Looking for an '05 Mazda3

[GimmeA3S]

Ordering them off of the internet doesn't help me if I have a blow-out and I can't afford to buy some to just have laying around. I just don't see it as a necessity. I've seen both kinds of tires on the 3's and on the road you can't tell much difference. Even the dealer and the tire stores tell me that. I think getting the S with the moonroof, and rear wing spoiler and then getting the windows tinted will add enough "sport" for what I want.

I think the reason you're getting so many suggestions to stay with the 17's is because you're not gonna like the way your car looks with the ground effects and 16" wheels. They're narrower, smaller and they won't compliment the looks of the sill extensions.

I had a Sumitomo blow out on my Altima, and I had a new one from Tire Rack in 2 days. (Opt for the roadhazard if you want the tire for free).
The spare tire did just fine for that amount of time.

 

[funnylittlman]

If you buy from TireRack zoomzoom4ever,

You won't be disappointed. Like everyone else is saying, it does not cost that much more (actually it's even) plus you can take it anywhere to get mounted/balanced. I personally think you'd regret getting the 16's. The stealer is trying to get you to get the Gooyear RS-A's from them. They are bad in the snow (trust me) and they are just OK in everything else.

Good luck in whatever you decided. I bought an '05 w/ 4 door 2.3S with Moonroof, 6 cd changer, HID, and TPMS (which has not given me any problems and actually helped me when I had a nail in one tire) in October of 04 for abt 19,400 OTD.

-fnny

 

[zoomzoom4ever]

If you buy from TireRack zoomzoom4ever,

You won't be disappointed. Like everyone else is saying, it does not cost that much more (actually it's even) plus you can take it anywhere to get mounted/balanced. I personally think you'd regret getting the 16's. The stealer is trying to get you to get the Gooyear RS-A's from them. They are bad in the snow (trust me) and they are just OK in everything else.

Good luck in whatever you decided. I bought an '05 w/ 4 door 2.3S with Moonroof, 6 cd changer, HID, and TPMS (which has not given me any problems and actually helped me when I had a nail in one tire) in October of 04 for abt 19,400 OTD.

-fnny

Well, in that case I may just opt out of the sport package. I commute 70 miles/day to work and a spare tire will not work for two days on busy highway traffic. I called more places today that quoted me at $150 for one tire, $180 balanced. I'm all about the car looking hot, but I just don't have the funds being a single mom to make it happen.

 

[Mikey444]

If you are all in it for looks but cant get the looks because of preference in wheel size, you should opt for a loaded 3i. It will be cheaper and burn less gas and look the same as a 3s minus sport package. Because there is really no point in getting a 3s without the sport package. Just my 2 cents.

 

[GimmeA3S]

That's what I did...not because of money, but because of availability. (There wasn't a strato blue S in the state of Texas as that time) The plus side for me was that without the sill extensions, I could add the splash guards. I've been down the 'high-performance' road with my last car, a V6 Altima...After I test drove an i, I didn't see any point in spending extra thousands of $$ to get 12 more horsepower. If you're that strapped for cash, you might consider an i.

 

[funnylittlman]

Well, in that case I may just opt out of the sport package. I commute 70 miles/day to work and a spare tire will not work for two days on busy highway traffic. I called more places today that quoted me at $150 for one tire, $180 balanced. I'm all about the car looking hot, but I just don't have the funds being a single mom to make it happen.

Gotcha. Good luck

 

[zoomzoom4ever]

That's what I did...not because of money, but because of availability. (There wasn't a strato blue S in the state of Texas as that time) The plus side for me was that without the sill extensions, I could add the splash guards. I've been down the 'high-performance' road with my last car, a V6 Altima...After I test drove an i, I didn't see any point in spending extra thousands of $$ to get 12 more horsepower. If you're that strapped for cash, you might consider an i.

Is the i still quick? I have a 92 Dodge Shadow five speed V6 right now that has about the same horsepower as the i would. I am the kind of person who doesn't waste any time at a stop sign or getting on the highway, know what I mean? My main reason for getting the S was the horsepower and a few other things that are standard on the S. I may test drive both, because there are many more i's on the lot than the S. I'm prepared to go to Texas, Kansas, New Mexico or Arkansas though to get the one I want! (By the way, I like the Strato Blue too- does it have a purple hue to it?)

 

[GimmeA3S]

Is the i still quick? I have a 92 Dodge Shadow five speed V6 right now that has about the same horsepower as the i would. I am the kind of person who doesn't waste any time at a stop sign or getting on the highway, know what I mean? My main reason for getting the S was the horsepower and a few other things that are standard on the S. I may test drive both, because there are many more i's on the lot than the S. I'm prepared to go to Texas, Kansas, New Mexico or Arkansas though to get the one I want! (By the way, I like the Strato Blue too- does it have a purple hue to it?)

Wow...interesting coincidence....I had a 93 Sundance V6 5 Speed, which to date has been the best car I ever owned. (4 years, 74,000 miles, not one minute spent in a shop).

As far as a 3i goes, I don't think it could be called 'quick' as much as it could be called 'peppy'. The lack of VVT at higher rpms is evident, as it doesn't seem to breathe and rev as freely as a VVT engine can, but it gets the job done for me. I think the Shadow / Sundance V6 has a bit more torque, so you will feel a difference, especially from a stoplight (my Sundance could break the tires loose in the first 3 gears). I'm in no way unhappy with it, but I was shopping for an S when I bought this one.

