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Comments
- 1992 Protege LX
- 1992 Protege LX
- 1994 B2300SE
- 2000 Protege ES
- 2002 Protege5
- 2005 Mazda3
... all from the same dealership, where I've been a customer since late 1991. Being a loyal customer pays off ... the first thing my sales manager said to me was the sticker price, followed by, "Of course, your price will be " ... $900 less than sticker ($100 over invoice). And my dealership just started something new: free oil changes for the first 3 years/36K miles, and free tires FOR LIFE! Too bad they're Goodyear Eagle RSAs, but hey -- they'll be free.
Wife's Pro5 is humming along quite nicely at 52,000 miles. No problems at all. She's had the car since January 2002.
Meade
It's very useful to know that the process you described is the most effective way to use the a/c on the Mazda3. I'm just pointing out that it doesn't necessarily apply to all import cars, as you stated.
Who installed your plate to the car? If you did, well. My sales rep installed mine as a courtesy; I would not be pleased if that thing flew into my face (especially on the highway!).
I would be wary of claiming this on insurance as your rates may go up.
Let us know what a new windshield costs these days.
Meade
Longtime no chat... I haven't been on the Protege forum for some time now, but hopefully you remember me.
Anyway, I'm starting my research on picking up a new vehicle. Wife and I both still love our 2000 LX (ES) Protege and we're seriously looking at the 3. Since I greatly value your opinion, biased as it may be (LOL), I'm curious to know your impressions of the Mazda3 as well as your impressions as to how it compares to the 2000 Protege, of which we were both owners. Don't hold anything back.
Also, i've read briefly here concerning tranny problems etc. which shouldn't be an issue as my wife and I hate automatics and our new purchase will be a 5spd. That said, I'd be curious to know about other quality issues that seem commonplace with the 3, if any?
Lastly, I would be equally interested in hearing from all other posters regarding the 3's merits and deficiencies also.
Thanks to all in advance.
Tim
Well, let me take a raincheck. I'm leaving work right now to go pick up the new car! I'll respond back with some real feedback tomorrow!
Meade
Loren
Your not pulling my leg about the wheel alignments.... this is NOT April 1st !
Loren
Toyota came to Mexico two years ago, Honda in 1997. So they are new here.
Mazda is coming this year.
I'd like to buy a Mazda3 sooner, but after reading yours, I'm afraid to buy one.
Do you still recommend de MZ3?
A less sporty car is the Civic. If you want super gas mileage, as in 44MPG on the freeway, or even more, the Civic HX is the one. Not expensive and the best gas mileage of them all in a car that has great resale value. That is with a standard stick transmission.
I bought a Corolla in 1998 and it has been pretty good. Would rather have the Civic coupe though. Both are reliable and get good to great gas mileage. Corollas seem to bobble around in the wind though on the highway or strong wind days.
Loren
Want trips to the dealer with problems like -Check engine lights that will not go out, grinding sounds coming from your rear brakes, harsh (CLUNK - CLUNK CLUNK ) shifting tranny, an AC system that does not cool your car (unless it is cool enough outside you don't really need AC anyway) , front end that makes loud THUMPING and CREAKING noises on small bumps in the road? If this sounds good - then the Mazda3 may be the car of your dreams. But if you really want all of these problems PLUS at no additional charge - a dealership network that will tell you that all of these things are normal then you must run down to your local Mazda dealership and buy one TODAY - forget about the Honda & Toyota reputation of bullet proof reliability and service - the reason you buy a NEW car is because you like coming into the dealership for problems that will not be fixed (some even have FREE coffee)
After a year or so you will just accept the CLUNKS, GRINDING, CREAKING and poor AC performance as normal - if you can survive 3 years of this abuse you can become a Mazda sales person - if you keep your Mazda until after the warranty expires and show proof that you paid for repairs that should have been covered under warranty - you can be a sales manager.
And I did not even use the word DEFECTIVE - not even once!
:lemon: :lemon: :lemon: :lemon:
And one new lemon has been added to the tree!!!
Congrats!
You're a man of your word...you said May would be the delivery date of your new car! I'm thinking end of summer...still not 100% sold on the 3...I could kick myself for not getting a new P5 when I had the chance, but I can't complain about the used ES I have.
By the way, I'm interviewing with school districts in "yer' neck o the woods" tomorrow. Who knows? We could end up being neighbors.
Well, I wasn't a man of my word, technically ... I picked up the 3 in April.
So far so good, at about 150 miles. This car isn't quite as "connected" feeling as the Protege was, but it sure is fast and tight! No regrets! I also noted it's EPA-listed as a compact -- no more subcompact!
Meade
To my ASTONISHMENT, all four of my Goodyear Eagle RSAs had more than FIFTY pounds of air in them -- one had 53!!!
