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Mazda3 Hatchback

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Comments

  • cross6cross6 Member Posts: 9
    Thanks for the reply. The bike pedals have to come off in the G35 to wedge both bikes in and it is a pain especially after biking when you are tired, sweaty and just want to get going. From what I can see it looks possible to just throw 2 bikes in the back of the 3 hatchback and go; that is if you do the quick release on the front wheels and get them off. We like the 3 and think it will be better for our biking/winter driving needs; better than the G35 coupe.
  • cdnp5cdnp5 Member Posts: 163
    I have a P5 and I can get two (and more) mtn bikes in the back of it. I remove both wheels and put the bikes in upside down then strap them down so they don't scratch each other up or move around. I think the Mz3 has a higher roof line than the P5 does so you might be able to do this with the back wheel still on it.
    If I laid my bike down in the back (without front wheel) it will also fit but I wouldn't want to lay another bike on top of it as both bikes could get seriously scratched. Maybe a blanket between them would prevent this? Also, if your bikes get as dirty as mine does, you might want to consider a roof rack or trailer mounted bike rack to keep the inside of you car cleaner.
    I will say that I'm impressed with you getting two bikes in a G35 coupe though, that is amazing. My best was after a major mechanical on a bike trip. We put 2 bikes, a BOB trailer, the gear from the trailer and 3 people in a 89 Chevy Z24. Couldn't believe we did it.
  • cross6cross6 Member Posts: 9
    When you gotta go, you gotta go/Biking that is and we have done some pretty amazing things with the G35 considering you cannot order a credible roof mount. We did a 100k on road bikes and then stripped them down dog tired after the ride and got them back inside the G35 without a scratch on the interior but it was a huge bother. That car is good for some things but toting bikes is not its forte.
  • chris87114chris87114 Member Posts: 10
    I can't believe that you guys are going through the headache of putting your bikes in your cars. I've done it in the past for various reasons (security on a long trip, no rack at the time), heck we even shoved 3 bikes, 3 people, our gear and an extra set of wheels in old honda accord hatchback, but it's a pain. Not only is the disassembly a pain, I'm always scared that I'll mark up or mess the inside of the car or the bikes. Just get a good roof rack or hitch mount. You can get a trailer hitch made for any car and then just take the rack off when not in use (if you don't like roof racks). Anyhow, just my $0.02. Now that I'm pretty sure I can get a nice yakima set up for the Mazda 3 hatch (their site is listing the sedan, but not the hatch yet)... I need to find me a nice Mazda 3 hatch so I can get rid of my gas guzzling, no fun to drive SUV.
  • cross6cross6 Member Posts: 9
    When you gotta go, you gotta go/Biking that is and we have done some pretty amazing things with the G35 considering you cannot order a credible roof mount. We did a 100k on road bikes and then stripped them down dog tired after the ride and got them back inside the G35 without a scratch on the interior but it was a huge bother. That car is good for some things but toting bikes is not its forte.
  • cdnp5cdnp5 Member Posts: 163
    I actually do have one on the P5. One of the best investments I made. I went with the roof as got a great deal on a 15cf Thule roof box also. Hardly use the box but couldn't turn it down at 200 bucks off. I now only put the bikes in the car on very long drives (>8 hrs) to keep them cleaner and save gas. Then once we are there, put them back on top when going back and forth to the trail heads. After seeing the front of my car after a long trip, I wouldn't want my bike to look like that also.
    I thought Mazda had a roof rack for the 3hatch? I've looked for it but couldn't find anything yet. I know its setup for one, something like the P5 is.
    I understand about going biking. We drive to Colorado/Utah almost every year to ride. Hate the long drive (25 hours) but once there the riding is amazing. There is a website from some guy that drove from California to Colorado and puts his bike inside his Porsche Turbo. Once there, he puts the rack and bike on top. That has to suck, lol. Great website though.
    http://www.petefagerlin.com/The_Hub.htm

    Ok, I'm done rambling now.
  • icvciicvci Member Posts: 1,031
    5. Xenon lights! I so wish my Pro had these. I hate driving that car at night with its weak headlights.

    FWIW in Consumer Reports objective headlight test, the P5 had the best headlights of any car they tested. (Including xenon.)
  • gee35coupegee35coupe Member Posts: 3,387
    I noticed that a while back when we had our Protege. The P5 has a 4 beam setup while the regular Pro has 2 bulbs up front.
  • gandalf17gandalf17 Member Posts: 348
    Hi Autonomous,

    Personally, I've done a fair bit of amateur rally driving over the years, both cross country and rally sprint. I learned from my wife's father who gave us both instructions at Silverstone when he was director there. He's a former, a while back now, world champion rally driver from the U.K.

