Approx. 140,000 on my 2003 LX. I just change oil regularly and replaced timing belt at 100k. I flog the poor thing pretty regularly, and it hasn't broken yet.
I would start by cleaning your MAF sensor. It's cheap to do, and it has been the cause of some really crappy acceleration for me in the past.
Your "falling on it's face" comment was really what made me think MAF.
Well, I can't speak to the Mazda 3, but it was cake getting to the instrument cluster circuit board in the protege... I guess the 3's could be a bit more comPlicated... Goodness knows they look better on the inside haha
To the best of my recollection, it's been done in a protege - on this site no less. It would most likely require soldering. You've rekindled my interest in doing it, though.... If I do it, i'll do a write up, haha.
Congratulations! I was going to post something snarky like "I thought you couldn't win MOTM three months in a row" or "aren't you tired of winning yet?"
...but that interior shot... that's sex.
congrats again!
ORLLYYYYY? That's too bad, I thought that was such a cool idea, though it wasn't entirely new. Oh well, I like the driver's seat better anyway (drive2)