Should I get a new 2015 Mazda 3 SV 6 speed manual ?

[vonfilm]

I am debating whether I should bet the base model Mazda Sedan with a 6 speed transmission. I am lookig for the sportiest sedan with a manual transmission for the least money. I am also considering a new 2014 Mazda 2 Touring or Sport. We also have a 2015 CX5 Grand Touring that my wife drives. We have been very pleased with it.

I would love to hear from some Mazda 3 SV owners to know what they think.

 

[vonfilm]

I had a chance to drive the SV with a 6 speed manual transmission yesterday. I found it to be plenty quick and it cornered well on a twisty road. I can buy it for $15,500 plus tax which seems to be a great deal. My wife is concerned about its lack of features. I am happy with a simple car if it drives well.

 

[GrasshopperCO]

I had a chance to drive the SV with a 6 speed manual transmission yesterday. I found it to be plenty quick and it cornered well on a twisty road. I can buy it for $15,500 plus tax which seems to be a great deal. My wife is concerned about its lack of features. I am happy with a simple car if it drives well.

If you can spring a bit more for the i Sport, I would highly recommend it. The touchscreen is a nice feature to have...it gives the car a much more "premium" feel. That also gives you the option to add navigation later, should you want it (you just have to buy the SD card). While you won't use it as much with a manual, cruise control is also great to have.

You do get a trip computer in the manual version of the i SV, so if you still want an SV, it's good that you're going for the manual.

To my mind, the Sport gives you all the features you'd want without feeling like you're wanting for more - I don't care as much for the features I'm lacking in my Sport from the Touring and Grand Touring models...a lot of features in those trim levels are driver aids (i.e. adaptive cruise control, auto-dimming headlights, rear cross-path detection, blind-spot monitoring, etc.. I can do a lot of that stuff on my own

 

[kms1990]

if you like it and its your car go for it. if she is not going to be driving it then why does she care if it lacks features, like the poster above i am not a big fan of the fancy driver aides. i have an 08 3 no driver aides just cruise and dynamic stability control (fancy traction control which i keep off when i am having fun in it) i like my cars lean, less electronics less chance for something expensive and difficult to repair to break. manuals have less maintenance needed and they are more fun to drive. you get all those fancy aides and one breaks get ready to get punched in the pocket book. if you pay attention and know how to drive your car driver aides like all the new cars have now are not necessary, they add all those for people who like to drive with a phone in one hand and make up in the other with the visor down while holding the wheel with their knee going 80mph on the freeway in rush hour. or reading a book (yes i have seen people reading a book while driving)

 

[concept]

The stuff I have grown to like:

Proximity warning - highly recommended - saved me a bunch of times, both in parking lots and on the highway

Laser cruise control: For long highway commutes or trips, this really comes in handy.

Navigation: Helps me to focus on driving, not looking for road signs - highly recommended

Quick signal blinking: Much less trouble to let other drivers know when you are moving to other lanes.

Back up camera parallel lines: I love this feature - makes parking in reverse so much more accurate.

Of course, if I didn't have all these features, I wouldn't miss the ones that my wife's car doesn't have.

 

[kms1990]

The stuff I have grown to like:

Proximity warning - highly recommended - saved me a bunch of times, both in parking lots and on the highway

Laser cruise control: For long highway commutes or trips, this really comes in handy.

Navigation: Helps me to focus on driving, not looking for road signs - highly recommended

Quick signal blinking: Much less trouble to let other drivers know when you are moving to other lanes.

Back up camera parallel lines: I love this feature - makes parking in reverse so much more accurate.

Of course, if I didn't have all these features, I wouldn't miss the ones that my wife's car doesn't have.

and i have never owned a car with these features so i learned how to know when my car is backed up accurately.

i learned to pay attention while driving on long trips

i learned to use my signal to signal my actions

my phone has navigation and voice so dont need car to tell me

proximity warning might be useful but i dont have it so i dont know.

what i am saying is people need to learn to drive without these aids because they may not always be there or function properly. just like people need to know how to change a tire and change lights and do other basic car maintenance and not rely on the car or other people to do it for them. taking a few hours to learn the locations and functions as well as how to change items can help everyone who owns or drive s a car. when something breaks you can fix it, when something breaks that you cannot fix, you will know where it is and its function so a shop cannot get one over on you. However no one seems to think this way.

sorry went on a rant.

