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Comments
I am considering a Mazda 3 GT and can't seem to find anything regarding its towing capacity. Wondering if it would be able to pull a tent trailer...?
Like npaladin mentioned, you may have a difficult time finding the car you want at a dealership who is willing to do the s-plan price.
Very impressive! Now if they would only release a wagon.
The automatic was 9.6 (again with CR's relatively slow start) to 60 and 38 on the highway. The manual was 24 in the city and the automatic was 23. The manual is definatly the better performing tranny (CR even has a sidebar about the benefits of the manual) but the auto is still pretty good. For reference the Civic Hybrid with automatic was 26 city and 46 highway, and over 11 seconds to 60.
The 2 Scions were also in the report, and they were both rated below the Kia Spectra overall. They got full black cirles for ride, and were both over 11 seconds to 60 with the automatic, and both got worse mileage than the Mazda despite their 1.5 liter engines. Check out the mag at the library or get a copy it is a good read.
Kudos to Mazda - now lets start making a wagon so we can have some rear headroom and a little luggage space. : ^ ) Just don't make it only with the larger engine - especially given how well the 2.0 performs.
Isn't the 5-door hatchback/wagon good enough? If not, take a look at the Volvo 3, er, V50 "wagon".
Would you mind posting the overall fuel economy that CR achieved for the two tested Mazda 3i models, and the Spectra?
In CR's tests, the Corolla w/ auto (tested July 2002) previously posted a very respectable showing:
a quick comparision:
Corolla auto : 0-60- 9.8 seconds, 20 city, 40 highway, 29 overall
3i auto: 0-60- 9.6 seconds, 23 city, 38 highway, xx overall
Thanks!
~alpha
Alpha -
Mazda 3i
automatic 23/38 overall 30 9.6 to 60
manual 24/42 overall 33 8.6 to 60
Kia Spectra
automatic 18/36 overall 25 11.4 to 60
manual 20/35 overall 28 9.5 to 60
Scion Xa
automatic 20/40 overall 30 11.1 to 60
manual 22/38 overall 31 9.7 to 60
Yes the Corolla is certainly respectable. Better ride and quieter, but handling goes to Mazda.
Those of you cheapskates either have to forget about the s or just go for Honda's for the best resale-value.
Yep, me too! I almost always take my '90 Protege LX over the '93 Camry SE & '98 Corolla LE. & of course, my fun manual-steering restored '84 Jetta Wolfsburg coupe is still in the shop!
Better ride? Even w/ the old Focus platform, which lacks the front & rear subframes? I wonder if Mazda's std sport suspension needs to tone down a bit. Or maybe a different set of slow-rebound shocks from Gabriel or Volvo would do. Lately, AUTOCAR gave the 3 a lower rating in ride & even steering behind all the German compacts --Focus I, new Astra & new Golf V, & even the Corolla, which is only slightly ahead of the 3 in steering rating. & that's the Euro-spec 3 1.6 w/ hydraulic steering! The Euro-spec Focus I is the only one got a perfect 10-rating for steering.
Listen, hydraulic steering is precious these days. I guess only the BMW 1-series & the American Focus will live on that way.
The American Focus 2.3 has Mazda engine & transmission anyway, plus PZEV for clean air isn't it?
Maybe I'll move abroad some time next year & get the electro-hydraulic-steering Focus II then report back to you guys!
*sadness. I can't pick.
"The American Focus 2.3 has Mazda engine & transmission anyway, plus PZEV for clean air isn't it?"
It used to, in 04. That's gone with the redesign. Now that engine is only in the 4 door sedan in sport trim. ALl the other trims get the Duratec 20 motor, which is the 2.0l, same as in the Mazda 3i, only with only about 130 horsepower for PZEV. In other words, the same power as the old Zetec . Heh. SO if you can find an 04 Focus, grab it before it's gone.
My vote for is for the 3i, but the Corolla is hardly "far outclassed". Its better for a broader audience, IMO... the Optitron instrumentation for 2005 is awesome, the Corolla rides better, and regarding the warranty- the Corolla has an extra year and 10,000 miles on the most expensive part of the car- the drivetrain.
The two are priced very similarly:
Mazda 3i + auto + ABS/SAB/SAC pkg + Power&Alloy pkg + in-dash 6 CD changer (and incl. dest) $18,440
Corolla LE + auto + ABS + alloys + SAB/SAC + JBL Audio Value pkg + All Weather Pkg
$18,220
~alpha
PS- why the hell is the new Spectra with auto so darn slow???
Why would someone spending 18k not get the Mazda3 S? That simply obliterates the Corolla.
How many Mazdas do you know that have had powertrain failures in the first 60k miles? I'd rather have the extra year and 14k miles of bumper-to-bumper warranty.
I prefer the ride of the 3i. It's controlled without being harsh.
That 160 hp Tc weighs almost as much as my Mazda6. It's a tank for a compact coupe, and it's rated for 22 mpg city by the EPA. Ish.
The 3S sedan w/o the optional 17"s should ride pretty similar to the 3i.
