http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=575413
i've said it before, and i'll say it again...everyone loves a mazda.
i've said it before, and i'll say it again...everyone loves a mazda.
NASIOC 3 love
- Thread starter dmitrik4
- Start date
<TABLE cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=4 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=top noWrap width=175 bgColor=#f7f7f7>RuhRoh!
Scooby Newbie
Member#: 26162
Registered: Oct 2002
Location:
Washington, DC area
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</TD><TD align=right></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>Mazda 3. Here's a review I wrote on another board recently:
Just got back from five days in Vermont -- flew into Albany and picked up a Mazda 3 sedan to drive up north.
Maybe everyone here is getting tired about hearing how good the 3 is, but having now experienced it myself for 700 miles along interstate highways and Vermont's back roads, I have to add my voice to the chorus: it really is that good.
I'm almost positive I had the Mazda 3i trim, with the automatic and an options package that included power doors, locks, mirrors, cruise, keyless entry, 16" alloys, and height-adjustable seat. I built one like it on Mazda's web site, and came up with an MSRP of $16,620. For what you get, I consider this to be a fabulous value.
Dashstrokers (like myself) will love the interior. The design is very stylish and well laid out with all of the major controls falling right to hand. The interior materials are top notch, right up there with VW; nothing felt cheap or chintzy to me. The controls all operated with a smoothness that one would expect in a much more expensive car. One of the things I always love about my GTI is it feels much more expensive than it is; I can say the same thing about the Mazda 3. The only gripe I would have is that the gauges are located in individual "tunnels" in front of the driver. While they look cool, they are not as easy to read at a glance as gauges that are all located in a single plane since it takes the eye an extra split-second to decide where to focus.
Little unexpected details are also found throughout -- the mapholders in the doors, front and rear, are shaped to hold a beverage. Not necessary, perhaps, but a good detail. Also, the rear trunk hinges are designed (like in the Jetta) to not take up any trunk room. Considering all the luggage we had to carry with us, this was a very nice feature.
The car was equipped with an automatic, which I generally don't like in a car with a small 4-cylinder engine. But I can't complain about it here -- the car still felt plenty peppy with its 148 horsies, even if it would win few stoplight races. It was also plenty smooth and quiet, and the automatic was well matched to the engine, with smooth shifts.
The manumatic feature is a nice distraction, but frankly it feels gimmicky to me. I think if I were to own one, I would eventually leave it in drive most of the time and only play with it when I got bored. While it gives the driver additional control over gear selection, the onboard computer frequently overrides the driver's decision. If you're in a high gear and give it gas, for example, it will downshift for you -- even if the original gear selection would not have lugged the engine.
The only time the automatic seemed a little confused was when I loaded the car down with three people and a trunk packed full of luggage for a trip over Vermont's rolling hills. With the cruise set on 60, the transmission occasionally downshifted more than was necessary and held onto second gear for a bit too long.
The ride is remarkably composed, and the handling is excellent. The steering feels much more precise and heavily weighted than my GTI GLX, which feels downright vague by comparison. Even driving 40 at miles per hour over the railroad crossing near my family's Vermont summer home, there was no impact harshness. Very nice.
But here is my only significant gripe with the 3 -- there's far too much road noise. Frankly, it really isn't that much of an issue, but the car is so good in every other way that it stands out. A little bit more road noise suppression is in order.
In the past six months, I have had occasion to rent for more than a few days a Mitsubishi Lancer, a Toyota Corolla, and a Mazda 3. It's actually hard to believe that the 3 is considered to be a competitor to the other cars, and even more hard to believe that it could be competitively priced, it's so superior. It has set a new standard for the small car, IMHO.
In short, the 3 is a home run for Mazda. Were I in the market for an inexepensive small sedan, it would be the top of my list.
Edit: Oh, one more thing -- I also got 32 miles per gallon during the trip on regular fuel, which I greatly appreciated....
