Mazda3

stevenq99

looking at the Mazda usa website at the gallery there is a picture of the 5 speed stick. on the right side appears to be the controls for a nav system.

gee35coupe

They were giving cars away. They were giving 0-0-0 loans to near subprime borrowers. After 12 months they had no money for the car and cars that weren't worth anything to repo. Scion sales are ahead of projections and I'm sure Toyota ain't doing 0-0-0 loans to people with little credit that Mitsu was. Not to mention Scions start out less than $13,000. Much different that giving 0-0-0 on a $36,000 Montero Sport.

pzev

My main reason for being interested in the 16" wheels is cosmetic. I can understand most economy car shoppers not caring about alloy wheels, but look at the price on this thing! How many economy car shoppers don't want A/C? How many don't want power windows and remote keyless entry? Add those almost necessary things and you have a car that's only around $500 off a 2.3 engine equipped Mazda3 with good looking 16" alloy wheels. People will take steel wheels if it saves them money, but the Mazda3 is already a higher price than a lot of economy cars.

Also I think the Civic doesn't look as good with the 14" wheels compared to the 15" wheels. I'm not talking about steel vs. alloy wheels, just the size in general. Add that with non body-colored mirrors and the non body-colored door handles on some models and it just adds a cheaper look and overall effect. Again maybe Civic owners don't care but to me (especially the 2001 model before they did some changes) that was blatent cost-cutting. It's like Honda didn't even care about competeing, that they could throw something together and sell purely on the badge. Well sure enough they were right, but looks like the Corolla and other cars are forcing them to do something.

By the way, I can't even imagine a Corolla with 14" wheels. The Mazda3 is a tall car, 15" wheels may look too small on it. Maybe a normal customer doesn't care but I do, so that's why I want 16" wheels since the Mazda3 is so tall looking that 15" wheels may look like 14" wheels on a Civic to me. This is just my opinion. Basically though I agree with your post, I'm just hung up on 16" alloys because they will probably look way better on this car than puny 15" steel wheels.

pzev

Yeah, I think you work the navigation system through a remote control that is next to the shifter like you said. By the way the Mazda3 will be offered with a navigation system, but only on the hatchback it appears. I may be wrong though.

creakid1

"Only on super-coarse chip road surfaces did the ride deteriorate to anything you could describe as UNCOMFORTABLE, accompanied by a PRONOUNCED TYRE ROAR."

Problem w/ minor harshness. Take the 15" w/ taller sidewall. It'll cushion you well.

Even if you get the sport w/ std 17", you can always switch to 205/60 in place of 205/50 & risk scratching the fender by reducing 2.05 cm of clearance.

creakid1

"Seriously, how many of you would get a Mazda3 with 15" steel wheels?"

Fleets. But I remember those 15" alloys on the newly introduced '99 BMW 323 sedan had an impressive cushy ride. It gave me the impression that I'd buy a 3-series based on the ride comfort alone!

"I'm to the point I'm going to try and like the black interior or look elsewhere if this is how it's going to be set up...And not to mention some people, especially in hotter climates, refuse to buy black interiors."

The blue/black pattern still looks cool & handsome, but too bad your butt misses the blue(or red) & sits on the burning black patch. Only the less handsome pattern from the BP5/6 interior(n/a for N.A.?) saves your butt from landing on the "heated" black sections. But still, I'll rather have a lighter-color interior all together. It would still looks good if the black sections in our BP7/8 fabric are replaced w/ grey.

bluong1

GoAuto: They state the hp and torque are 155hp and 147 lb-ft for the 2.3L. The 2.0L numbers are 140hp and 132 lb-ft. It seems the Australian get the worse engines to cope with the low quality fuel. I don't know where they get those weight numbers, Mazda Press-Release states 1310kg for the 2.0L, i.e., 50 kg more than GoAuto highest number. The Mazda3 is heavy. They confirm that the steering isn't quick because of the large ratio.

Tires: I'm using the 205/40R16 on my P5, and to me they are not harsh (believe it or not, the Michelin Exalto are even smother than the OME 195/50R16 Dunlop). But there aren't many paving-stone roads around my place. It seems that the Bridgestone Potenza is OME for the Mazda3.

