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Comments
Honestly, if I have a choice, I would chose the PZEV engine over the normal engine. After all, everyone is happy with the catalytic converter, which also doesn't do any good for the hp.
Also I noticed in the features section, it says the electroluminescent gauges have a white on black daytime illumination, which from pics/info so far is incorrect. It wouldn't be the worst combo in the world but wouldn't look right with the rest of the red IP lights. I can't wait to get my brochure in the mail, whenever that will be- I have asked for one 2 or 3 times on MazdaUSA.com
"Also you say you wanted a red with beige interior but then say you'll get one of the other colors with the black interior. You're changing your mind because of the door padding??"
I always wanted a red car and I thought the beige interior looked classy, but... (read on)
First of all, let me say it again. The seats, the dash and all other interior panels are quite nice (some textured, all fine to touch), except the cloth that goes on the door padding on both beige and black combinations.
While the black cloth (it's actually grey on the doors) is ok, the ***shade*** (that's the KEY word) of beige they use is VERY light. There's also a dot pattern on the cloth, making the whole scheme look like a not-so-flaterring tablecloth.
I didn't get to sit in the one with the beige cloth since it was locked and will reserve my decision on the car's exterior colour until I see the blue and red in person, again, since you never know it's exact shade (exterior) and how it will fit the Mazda3. I am however dissapointed at the beige interior.
I don't wanna give up on the red exterior though...
Dinu
Since I can't give you more info, I'll say check Avante's site. It's listed there or email me (see my profile).
Dinu
Wish it was longer (it's as wide as all other sunroofs though). I noticed this in the PRO and 6 too - Mazda's sunroofs are small. I know it is b/c they want to maintain good structural integrity, but I still wish for a larger sunroof.
Dinu
It's correct - when the car is off there's a white band that's on the exterior of the display.
Dinu
I thought the white outside shading was present when the car is ON during the day, and turns to blue at night. Also, isn't the display pitch black/no display when the car is off. I am confused
http://www.duluth.com/placed/index.php?sect_rank=4&story_id=1- - - 56015
And a blurb from this site:
http://www.carkeys.co.uk/launch/LA000223.htm
"Where the 3 scores over its bigger brother is in ride quality - the smaller car deals better with
minor ripples and surface flaws. Where it doesn’t is in suppression of road noise which, on rough surfaces, is too pronounced. I suspect this is mainly a tyre-related problem."
That's what Bruno and Preston have said.
The first part answers my question about normal road irregularities. I think what the reviewer is referring to on the second part is the noise tires make when you drive on course pavement which has a grainy surface with air pockets. It's similar to the surface on bridges and old roads that have been snow plowed too many times. This can't be helped, all cars produce a loud roar on some surfaces.
fowler3
You've definitely have the better ear left to hear with. With me being the opposite, it's nearly impossible for me to open my window with passengers, as I'd be saying "WHAT!" every 5 seconds. Plus, being a little more protective having only one good ear, the constant wind rush noise can get uncomfortable. Air conditioning mostly for me (or only the passenger windows open instead).
"Try this one -- I'm almost blind in my right eye....."
you've trumped me on this one.. maybe I should stop my whining. ;-)
"I agree with fdanna and Bruno about stick shifting. It becomes second nature quickly and with practice you can shift unnoticable to passengers.."
As a 20+ year AT driver, while very intrigued at times with the arguments of the MT devotees, it's probably best I stay an AT "lemming". Too big a gamble for me to change now, and since I don't reeeally know what I'm missing, it doesn't hurt me.
Here is how I understand:
- During the day time (light off), the letter is white over black background, but on the outside ring you have black sticks over white background.
- During the night time (light on), when you open the door, you will have the amber light over indirect lighted blue background on the outer ring.
- During the night time (light on), when the car starts rolling, the blue light dims, and the gauges become mostly amber over black/white ring.
http://f1.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/brunoluong/vwp?.dir=/Interior&am- p;.dnm=gauges.jpg&.src=ph&.view=t&.hires=t
Someone please correct me.
http://home.comcast.net/~dustybrice/wsb/html/view.cgi-photos.html- -MerchantID-319620-Publish-t-makestatic-true-skip-5.html
Where did you get it from?
Dinu
I'm surprised you can order a car so early for purchase 5-6 months away.
Dinu, I got mine from Westowne. The dealership people were ok, I knew more than the salesguy (not a surprise though, I'd actually be impressed if any salesguy knew more than me). I even told the salesguy that the circle in the bumper was a tow hook! The business/finance manager wasn't happy that I didn't buy their rust/paint/additional warranty packages (I know where to get those done for better and cheaper).
I would think one would show up at a local dealer by then, as your choice is probably going to be one of the more popular spec'd versions of the 3.
ignition off: all black and numerals can't be seen. Silver trim rings visible. Picture (download this pic asap):
http://www.protegemp3.com/members/Doc/mazda%203%204.jpg
ignition off, door open: silver trim rings will illuminate in soft blue (may not be visible in bright sunlight)
ignition on, headlights off: red numerals with silver trim rings (top right and bottom left pics from Bruno's link above)
ignition on, headlights on: red numerals with blue trim rings (top left pic from Bruno's link above).