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damn makes me wish I bought a 3i instead...almost but damn that contributed to a handfull of decisions.....even tho that tc owns with trd supercharger....but it's a toyota still....
P.S. I'm not the guy nor do I have a clue what part of D.C. he's in
Scooby Newbie
Member#: 26162
Registered: Oct 2002
Location:
Washington, DC area
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Just got back from five days in Vermont -- flew into Albany and picked up a Mazda 3 sedan to drive up north.
Maybe everyone here is getting tired about hearing how good the 3 is, but having now experienced it myself for 700 miles along interstate highways and Vermont's back roads, I have to add my voice to the chorus: it really is that good.
I'm almost positive I had the Mazda 3i trim, with the automatic and an options package that included power doors, locks, mirrors, cruise, keyless entry, 16" alloys, and height-adjustable seat. I built one like it on Mazda's web site, and came up with an MSRP of $16,620. For what you get, I consider this to be a fabulous value.
Dashstrokers (like myself) will love the interior. The design is very stylish and well laid out with all of the major controls falling right to hand. The interior materials are top notch, right up there with VW; nothing felt cheap or chintzy to me. The controls all operated with a smoothness that one would expect in a much more expensive car. One of the things I always love about my GTI is it feels much more expensive than it is; I can say the same thing about the Mazda 3. The only gripe I would have is that the gauges are located in individual "tunnels" in front of the driver. While they look cool, they are not as easy to read at a glance as gauges that are all located in a single plane since it takes the eye an extra split-second to decide where to focus.
Little unexpected details are also found throughout -- the mapholders in the doors, front and rear, are shaped to hold a beverage. Not necessary, perhaps, but a good detail. Also, the rear trunk hinges are designed (like in the Jetta) to not take up any trunk room. Considering all the luggage we had to carry with us, this was a very nice feature.
The car was equipped with an automatic, which I generally don't like in a car with a small 4-cylinder engine. But I can't complain about it here -- the car still felt plenty peppy with its 148 horsies, even if it would win few stoplight races. It was also plenty smooth and quiet, and the automatic was well matched to the engine, with smooth shifts.
The manumatic feature is a nice distraction, but frankly it feels gimmicky to me. I think if I were to own one, I would eventually leave it in drive most of the time and only play with it when I got bored. While it gives the driver additional control over gear selection, the onboard computer frequently overrides the driver's decision. If you're in a high gear and give it gas, for example, it will downshift for you -- even if the original gear selection would not have lugged the engine.
The only time the automatic seemed a little confused was when I loaded the car down with three people and a trunk packed full of luggage for a trip over Vermont's rolling hills. With the cruise set on 60, the transmission occasionally downshifted more than was necessary and held onto second gear for a bit too long.
The ride is remarkably composed, and the handling is excellent. The steering feels much more precise and heavily weighted than my GTI GLX, which feels downright vague by comparison. Even driving 40 at miles per hour over the railroad crossing near my family's Vermont summer home, there was no impact harshness. Very nice.
But here is my only significant gripe with the 3 -- there's far too much road noise. Frankly, it really isn't that much of an issue, but the car is so good in every other way that it stands out. A little bit more road noise suppression is in order.
In the past six months, I have had occasion to rent for more than a few days a Mitsubishi Lancer, a Toyota Corolla, and a Mazda 3. It's actually hard to believe that the 3 is considered to be a competitor to the other cars, and even more hard to believe that it could be competitively priced, it's so superior. It has set a new standard for the small car, IMHO.
In short, the 3 is a home run for Mazda. Were I in the market for an inexepensive small sedan, it would be the top of my list.
Edit: Oh, one more thing -- I also got 32 miles per gallon during the trip on regular fuel, which I greatly appreciated....
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
damn makes me wish I bought a 3i instead...almost but damn that contributed to a handfull of decisions.....even tho that tc owns with trd supercharger....but it's a toyota still....
P.S. I'm not the guy nor do I have a clue what part of D.C. he's in