As far as Strato Blue goes, yes it has a very slight purple tint to it in bright sunlight or under certain lighting conditions in a garage...personally I really like it because it's different than just a bland blue. It's got a lot of sparkle, and definitely stands out in a crowd. It's a very deep, rich looking color when it's clean and especially after a wax job. I wouldn't trade it for any other color now that I've had it for a while.

Hope you find what you're looking for...but definitely drive an i before you set your sights on an S.

 

[zoomzoom4ever]

Wow...interesting coincidence....I had a 93 Sundance V6 5 Speed, which to date has been the best car I ever owned. (4 years, 74,000 miles, not one minute spent in a shop).

As far as a 3i goes, I don't think it could be called 'quick' as much as it could be called 'peppy'. The lack of VVT at higher rpms is evident, as it doesn't seem to breathe and rev as freely as a VVT engine can, but it gets the job done for me. I think the Shadow / Sundance V6 has a bit more torque, so you will feel a difference, especially from a stoplight (my Sundance could break the tires loose in the first 3 gears). I'm in no way unhappy with it, but I was shopping for an S when I bought this one.

As far as Strato Blue goes, yes it has a very slight purple tint to it in bright sunlight or under certain lighting conditions in a garage...personally I really like it because it's different than just a bland blue. It's got a lot of sparkle, and definitely stands out in a crowd. It's a very deep, rich looking color when it's clean and especially after a wax job. I wouldn't trade it for any other color now that I've had it for a while.

Hope you find what you're looking for...but definitely drive an i before you set your sights on an S.

Same with my Shadow- it has been the best car ever. Only routine maintenance is all I had to do with it other than a wreck I was involved in and the drivers side had to be rebuilt. For being 13 years old and having 130,000 miles on it, the Shadow still beats alot of the new cars out there with its quickness and reliability. The main reason I wanted the S was so I would have something comparable to my Shadow since I'm used to a quick car. It's going to be hard giving the Shadow ES up, but I'm ready for my 3! At least I'll still have my Shadow around.

as for Strato Blue, it is a color I am definitely interested in. I also like the Sunlight Silver and maybe even the Winning Blue. Unfortunately at the moment there are no Strato Blue 3's on the lot only Sunlight Silver and Winning Blue.

 

[GimmeA3S]

I sure miss mine... (cryhard)

 

[Mikey444]

After reading all your posts, go find yourself and S and just tell the dealer I am only buying a 3s with Sport package and nothing else but I want a 16" wheel swap. Like previously mentioned, it should be more than fine.

 

[zoomzoom4ever]

I talked to a dealer yesterday, and found a 3 I'm interested in. It is an S,winning blue, five speed, with moonroof and 6 disc with the rear wing spoiler and the sports package. The dealer has already customed tinted it to max legal here in OK. It looks awesome. I asked about the wheels and they said they could change them out, that there would not be that much difference in the two sizes and we compared them and you can't tell. I also went to the annual car show in OKC and registered to win 5 grand towards a car and received a call today that I won (yippy) - so I have an extra 5 grand to pay down, so I am excited. I'm going to test drive tomorrow!

 

[RHAGEL]

I talked to a dealer yesterday, and found a 3 I'm interested in. It is an S,winning blue, five speed, with moonroof and 6 disc with the rear wing spoiler and the sports package. The dealer has already customed tinted it to max legal here in OK. It looks awesome. I asked about the wheels and they said they could change them out, that there would not be that much difference in the two sizes and we compared them and you can't tell. I also went to the annual car show in OKC and registered to win 5 grand towards a car and received a call today that I won (yippy) - so I have an extra 5 grand to pay down, so I am excited. I'm going to test drive tomorrow!

Congratulations on the win! I was going to give my 2 cents about the 17 in wheels which I don't believe that you should worry about the difference in cost. If you keep your tires inflated properly and rotate them at every oil change, you should be able to get 40k miles out of them. So, approx. 400 miles a week divided by 40,000 miles = 100 weeks = 2 years 1/2 month. Thats not bad considering, so I say... keep the 17's and worry about it when the time comes. There is always the internet (ie tirerack.com and others) to get you a better price.(2thumbs)

 

[theice]

hell, with that extra $5k, you should get a 6. but would have to get a 6i, to keep the 16" wheels.

 

[zoomzoom4ever]

I Got My Mazda3!

I bought my Mazda3 today! It was the only one like it in the state. It is an S in winning blue with the moonroof, 6 disc, sports package and rear wing spoiler. The dealer tinted the windows already with a Titanium tint and it also has an aluminum fuel door. I drove it home from the dealership and was in 7th heaven. The car had custom wheels that were 2k and ugly, so I had them changed to 16 in. wheels. They gladly changed them with no charge at all. I ended up getting the car for 18,900. My payments are only $170 a month for 60 months! I'll post a pic soon. Plus they gave me a silver Zoom Zoom sticker free, so I will put it on tomorrow. ZOOM ZOOM!

 

[zoomzoom4ever]

Like I promised!

Here is a pic of my pride and joy!