bitkahuna

iTrader: (20)

was driving and saw a car from behind and thought cool that must be a new CT200h. drove up and it was a mazda 3 hatchback.

mazda 3



ct 200h



pretty similar?

bitkahuna

iTrader: (20)

3 hatch



ct 200h

bitkahuna

iTrader: (20)

i think the ct is better looking, but i was surprised at the similarity.

Big Andy

I've made the same mistake myself on a few occasions. The Mazda is a bit of a more cohesive design in my opinion. The Lexus is a big disappointment compared to the concept. I don't know what was the point of the concept if all Lexus was going to do was take an IS and remove everything after the C pillar and graft on an iQ rear end.

mmarshall

I see you guys noticed it, too. One of the things I wrote up in my recent CT review was its styling-similarity to the Mazda3 hatchback. While I don't have the exact dimensions of each car in front of me, though, the CT seemed even smaller physically, especially with its teeny rear-window and its (roughly) 6-inch rear-wiper-arm.

Allen K

iTrader: (4)

All hatches pretty much look the same. The 3 is very nice looking though

spwolf

i guess you are hatchback racist :-)
(cant tell one apart from another)

GSteg

iTrader: (15)

can't say I haven't mistaken one for another, but only from the back and side.

jadu

iTrader: (42)

lol not with that big happy face!

bitkahuna

iTrader: (20)

yeah the happy face is different (not good), but side / rear looks / proportions seem very similar to me and it seems i'm not the only one to notice!

IS-SV

I don't confuse the 2 cars (exteriors). The sportiest versions of the Mazda 3 look better IMO. No doubt the footprint and overall shape are similar.

GS3Tek

iTrader: (8)

I agree.

That mazda 3 is one good looking hatch (again, except for the stupid smiley face), better than the sedan

mmarshall

Yes, a sharp-eye can note some differences, particularly up close. But from some distance, the two are quite similiar. Not everyone is as car-saavy as most of us here on car-chat, either. Even my brother, who is fairly knowledgeable himself, often calls me at night and says he saw something with such-and-such a shape/logo, and wants to know what it is.


What do you think of the Smiley-clown face on the grille? We had a recent thread here, signifying that Mazda may go with different styling in the next-generation.

GiantsFan

iTrader: (9)

IMO ... the mazda is pretty ugly ... especially the grille.

Also .. the 3 seems to exaggerate every curve ... unlike the CT which, IMO, has very good lines.

IS-SV

No big deal, especially when I've seen worse faces on Subarus and Acuras to name a few.