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As much as both Toyota and Mazda have continued to make use of the platform that has been the Mazda2 which is no longer offered in the US market, it seems as though Mazda would simply create a new Mazda2 and bring it to the dealership lots around the country. While we wait for the brand to realize this would make the most sense, we see a pair of models that have been offered with the same platform as this relegated model that have experienced different results in the market, proving something a bit surprising to us all.
The two models that come from Toyota and Mazda that are based on the Mazda2 platform are the Toyota Yaris iA and the Mazda CX-3. The Yaris iA is a small sedan that was originally supposed to be part of the Scion brand that has been offered under the Toyota brand to give us a subcompact sedan that we can drive. The CX-3 is the smallest in the lineup of compact crossover models offered by Mazda and certainly should be a huge hit considering how popular crossover SUVs even used SUVs are right now and how active Mazda models have been in the past.
The Surprise That Amazes You
During the 2017 calendar year, the Toyota Yaris iA sold nearly 36,000 models of this little car while the Mazda CX-3 only sold 16,000 models. These numbers are telling of a story that would surprise you, but what’s even more surprising is the fact that the Yaris iA had an increase of around 8,000 units compared to 2016 while the CX-3 saw a decrease of nearly 2,000 models compared to the 2016 model year. Considering the landscape of the market, this doesn’t seem to be a story that makes much sense at all.
Mazda on Top?
On paper, the Mazda CX-3 should have been the clear favorite for those who were shopping for a small vehicle for the drive. The 2017 calendar year was the best year for crossover SUVs with Subaru having its best sales year ever. Additionally, both the CX-5 and CX-9 models experienced better sales in 2017 than in 2016. The CX-3 also offers a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that makes nearly 40 more horsepower than the 1.5-liter engine that’s found in the Toyota Yaris iA. Even if you look at the CX-3 as a hatchback there is more space with the hatch that opens up to the cargo area.
Why then did the Toyota Yaris iA have a sales number that was more than double the Mazda CX-3 for the 2017 calendar year? Could it be the fact that it’s more efficient to drive with three mpg more in the city and six more on the highway than the CX-3? Maybe it has to do with the cost which is between $3,000 and $4,000 less than what the Mazda CX-3 shows up with. No matter the reason that caused this result, in the market we see today, it’s odd to find a sedan that can outsell a crossover, especially one that’s mechanically similar, which proves there are some aspects of the SUVs that aren’t foolproof.
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