Mazda3 Hatchback

manueltrans1

Gee:

'It is against the law' is not a statement that people can live by without using common sense. Each of the laws have to be considered in its own merit.

Strictly obeying the law by going exactly at the speed limit in most areas can cause accidents, the traffic flow is usually a good many miles above the speed limit.

Manny

malarkey

oh-oh! WHAT is the $500 zoom-zoom coupon?? I've not heard of this. Funny about not being able to find the combination you want. Neither can I. I had a dealership tell me they found the "only" one matching my description in the NW. 3sGT 5-door hatchback in strato blue, auto trans, leather, Bose/Moonroof option. However, they did make an offer that is $500 over invoice. Here's another question, should I jump on this price? Is making a counter-offer foolish? The existing offer beats Edmunds TMV for my area.

malarkey

I'm looking at the auto because ALL of my cars have been a stick for the past 30 frickin' years and quite frankly, I'm sick of it. 'Course my caveat is that I 1) drive in heavy stop & go traffic almost daily, and I also drive on san francisco style hills daily!

jmills

We bought 2004 Mazda 3 Hatchback with auto because of hills.

Have been very happy with it, 40,000 miles in 17 months and no problems.

28 MPG in mixed city and highway driving on the last tank of gas.

You can manually select any gear you want with the mazda auto and hold it in the manual mode.

manueltrans1

Malarky:

Counter Offer is not foolish. The other side of the coin of a 'rare combination' may mean, 'rare buyers requesting this combination.'

Anyway, the dealer is an experienced bargainer. He will have an answer for you anyway quickly.

Then you can act, knowing that you have done all that you can do.

Manny

reuel3

You may want to check out the Mazda3: Prices Paid & Buying Experience discussion as well to see what kind of deals others are getting on your vehicle.

Best of luck!

rosenatti

Swiped these numbers from a post by mazda3s over on the sedan forum. Due to emissions requirements, the 3s HP and torque figures in my state (CA) are as follows:

HP:
153 for CA, MA, ME, NY, and VT
160 everywhere else

Torque (lb-ft):
149 for CA, MA, ME, NY, and VT
150 everywhere else

So... my question: The numbers are obviously lower, but how much does the emissions equipment affect performance, if at all? If I bought the car out of state, would I wind up having to install the equipment, anyway, the first time I took an emissions test? Any input appreciated. Thanks.

audia8q

Don't sweat it, 99% of the people wouldn't be able tell the difference. Since you live in Ca. you don't have a choice. If you buy a new car out of state and it does not have CA emission you will not be able to register the car. You can not add calif emissions yourself.

Cars that are valid for sale in California are marked right on the Manufacturers certificate of origin (cars birth certificate). If it does not say "certified for sale in Calif" you would be out of luck.

mazda6s

Isn't it the "Manufacturers Statement of Origin" (MSO) ?

audia8q

MSO and MCO = samething. just depends on the mfg.

audia8q

email me...I have something for you.

mazda6s

I love secrets!

gramama

I have a Mazda 3 Hatchback and it currently has 17 inch tires on it. I want to go to 15 inch, will I get a bunch of grief from a mechanic? Does any one know it this is possible? Thanks for the feed back! :confuse:

blueguydotcom

gram, you should be able to go to 16s but I doubt 15s will fit because of your brakes.

Talk to the tirerack.com. If it can be done, they'd know.

Why are you trying to obliterate your car's handling?

z71bill

15 inch wheels will not fit on the HB but 16 will.

The HB and S model sedan share the same brake specs - both have 11.8 inch front rotors and 11 inch rear rotors.

The i model (that comes standard with 15 inch wheels) has smaller rotors 10.9 in the front & 10.4 on the rear.

The clearance between the brake cailper and the inside of the 17 inch wheel is a hair less than 1 inch - I assume with the 16 inch wheels the clearance would be a hair less than 1/2 of an inch.

A 15 inch wheel will rub.

