I have a 2006, 2007, and 2014 Mazda 3 MT iTouring sedan. The '06 and '07 are finally being handed off to our kids, but with a total of 170,000 miles without any service except what I could do in my garage, it was no surprise I bought a new '14 -- even after a close look and great price on a Focus hatchback. We always liked the dash layout of the '06 due to its elegant simplicity in a <$20k car. The upper dash was made from a textured material that didn't seem to get hot to the touch. The single black plastic trim piece in the '06 that was part of its elegance was replaced with a funky tiger's eye trim piece in the '07, but all else was about the same. The '06 and '07 vents were round, and they could be rotated to any direction and used vanes that would close completely flat to make cleaning simple. Always loved those cars -- 34 mpg in town (no stop-n-go) and 37 on flat land highways. My wife holds the record for 44 mpg both on the Mississippi delta roads and Idaho high desert in Summer.
Car and Driver described the dash as reminiscent of the McLaren. I think I recall the 70's/80's era car they are comparing. The dash is at arm's reach -- not at forearm's reach, like in the Focus -- and decidedly rectangular or perhaps trapezoidal in overall effect. I miss the round vents, the textured top, the outside temperature being displayed in the center display, and the analog tachometer. But I'll adapt. The adjustable steering wheel column let's you put the instruments in perfect view between the steering wheel spokes, as with most cars. I like a simple instrument cluster -- probably due to having the '06 for 7 years -- and I'm still adapting to this instrument cluster after only 800 miles. It has more 'stuff' to look at and play with, but that's not a good thing.
Speedometer -- I'm still trying to get the auto-dimming light level adjusted to an optimal level for sunny/cloudy day and night viewing. I've decided I don't like the lighting effect Mazda created at the tip of speedometer needle. I think the fiber-optic effect of the needle causes a spot of light to be shined against the speedometer background surface, creating a halo around just the end of the needle. It looks to me like a constant bit of glare from the sun is sitting where the needle tip sits. The '06 had all-red backlighting, and I really liked that -- especially at night -- and the '07 came with a blue and white backlighting effect, which was not so bad. The '14 is more white with a red accent at the extreme perimeter of the speedo. Not great, but what can you do?
Tachometer -- I want my analog tachometer back. I now realize how much attention I gave to engine speed when driving. I'm not an aggressive driver and rarely exceed 4000 rpm. Instead, I try to get good performance and good mileage by staying between 2000 and 4000 while accelerating, 3000 and 5000 while accelerating hard, then staying between 1500 and 2500 around town. The '14 is much quieter, and so I'm readjusting to the engine sound, but I just don't see the digital tach in my peripheral vision, so I keep catching myself at 3000 rpm unnecessarily.
Engine temp -- bummer. It's just an idiot light. It's a smart idiot light, since it lights blue when the engine is cold or red if it's hot, but nevertheless ...
Trip computer -- the odometer display on the left-side cluster cycles into the Trip A and Trip B mileage displays with the push of the button that's over the right-side cluster. The Avg MPG, Current MPG, Avg Speed, Miles Remaining on Tank display on the right-side of the cluster toggles and resets using the Info button on the steering wheel. Not a major deal, but it keeps your eyes near the road.
Amplifier display -- Although hard to clean around, the protruding module keeps the rest of the dash low and out of the way. I think it contributes to the open-space feeling of the compartment. I like it. And I love using WinAmp by bluetooth instead of struggling with a wired android. Sounds great, and I haven't noticed any bluetooth interference, as others have commented. But I don't have the Bose system.
Glovebox -- the '06 and '07 had much more space inside. I put the Mazda manual, a hat, and insulated leather gloves in the back portion of the '06 glovebox, and then still had the same room remaining as i now have in the '14 with no manual or hat/gloves.
Dash materials -- smooth, soft vinyl with a black plastic trim piece. Still elegant. We'll see how it takes the heat. The '06 and '07 both cracked for 1/2" at the dead center, just between the defroster opening and the windshield, after about 5 years in the South. I'm sure this will be fine...
It's all in what you're used to having in front of you while driving, I suppose. I'll adapt to all these changes, but the question of how long it will take to adapt should be no reflection on the car, but rather an indicator of my experiences and my age. The Focus sedan's center console dominated the compartment and crowded my knees. The Focus hatchback felt more roomy at my shoulders, but I couldn't tell just why that was. The M3 feels like it has a lot of space, probably due to the low-lying dash and it's horizontal-lines design that gives you the impression of a wide-bodied space up front. I think it's a winner of a car. I pray that the high compression technology pays off in a big way. From an engineering perspective, it should. (first)
