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Thanks for the response but that doesn't tell me if you are seeing the same problem I am experienceing....I would like to get some documented feedback on this so I can present it to Mazda if need be. Thanks again...
ronomania: Have you posted your question in the Sedans forum, Mazda3? Not many have owned the MZ3 long enough this winter to observe damage to the sidesill area. Only a few bought them in January.
fowler3
For example, the EL gauges may become dimmer in time, but still be useable -- for many -- but not for visually impared buyers. Similar to LCD monitors which become washed-out if you run them on full brightness all the time. They can be restored, the cost is the question.
Look at buyers who went all-out to buy a car, but can't really afford the service and maintenance charges later, so they let it go until the car breaks down. They should have bought a car they can afford to take care off and one that doesn't have a lot of high-tech stuff in it.
fowler3
I find late model cars so much be reliable then cars of, say, 15 years ago. On the other hand, if something goes (like a computer or some other new-fangled electronic gizmo), it could cost you a bundle to repair. Maybe a good argument for an extended warranty, bought just before the original warranty expires. No?
Nice that Mazda has pushed their warranty out to 4yr/50000mi.
I'm glad I don't actually know you in real life Gee...we would be fighting all the time. (-:
Not everyone is concerned with the "bottom line". What a crappy way to live life...you might as well go live as a monk somewhere.
I guarantee there is some area in all of our lives where we justify an extravagance just because we like it. Your "money wasting" thing may not be wheels and tires, but if not, then it is probably something else.
Personally I think the 4-door Mazda 3 with the Sport Package looks much better than the base model with the 16" wheels.
But I have a wheel/tire fetish, so maybe I'm just crazy...
I don't think the sedan would have as much problems since mud flaps are available for that model.
Philadelphia area must be low on sales or the drivers don't want to show off their sparkling Mazda 3s'.
Is it too soon to see this car on streets?
And, yes, I've wasted a lot of money on stuff in my time. Maybe that's why I'm speaking out here.
gokalps: I don't know where they are. Dealers have sold hundreds of them and I haven't seen even a sedan on the streets where I live. Correction, I've seen one Titanium sedan. The MZ6 has been out over a year and I saw two this afternoon, which is rare.
fowler3
They better be selling well because we aren't getting any incentives when almost every other car out their has an incentive!!!
Truthfully... I don't think that many have been shipped to the states yet. On the other hand, I am seeing lots of Scions.
My dealer told that as of March 23rd, the factory in Japan has acknowledged my order for a lava orange/leather auto SAB/ABS with NY emissions. I would like the car by June. I am going crazy. I put a deposit March 6.
As far as the wheels go... if I have bad luck with them, I may replace them with 16" wheels with less low profile tires if that's possible.
I was criticizing people who criticize others for wanting larger wheels.
You are obviously no "monk"...you did admit to wasting money at some time or another...that is not the actions of a monk. (-:
I have been posting to Edmunds for many years, and reading these forums for much longer than that.
It's just like life sometimes, we all have our ideologies, we just have to put ourselves in other peoples shoes sometimes and realize that not everyone values the same things we do.
Whew...enough of this mature talk, I am actually sounding like my age...
When the owner can't afford the upkeep of the "expensive" 17' tires when his budget can barely afford the car, the car turns to junk from lack of maintenance. Sure they look good. I have them on my SI. But the 15" tires that I took off the car are MUCH cheaper to replace. That's not hating. That's real life.
We'll see in a few years when these gorgeous M3's have been around for a while. Just as early Protege's are a tough find because of the low sales of the new ones. Finding a nice well kept M3 is going to be harder than finding a V6 stick 626 without clouded headlights.
And to suggest that for some reason Mazda3 owners aren't going to take as good care of their car as some other comparable model is ridiculous.
Key words IMO are 'comparable models'. Old Gramps (I'm one) will probably nurse his Camry more carefully than student rally boy. This delight-to-drive car is probably going to be driven harder than most, but I agree no reason to expect it will not be maintained. Just means to do a thorough test three years down the road when looking at a used one for grandson!
The sales manager told me people are waiting 3-4 weeks for delivery of the Hatchbacks now. Probably why you are not seeing any yet....
Luckily, I took delivery of mine in a week back in late January.
Don't pay too much attention to Gee35, by the way. I remember him always criticizing Mazda's on the 6 boards, I think for almost two years now. For someone who seems to dislike Mazda's he sure spends a lot of time thinking about them. Could it be envy? Hmmmmmmmm?
