407 1.6d v's mazda3 1.6d

chuckin007

Anyone experience with these cars or recommend which one?
407 1.6d v's mazda3 1.6d
Im looking for an economical car which isnt too pricey.
Saloon too.

conor_mc

The 407 drive isn't great from what I've read here, poor enough handling.

Mazda 3 handling is very good in my experience.

Can't comment on the diesels I'm afraid.

chuckin007

from what Ive heard the 407 diesels are supposed to be a big improvement on the petrols. But then again I havent experience with either.

hawker

Have no experience of the Mazda. However i drive a 407 1.6hdi and find it very economical. To be honest I find the handling ok for the driving I do. It quite difficult to get into a comfotable driving position on long journeys. Also had a couple of small error messages (nothing at all serious) appearing.

Overall, I'm very happy with the car.

pburns

chuckin007 wrote: »

Anyone experience with these cars or recommend which one?
407 1.6d v's mazda3 1.6d
Im looking for an economical car which isnt too pricey.
Saloon too.

Both have the same engine and the same state-of-tune AFAIK (110bhp).

They're really in different segments though - the Mazda 3 is a segment lower in terms of body-size (a 308-competitor). The Mazda has a 3-year warranty and a reputation for reliability. The 407 has a 2 year warranty I think(?) and French cars aren't as well regarded for reliability...

However the Peugeot is roomier and it's size will impress the nighbours more if that matters.

Personally I wouldn't touch the Peugeot but that's just me:)...

bazz26

Both use the same PSA 1.6 HDi diesel engine. PSA co-developed this engine with Ford who own a major share of Mazda and Volvo for that matter.

The Mazda 3 uses the Ford Focus chassis and as already pointed out is in a different market segment to that of the 407. I have the 1.6 HDi in my Focus and it has covered 80,000 km without issue, though I have heard of failed turbo issues with this engine.

The 1.6 HDi is more suited to a car the size of the 3/Focus/S40 and is nippy enough. I get around 560miles from a full tank of diesel, the 407 is a larger, heavier car so expect it to struggle with that engine and this will impact mpg.

If I were looking at a diesel 407 I'd probably go for the 2.0 litre HDi which would have torque than the 1.6 litre version which is more important for a diesel than bhp imo.

chuckin007

bazz26 wrote: »

Both use the same PSA 1.6 HDi diesel engine. PSA co-developed this engine with Ford who own a major share of Mazda and Volvo for that matter.

The Mazda 3 uses the Ford Focus chassis and as already pointed out is in a different market segment to that of the 407. I have the 1.6 HDi in my Focus and it has covered 80,000 km without issue, though I have heard of failed turbo issues with this engine.

The 1.6 HDi is more suited to a car the size of the 3/Focus/S40 and is nippy enough. I get around 560miles from a full tank of diesel, the 407 is a larger, heavier car so expect it to struggle with that engine and this will impact mpg.

If I were looking at a diesel 407 I'd probably go for the 2.0 litre HDi which would have torque than the 1.6 litre version which is more important for a diesel than bhp imo.

so if both use the same engine then both should be similar enough in reliability? except 407 has a bit more work to do...

L-M

I wouldn't go for the 407. Resale seems fairly bad, we've had one for sale for awhile and not alot of interest. I'm not a fan of Peugeots TBH so i might be a bit biased. Haven't had alot of experience with the 3 i'm afraid, but with the bits i've had it seems a nicer car.

conor_mc

chuckin007 wrote: »

so if both use the same engine then both should be similar enough in reliability? except 407 has a bit more work to do...

Plenty of other parts can fail though... electrics, gearbox, suspension....