I also don't see why you want to drop all the way down to 15 inch wheels - whats the point?

henroc

Maybe you want to change the rims because the 17 inchers hit the inside of the right rear wheel well when carrying rear seat passengers. That's been my experience. Does anyone have any ideas how to prevent this? Are there heavy duty shocks that won't mess up the handling?

z71bill

What do you mean by hit bottom?

Bottom of car hits road?
Bottom of wheel well hits top of tire?
Bottom of wheel hits road?

hibob

I was going to switch to the 16 inch rims that are stock on the 3i sedans when I bought a hatchback last month, but the salesman (wrongly) said that the wheels would be an inch shorter. The actual difference is about 0.5% - close enough so your speedo is still accurate. Obliterate your handling? a combination of smaller rims/higher profile tires can be much lighter and faster. Every 20 lbs off the weight of your wheels is equivalent to taking roughly 100lbs off the weight of your car as far as acceleration and braking is concerned. And there are more gains if you switch to a smaller wheel overall. You will lose out if you're racing on an oval, but in the real world where I drive there are speedbumps, potholes, and bumpsteer, all of which are handled better by higher profile tires. Also, along with being heavy, the stock rims are fragile w/r/t other rims this size. So when you do hit that pothole at speed ...

useful info:
http://www.mazda6tech.com/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=44&Itemid=32

your rim size:
http://www.mazda3forums.com/index.php?topic=25387.0

henroc

Wheel hits wheel well or gas filler cover on right rear when there are rear seat passengers.

z71bill

I don't think you will notice a big change in performance between the 205 50 17 and the 205 55 16 tire/wheel. Since the overall diameter of the tire/wheels are so close - but since I have not driven a Mazda3 with the 16 inch wheels I really don't know for sure.

I do like the look of the 17 inch wheels better - it is amazing how much difference it makes (in looks). The 205 55 16 does have some advantages - lower replacement cost + more tire choices + most tire companies have them in stock (205 50 17 is a special order)

rorr

Does the WHEEL hit or do you get tire rub?

Going to a smaller size rim won't help with your bottoming out issue if you get a correctly sized tire because the overall outside diameter of the tire will be the same.

It sounds to me as though you may have a bad shock if it bottoms out with passengers in the rear seat (unless said passengers are 'somewhat' plus-sized). :surprise:

mdaffron

Here, lemme help ...

http://www.finishlineperformance.com/mazda3/docs/0006.pdf

Meade

rorr

Showoff...... :shades:

henroc

That's it! thank you Meade.
henroc

paulm3

I put 215-55R 17's on this morning (discount tire site said they were optional size for this car), and they not only rub the filler hose cover but hit the the inside of the wheel well fender flange as well. Not sure what to do at this point. Any thoughts ? Thanks and happy thanksgiving. Paul

z71bill

Take them back to Discount Tire and tell them you want a different size. The 215 55 17 are (depending on the brand) about an inch (maybe more)taller than stock.

Just a guess on my part - but I bet they sold you what they had IN STOCK - according to the Discount Tire by my house then do not keep 205 50 17 on hand - so the must be special ordered. They normally keep 215 50 17 in stock but your choice will be a Kumho or a Yokohama brand tire (made just for Discount Tire). The 215 50 17 will be less than 1/4 of an inch taller - less tan 1/2 inch wider - and should work just fine.

The really bad part about tires that rub - besides the obvious - is they will be more likely to rub the most when you are in a panic situation - turning sharp (or stopping fast) to avoid an accident. That is the worst time for anything to be impacting your ability to control the vehicle.

jmills

205/50-17 is the OEM tire size.

Get your old tires and money back and go to a reputable tire dealer!!!

fowler3

you can use an H series, that's what the 16" tires are. More options available.

fowler3

kyfdx

Wow, no wonder your tires are rubbing...

Of course, you can't switch to 16" tires without getting 16" wheels....

I agree.. just go back, and tell them they put the wrong size tires on your car..

regards,
kyfdx
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charlotte7

My trusty '93 MX-6 beater was hit two weeks ago and it's likely the insurance is going to total it out. It looks like I'll be buying a new car in January or February.

