New guy, ms3 questions!

[kokemon23]

Hey everyone, I've been lurking here since I read about the ms3, and I wanted to thank everyone for all the great info I've already learned in my few weeks checking things out.

A little background: I'm 26, married, looking to start a family relatively soon. I live in Pittsburgh. My wife drives an '05 Honda Pilot. Until about a year ago, I used to drive a '99 Honda Prelude SH, and I would love to have something quick and fun like that but still able to have passengers. It looks like the ms3 is the perfect mix of performance, looks, price, and utility for me.

Questions:

1. Is having a rear facing car seat a problem in the mazda3 hatch, or will it fit comfortably?

2a. Will the ms3 have the same 5x114.3 bolt pattern as other 3's? Assuming so but just want to be sure.
2b. I have old 16's lying around, the bolt pattern is 5x114.3. If I put snow tires on them and put them on the ms3, will I have any problems with ground clearance?

3. Finally, since there is no sunroof available due to structural rigidity issues, is it a bad idea to get an aftermarket sunroof installed? I love sunroofs, but I also don't want to mess with the ride/handling of the car, and want no safety issues.

Thanks in advance for all your help!

 

[bbrich57]

Hi, and Welcome!
I don't know much about babyseats, but have heard that a rear facing seat is usually a bad idea in any car... especially in the front.
16"ers' probably won't fit due to the large brakes on the car, but I believe the MS does have the same 5x114.3 pattern. 16's are the smallest wheel that will fit a current Mz3 w/2.3L brakes. The MS has even bigger brakes.
The ground clearence issue would depend on the the width and sidewall you'd choose. I'm sure you'd need @ least a 60 (or 70) series to match the overall diameter/circumference of the OEM tire. But again, I don't believe they'd fit the brakes.
Sunroof... hmmm, yes. A point of contention with my own 3HB. I wanted one but couldn't get the one I wanted w/a roof.
An aftermarket "pop-up" roof would probably devalue the car. The ones I've known about look like s*** after a couple of years and develop leaks. Plus the frame usually sits on top of the roof and just don't look right. Not a good idea, IMO.
You could go the whole route and find a wrecked HB w/a roof... do a chop and weld? That's a big job. How talented at bodywork,welding and paint are you? How badly do you want one?

 

[javanc]

For the rear facing child seat q' I say yes it will fit. Fortuantely the 3 has a fair amnt of space from the seatback to the rear bench. It will fit once inside but i recommend that you take your seat, minus baby of course, and head to the dealer for a test fit in a regular 3 hatch. The space is exactly the same in the MS3.

 

[CHICO2003]

I thought the GT came with a sunroof...

 

[javanc]

I thought the GT came with a sunroof...

unfortunately not. I have a sunroof, and yes i live in sunny California but dang i barely use it. But the rear headroom suffers from them. If the 3 hatch rear view got any smaller id have to rethink the hatch fetish i have.

 

[jcrystal]

Wheel fit

Good luck getting clear information on what wheels will fit the MS3. I have been hoping to put 17" wheels on mine (due late October) but MazdaUSA continues to tell me only the OEM 18" wheels are officially recommended. They DID go so far as to advise AGAINST using stock MZ3 17" wheels. I guess none of us will know for sure until the vehicles arrive and we can try out different things on them.....

 

[gardonani]

I am in the same boat as you are. I have been on these forums for weeks as well and appreciate all the great information on this car. You hit the nail on the head when you asked about the car seat. I was going to bring the car seat when I went to the dealership. I have a kid and need the room, but also need a quick and sporty car when baby is not in the car. Thanks

 

[dread]

I think there is a brace where the sunroof would go, that is why mazda isn't installing one. 16's will not fit and i don't know about the child seat.

 

[ZoomVT]

Welcome to the boards kokemon.
I think that you should have no problem fitting a rear facing baby seat on the back; obviously it is illegal to do it on the front seat. Having siad that; any specific reason to do a rear facing isntead of a front facing seat? I would think front facing is better cause you could see the baby on the mirror or turn and take a peek. But i dont know jack s*** about babies so...
As far as the 16s; my forst thought was to say yes because ground clearance would depend on the tires you get more than anything; but i forgot the ms3 is coming with huge ass breaks; so i dont know if they will fit. I think that if you look at the specs sheet for the ms3; you may be able to get the size of the rotor.

Man i hear you about the sunroof; that along with the fatc that it was a hatch was enough for me to notlike the ms3. I have a sunroof on my sedan right now and i wouldnt be able to live without; even with the extra power; if i cant put my head out on the roof then i cant enjoy it. lol
j/k but the sunroof is very important to me as well. I am not a big fan of AM sunroofs either.

 

[Antonio DiMarco]

Speaking from experience

Hey everyone, I've been lurking here since I read about the ms3, and I wanted to thank everyone for all the great info I've already learned in my few weeks checking things out.