    That said, there are lots of places that offer winter and emergency driving courses. I think CAA offers some, but probably the best out there is offered by BMW here in Canada. There are also companies that offer rally type experiences as well as Formula and F1. The range of training and actual rally driving depends on which option you take and obviously they are more expensive the longer the option. Here is a link to a company in Canada that offers these experiences and training. The UK version of this company has a lot of rally based training, but the Canadian one only offers skid training (simulated driving on ice and rain) and Formula 2000 training/experience currently.

    www.trythat.ca

    They offer other things other than car based experiences, but this would be a good place to start. Their skid control course is particularly good.

    Hope this helps.
  • blueguydotcomblueguydotcom Member Posts: 6,249
    FWIW in Consumer Reports objective headlight test, the P5 had the best headlights of any car they tested. (Including xenon.)

    Dunno who is sleeping with the editors of CR but she must be amazing.

    I will do my best never to buy a car with halogens again. There is no comparing the light of xenons to halogen. No comparison.
  • blueguydotcomblueguydotcom Member Posts: 6,249
    Well a few more dealerships and a few more cars and my friend is still sticking to the Mazda3 as the car to beat.

    I'll be shocked if anything from Subaru/Saab can sway her. The 3 is appearing to be a lock.
  • kyfdxkyfdx Moderator Posts: 235,188
    Hard to beat from a styling standpoint.. Not a bad value either.. I like Subarus, but they look pretty pedestrian compared to the Mazda.

    regards,
    kyfdx

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  • icvciicvci Member Posts: 1,031
    Like the previous poster said, there is a difference in the lights on the P5 and the regular Proteges. The lights on my P5 really work well.

    I HATE xenon. Most annoying car tech this side of 12 inch woofers.
  • blueguydotcomblueguydotcom Member Posts: 6,249
    HATE xenon. Most annoying car tech this side of 12 inch woofers.

    Own a car with them and you'll change your mind.

    And Kyfdx...

    Yeah value wise the Mazda3 Hatch is amazing. We drove a Matrix and a Rav last night. Good grief what cheap interiors they have. Pretty chincy all the way through after the 3.

    I'm lamenting my Pro purchase more and more. :(
  • kyfdxkyfdx Moderator Posts: 235,188
    Proteges were just too cheap last fall, though.. An extra $7K will go a long way... Plus, aren't you putting 30K/year on it? You'll be ready for a new one in a couple more years..

    And the xenons? I agree... If you have them, you love them... Sorry for the people that have to look at them, but.. tooo bad.

    regards,
    kyfdx

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  • haloclinehalocline Member Posts: 20
    > And the xenons? I agree... If you have them, you love them...
    > Sorry for the people that have to look at them, but.. tooo bad.

    That's just the kind of selfish attitude I've come to expect from motorists these days. Seems to be spreading from other aspects of society. Mad Max here we come.

    <sigh>
  • 5port5port Member Posts: 395
    Yup. Just like people who put garbage can size subwoofer's in their trunk and drive thru the neighborhood at 8:00am with the 1000W stereo blasting. I agree.

    Xenon driver
  • kyfdxkyfdx Moderator Posts: 235,188
    I'm sorry for the tone... What I meant to say was: Good xenons are not a problem for other drivers.. I have never been blinded by any factory setup.. The aftermarket jobs and the "blue" superwhite halogens are a different matter.

    The xenons do get your attention, as they aren't "normal", but as they become more prevalent, that will go away also.

    They are a superior lighting system, that in my experience, have never caused me a problem being on the "other end".

    regards,
    kyfdx

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  • blueguydotcomblueguydotcom Member Posts: 6,249
    Proteges were just too cheap last fall, though.. An extra $7K will go a long way... Plus, aren't you putting 30K/year on it? You'll be ready for a new one in a couple more years..


    True, true. 12.4k out the door for an 17k msrp 03 isn't a bad thing. :) But man oh man do I miss my BMW every day. I have a feeling if I'd opted for the MazdaSpeed or gone with the Mazda3 i'd be a tad happier on the daily drive.

    Gosh, I so have to mod my Pro. Something to sharpen it up...

    As for xenons, I've NEVER had an issue with oncoming traffic using xenons. Why? uh, I don't stare at light!
  • ckayakckayak Member Posts: 6
    I've been looking at the new Mazda3 and tell me if this is an optical illusion or for real. To me it seems that the roof line on the Protege5 is a tad bit straighter as it comes to the rear of the car. On the Mazda3 it makes a slight downward curve to the spoiler. Or maybe it's because the back window on the Protege5 is straight at the bottom with a curve that follows the hatchback but on the Mazda3 is curves up from the bottom toward the hatchback.