I don't recall Rich has ever mentioned about BP7/BP8 upholstery for the Mazda3 US (the black/blue pattern that creadid likes). However, the spy pictures in Vancover (?), Canada, show a car with BP7. It's not clear yet what interior will be available for US/Canada.

I hope Mazda will build a special pzev-edition Sedan with all the goodies (beige interior with chrome door handle, power everything, large brake and ABS with 16" alloys, fog lamps, leather-wrap steering wheel, killer 6-speakers stereo, red tail-light, and smooke head like, etc...) and sale the whole package for $14k. Anything else Billy, a special body color similar to Mazda6 may be? ;-)

Bruno

bluong1

please take note that the Mazda3 is *not* designed for "Economy" sector, in contrary, it goes upscale from the Protegé(5). It supposes to compete with the fifth generation of Golf/Jetta and it might attract even some Mazda6-like buyers. If you want an economy car have concerns such as price for tire replacement or not getting 35mpg, then look elsewhere.

See here for Mazda3 positioning: http://groups.msn.com/BrunoLuong/introduction.msnw

boggse

After having owned cars with gray, beige, and black interiors, I would choose gray every time, but I like black more than beige. Yes, I live in a hot climate, but you just can't keep beige clean. I don't even have any kids or a dog. I can imagine a beige interior with either one of those. It wouldn't stay beige for long. Give me a black interior and tinted windows any day.

I think Mazda is doing a smart thing targeting the 18-34 year old market with the 3. Older, more affluent buyers seem to be stuck in the Luxury/SUV rut. If Mazda wants to build customer loyalty, they must target those who don't already have brand loyalty with fun, interesting cars. I think the Protege5 was a big hit in this respect. Hopefully for Mazda, the 3 will be as well.

wongpres

The Mazda3 is positioned differently in N. America as compared to Europe. In N. America, the Mazda3 will be an econobox that goes against cars like the Civic, Corolla, Sentra, Cavalier, Focus, etc... The Mazda3 just happens to have some optional upscale features (e.g. HID, NAV). Nick Scheele, from the Ford Focus article half a week back says it best:

'In Europe, Focus is in a segment with vehicles that hold a price premium, and people value its performance-in-a-small-package character. But in North America, the compact segment is much more price sensitive.

"The Focus here is different than in Europe," Scheele says. "In Europe, it is about family, handling and performance. In America, it's an entry-level vehicle. So what I would do for one product, I might not do for another. They need to reflect a different marketplace."'

This is why Canada will have a Mazda3 stripper model with black door handles, manual locks/windows, hubcaps and 2-speakers. The base US model will be similar. Heck, there's even a stripper version with rear drums for certain markets (not N. America and not Europe though).

pzev, you're analyzing way too much off the very preliminary and very undetailed US pricing and packaging information. Sorry, but the "I'm to the point I'm going to try and like the black interior or look elsewhere if this is how it's going to be set up" made me laugh. Why are you so sure there won't be a beige interior for US-spec s version? We simply don't yet, so just hold on and wait until MazdaUSA releases the US-spec packaging and pricing information (heck, I have the Canadian packaging & specs info, all 19 pages worth, but I know there'll be changes, though I don't anticipate anything major).

One more thing, now that we're getting some reviews, remember the source. The European perspective is much different to the N. American perspective (Scheele's quote above), so take that into consideration when interpreting the reviews.

fowler3

"Yes, I live in a hot climate, but you just can't keep beige clean. I don't even have any kids or a dog. I can imagine a beige interior with either one of those. It wouldn't stay beige for long."

That depends on the owner, boggse. I have a beige interior in my '01 Pro and I also have a dog I take to parks for walks almost every day. She rides in the back and I use a throw over the fabric. She sheds like she has to be hairless by 8 tomorrow morning. My seats are clean, no stains, no spots, no dirt. Even the floor mats are clean. And I live in the same hot, summer climate you do.

The main difference between us is I rarely carry passengers.

It's easy to keep beige trim clean IF you do not: eat in your car, smoke in your car, and no drinks in the car. Wear clean clothes, use a cloth, a light quilt or throw, over the seats if you must drive the car wearing dirty work clothes, i.e. following yard work or changing the oil.

