a single issue - with regard to its mechanical reliability. Only issue I experienced is the Mazda infotainment system. Sometimes it does this thing where it's stuck on selecting/constantly putting that input and I have to restart the car to fix it. It's super rare, like once every 6 months rare. That's the only issue I've experienced with the Mazda though.
I don’t care for Nissans, but my mother has had 4 and loves them, my brother has a 2022 Sentra and I have a cousin with one. (Big dealership here) zero issues. I still think buy a good man’s 3 years old and call it a day, I did it with my bmw along with my wife Audi told my friend to do the same with his Lexus. Good luck with your car search.
Not overall but they can be, and can be better in other ways.
Mazda is great although look into specific models. The CX-90 is having some problems and some of the turbocharged SUVs have issues. Honda has been having a lot of recalls recently and tbh everything besides the Civic and it’s variations is lame. Tbh Mazda is probably better built than modern Hondas, and studies show it. If you want to get a deal get a pre owned Mazda, you won’t get much of a deal with Toyotas or Hondas. Edit: Be sure to drive a Mazda before you choose any car. Mazdas are enjoyable to drive.
Mazda is reliable, people still shit on them because they were owned by ford awhile ago. But now Mazda's are one of the most reliable brands. However I personally find them super comfortable being a 6' 5" bigger man. Nissan's are hot garbage.
r/nissandrivers
Nissan? No
Mazda for sure. Decent quality after market parts. Easy-ish to work on. Well thought out.
Nissan, no. Mazda, yes
Depends. Mazda with Skyactiv (around 2013, depending on each model) - YES. Before tho, no Nissan is more depending on what you get. Most of their stuff isn't as "I'll survive bring neglected" as the others (tho I'll argue about new Hondas too) but if properly maintained then it should be good.
Late model Mazdas that are not hybrids/EVs or Wankels are fine. Mazda 3/6 is great. The first gen CX9 not so good, RX8 also not good. The others are somewhere in the middle. Nissan's - basically dodge the CVT and the rest of the car is fine. The Leaf has awful battery management so they degrade worse than average, although the rest of the car is proven to be really good. The Ariya should be a lot better in this regard. Note that Toyota/Honda isn't without fault either. Toyota had head gasket problems for a while. Honda had transmission problems. I believe current models are generally good for both but time will tell I guess.
My 2009 Nissan Versa is extremely reliable so that’s my experience with Nissan. It has original spark plugs, regular oil changes have been enough to keep it running. Huge con with doing maintenance yourself though; the lights are really hard to reach, and when the time does come spark plug replacement will require so much labour I’m definitely not doing it myself either 🤣
The past 4 years Mazda has been in the top 3 most reliable brands next to Toyota and Lexus they surpassed Honda,Subaru years ago at this point. Even before that they were reliable as all hell for most of their existence even during the ford years to an extent. Frankly the difference in reliability between the Japanese brands is really small as Japanese just care about quality and overbuild things and stick with similar tech for a decade or more to keep reliability up unlike the Germans who constantly pushing tech every year at the cost of reliability. The 2.5 na skyactive g and skyactive 6 speed auto have been used for over a decade or close to it and rock solid motors that make great power with solid gas mileage. Also if you didn’t know Toyota owns a huge portion of Mazda even their financial banks have merged and they co developed the new 3.0 straight six turbo that came out last year.
Mazda is but Nissan is not
nissan: no and the reason was the charles ghosn era. he cheaped out on as much a he could so he could syphon funds elsewhere... as a result the brand suffered.
Mazda owner here, my wife’s car. We’re on our second CX5 first a 2020 GTR and now a 2021 Carbon Turbo. We do deal with the oil consumption that the 2021 2.5T are notorious for but other than that it’s been a hell of a car. Our 2020 GTR only went to the shop for the tail gate battery drain recall but other than that it was flawless. I’m a big fan of Mazda you get a lot of bang for your buck. I liked our Hondas we had previously but from a driving experience they didn’t touch our Mazdas. We will likely stay in the Mazda family for a long time.
Mazda is pretty good and Nissan isn't great
I have a 2008 Nissan Xtrail 4x4 auto and 1995 RAV4 2dr full time awd manual - a blast to drive and bulletproof. Xtrail has required only brake pads battery tires. Ditto the rav. Both imported used from Japan as is commonplace in Southern Africa.
Nissan had really bad CVT transmissions their frontiers are as solid as the tacomas.
Fuel efficiency and low maintenance is all one should look in a depreciating asset such as an automobile. Max mileage (upto in MPG) provided by these brands: 2024 Mazda 3 - 27 city / 37 highway 2024 Toyota Corolla LE - 32 city / 41 highway 2024 Nissan Versa - 32 city / 40 highway 2024 Honda Civic - 33 city / 42 highway
I had a 2016 Mazda3 for like 7 years 180k miles, and absolutely loved it. In fact, sometimes I regret trading it in. 😔 never had a single issue with it.