    Silly though it seems I like the 2002 and 2003 look better but try to find one. I'm not having any luck at all. I can find some 2002s and virtually no 2003s. I'm hoping with the 2005s come out it will bring out some of those 2-year swappers.
  • creakid1creakid1 Member Posts: 2,032
    for aerodynamic reason. Just check out the new Prius, which even has a concaved roof in the center as opposed to both sides & can't take a sunroof!

    At least the Mz3 hatch, like the TSX, got tones of rear headroom due to relatively low seat-cushion height.
  • kupper25kupper25 Member Posts: 30
    Just saw a Mazda 3 5-door on the dealer lot on Sunday. Looks nice and I am starting to investigate this vehicle further, reading the posts here, etc. Have not seen it yet with the moonroof open. When you open the moonroof does it retract to a position above the roof line of the car, or does it retract into a space within the roof as on most larger vehicles with a moonroof?

    Also, regarding the stone chip problem mentioned here with the low profile 17s throwing road dirt up on the side sills, etc, does anybody already have experience in having clear Stoneguard tape applied to these lower panels to protect the car? Where do you get that material? Where can you have it applied professionally? How much does it cost? (I understand that if you want to go the mud flap route instead there is no Mazda OEM product so you just have to find the best fitting mud flap you can on the aftermarket.)

    Thanks, Kupper25
  • langodlangod Member Posts: 33
    The moonroof retracts into the roof.
    In my experience it is only (or at least mostly) manually operated sun/moon roofs that slide back and above the roof.
  • justinjustin Member Posts: 1,918
    i was at the dealer today getting my Miata fixed and looked at a 3hatch in metallic black with auto and abs package. looks like a nice commuter option with some decent utility. the interior is way nicer that the cheapo Mazda6 interior. they got that backwards, didn't they?

    anyway, who knows, perhaps an 05 3hatch will be on my short list to replace the Accord.

    haven't driven one yet, but in that dark dark blue and black color (so you can't see the missing chrome on the windows as much) it looks quite nice!
  • oldmonkoldmonk Member Posts: 38
    Hi folks, It has been a few months since I posted here! My car is a mazda3 hatch that I got in february. It has 15K miles now. My concern now is, the AC is very poor, I mean it really sucks in hot weather. You have to turn the fan speed to almost 4 and bear up with its noise when the weather gets hot, and passengers at the back seat are not going to feel the AC at all... Are there other fellow M3 owners who felt the same...We gave it to a mazda shop for the 15K mile service and we asked them to check the AC as well, just a few minutes ago we got word from them that the AC seems to be working normally...too bad. Is there a way to make the air cooler...
  • creakid1creakid1 Member Posts: 2,032
    "You have to turn the fan speed to almost 4 and bear up with its noise..."

    Mazda is so German even the fan noise is as loud as Jetta & 3-series. Honda & Toyota are not German enough, so therefore blow large volume of air quietly.

    I remember during mid '90's, one immigrant in California from the tropical Taiwan picked the GS300 over the German cars only because the Lexus's A/C at full blast is quieter. I remember the its fan noise & volume remained constant even in recirculate mode -- very luxurious & un-Japanese.
  • mazdafunmazdafun Member Posts: 2,329
    No illusion there, the roofline on the 3 hatch definitely starts going down faster than that on the P5. For most people, it's not noticeable. But for me it is enough to reduce my rearward visiblitily and headroom. I think if Mazda still offered an 8-way adjustable driver seat (instead of the 6-way they now have), I'd fit. Oh well, no sale here. Too bad.

    FYI, I own a '99 Protege and my wife owns an '03 P5, and we're both very happy with them, so we've no real incentive to "upgrade". :)
  • creakid1creakid1 Member Posts: 2,032
    just like the TSX sedan.

    But their rear seats are far from comfortably high.
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  • tsculltscull Member Posts: 13
    have just seen the mazda 3 and was impressed. i am
    curious about the seats as i had an rx-7 that was very
    hard on my back. any opinions?
  • ksargentksargent Member Posts: 31
    In its August issue (available today to online subscribers), Consumer Reports has rated the Mazda 3 as the best small car on the market today - taking the honor away from the Ford Focus. The top 5 with auto transmission were:

    1. Mazda 3i
    2. Ford Focus ZX4
    3. Honda Civic EX
    4. Toyota Prius
    5. Honda Civic Hybrid

    The top 5 with manual Trannies:

    1. Mazda 3i
    2. Volkswagen Golf GLS TDI
    3. Mini Cooper
    4. Toyota Echo
    5. Kia Spectra EX

    The first list makes a lot of sense; the second one really doesn't. Both the VW and the Mini have abysmal reliability ratings - albeit both are good performers on the road. Also, it should be pointed out that the 148 HP 3i was the test vehicle. Given the superior driving characteristics of the 3S, we can only assume that the hatch would rate even better than the sedan.