The sticker on the door said 34, if I remember correctly, and the tires themselves said they had a maximum inflation pressure of 44!!!
Is Mazda Japan trying to make sure we go through tires fast? Don't they know my dealership has a "free tires for life" program? Dang, I never used the pump; instead I bled about 15 pounds from each tire! What a difference in ride comfort!
Geesh, Mazda!
Meade
Agreed, but I wonder if setting the correct tire pressure shouldn't be part of a dealer's prep. I would imagine that between the time the car leaves Hiroshima and the time another happy customer drives off the lot with it, can equal a fair amount of time. Moreover, what about all those test drives: I wonder how many potential customers got turned off the car because ... " it had an uncomfortable / stiff ride".
And once again, congratulations on a great car, Meade!
Pros:
1. Great ride and handling. Very responsive and refined "base" 2 liter engine on the hwy and on street starts. Very confident on turns.
2. Power/Alloy package/Steering wheel audio control.
3. Auto/Manual shift.
4. Quiet cabin. I drive on the windy NJ Turnpike and it handles the crosswinds just fine.
5. A great looking car even at base model. Very sporty and very "in" for generation x'ers. A few people have already mistaken it for a BMW 3 series.
6. Paid $16500 (without taxes) but got it down to $16200 due to minor scratch.
7. Unbelievable gas mileage - I get about 34mpg hwy driving, the same as my previous 2002 Hyundai Accent.
Cons:
1. Dealer prepping. Overinflated tires on delivery.
2. Rattle coming from glove compartment. Fixed by using foam tape on the 2 latches.
3. Rattle coming from the front passenger side door panel. Still zoning in on how to fix. Not in a rush since you only hear it when you go over bumps.
4. Mediocre A/C. I tried it on 70 degree weather here in NYC and on idle, it feels like the A/C goes off but once you go over 2K rpm, you feel it kicking in and is cold. This reminds me of my uncle's Dodge Caravan. Maybe its by design?
What were my other choices for my price range?
1. Lancer Ralliart - Powerful but very unrefined engine and cabin doesn't sound like there is any sound dampening. Mitsu technology is also way behind.
2. Lancer ES - Dealer tried to push me the ES with a spoiler and hubcaps (Tacky!). Actually, it had a nice interior in beige but the base engine had no punch.
3. Toyota Corolla - Ho hum like Vanilla.
4. Honda Civic - Same as Toyota Corolla plus end of model year.
5. Hyundai Elantra - Now proven reliability but there is still that stigma.
So with these in mind, the Mazda 3i isn't actually that bad given some of the nuances it experiences.
Personally, my Mazda 3i is definitely a great car. However, these issues that are creeping up at only 1 month old is taking away from the car being excellent.
Regarding dealerships, if its not a mechanical issue/recall/tsb, I wouldn't bother wasting my time or days off for the non service they provide.
I bought a 2004 Mazda3 GT GFX Titanium grey. Bought in August 2004, one winter in Ontario, Canada. Kept the car clean etc etc...My rims are flaking right around the mazda emblem in the center of the rim. There is an aluminum cap, and my rims are flaking from inside out. I brought the car in to the service dept. Guy says' "you gotta remove the center caps to clean out the salt etc..." remove the center caps?......who woulda thunk?.....I think this is a error in design from Mazda!! How can they expect someone to know to "remove" the center caps?....they say they will "refinish" the rims....Anyone out there with the same problems with the rims flaking?....:mad:
Stay tuned!
Meade
rear brake wear: more than expected, with minor grooves noticeable within the first 2000 miles. Documented with dealer every oil change (religious to 3000 miles +/- 500) in case of further issues, but have had no major problems. Excessive brake dust, but smooth feel and only very minor grooving- I tend to think it's a soft metal spec'd for the rotors, will replace with aftermarket when these wear out.
Check Engine Light, turned out to be a faulty O2 sensor in the emissions, replaced on warranty. No further issue.
Struck by lightning (I think): heard a loud hum, saw sparks behind, blueish glow above/front. Was driving under (very high) power lines in yucky weather, cannot confirm that was it, but scared the cr*p out of me! No bad behavior, or marks, dealer ran the computer to be sure, but had no error codes. (No charge- kudos) Have had no issues since, assume all is ok.
Undercarriage scraping: On even minor bumps, when people are in rear seat or cargo weighing over ~75lbs in hatch area, -something- in the rear of the car scrapes very easily. The suspension seems tuned for driver/front passenger only, if I ever replace the rear suspension it will be slightly stiffer for this situation. I have seen no damage or visible marks by visual inspection, but I hear it consistently.
Other than that, this car has been VERY excellent. I consistently get 27mpg city/heavy traffic, and 35-38mpg highway, cruise on or off, smooth driving with mild hills. In very mountainous areas, I saw 32-34mpg with a moderately loaded car. (supplies for 2 adults, one 1-year old for 7 days).