The manual transmission 3s 4door weighs 2826 lbs. Thats only 79 lbs. lighter than the curb weight of the tC with a manual transmission (at 2905lbs), and the tC curb factors in standards that would added extra weight to the 3s, since things like the sunroof... are optional.
backy- I should read with a little more detail. Even so, the 3s outclasses the Corolla in acceleration and handling. Like I said, I personally wouldnt buy the Corolla over the Mazda 3, but I think many of the conservative midrange income people who buy cars this size would. The Corolla sells quite well with very minimal incentives compared to most of its competition, which supports what Im saying. Maybe CR's strong influence on the everyday consumer will drive 3 sales- I hope it does.
~alpha
Anyway, IMO, the Tc is kinda porky for a compact coupe. My Mazda6 weighs about 100 pounds more, but it has the utility of a midsize sedan and it gets better gas mileage and it is also rated at 160 hp. So, the Tc is looking at a similar power to weight ratio as a midsize 4 cyl sedan. Not very impressive for what's supposed to be a sporty coupe.
What does the Civic coupe weigh? 2600-2700 lbs? THAT's where the Tc should be IMO.
In our market the MZ3 is going head to head with the Civic and Jetta. The Toyota dealership next door isnt getting many MZ3 shoppers. A friend of mine works at the Honda dealership across town. He used to laugh at people who compared the civic to any mazda, he isnt laughing anymore. To quote him "That new Mazda is killing me"...
I did a final look at the 3 before I finalized the deal on my tC. It drives very nice, and would have been the car I got (actually the hatch) if I passed on the Scion. Only thing I really didn't like was the seating position (Mazda needs to reinstate the front tilt adjustment from the Protege IMO).
Right now, 3 sticks are very hard to come by. The dealer I was out was the largest in the area, and it was going to be at least September before I could get a aahatch in one of the 3 colors I liked, and even then I'm not sure if it would have been equipped right.
I think ATs are readily available though.
CR really raved about the 3. I never considered the i, but if I was getting a sedan, would probably take a look after all.
Good job by Mazda.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
regards,
kyfdx
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You got that right! We just leased a special-ordered 3, a BMW, not Mazda. & proudly presented this custom-built 325i w/ the comfy std suspension & 16"s but w/ the power memory sport seats w/ 4-way lumbar to the oldest & shortest lady in household, who makes higher income than anyone else in the family. & guess what? She complained about her injured tail bone that hurts & needs to tilt the seat forward but couldn't. Should have just gotten her a Corolla LE!
backy- Toyota rebates are regional, and the 2004 rebate around here is $1000 on the CE, and no cash on the the other trim lines. The 2005 Corolla does not carry any rebate.
I think people are missing my point. I PREFER THE MAZDA 3, overall, in my opinion, it is a better package than a similarly priced Corolla. However, just because the Corolla isnt sporting and doesnt have a driving position that is ideal for everyone, doesnt mean it isnt a damn fine compact that will please its conservative audience in spades. It offers a nearly identical acceleration/efficiency portfolio to that of the 3i, is reliable, offers great crash scores, a classy interior, very quiet and smooth ride. But its very vanilla.
~alpha
Uh, yeah it does. No sporting character = totally worthless. Mazda = zoom-zoom,
I checked about the tC's mileage. It gets 23/30. I admit I thought it was higher. As it's a four cylinder, one should expect the upper range. heck I flog my Pro (shifts over 5k all the time) and still get 29 mpg running 80-85 on the freeway.
So what? It's a pig. It's a compact coupe, it gets 22 mpg in the city, and it doesn't even have a V6! It's similar in size to the Civic coupe, but it weighs a lot more. Korean vehicles are notoriously heavy, so comparing it to the Tiburon isn't saying much.
LOL, that's pretty funny.
It is really a Toyota Avensis coupe, the mid-size Toyota in Europe, w/ sound insulation material removed to fit the Scion badge. So it's a narrow mid-size in the class of Japanese/European Accord(TSX) & Mazda6. We'll get the Mazda6.5 "Amendment for America" soon.
I also noticed most of those who were unhappy with the tC had also test-driven a Mazda3, and liked that better.
"Don't know about "old", but "ladies' car" seems apt. That may explain why the driving position seems optimized for shorter people."
Seating is high to hold old folks upright, because their high blood pressure meds make them sleepy. The softer ride pampers their aching arthritis joints, especially their tailbones. I'm not bring sarcastic, I'm their age and know what I'm talking about.
Know of one guy who lost control of his F-150 because his heart rate was so low he lost consciousness. But he still had to drive home, after his wife revived him, because she couldn't drive the truck. Then an ambulance took him to a hospital.
The main difference I see between the MZ3 hatch and the sedan, other than the hatch, are larger rear doors. Much easier to get into and out of. The sedan rear doors have the sloaping roof which makes you duck and smaller foot entry.
Should be easy to trade those 17s for 16s for a smoother ride.
Keep reading buyers' posts about modding their MZ3s and others about the seats tilting forward. Why can't you mod the seats, you do everything else. Ask your dealer about spacers!!
fowler3
I personally haven't had any problems but I only go thru "touchless" carwashes. But if it's a concern, just unscrew it before entering the wash.
Here's why: Mazda's paints -- Mica and Metallic -- are applied differently. Mica is a powder mixed with the clear coat and can be easily damaged, even stripped off, with repeated brush-type car washes. Mazda also uses a grainier metallic powder, rather than true flake, in colors such as Winning Blue, which is mixed in the base color. But the clear coat can be stripped off for the same reason.
fowler3