I'm a recreational cyclist and need to be able to cart my bike around in whatever car I buy. I thought I wanted a Mazda5 until I test drove one (twice, in fact) and discovered that I couldn't fit either of my bikes in the back without removing a wheel, and the AC really wasn't cutting it for Texas weather. If I'm going to have to take a wheel off, I might as well get the car with more zoom-zoom--a 3. My friend has an '05 3 5-door and I've driven it several times and really loved it.

Do any of you 5-door 3 owners put a road bike in your 3? Can you fit it in the back if you lay the back seat flat and take the front wheel off?

allfiredup

Considered the Mazda5? or Element? No wheel removal required. Just a thought.

On the other hand, I'm picking my '06 Mazda3 5-door up on Thursday.

dride

I have a large 36" Cannondale, and I usually remove both tires. I could leave the rear one on, but it would be a very tight fit. Again, this is a larger bike. A roadtrip w/ golf clubs and bike is a very full car. that was one feature I liked about the Element. If I had seen how cool the 2006's were going to look, I would have waited and bought one.

dride

After purchasing my snow set, my original rims and tires have been staring at me from the garage each day... Tonight after snooping around Ebay, I found a company that will chrome your rims for $500.00 plus shipping. The pics look spectacular. Has anyone ever heard of doing this? Can one just look in the phone book to get wheels chromed?

allfiredup

Hey folks,

I've been watching this and several other Mazda3 forums for a while anticipating my purchase of a new one. I was unsure whether I wanted the 4- or 5-door, but last Thursday I purchased my '06 Mazda3 s 5-door Touring, Titanium Gray with 5-speed manual transmission.

The overall design and utility of the 5-door won out over the 4-door. I'm in love with this thing!

autonomous

I found a company that will chrome your rims for $500.00 plus shipping
If shipping both ways works out to over a $100 it would seem less attractive than just investing in a new set of rims and selling off your old ones. My understanding is that the rims get bathed in some kind of electrolytic process which has been known for quite a while. I'd wonder if dings / blemishes are hidden or not, whether the results fade or change irregularly after a couple of years and what is the reputation of this company if you have a problem with the results. Going local would make a lot of sense.

p.s. does your lava orange M3 with 17" wheels need to attract more attention?

dride

Good point. It works out to being about $150 per rim after shipping. But who knows what they will look like after 3 years. I do like these rims, and just can not seem to find a nice chrome set. It's every kid's dream to have a set of shiny chrome rims!

z71bill

Go to www.tirerack.com - they have a program that allows you to see how the wheels look on your car.

You can buy new wheels for $500 -

If I needed to have snow tires - I would have purchased some low cost "chrome" wheels and put the snow tires on them - or purchased a set of real nice wheels for my summer tires and used the stock wheels for the snow tires.

I really don't like the cheapo steel wheel with hub cap look - Last time I checked Tirerack you could buy 17 inch wheels for the Mazda3 for about $80 each - delivered.

autonomous

I really don't like the cheapo steel wheel with hub cap look
Well during snow season (December-March) cars morph into Road Warrior replicas: fat tires, black rims, no hubcaps. Meanwhile, on the side of the road there are those with once shiny alloys spinning their wheels.

dride

I'm now in that group! I went with the black steelies for winter b/c I never really have to clean them! That, and they were only like $60 or so bucks per rim. Driving w/ the original Goodyears was downright hazardous. There are way more tires available for the 205-55-16 size. Has anyone went down a size permanently? I just went down for the winter, but like the much better selection at that size. I don't mind spending $$$'s on a good tire, but there just does not seem to be a great (all season) tire at the 17" size.

z71bill

I lived up north for many years - I understand the snow tire switch.

I have seem several post where people say they paid around $900 for steel wheels and snow tires.

I can go to tire rack - have 4 (16 inch) Michelin snow tires installed and balanced on wheels (not true chrome but will look almost as good) - have them delivered to my house for under $1,000.

$100 extra would be worth it to me - to not have to look at my car with plain jane black wheels every day for 4 months.

BTW - even when the temp was below freezing I would wash my car almost ever week - even if it ment running it through the touch less car wash.

kyfdx

...then black painted alloys are a great look.. and don't show the grime in the winter weather...