Why I don't like black trim: It's always hot, shows dust and any white lint, and it's hard to tell if it is very dirty so it goes longer without cleaning. The filthiest car interiors I have ever seen have always been black -- the owners never cleaned them. Think what your clothes look like, from behind, after riding in one of those cars.

fowler3

mazdafun

I would go for medium grey myself (I really like the one in my '99LX, even if the the interior door panels don't match that well...but this is only noticeable when the door is open in bright daylight). Black gets hot and shows a lot of dust. I just don't like beige. If I had to choose, I'd go with black as I usually seem to brush up against something dark. But I still wish grey were offered.

bean3422

I read an article recently that said that a few years back, 14-15" wheels were the average tire size sold on passenger cars. Now it is 16"-17". The prices of larger tires have really come down recently, and many more brands have larger sizes.

To me, the looks and small but noticable handling performance gains are more than worth the $10-15 extra per tire at my next tire purchase.

bean3422

Personally, I would put strips of rubber without any air in them on my car if it was remotely feasible.

I could care less about ride or noise. That's one reason I like Mazdas, they have the right priorities in my opinion. I am in the 29-35 age range, and so far I have yet to find a car that rides too rough for me.

That's why we have choice...those who want a cushy ride usually shop at the Toyota or Buick dealers.

I just laughed a year or so ago when I read that Honda was offering a dealer installed upgrade package on the Civic for $3000 give or take a few that included 16" alloys, upgraded shocks and springs, etc. So you can buy a Civic, then spend 3 grand more to bring it up to the handling level that a Mazda Protege ES already has. Seemed funny to me.

boggse

I admit it. I am lazy which is why I do not want a car with light upholstery. I don't generally eat in the car, and I do not smoke, but it seems that just getting in and out of a beige colored interior leaves behind lots of dirt that shows. My clothes leaves lint everywhere. The grease and oil from parking lots collects on the floor mats. Scuff marks on the interior trim panels are more obvious. I still clean my black interior regularly, but when it is dirty, it doesn't show it as much. I still prefer gray, but black is my next choice.

bluong1

I like black mica for exterior. I also like beige for interior (though not sure it can match with exterior black), but I will never select my car with either of those color options (too hot and not enough visible for the first, and too much trouble to keep the second clean).

I love the yellow on the Protegé5, but some how the yellow Mazda3 doesn't look as good. If I have to chose now, I'll take a Hatchback in Velocity Red (without the sport package). 16" wheels seem to be large enough, also I don't want to waist some engine torque and fuel on the 17" wheel. Interior, I'll take the black/red BP8 upholstery.

creakid1

Believe me, my '90 sport-model Protege LX's firmer springs, due to relatively long travel(6.7" front, 8.9" rear, per R&T) & a different-frequency Gabriel shocks, still rides miles cushier over LARGE bumps than any of the Lexus ES/Camry/Corolla from the 20th century! So I don't have to slow down for a speed bump, dip, driveway, etc. Therefore, along w/ the sports-car-like handling that corners fast, this car simply doesn't have to slow down for anything.

The ride may seem harsher than the Toyotas on the minor coarseness, but the true depth handling the big ones, such as cornering hard over bumps, is only second to the Europeans such as VW & Mercedes.

The new 3 can only get better than the Protege. The whole point is if the BMW 3-series & the Focus(Euro or SVT) can provide both good handling & comfortable ride, then why can't it happen on a reliable Japanese car?

bluong1

90 sport-model Protege LX is only second to the Europeans such as VW

Things have changed. For me, the handling of the Protegé5 is better than the Golf IV (too much body roll). I test drive the US Focus, and I'm not really convinced because I need to feel more the road. The Peugeot 307 is too heavy and too lazy. The chassis of the Renault Mégane is not as rigid as the P5. Civic and Corolla are even not worth to mention. For me the Protegé5 is the best of the bunch.

