Comparison Tests
From the December 2013 Issue of Car and Driver
TESTED
Just as Sonny or Cher, individually, never lived up to Sonny and Cher, you might assume that the greatest hits from Mazda and Ford are behind us. When Ford sold all but a symbolic slice of its stake in Mazda in 2010, it ended one of the longest-running, most successful automotive collaborations in history. Mazda’s chassis expertise and Ford’s engine know-how produced lively, nimble cars, none more significant than the 2000 Ford Focus. Built on a Mazda platform that wouldn’t be used by the Japanese automaker for another three years, that Focus landed on our 10Best list five times and initiated the industry-wide race to build compacts that enthusiasts want.
Mazda and Ford haven’t peaked, though. Since parting ways, they’ve only improved their compact cars, as if knowing what the other was capable of motivated them. Ford’s compact car still rides on an evolution of that Mazda-developed C-segment platform and is every bit as good as the original Focus. It’s earned a spot on our 10Best list for the past two years. Mazda’s newcomer is unproven but hardly lacks confidence. A multibillion-dollar investment in new engines, transmissions, and platforms has already returned comparo wins for the CX-5 crossover and the 6 mid-size sedan.
Without Mazda’s handling competence or Ford’s financial stability, neither company would be building these cars today—the best compacts on the market. Since there can be only one winner, these one-time BFFs are now rivals vying for the title of compact-car king.