A little background: I'm 26, married, looking to start a family relatively soon. I live in Pittsburgh. My wife drives an '05 Honda Pilot. Until about a year ago, I used to drive a '99 Honda Prelude SH, and I would love to have something quick and fun like that but still able to have passengers. It looks like the ms3 is the perfect mix of performance, looks, price, and utility for me.

Questions:

1. Is having a rear facing car seat a problem in the mazda3 hatch, or will it fit comfortably?

2a. Will the ms3 have the same 5x114.3 bolt pattern as other 3's? Assuming so but just want to be sure.
2b. I have old 16's lying around, the bolt pattern is 5x114.3. If I put snow tires on them and put them on the ms3, will I have any problems with ground clearance?

3. Finally, since there is no sunroof available due to structural rigidity issues, is it a bad idea to get an aftermarket sunroof installed? I love sunroofs, but I also don't want to mess with the ride/handling of the car, and want no safety issues.

Thanks in advance for all your help!

Yes a child seat will fit in the rear-facing position- however I had to compensate for my height (6'2") by bringing the seat forward and pushing the telscoping steering wheel in all the way in. It was a little uncomfortable for me but luckily my son is now old enough to hold his head up and therefore can sit front-facing- which allows for plenty of front seat travel. Plus the kids usually ride in our Mz5 - which has PLENTY of space.

Keep in mind that rear facing is recommended for newborns/until your child can hold his/her head up and removes stress from the neck during braking and in the event of a front-end collision.

Personally I'm not a fan of aftermarket sunroofs. I know the newer ones usually don't leak, but there's something about cutting into a new car that doesn't sit well with me. Plus manufacturers typically design in extra bracing in sunroof equipped cars to make up for the loss of sheet metal. Of course hte MS3 has bracing to prevent torsional forces from messing up the handling.

 

[kokemon23]

Thanks to everyone for all the replies!!

Antonio answered the "why rear facing car seats" question perfectly. Antonio, I'm only 5'9", and my wife is only 5'2", so we should have no problems. And as you said, most of the time we would be taking the wife's Pilot anyways, so I don't think it will be an issue.

I never thought about the brakes being an issue with the 16's, I guess that's out. And would that be the reason that Mazda is advising against using stock mz3 17's?

It sounds like for the most part, people are against the sunroof idea. What I'm thinking is that since I would be getting it in November-ish, I wouldn't be using one during the winter anyways, I'll keep it as is. If I absolutely need one at some point, maybe I can revisit the issue.

Talked to my local dealer today, the first one he has coming in is a black mica, gt, w/ navi. Exactly the car I want. I'm gonna go put a deposit on it today!! Is everyone pretty much paying MSRP for theirs? That's the impression that I've gotten.

Thanks again for all the info!

 

[ZoomVT]

i understand now that rear facing seats. interesting.
as far as the sunroof i think you got it figured out man. let us know how it goes with the dealer. Oh and i think that yeah msrp is standard for the ms3 right now.

 

[Antonio DiMarco]

We had a Pilot as well...

Thanks to everyone for all the replies!!

Antonio answered the "why rear facing car seats" question perfectly. Antonio, I'm only 5'9", and my wife is only 5'2", so we should have no problems. And as you said, most of the time we would be taking the wife's Pilot anyways, so I don't think it will be an issue.

I never thought about the brakes being an issue with the 16's, I guess that's out. And would that be the reason that Mazda is advising against using stock mz3 17's?

It sounds like for the most part, people are against the sunroof idea. What I'm thinking is that since I would be getting it in November-ish, I wouldn't be using one during the winter anyways, I'll keep it as is. If I absolutely need one at some point, maybe I can revisit the issue.

Talked to my local dealer today, the first one he has coming in is a black mica, gt, w/ navi. Exactly the car I want. I'm gonna go put a deposit on it today!! Is everyone pretty much paying MSRP for theirs? That's the impression that I've gotten.

Thanks again for all the info!

You're welcome...

We had a Pilot as well and my wife hated driving it because it felt too big and she missed a 5 speed plus we found Honda service in our area to be subpar. She now enjoys a 5 speed Mz5. We actually ended up getting money back on our trade and are paying $100 less a month on the Mz5.

How do you like your Honda? I'm not trying to bash Honda. Just find it funny that another person also has a Pilot/Mazda 3 combo.

 

[bbrich57]

...I never thought about the brakes being an issue with the 16's, I guess that's out. And would that be the reason that Mazda is advising against using stock mz3 17's?

It sounds like for the most part, people are against the sunroof idea?...

...Is everyone pretty much paying MSRP for theirs? That's the impression that I've gotten.

Thanks again for all the info!

Your Welcome! We are an opinionated bunch 'a' bastidges, ain't we?

I'm guessing that the reason they are steering away from the stock 17's is that they are only 6.5" wheels and can only safely support (width) 215's. The MS comes stock w/225's, and may need that much rubber to stay on the road driven spiritedly.