My previous car here is a Citroen ZX (with 14" wheel btw.) This car has a very well designed rear suspension. The good balance between vivacity and stability is hard to achieve with such design, and Citroën engineers was unable to find later with the Xsara (which replaces the ZX). The toe of the rear wheels automatically kick in during cornering (just like the P5's TTL suspension) but react even smother and quicker. Understeer is very much reduced, the Citroen ZX corners like a bike and rides very smooth over bump. This car is now my sister's and I'm still very impressed when driving it lately.

regfootball

the Mazda6 has a different yellow than the protege, and its not as attractive as the protege's.

i priced zrated 16" tires for my SHO recently and found that the 16 and 17 inch tires are hardly that much more spendy than 15ers these days. I could get conti sport contact 16" z rated for under 400 bucks. regular joe blow 15" tires woulda only been about 75-100 bucks less.

gee35coupe

In some forums people say they have walked away from a CAR for less money. Considering that the Mazda3 IS still an economy car, that $100 could be significant to some. I mean it's not like we are talking 04 Lexus type owners here. In the U.S. Mazda still has a while to go before its considered one of the "premium" Japanese brands. You have to consider the people walking in the dealership door.

bluong1

Let me get it straight: Basically you are saying people refuse to buy the car because it has better wheels? That's a good one! What's next? If they don't want the 16" wheels there is always a solution: any dealer will gladly exchange them for cheaper wheels.

pzev

"I hope Mazda will build a special pzev-edition Sedan with all the goodies (beige interior with chrome door handle, power everything, large brake and ABS with 16" alloys, fog lamps, leather-wrap steering wheel, killer 6-speakers stereo, red tail-light, and smooke head like, etc...) and sale the whole package for $14k. Anything else Billy, a special body color similar to Mazda6 may be? ;-)"

No that's all I need, that'll work great.

After looking at the prices though I take back my complaining earlier on. When I first started complaining I wasn't thinking about the possibility of the destination charge being included so if it does have a $520 destination charge included in the price then it's more than reasonable. It's basically an increase of $300 or so over the current Protege (equipment being equal) so factor in all the new stuff the Mazda3 offers over the Protege then it's a very good and reasonable price. However if they don't have a destination charge included then I think they are pushing it a little too much.

$15,050 + $850 A/C + $520 destination charge and you have a MSRP price of $16,420. This is still without power windows, locks, mirrors, and no remote keyless entry. This would simply be too much for most Americans and they'll go elsewhere. This is a stripper 2.0 with only A/C and you have a price of $16,500. Again though if the prices have destination charge included then it's more than fair and a good price, especially if you factor in rebates and negotiating down the MSRP price.

And as far as the Mazda3 being aimed more upmarket, I'm not sure if that's the case or not. With only a $300 increase over the Protege it seems like they're still trying to compete with Corollas and Civics. Especially add in the fact that they take out A/C and power windows and stuff to give it an attractive base price then it seems they're trying to lure in Civic and Corolla shoppers as well. Adding those things standard (which the majority will be that way, good luck finding a Mazda3 with no A/C on the lot) then you have a higher base price which might scare away some potential customers.

I'll try to keep my complaining to a minimum guys. I'm really excited about this car and I really want to own one so I hope it has the things I want at a price I can afford.

zaimon

Good news on the crash-test front. The 6 scored a "Good - Best Pick" in it's IIHS offset crash testing! Hopefully this will continue to the 3's score.

Article
Details

zaimon

Here's the actual data and observations.

pzev

"pzev, you're analyzing way too much off the very preliminary and very undetailed US pricing and packaging information. Sorry, but the "I'm to the point I'm going to try and like the black interior or look elsewhere if this is how it's going to be set up" made me laugh. Why are you so sure there won't be a beige interior for US-spec s version? We simply don't yet, so just hold on and wait until MazdaUSA releases the US-spec packaging and pricing information (heck, I have the Canadian packaging & specs info, all 19 pages worth, but I know there'll be changes, though I don't anticipate anything major)."

You're right. I'm jumping the gun before anything official is announced, but I would assume what audia8q posted is pretty close to how it'll be. I don't think those prices were pulled out of thin air so if the power package runs around $600 then the prices will be very similar between the trims. In either case though the price is reasonable so it doesn't bother me, just if the 2.3 is a lot better than the 2.0 and I'm only saving a little money and giving up the 2.3 it just seems kind of odd for them to price it that way. The majority of buyers are going to want A/C and power windows.

As far as black only being offered on the 2.3, I was assuming this would be the case since the current ES sedan only offers black and is considered the sporty model. I'm thinking the "s" trim 2.3 is being made out to be the sporty model as well, so if they do what they're currently doing with the Protege then only two-tone black will be offered with the 2.3. Obviously I could be wrong though and I hope I am.

gee35coupe

Some people consider $100 a lot of money. Not something they take lightly. Kinda like MPG and such. Everyone has a hot-button. And if 4 195/50/15's cost $100 more than a set of 185/60/14's that can be significant to some folk.