 

[concept]

Well, my background is engineering. I've worked with:
Fiber optic sensors
Laser sensors
Compressors
Vacuum pumps
Wireless temp, voltage, humidity systems
Wireless data acquisitions
I've helped take apart and install engines, clutches, brake systems, exhaust and intake systems.
I've driven cars with manual windows, steering, and chokes.
Believe me, I don't miss the old fashioned way of doing things. If you like to use manual washing machines and typewriters, feel free. I'll take the latest tech stuff and give it chance to make my life just a little bit easier. God knows I've earned it.

 

[GrasshopperCO]

and i have never owned a car with these features so i learned how to know when my car is backed up accurately.

i learned to pay attention while driving on long trips

i learned to use my signal to signal my actions

my phone has navigation and voice so dont need car to tell me

proximity warning might be useful but i dont have it so i dont know.

what i am saying is people need to learn to drive without these aids because they may not always be there or function properly. just like people need to know how to change a tire and change lights and do other basic car maintenance and not rely on the car or other people to do it for them. taking a few hours to learn the locations and functions as well as how to change items can help everyone who owns or drive s a car. when something breaks you can fix it, when something breaks that you cannot fix, you will know where it is and its function so a shop cannot get one over on you. However no one seems to think this way.

sorry went on a rant.

First, take a deep breath and relax.

Most people here have been able to drive since before the technology available on our Mazdas now became widespread, so I reckon most of us are used to not having these advanced safety features. I'm still one of them, because I don't have a GT model...I have a Sport, which is pretty spartan by comparison. I can see the appeal of having auto-dimming headlights, laser-guided cruise control, back-up cameras, blind spot monitoring, rear path cross detection, etc.

However, I believe - and I think most here would agree - that these systems should not serve as, nor are they meant to be, a substitute for the driver's own ability to look around, anticipate, and otherwise just have situational awareness on the road. Ideally, these features are meant to fill the deficit that is created when drivers are not concentrating as much as they probably should be...we're human, and nobody's perfect. I've had a few scrapes because my judgment was off - I try to be as attentive a driver as possible, but I make mistakes.

Having blind spot monitoring doesn't mean you shouldn't check for other cars, having proximity monitors doesn't mean you shouldn't look around or check your mirrors when backing out of a parking space, and using cruise control doesn't mean you shouldn't be paying attention to the road. Whether for comfort or increased safety, these features aren't just inherently bad because you have learned, and still insist upon, operating without them.

Yes, there are people out there who rely too much on these systems, but I doubt your argument holds much weight in this particular community. That's one great thing about Mazda owners - most of us actually care about driving. Most of us here have done rather more besides basic car maintenance, and we're savvy enough to know how to fix problems that spring up or at least how to diagnose them because we don't let obliviously let our cars fall to pieces...GM drivers, on the other hand...(sorry, had to sneak that in there ).

 

[kms1990]

First, take a deep breath and relax.

Most people here have been able to drive since before the technology available on our Mazdas now became widespread, so I reckon most of us are used to not having these advanced safety features. I'm still one of them, because I don't have a GT model...I have a Sport, which is pretty spartan by comparison. I can see the appeal of having auto-dimming headlights, laser-guided cruise control, back-up cameras, blind spot monitoring, rear path cross detection, etc.

However, I believe - and I think most here would agree - that these systems should not serve as, nor are they meant to be, a substitute for the driver's own ability to look around, anticipate, and otherwise just have situational awareness on the road. Ideally, these features are meant to fill the deficit that is created when drivers are not concentrating as much as they probably should be...we're human, and nobody's perfect. I've had a few scrapes because my judgment was off - I try to be as attentive a driver as possible, but I make mistakes.

Having blind spot monitoring doesn't mean you shouldn't check for other cars, having proximity monitors doesn't mean you shouldn't look around or check your mirrors when backing out of a parking space, and using cruise control doesn't mean you shouldn't be paying attention to the road. Whether for comfort or increased safety, these features aren't just inherently bad because you have learned, and still insist upon, operating without them.

Yes, there are people out there who rely too much on these systems, but I doubt your argument holds much weight in this particular community. That's one great thing about Mazda owners - most of us actually care about driving. Most of us here have done rather more besides basic car maintenance, and we're savvy enough to know how to fix problems that spring up or at least how to diagnose them because we don't let obliviously let our cars fall to pieces...GM drivers, on the other hand...(sorry, had to sneak that in there ).

im not too sure, many people seem to think that a back up cam means that they dont need to look, and i have to swerve to avoid many people who just dart backwards in parking lots. many people drive and read or talk/text on the phone or do other activities that otherwise take their attention off the road and end up almost or actually having a wreck. people are waaayy too dependent on technology and forget they are the ones whom need to control the 2000+ pound rolling piece of death they are behind the wheel of.