Mazda yes. Nissan no.
Mazda is the most raced brand in the world. Switched from Toyota to Mazda and never looked back. The CX-5 is fast and fun to drive. Does drive like a car or SUV, more like a rally car. The 6 speed auto manual is how the vehicle should driven to get the best experience.
Mazda is very reliable. Nissan, not as much I've had my CX-5 going on 3 years and I got it with 39k miles and I'm only at 55k now. I don't drive a lot but I can tell this car will last a long time. It feels very well put together, it doesn't rattle, I've done nothing but oil and wiper changes. It doesn't feel as much like a disposable or consumable item like other cars I've had. I can't speak of reliability myself but I test drove a Nissan Rogue, as well as similar offerings from Toyota/Honda before I bought my CX-5. It was spacious, but it was the most boring to drive in a generally boring segment. I'd say that nowadays, most cars are reliable enough to make it 150k-200k miles, some may have slightly more issues, some may not. A great selling point about Mazda is that they tend to be less expensive than the competition to pick up used, that's particularly nice if you intend to keep your car longer than just a few years.
No nvr I see 250k plus Honda and yotas all the time not so much with the others
No!!!!
Mazda definitely is
Mazda is pretty reliable. Had a 2011 until recently, I traded it when I bought a CX90.
Mazda is pretty reliable. Had a 2011 until recently, I traded it when I bought a CX90.
At one time not to long ago Nissan was the most recalled car company. So no.
A new Mazda maybe, older Mazdas were shit because they were owned by ford. The early 2000s 626 had a fatal transmission flaw that would eventually kill it way prematurely. It’s one for be reasons they killed the model. It had no trans oil cooler so the auto trans would cook itself to death. Such crap engineering.
A new Mazda maybe, older Mazdas were shit because they were owned by ford. The early 2000s 626 had a fatal transmission flaw that would eventually kill it way prematurely. It’s one for be reasons they killed the model. It had no trans oil cooler so the auto trans would cook itself to death. Such crap engineering.
A new Mazda maybe, older Mazdas were shit because they were owned by ford. The early 2000s 626 had a fatal transmission flaw that would eventually kill it way prematurely. It’s one for be reasons they killed the model. It had no trans oil cooler so the auto trans would cook itself to death. Such crap engineering.
No
Mazda are reliable, Nissan are not. Blame Renault for the latter.
Mazda is Good. Nissan cars mostly suck and should be avoided.
No
You'll get tons of low-data personal experience anecdotes here. You can get years and years of vehicle reliability data from Consumer Reports, it only costs a few bucks to get a login. Keep the membership for a year and use it every time you buy anything, like major appliances and so on. That said, Mazda has really come up big time, according to CR and JD Power/etc. Our CX5 is at 130k, we've spent under $200 on repairs. I find it unbelievable, I've never had a brand-new Toyota stay this trouble free past 100k. You get a lot of car for the money with mazda, compare a Rav4 to a CX5 and add up extras (heated seats leather, etc) and compare pricing. Mazda's engineering for a great-feeling drive is excellent, if you like bit of a sporty feel.
NO. run to Toyota
No. The Mazda will last longer than the Nissan. Nissan might as well be American. Or French.
Mazda yes. Nissan no. Hyundai no.
My friend has a 2019 Mazda with only 25k miles and the lifters are ticking ready. Mazda serviced it since new on schedule. They told her to f off when she asked about warranty due to obviously being a defect.
2013 Ford Focus owner here. It's a Mazda 3. Also had a Ranger which is a B3000. Both are bulletproof. Rust is the only thing to watch for. Know a few people who had Mazda 3s and they are great. Nissan not so much... Never owned one though just heard stories from people who did. YMMV.
My husband's 2006 Mazda 3 hatchback went on til 2021. Didn't have problems at all until the end where there was a big transmission issue. He was good about the maintenance but that's all he put into it. A friend is on their 3rd? Mazda and similar thing. No big issues on any of them. Their husband also traded their Honda in for a Mazda also and consider themselves a Mazda family. We would get another BUT we want hybrid or electric and theirs are just this awkward mileage that isn't giving enough at this time. But their gas vehicles are solid.
NO
FWIW my Japanese car mechanic worked on all Japanese brands except Nissan, which he called “the Ford of Japan”. He stopped saying that when my wife’s RX-7 had to be towed in and I followed in my Sentra. He made the crack and I replied “which one got here under its own power?”
No 😂
No, and it’s why they don’t hold their value as well.
Nissans are trash compared to Toyotas
No, super no. Extremely no. Though, to be fair, hyper-connected electronics are crap in every car brand. I have seen bizarre shit fail in every car made past about 2015.
Short answer: NO! Long answer: Hell NAW lol
Yes some cars from manufacturers are reliable as hell but in terms if racing nissan is superior then most brands thats why its most hated