The $350 cost of a timing belt kept some people from buying cars with rubber timing belts.

meiswhoiam

It's amazing how much the interior picture below of the Mazda 3 resembles a 2000 A4 w/ black interior ...

http://www.edmunds.com/news/autoshows/articles/100537/page017.htm- l

creakid1

Handling
"90 sport-model Protege LX is only second to the Europeans such as VW"

I was talking about how my Protege compares to the Golf III & the early Mercedes C220 in terms of making large bumps small. All 3 cars appear to have the same amount of ride harshness, but only when driving them side by side on the same road will the bumps seem more of a big deal & taller in the Protege.

Of course, the Golf/Jetta IV available in '99 is such a limo even the '99 Toyota Avalon can't cushion the bumps as well. Besides having lots of body roll, this new generation Golf/Jetta also lost steering feel at the limit. So it's not even a sports sedan no more & no longer belongs to the same category as the sporty Protege.

bluong1

That's very good news! Thanks. Unlike the 3, I don't think Volvo has involved in anyway in the design of Mazda6 safety cage, right?

creakid1

"I am in the 29-35 age range, and so far I have yet to find a car that rides too rough for me."

Have you experienced the Suzuki Samurai? Besides providing the most torturous ride, it even handles worst than any thing else!

This also brings up another topic. Why get the Mazda3 hatch "fake SUV" over the real ones w/ high center of gravity?

Take a look at even the genius BMW. Its X5 got an uncomfortable stiff ride w/ or w/o the sport suspension, but it still tips over according to the roll-over test I saw on T.V.

bluong1

is a worse enemy. Not only the car risk to roll-over, but the weight transfer (to outside wheels) is greater during cornering. Everything else degrade from there. Mazda3 content: I think the longitudinal roll axis of the Mazda3 is pointing down, a la Protegé's.

newcar31

"Some people consider $100 a lot of money. Not something they take lightly. Kinda like MPG and such. Everyone has a hot-button. And if 4 195/50/15's cost $100 more than a set of 185/60/14's that can be significant to some folk.

The $350 cost of a timing belt kept some people from buying cars with rubber timing belts."

Where are you going with this? Are you saying they should only offer 15 inch wheels with cheesy plastic wheel covers and skinny little 185 wal-mart tires and charge you an arm and a leg if you want to upgrade to ugly alloy wheels like Honda does with the Civic?

How in the heck could anyone possibly complain or find something negative about a manufacturer that offers something better and different than the competition? Recently, Mazda has offered some of the best looking factory wheels available and someone finds a reason to complain about that. Unbelievable.

For those folks who are worried about the tire replacement cost for tires on the Mazda3, get the heck out of this thread. This car is not for you. The Mazda3 is going to be the enthusiast's low end car, which means that it should come with decent rubber. Cheap, crappy tires are obviously going to be cheaper to replace.

johnclineii

***For those folks who are worried about the tire replacement cost for tires on the Mazda3, get the heck out of this thread. This car is not for you. The Mazda3 is going to be the enthusiast's low end car, which means that it should come with decent rubber. Cheap, crappy tires are obviously going to be cheaper to replace. ****

That's really not your call. This thread is for people who are buying, or considering buying, a Mazda3. Mazda will be happy to sell one to anyone who wants to pay for one.

pzev

I personally think Honda could have put 15" wheels on the 2001 Civic and raised the price $100 and it wouldn't have made any difference. Maybe a lot of Civic owners simply don't care about 15" wheels but the 2001 Civic was all-new and there was nothing to compare to except the competition so slipping in that extra $100 wouldn't have drove anybody away probably. In fact finally this year they've put 15" wheels on the LX sedan, but the LX coupe is still stuck with 14".

Also for the LX for 2002 they added body-colored door handles on the exterior, chrome for interior door handles, cupholder lid, and a few other minor things and if I recall the price rose $100-$200 obviously to reflect the changes. Either Honda did it simply to stay competitive, a lot of customers and/or critics were complaining about the cheap interior, or it was a combination of both. I think that was a very smart move, those little things really gave it a better overall quality appearance. Of course some people will say it wasn't worth the $100 rise in price but everyone has different priorities.