1900 miles, mostly secondary roads, 24mpg cumulative average, 2.3L, auto, 4-door.
When I worked at Carmax I used to see used late model "sport coupes" with OEM performance tires that had NO tread on them the came in from the auction. Those tires are not cheap and they wear out quickly.
As much as you would love to call the Mazda3 a "premium" economy sport sedan, the emphasis should be more on the economy. Five years from now when the next "big thing" comes down the pike, these cars are still going to be sitting on used car lots with this expensive wheel/tire combo on it.
I'm not asking you to agree. Just wait and see. Just like I said after I drove the Mazda6 and said the Accord/Camry have nothing to fear.
On another forum..a regular poster here mused about GAS MILEAGE AND BUILD DATE. As 3's with 10/03 build date seem to be experiencing the most glitches...I wonder if we with those cars are the ones getting the pathetic mileage also. Maybe if you are posting about mileage you could mention your build date as well as location, weather conditions, auto or 5spd, hatch or sedan??
I had my CEL come on-PO128 Dec.24. Got it fixed??? Feb. 9. Invoice from dealer says "computer down loaded update from dealer lounge 4 times and TRIED to install to complete the job. Reprogrammed PCM Tested vehicle Light did not return." This wording does not make me feel real confident that job was done correctly as I continue to get abysmal mileage at 3500 km (2174 mi.). Is it possible the CEL light got turned off but somehow the coolant temperature sensor settings weren't adjusted properly? My mileage is worse than before the CELPO128 was fixed??? even though weather and road conditions are much better. My last mileage check was 14.9 mi/US gal. mostly around town in reasonably good weather/road conditions, no hotrodding or excessive idling.
everfeb
It's not bashing if it's true. Instead of talking about ME how about showing where I am mistaken? That would be really constructive.
I'm not the first to comment on the tires.
I don't like the fact the cowl (the part of the car that the hood latches to) of the M3 is plastic. I've never seen that before.
And I don't like the way the steering wheel is canted toward the center of the car. I'm 6"6' and it's very noticeable from where I have to sit.
I don't like the way the seat fabric doesn't seem to be attached to the cushioning material. It seems cheaply covering the seats.
I'm not the only one who noticed this. There were many people at the Atlanta Auto show that were wondering the same things. It's a shame too because the 3 is a great looking car. Very eye catching when you see one on the road. It just in the details.
I thought bashing was when you came up with unsubstanciated problems with a car. I'm sure if you took a good look at a M3 you would see all the things I have just described. I know there were those at the auto show that noticed them and they decided it was not the car for them.
Build date 12/03. Weather 35 F average, mostly dry. Immediate start (no crank time), smooooth engine, no probs to date (except slight wear rear rotors).
I doubt low-profile tires will last three years. They are made with soft rubber and most drivers are going to take them to the limit.
When the Mazda3's were announced some reviewers said the HB would be available in two versions, one with 16" alloys and one with 17" alloys and the Sports Package. That didn't happen -- it should have. Maybe Mazda will do that with the 2005 models.
Otherwise, a buyer can sell the 17" alloys and tires before putting much wear on them, and buy the 16" wheels the MZ3-s sedan comes with. Either will fit over the larger brakes.
fowler3
And the tires are too small for the Si which has 5 lug wheels this year.
If a buyer is really interested in economy they can just get the Mazda3 sedan which is available with 15 or 16 inch tires, and the 2.0L 'i' model gets great fuel mileage (28/35).
Re: 17" tires, I would have been happy with 16" tires too, and I love the 17" on my sporty lil hatch, which IMO, is targeted towards the younger demo who want low profile tires and willing to replace them a bit sooner.
I didn't like the station-wagon-y look of the Protege5 and think the bigger wheels give the Maz3HB a more agressive sporty look.
I am waiting for an airbag sensor and when that comes in I'll discuss my mileage with them.
Regards,
everfeb
And I also mentioned I saw MANY cars of this ilk coming in from auctions and through our appraisal lane that were much worse for wear from lack of maintenace. Are they all going to be that way? No. But as I said before, we'll just wait and see.
There are many bad and uninformed choices. And in my opinion, buying a car with 17" OEM tires is begging for trouble at the price point these cars are going to sell. Not many people are ready for the $400-$500 (2 months payments) hit they are going to take. Especially when many people argue about the "cost savings" of a $400 timing belt vs. timing chain that only comes up every 100,000 miles or so. It's gonna matter. Oh yeah.