One more thing about the blue trim rings, like the RX-8, they're bluer on top and almost no blue at the bottom (RX-8 press release says this is to give a sunlight impression).
Hope this clears things up.
So it was my request for April, the dealer could have gotten me one in my spec much earlier if I wanted it.
Also, is the wiper control seen in your picture above the one that will be on NA models. I am asking because it looks like it has a large INT setting range( AUTO in the pic), unlike one pic earlier that had just one INT setting.
This is a very small concern, but am curious.
Bruno's picture above is like Canadian-spec sedan (lower right pic) and Canadian-spec hatch (lower left pic).
Unfortunately, US-spec has just 1 INT setting (fixed intermittent).
http://f1.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/brunoluong/vwp?.dir=/Mazda3&- - .dnm=taillight.jpg&.view=t
I still don't get it. Why do you prefer "fresh" with respect to "with enhancements" (suppose there is any 5 months later)?
'enhancements' because early copies had issues (note: Mazda's giving free re-designed oil-pan replacements for the early RX-8 owners).
This is why I want a Mazda3 that was assembled as close to my April delivery date as possible (i.e. I prefer one assembled in Jan '04 as opposed to Oct '03).
edit: This is why I was trying so hard to get the various Mazda3 Job #1 dates a few months back
Second question why do you think the #1 job date is more important than the launch date? I though any earlier bug (if any) would be discovered only after the car is launched.
Sorry for asking many questions, but I want to learn something from you.
Job #1 is more important to me because the factory will be testing it's cars from the Job #1 date (e.g. although the Mazda3 is just being launched in N. America now, the factory has been testing production N. American-spec Mazda3's since it's Job 1 date in mid-September).
I had a couple customers who wanted a call when the cars arrive. One came in today and bought and incoming unit.
I am so excited by this car. It is going to be great.
I took a bunch of pics today and I will try to find a way to put them on line.
Any requests for specific pics on the car?
People from Richmond, BC can now take test drive at Richmond Automall. I spot 2 silver hatchback GT for test drive(one with leather inside, another one not sure), and 1 white sedan 2.0l for test drive. I will go for the test drive until the seden GT with GFX package arrived....
I've narrowed my color choices down to a Black or Lava Orange M3-Hatch w/ HID/TPS, ABS/SAC, Moon/CD. I'll be eligible for S-plan (EAA member) come April so I'll take the plunge soon after that.
As far as Job1 productions, does anyone know when Japan's Job1 was? My reasoning is that JDM and US Mazda3s share same/similar componentry, JDM cars have been in production longer than US models so they've had more time to gauge problems. Hypothetically, cars that are made 1 year after the first JDM job1 should have all, if not most of their kinks worked out.
styling...the pictures pretty much convey the look pretty well. it looks good. nothing really to elaborate on other than it looks taller and more substantial than the Protege. Assembly and paint quality looked pretty good. No complaints. Certainly is no Ion in the looks department.
price-the unit was config'ed at 20,500 I believe. It had cloth seats, but no lthr. Didn't really check out the rest. It did have the moonroof.
interior- this is where I have most of my initial impression. It was the black cloth with the colored stripes. I can't remember whether it was the red or blue stripes.
I'll first throw in a barb about the overall design. Good design, but what is immediately apparent, and off-putting. On two counts. First, the interior feels confining. Some may say intimate. It feels tighter than the Protege is what I say. Personal taste aside, the cowl is MUCH higher and so are the side windows. The appeal of the Protege to me was the airy cabin. The 3 cockpit is not airy. Yes, its more intimate. But is it confining now? To me, in width and intrusions it did seem confining. Perhaps I could adjust to it, but I really love the Protege's interior and this feels different. Those accustomed to low cowl heights and large glass area will find this very different. In addition, it feels narrow (maybe partially because of good head room). There actually seems to be less seating space than the Protege. Shoulder room feels like less. Maybe the seat centers are closer together, who knows. Leg room in back was ok. Getting in the back was tight, but I'm 6'1. The rear seats were very supportive and high. Front seats were good also, comfy.
The second count was how I found the 'design' to be good, with appealing lines and such, but I found the interior materials disappointing. The dash plastic is REAL similar to the natty stuff in the CTS. It conveys the same less than nice impression. The electro gauges too didn't seem particularly expensive looking. The console area was pretty nice, though and the door panels aside from the natty stuff were ok. Seat cloth is a little better than the 6 cloth. Things didn't seem to be put together as well as the Protege. Overall impression was that among compacts its good, not great however. Maybe the expectation was too much. Or maybe the black is too drab. Still below Jetta in overall execution. Very close to Corolla. Pretty good, some impressions of cheapness.
Trunk didn't seem terribly big. Certainly not appreciably bigger than a Protege5. in addition its a bit irregular of shape.
then I went and checked out Proteges again. I would say this. Unless the 3 is a significantly better driver than the Pro, I would advise one to put the money on the Pro and take advantage of the super deals right now. There is no space advantage to the 3, and in fact it feels more confining. The material quality is better in the Pro interior.