That's why they have a DX trim. Why cheapen out the LX when you have the DX for people who are watching every penny? I come across cheap myself sometimes in my posts but I'm willing to pay for things I want, if I didn't I would be buying a Kia Rio or a used car. As I said everyone has different priorities and apparently adding these little things hasn't hurt the Civic because Honda went ahead and added them.

newcar31

"Mazda will be happy to sell one to anyone who wants to pay for one."

Well of course they would. But that's my point. This car ISN'T for anyone. You don't need a 2.0L or 2.3L in this car any more than you need 16 or 17 inch wheels. Should Mazda offer a 1.6L for those who are too cheap to fuel a 2.3L?

Honestly, if you're that concerned about an extra hundred or so bucks that you'll have to spend every couple of years, get a Civic or Corolla. They get better gas mileage, the tires aren't as expensive to replace, and they will ride better....all the things that some people will criticize the Mazda3 for. You don't have to buy a Mazda3.

gee35coupe

You put 17" tires on all of them and NAV and HID's and memory seats and make a little Jetta. Problem is Mazda isn't in the position to sell cars a that level and they know it.....I hope. But then again they think they can sell 30,000 RX-8's a year let alone the 70,000 Mazda6's they tried to hawk. So maybe I'm expecting too much.

pzev

Even if someone complains about replacement costs for 16" tires versus 15", it still doesn't mean the Mazda3 isn't the right car for them. I'm sure for a select few, 15" wheels are a must and 16" wheels is a deal breaker, but putting 15" wheels on a Civic and raising the price $100 and finding someone who would say that's a deal breaker would be few and far between. No chrome interior door handles is not a deal breaker for me, but it does put a small negative on the list and if enough negatives pile up and another car comes along with less negatives then I'll take the other car.

Everyone has their gripes and complaints, it's hard for anyone to find the perfect car. All you can do is find the one closest to what you want at the price you can afford. Some things come across more as deal breakers than others. Uncomfortable seats, moonroofs, leather, wrong transmission, etc. are deal breakers. Putting 16" wheels on the Mazda3 I doubt will be a deal breaker for many. Some people would rather save the money and not have 16" alloys bundled with the power package, I hope they are though. Again that's just my personal preference and I'll just have to wait and see what Mazda offers and at what price.

newcar31

"and make a little Jetta"

"Problem is Mazda isn't in the position to sell cars a that level and they know it.....I hope."

And Volkswagen was? They were on their death bed in NA before they made the Jetta upscale. They weren't known for superior German engineering, they were known to be full of problems and expensive to maintain. They are the same now, but they are "upscale". I'm not saying Mazda should put 17s, HIDs, NAV, and memory seats on all of the Mazda3s. What I am saying is that they shouldn't make a base, base, model with 185/65/14 tiger paws to satisfy those who don't want to replace a decent set of tires.

pzev

I think only offering 17" wheels on an economy car may be going a little overboard though. I would gladly take those nice looking 15" alloys on the current Protege, although I think the 16" alloys look better. Anyway as I said it's a cosmetic choice for me. 14" wheels look too small on a Civic, and as I said I can't imagine a tall Corolla with 14" tires. Maybe 15" wheels will look ok on a Mazda3 since I haven't seen one in person yet, but at the same time I have no problem paying extra money for 16" versus 15". What other Mazda3 buyers will want is a different story.

I believe their sales goal is almost exactly the same as the current Protege, and if the price only increases $300 over the current one then I think they'll have no problem doing that. They may need rebates to move a lot of them but they'll meet the sales goal I'm sure. At the same time though, if they don't improve sales any they haven't really accomplished much either. I would think they would want to increase sales, not just meet the same goal they have now.

gee35coupe

I'm worried about the rear end of that sedan. I'm gonna keep an eye on how that goes over here. It looks a little too Euro to me. But then again people seem to be buying the "tall car" Corolla like crazy.

Time'll tell.

creakid1

Just like the rear spoiler on the 6, I think the sport package w/ or w/o the rear spoiler cost the same. It's a FREE ITEM if it's factory installed.