But I don't search out the GM groups and criticize GM vehicles in minute details...I know I am not interested, nor never will be, so I just leave it alone.
I checked the prices on tirerack for both the 17" and the 16" wheels on the 3. The cheapest 16" tire was $60 and the cheapest 17" tire was $78. A difference of around $60-70 for a set of 4 tires. And the amount of wear is dependent on the TIRE not the size. You can still have nice looking 17" wheels and get less sporty tires that will wear quite well.
This is the last I will say on the 17" wheel topic...let's just agree to disagree...
Mazda is smart to offer the amount of tire choices they do...I personally would not buy a vehicle that did not offer 17" wheels because I like them, and aftermarket wheels make your resale value go down, so I prefer to buy stock wheels for my vehicle.
Of course you're going to see a lot of cars coming through repo somewhat the worse for wear. I also have a family member who works with repos. Most people know that their car is going to be repo'd -- it's not a surprise and often they have many months of warning. At that point, if they can't afford to make the payments, they often start beating the crap out of the car and not doing maintenance, since they're just going to lose it anyway.
I think you are arguing what is called a "post hoc fallacy" where it is claimed that because event B occurred after event A, then A caused B, though there isn't evidence given to show causation.
Mazda really should have offered a less boy-racer version of the HB as well.
This is New York and we have many bad roads and I am now rethinking my decision.
so when you see 74 mz3 sedans, you are seeing the dealer pipeline of inventory, not the actual on the ground inventory....my mazda3 pipeline shows 70 cars but we only have 15 on the ground unsold....the consumer locater is a little misleading..the dealer locater shows actual instock inventory and pipeline inventory.
I'm sorry if you can't handle a little opposing viewpoint in the love fest you would like to have for your Mazda but they ain't making them like they used to. I'm glad I was cautious before I jumped in with both feet on the Mazda6. I would have been one of the first ones to buy one if I had let my right foot make that decision.
When I looked on MY dealer's lot when the 3 was introduced all of them had the Sport package. They all had the 17's. Maybe things have changed since they ARE advertising them in the mid 13's now.
Carmax didn't buy repo's, our repo's that were on the lot were cars that we sold and weren't paid for. They bought off lease vehicles and cars of that ilk from Manhiem and other large auction houses. And the appraisal lane cars are private owners that bring their cars in to be appraised. The store I worked for sold over 600 cars a month. I saw a LOT of cars in the 2 years I worked there. I was the one who pointed out the Camry sludge problem here and you see how that turned out. Talk about being called a hater. You guys are nothing in comparison. to the treatment I recieved in the Camry room. And I had 3 Camrys in my family at that time. Yeah I'm a hater.
Your right, a lot of people are getting the hatch 'cause it looks like an SUV/minivan. Once I saw an oncoming white one &, to me, it looks like a mini ambulance w/ everything white-out especially w/ that nose.
Just one minute, buddy! There are many people on this forum who have decades of experience compared to you. Since when do manufacturers have to design and build cars to suit gee35coupe? They didn't "let you down", your ego is the problem. If you didn't like Mazda's cars why did you buy them? That's your dumb mistake not Mazda's.
You are among the generation who thinks working for a car company a couple years makes them experts. What you know is what happened at CarMax, not what happens everywhere else. Get lost gee35!
fowler3
You know just about as much about me as I care to know about any of you. Don't even go there.
I did like the Mazdas that I bought. The Protege was a nice car for around town driving, the 2.0 is a let down for the type of driving I do on the highway. Looked like I was a year late for the 1.8 which I had experienced in previous models. We also bought it before we checked the crash test though. Oh well.
As far as the rest of the cars. I didn't buy them. Nor did anyone else. My point was why would you put out an awesome car like the 323 GTX and not continue the line. It was a WRX 13 years before Subaru came up with the idea.
I disagree about the late 80's early 90's 626's. They had the underrated 150 hp turbo engine that was the darling of the industry at that time. The MX-6 was awesome with that engine. That was the Mazda that I and the general public loved. Build a car for me? Naa. But if they did I'm sure a lot more that 5000 other people like me would buy one each month.
But why get personal I ask again. I don't attack you. Why do you feel the urge to attack someone you don't even know. It's wierd.