Since winter tire season is about 4 months around here, I could never stand putting steel wheels on my car for that long...

autonomous

people say they paid around $900 for steel wheels and snow tires.
Yes, snows can be pricy depending on what you're after.
My snow tires + rims cost C$700 (U$600) three years ago which I thought was great. Add plastic wheelcovers if you don't like the all black look.

I lived up north ...
Where was that, Bill?

modock

Amen,

That is what I would do if I could justify to myself that I needed snow tires. Here on the north end of Denver driving into Boulder every day I only have around 5-10 days a year where I really would have needed snow tires. And on the worst of those days the whole city of Boulder shuts down. So why would I have to go to work. I could justify them on my previous car (92 240sx) as it had rear wheel drive. But now that I have a front drive car and will be getting some decent all seasons I don't feel that the snows are a necessity.

Modock

z71bill

Minnesota, Iowa & South Dakota - for about 30 years -

romyel

My question to Mazda:
I recently purchased a new 2006 Mazda 3 hatchback. I am interested in upgrading my CD player to the in-dash 6 CD Changer. I was told by my Mazda dealership that the part costs $449. I cannot find much info on the Mazda in-dash 6 CD Changer. I want to make sure that the price I have been quoted is correct and that the in-dash 6 CD Changer includes a feature to play MP3 files (burned onto CDs). If the in-dash 6 CD Changer does NOT play MP3 files, I am not interested in upgrading. Please let me know ASAP. If you could also email me literature on this player, I would appreciate it. Thank you.

Answer from Mazda (mazdavisitors@mazdausa.com):
Thank you for contacting Mazda. I hope your are enjoying your MAZDA3. The In-dash 6-disc changer is MP3 compatible. As far as pricing goes, each Mazda dealer is independently owned and operated so pricing may vary from dealer to dealer. You may locate other authorized Mazda dealership by visiting our website at www.mazdausa.com/MusaWeb/loadDealerSearch.action

Follow up:
I burned a MP3 CD using the MusicMatch software on my computer. I took it to a Mazda dealership and tried to play it in a new Mazda with a 6 CD Changer. The disc seemed to be playing (the read-out on the display was normal), but there was no sound. Now I am afraid that the 6 CD Changer does NOT play MP3 files. If it does not, I sure don't want to spend $500 for this upgrade.

DOES ANYBODY HAVE INFO ON THIS???

HELP!!

z71bill

If you tried it yourself and it didn't work - it seems like you know more about it that anyone else would.

The CD player in my 2004 will NOT play MP3 files.

mikezoomzoom

The 6cd changer which is included with the moonroof in the 1MC package is not MP3 compatible.

The stand alone Mazda Accessories 6cd/MP3 changer is.

The car you tried to play your burnt CD in most likely had the unit included with 1MC package.

ZOOM ZOOM...Mazda Mike

triacs

I have a Mazda 3 with 17" tires. I have heard that the 16 inch wheels are better in the snow, but the 17 inch tire is a 205-50R17 and the 16 inch takes 205-55R16. They both are the same width, (205 mm), so why is the 16 inch better? Is it because the 16 inch has a higher sidewall?

dride

I don't know that they are "better", but the were a heck of a lot cheaper. I got 16" steel rims AND decent snow tires for less than a good set of 17" snow tires would've cost me (and the tire selection is significantly greater for the 16"). The fellow at the tire store told me they would handle better because of the higher sidewall. All I know is that the stock Goodyears SUCK in the snow. Even in MN where they plow and salt the main roads, I had difficulty leaving the driveway. It was a terrible feeling driving in the snow with those tires, and I have driven here all my life. Even at tirerack, the Goodyear Eagles got horrible reviews. It is also much easier to swap out when the tires are on different rims. It was a big investment, but will pay off over time.

lifestar

They reduce performance when you go down an inch, but it gives you better traction in the snow as there is more "tire" to contact the ground with. The original size tire has less rubber to do the same job. Plus, the cost benefits and the fact that you shouldn't be driving 80mph in the middle of a blizzard isn't recommended.