When we got an Acura TSX, the dealer asked for way over $1k just to replace the original 17"s w/ a different set of Acura 17"s. Let alone replacing w/ larger ones. Of course, we didn't go for it. It would cost not much more than that if we just purchase those fancier wheels from the parts dept & install on the car ourself & still keep the original wheels.

Can't you see Mazda is trying to save $ for us customers so dealers don't got much opportunity playing around w/ wheel profit by upsizing them.

creakid1

By the way, I remember seeing pictures of China VW Santana(Quantum) wearing 13" steel wheel w/ only center hub cap just like a stripped '85 Jetta. It was really gross!

cambo

I am glad Mazda is using 17's. Consumers will benafit with better looks and performance from the factory. My protege 5 has 16's and I love them. I can't wait to see how the 17's look on the 3. Will probably make me want to trade in.

I think aftermaket wheels attract theives. What do you all think? I would rather stick with the factory wheels for this reason.

bluong1

My two-year old P5 has aftermarket rims with anti-theft wheel locks. It seems to help.

17" is standard on the Protegé MP3 (140 hp) and MazdaSpeed Protegé (170 hp). So offering 17" as optional mount on Mazda3 (160 hp, with sport package) is not really overboard. Mazda pays particularly attention to the zoom-zoom handling of the car line-up, and will always offer performance tires. I agree with newcar31, if you feel 17" is overboard or if you care about mileage, then you might look at the wrong car for you.

qbrozen

I think I breezed over many of the comments on this particular aspect of this topic, but has anyone considered the fact that putting better wheels and tires on at the factory will mean more favorable results during magazine comparo tests? Wouldn't it be in Mazda's favor to be able to say "our mazda3 outhandled all these other competitors"? Same thing goes with the bigger engines. Maybe they are trying to compete *gasp* performance-wise rather than worry about an extra (as someone else put it) hundred bucks every couple of years.

pzev

Not sure if anyone is responding to what I said, just wanted to clear something up. As I said ONLY OFFERING 17" wheels is too much, but offering 17" wheels is not too much. It would seem odd to only offer 17" wheels on an economy car, at least offer a smaller size in case someone doesn't want such big wheels. If I bought a Mazda6 personally I would take the 17" wheels but 16" should be offered for people who value a more comfortable ride or whatever other advantages there may be. Equipping 17" wheels on every Mazda3 is too much, but I don't think anyone was actually saying this should be the case anyway though. Just wanted to clear up what I said.

bluong1

Wouldn't it be in Mazda's favor to be able to say "our mazda3 outhandled all these other competitors"?

So what's wrong with that when good tires are a indeed one of the factors that enhance the handling?

boggse

"Have you experienced the Suzuki Samurai?"

I owned a 1987 JX model. I think they invented the term "noise, vibration, and harshness" when this vehicle came out. It had a 65 HP, 1.3L engine, leaf springs front and rear, and a 79.9" wheel base.

That said, is was a very fun car for a kid in high school and college once I learned the limits of the vehicle. I owned it from July 1990 until July 1995. It got 30 mpg whether I was sitting still in rush hour traffic or driving into a 30 mph headwind (yes, aerodynamics were a performance factor at highway speeds). I put over 100,000 miles on it, and the only maintenance I ever had to do was regular scheduled, plus 2 new sets of tires, 1 new top, and 1 new battery. It still had the original brakes when I gave it to my brother!

In comparison, I now drive a Miata: 1.8L 142HP engine, 4 wheel independent suspension, and a 89.2" wheelbase.

I fear the Mazda3 will be a little too much like the Jetta when it is all said and done which will help Mazda in Europe, but which may hurt them in the US. Only time will tell. People I know who like Mazdas tend to like the sporty character whereas people I know who like VWs think they are entry-luxury cars. I think Mazda should play to their strengths instead of trying to be a "better VW."

dinu01

"As I said ONLY OFFERING 17" wheels is too much, but offering 17" wheels is not too much."

Mazda is offering 15", 16" and 17" alloys on the 3. This way everyone's happy. So why all the fuss?

Dinu

pzev

I posted that because of what gee35coupe said, about putting 17" wheels on all Mazda3's. I know he was being sarcastic but I thought maybe he actually thought some of us wanted only big huge tires put on all Mazda3's.