Last-Minute Road Trip Miles - 2014 Mazda Mazda3 S Long-Term Road Test

Edmunds.com

Last-Minute Road Trip Miles - 2014 Mazda Mazda3 S Long-Term Road Test

Our 2014 Mazda 3 needed to go on a quick road trip to hit its 20,000-mile goal before it leaves our fleet. I took the long route to Las Vegas to help out.

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grijon

Stellar post, thank you, Cameron.

novacell

Were the suspension noises, that you noted last write-up, resolved?

cameronr

novacell said:

Were the suspension noises, that you noted last write-up, resolved?

There is a post-maintenance update that should appear on the main page soon. The short story is that I took the Mazda to the dealership before the trip, and everything was resolved in time to go to Vegas. No more noises.

g_k1

A more interesting alternate route is I-10 to the southern entrance to Joshua Tree NM, then north by way of Kelso and Cima, leading to I-15 west of Vegas.

legacygt

Nice post. Please comment on whether you'd be happier taking this trip in the Mazda3 or the recently departed CLA. That was also a compact car at a much higher price point but one that got consistent demerits for ride quality. Would the suspension tuning of the CLA have been an issue on this type of trip? How was it in the rain? Would the extra $20K of luxury make the trip more pleasant?

cameronr

legacygt said:

Nice post. Please comment on whether you'd be happier taking this trip in the Mazda3 or the recently departed CLA. That was also a compact car at a much higher price point but one that got consistent demerits for ride quality. Would the suspension tuning of the CLA have been an issue on this type of trip? How was it in the rain? Would the extra $20K of luxury make the trip more pleasant?

I never drove the CLA on trips longer than my normal commute, so I can't comment on its long distance ability. By James Riswick's accounts, the CLA is completely different on long road trips than it is in the city (see http://www.edmunds.com/mercedes-benz/cla-class/2014/long-term-road-test/2014-mercedes-benz-cla250-palm-springs-road-trip.html).

For a compact hatchback, the 3 was fine in the rain. A few times on the trip, traction control had to kick in to keep everything in line. I attribute wheel slippage more to the puddles of standing water on the freeway more than I would point fingers at the 3 or the tires.

Not sure what you mean about the extra $20k of luxury

darthbimmer

cameronr said:

Not sure what you mean about the extra $20k of luxury

I read his question as, "Would the added luxury in the CLA have made enough of a difference to your enjoyment on this trip to justify spending $20k more on it than the Mazda3?" I don't know if that's exactly what legacygt meant though it's a question I'm curious to see answered.

15mazda3

Hi Cameron,

since you drove the 3 during the rain, i was wondering if you took a peek inside the wheel wells on either of the rear tires. There is a cover that has a fabric texture. I notice that they hold alot of water so when i park my car inside the garage after driving through rain and drips out within the next hour leaving a pool of water. I am a bit worried that the stored moisture will cause rust later on. Was this ever observed on this tester? Thanks

jerryf18

Awesome review Edmunds! I've been looking into buying my first car in 12 years, and the Mazda3 is high on my list. One thing holding me back is that yours is the 2nd review I've read in which the car hasn't come even close to achieving its EPA mileage. Any thoughts about the causes? For me, picking up a Mazda S GT is a lot of coin to spend on an "economy" vehicle, and if it isn't close to its MPG rating then it's hard to rationalize it.
- Thanks !

gauchograd99

Great reviews... but I wish there was a wrap-up with the final MPG, total cost in repairs/maintenance, etc. for the long term study. Still looking at possibly getting a Mazda3 but seeing real world numbers helps quite a bit.