Definitely!! 'Sorry, I like 'em too but give up the sunroof idea. Sometimes ya' just gotta' compromise to get what you really want.

(peep)​

From what I've heard, you're lucky they aren't price hiking and that they're ONLY asking MSRP.

 

[kokemon23]

You're welcome...

We had a Pilot as well and my wife hated driving it because it felt too big and she missed a 5 speed plus we found Honda service in our area to be subpar. She now enjoys a 5 speed Mz5. We actually ended up getting money back on our trade and are paying $100 less a month on the Mz5.

How do you like your Honda? I'm not trying to bash Honda. Just find it funny that another person also has a Pilot/Mazda 3 combo.

Well, we actually love the Pilot. My wife loves the driving position of the SUV, loves big cars (her father has a Yukon which she loves), and we both like the ability to haul stuff. Before marriage I swore I would never own an SUV, but the Pilot actually gets decent gas mileage, handles relatively well, and it's got a smooth ride. I would highly recommend it to anyone who is looking for an SUV.

Plus I love Hondas, I took a '94 Accord to close to 200k miles, and my Prelude had about 120k when I sold it, never had any problems. This will actually be my first Mazda, can I expect the same type of reliability? I know there are bad cars for every manufacturer, but I'm speaking generally.

Oh yeah, how do people like Mazda's navi system? The Honda/Acura system is by far the best I've used, just curious how the Mazda system stacks up.

 

[bbrich57]

The Mazda NAVI I saw in use ('05 SP23) seemed clunky. They are not known for it as it is/was $1700 when I bought mine in '04. Most Mazda people I know don't care about having it.

 

[kokemon23]

I'm guessing that the reason they are steering away from the stock 17's is that they are only 6.5" wheels and can only safely support (width) 215's. The MS comes stock w/225's, and may need that much rubber to stay on the road driven spiritedly.

Hmm, when I look on the "Features & Specs" section on the mazdausa website, it says that the tires are P215/45R 18 93Y. Did you get your info from a different source, or am I reading it incorrectly?

 

[Antonio DiMarco]

Well, we actually love the Pilot. My wife loves the driving position of the SUV, loves big cars (her father has a Yukon which she loves), and we both like the ability to haul stuff. Before marriage I swore I would never own an SUV, but the Pilot actually gets decent gas mileage, handles relatively well, and it's got a smooth ride. I would highly recommend it to anyone who is looking for an SUV.

Plus I love Hondas, I took a '94 Accord to close to 200k miles, and my Prelude had about 120k when I sold it, never had any problems. This will actually be my first Mazda, can I expect the same type of reliability? I know there are bad cars for every manufacturer, but I'm speaking generally.

Oh yeah, how do people like Mazda's navi system? The Honda/Acura system is by far the best I've used, just curious how the Mazda system stacks up.

I have Nav in my 3S and it is a bit clunky to use. However it does operate a little better than my wife's Garmin.

As far as Mazda reliability. The standard 3 has been excellent. Not sure about the MS3. Since it is a high performance car with an "exotic" engine I would expect a few more issues. I would however not expect issues that would leave you stranded. Every one of my 6 Mazda's has been excellent. Both Protege's I owned got over 130,000 without issues other than small failures (dashboard bulbs blowing, window motors devleoping hot spots).

I've never had problems other than small annoyances that were promptly fixed thourgh TSBs

None of my Mazda's ever left me stranded. Even when squirrels decided to eat through my distributor wires, my 95 protege ES got me home on two cylinders

 

[bbrich57]

Hmm, when I look on the "Features & Specs" section on the mazdausa website, it says that the tires are P215/45R 18 93Y. Did you get your info from a different source, or am I reading it incorrectly?

Oops! You're right. Musta' been thinkin' RX-8.
'Course another reason might just be a possible lawsuit. Afterall, in this day and age of litigative lawsuits, no company wants you to deviate from what you bought from them originally. And it usually becomes a warranty issue too.
Perhaps they don't feel the standard wheels are strong enough for the extra power/weight? 'Dunno.

 

[BKK Jack]

I am in the same boat as you are. I have been on these forums for weeks as well and appreciate all the great information on this car. You hit the nail on the head when you asked about the car seat. I was going to bring the car seat when I went to the dealership. I have a kid and need the room, but also need a quick and sporty car when baby is not in the car. Thanks

I would think you would want the quick and capable handling of a car like the MS3 even more when baby is IN the car. Wasn't it BMW who ran the ads saying that being able to avoid an accident was the best safety measure?

Having siad that; any specific reason to do a rear facing isntead of a front facing seat? I would think front facing is better cause you could see the baby on the mirror or turn and take a peek.

Rear facing baby seats are generally considered better for infants because usually deceleration forces are much greater than acceleration. Their not so little heads won't be thrown forward under hard braking, or god forbid, an accident involving a frontal impact on the car in which they are traveling. Anyone who has one should also have the little mirror to put behind them, so you can see the little guy.