Compared to the Focus (which I looked at the SVT version right after) the 3 has nicer plastic and a nicer interior design but the Focus definitely has a different, open feel which I like. Assuming the driving experience is close, I would look hard at the benefit to saving money with the Focus SVT or PZEV.
Compared to the 6, the 6 has a way nicer and larger interior. The prices are pretty close in real world. If you need the larger car, than go with the 6. You might think they are close in space but the sitting impression tells me the 6 is considerably more spacious and again is more open feeling.
To sum, I would not buy the 3 on overall package, or looks , or interior alone. I would need the test drive to tell me if the driving experience is that much enhanced to consider it to its most logical alternatives, the Protege, Focus, and Mazda6.
But by all means I don't think negatively about the 3, in comparison to 90% of the other small cars its a very nice package. It just doesn't seem on the surface to be a quantum leap forward. Makes the Protege seem even better to me, aside from the powertrain upgrades.
fowler3
http://car.nifty.com/as/newcar/trial/img/0311187115_4_3_l.jpg
http://car.nifty.com/as/newcar/trial/img/0311187115_4_4_l.jpg
http://car.nifty.com/as/newcar/trial/img/0311187115_2_2_l.jpg
http://car.nifty.com/as/newcar/trial/img/0311187115_2_1_l.jpg
http://car.nifty.com/as/newcar/trial/img/0311187115_4_5_l.jpg
Not surprising. Good platform, engines, brakes, interior, built in Japan, etc. Something has to give and I know parts of the interior will be cheap. This is like any other car. The individual person will have to decide if it's the right car for them.
A 2.0 auto with power package and A/C in a best case scenario (around invoice and good rebate) will run $15,000. No question about it, once the initial demand is gone look for some rebates. Americans won't pay this much for an "economy" car.
On the other hand, when you look at it it's a very good deal. Considering we have lower taxes, lower price of fuel, and things like that, our country is spoiled and a 2.0 Mazda3 is a luxury to most people in most countries. Americans have a different mentality though.
If you have a sedan with the 16" alloys (no sport package), I'd like to see a side profile shot. Seems people love to take a picture of it at some sort of angle. I've seen a million side profile hatchback pictures (16" and 17") and also plenty of sport package sedan cars. Very few side pictures of the 16" sedan though.
hey, maybe it was just the black bit. but i ain't apologizing, there was too much cheap plastic in there. easily fixable. protege has better plastic.
in beige it may be a different impression. also leather would help.
but still it feels confined, the cowl is way too high. the car feels more like a detroit car.....big high dash, like sitting in a tub. side glass and windshield don't go low enough. it feels too much like a vibe. and space utilization isn't is good as protege.
the focus and protege in comparison feel much lighter and airier.
My 2 euro cents. I think the Mazda3 seat (BP5/BP6) is better than the Protegé. But the material of the dash/door is in no way much better than the Protegé. The quality of the hat of the instrument pannel and the center-top dash just above the centre stack is a shame. Also there are too many different plastics on the top of the dash: when your eyes scan from left to right, you will see four different plastics. On the Protegé it's only one kind, at least from what you can touch and see. Mazda advertises they suppress the gap around the cover of the passenger airbag in the Mazda3. Good, but then why do they introduce so many kind of plastics and thus gaps between them? We already beat the horse to death. The Mazda3 interior looks fancy, have a real personality, and might strongly impress, but when take a closer look, it's certainly not a quantum leap above the competition or even the older generation. That's having said, the Protegé(5) is incredible value for money. There is nothing comparable in the market. Do does the Mazda3. Technologically, the Mazda3 have some big advantage with respect to the Protegé: engine, suspension, new chassis. Mazda3/Volvo/Ford common platform development is definitively a right decision. There is no prefect car out there, and the Mazda3 is no exception. But in the same price range, I don't see anyone can compete with the Mazda3. It's a hell of car, likely equal the new Golf V, which costs probably $2000 more. The Mazda3 leads the pack in its price segment and by far.
I'll be happy to host the photos (the source will be of course clearly mentioned). Let's me know.
I don't know the Japanese first job. My guess is it was not long after the European first job, i.e., probably end July, begining August. The japanese versions don't share much with N/A counter part. Engines, gears all have different specs. Personally, I think different worldwide versions of the Mazda3 are similar enough in order to gauge any earlier bug globally. Take an example, the electro-hydraulic steering problem is "discovered" in Denmark, but you guys will certainly have the "enhanced" version, at least for cars that are build after the fix is found (November?)
Both GS and REGULAR GT come with the black mesh front grill like
this
The body colored front grill is available with the GT with GFX package. The front grill looks like
this
http://f1.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/brunoluong/lst?&.dir=/Mazda3- &.src=ph&.begin=100&.view=t&.order=&.done=htt- p%3a//f1.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/brunoluong/lst%3f%26.dir=/Mazda3%- 26.src=ph%26.view=t
What about a grille where the top (the horizontal line above the M-logo) is coloured the same as the car?
What markets get these then, since I've seen pics?
All Canadian cars I've seen have the top part black or the sport grille.
Dinu