The ride is very comfortable, I used to drive a Toyota Supra, so the firm feel is more than welcome- I can't stand body roll when I want to get around an entrance ramp faster than I should. The engine has been peppy, until I turned the AC on. Then it keeps up, but loses its pep. Definite performance "bump" just over 3200 RPM, when the engine is cold it's a very noticeable, rough ramp of power- it likes to kick in. If I really want to boogy, I run the RPMs from 3200-4200 RPM, I rarely do that. Generally I'm shifting by or before 3400 RPM, and it's a very smooth, satisfying ride. This car excells at smooth curves, ZOOM-ZOOM! I found it very comfortable, even more so than my Supra was for long drives. I completed a 13 hour drive with only brief stops, and was still comfortable thanks to adjustable lumbar support, comfortable position, and smooth, confident ride. The only ergonomic quibble I have is that the only place to rest my right arm is the storage compartment cover- too far away, and sligthly too firm. If it were only a few inches closer, it would be oh-so-much more comfortable. But, that would infringe on the excellent cupholders- they fit 2 Large size McDonald's cups just fine, even room for shifting my 5-speed. Some people complain aboutt he "silly" LEDs for the radio volume/station controls- they can be shut off in the radio settings, very easily, if you don' tlike them. I think they're a unique styling. I do wish the radio could be more easily replaced with an aftermarket unit, but it looks like I'd lose the steering wheel controls, and the very nice display, and have to replace the entire center console with a custom made on, just to put in a decent aftermarket radio. That said, the sound out of the stock system is quite sufficient, as long as you're not entering an SPL competition. Good, not great, stereo performance. The auto-preset-tune function is great for travel, making radio scanning in unknown areas much simpler by picking the 6 strongest signals, without interfering with any of the 12 preset stations. CC and power everything work perfectly, A/C is on the weak side, but acceptable. (Based on 80 degree weather) Storage space is incredibly useful, and with the foldable seats, can carry a large variety of shapes and sizes. Overall, I have been VERY satisfied, and have NO REGRETS whatsoever about my decision. I do wish I'd gotten teh sunroof I wanted, but none were available in the country how I wanted at the time of purchase, and I couldn't wait. (Try fitting 2 adults, and a newborn in car seat in a '91 Supra, you'll understand why!) This car LOVES to be driven, and has a very easy, comfortable yet sporty feel when driving. It will put a smile on your face. I can't wait for it to get a littel older, and eventually put in a turbocharger and intercooler, to boost to ~220 HP. As long as FWD can hold it, it will make for a very sporty car! [no specific plans yet, maybe when car is ~4 yrs old and paid off!]
I hope this can help someone who is looking, I found this site very helpful during my search. Best of luck!
-Jeremy
Stopped at a shopping center and spent a half-hour inside, leaving the car out in the sun. Got back in and resumed my trip home. Had the a/c on, recirculate on, and the lever on the mark between full face and face/floor. Fan speed on 3 initially, then on 2 after about 5 minutes. No complaints.
Oh -- keep in mind I was in a business suit this whole time too.
Got home, took a shower, changed into some shorts and a T-shirt and left to pick up our 4-year-old from daycare. I changed the outlet setting to full face so the air would get back to him. Even he said the car felt good from his commanding position in the right back seat.
No a/c complaints from me! The a/c in this car is just as good as, if not a little better than, the a/c in the Protege I just traded. And this car's a/c has a bigger, darker interior to keep cool too (the Protege had a light gray interior; this one's black).
Meade
Meade
Well, if I decide I want the modern garbage, then this one looks pretty good. Good stats and reviews on the Mazda3. If trouble free by 2006, it is one to consider
That's news to me. The only sound I hear when I turn my wheel is the sound of less-zoomworthy cars scrambling to get out of my way!!!
:P
Meade
It's hauntingly quiet until you mash the gas, and then it growls lovingly!
Meade
Yessir, the sound of certain engines can be invigorating. I find Japanese cars tend to be quieter than their American counterparts. My Protege 5 and if I remember correctly the Mazda 3 that I test drove had a more aggressive sound than your average nipponese commuter. Not quite as memorable as the sound of the Mustang in Bullitt, which must rate as one of the top, if not the top, automobile acoustics. Which raises the question : which car engines sound best?
p.s. It may be strictly personal but the sound of that P5 engine on a deserted road in the evening transports me into another realm
Loren
Meade
That would be dead-on with what Consumer Reports listed in their tests. The tough part is remembering the 3 is not a jet (even though it feels like one) otherwise you end up paying jet fuel prices. Currently my P5 automatic is averaging 33 mpg on the highway; this could be improved if I held back on the throttle a bit, but where's the fun in that? The good news is the 3 is more efficient than the P5.
Zoom Zoom!
Meade