    Not surprising to me - in fact I would have been shocked had CR not rated the 3 as the best small car. Honda and Toyota have a lot of catching up to do.

    Ken
  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    The Mazda3i sedan's showing in CR's tests is great, but consider that the all-new 3i just barely edged a five-year-old design (Focus) and four-year old design (Civic) in the overall rankings for automatic tranny cars, and barely edged the six-year-old Golf for manual transmission cars. So yes, Honda, Toyota et. al. have some catching up to do, but with a new Civic and Golf due out next year, and the improved '05 Focus out (which CR has not reviewed yet), it will be interesting to see how long the Mazda3 stays on top.

    Also, CR's rankings don't consider reliability, but their recommendations do--which is why the Mazda3 is "recommended" but the Golf/Jetta and Mini Cooper are not.
  • riopelleriopelle Member Posts: 132
    Nice comparison of economy cars this month, the 3S Hatch was called "the real athlete of the group", and easily outshown the competition.

    Okay, traction control and a winter package are available on the Focus ST, why not the 3S?? Grrr...c'mon Mazda, make them available!
  • blueguydotcomblueguydotcom Member Posts: 6,249
    Autoweek's readers named the 3 the top econo buy.
  • mazda6smazda6s Member Posts: 1,901
    The V6 over there is a 2.5L unit. That wouldn't sell here when the 4cyl is 2.3L, and a 3.0L V6 would make a light car like the Mazda3 too nose heavy IMO. If you want a V6 there's the Mazda6 s which is a much heavier car that is better suited to handle that much weight up front. Now, if they would start talking about a Mazda3 with a 3.0L V6 and AWD for the US, they would have my complete attention.
  • mpg7mpg7 Member Posts: 17
    I am about to buy a ti grey 5 spd hatch with moon & tunes package. My local dealer located one in MASS (I am in NY). I was quoted $500 over invoice which they claim is $17800. I came to a different number using this site. I will not pay this until I see actual invoice. Do you think this is a good deal? Or should I wait for the 2005's to come out. In my area it seems there aren't a lot of 5 spd's, and my salesman found the exact car I wanted so I think $500 over is fair. I am also going to need a bike rack. I am concerned that the roof rack (thule) will create so much wind noise that I will not want to open the sunroof. Option 2 is a hitch mounted rack, cheaper and removable. Thanks in advance.
  • markg4markg4 Member Posts: 44
    there has been some talk about the 3 getting a hp boost from 160 to 180-185. dont know if this is just rumor or not. when will the specs on the 2005's come out? hopefully they will have worked out the a/c issue by then too.
  • npaladin2000npaladin2000 Member Posts: 593
    1: The dealer is NEVER gonna show you the invoice price, unless you're working off of S-Plan and can provide a PIN number.

    2: $500 over what Edmunds lists as invoice is about the going rate around here (I'm in NY State too), and what I paid, and pretty reasonable. Actually VERY reasonable...there's a dealer in Danbury, CT holding out for MSRP and not budging on any of them.

    3: The sunroof makes enough noise without the roof rack that I doubt it'll make a difference. ;)

    4: If there's an HP jump, it's probably gonna be in the Mazdaspeed3. 160 HP is a lot for a 2.3L without forced induction. I don't see how they can squeeze much more without going to a defined "hot cam lobe" like in Toyota engines. In which case all the wonderful torque the engine currently produces is gonna be gone. ;)
  • mpg7mpg7 Member Posts: 17
    My salesman claims he will show me the invoice (I questioned the discrepancy). I was also told Mazdaspeed 3 is not expected for at least another 2-3 years, but they are probably just trying to get me in this car. I also heard price is going up for 2005 by $300-$500. I have found two Thule racks that mount on rear hatch. $60 and $105 that carry 3 bikes. I usually only have 1 or 2 so that may work. Does the wind deflector help with wind noise? I am also thinking of a few accessories (satin gas cap, rear step guard, and possibly moonroof deflector). I heard there is a fix for the weak A/C or at least Mazda has acknowledged the problem. I live on long island's south shore so I don't use A/C that often anyway. Thanks again for the input.
  • blueguydotcomblueguydotcom Member Posts: 6,249
    : The dealer is NEVER gonna show you the invoice price, unless you're working off of S-Plan and can provide a PIN number.

    John Hine Mazda in San Diego will show you invoice prices.

    4: If there's an HP jump, it's probably gonna be in the Mazdaspeed3. 160 HP is a lot for a 2.3L without forced induction.

    No it isn't. 2.4 in the TSX makes 200 HP.

    I don't see how they can squeeze much more without going to a defined "hot cam lobe" like in Toyota engines. In which case all the wonderful torque the engine currently produces is gonna be gone. ;)

    Again not true. The 2.4 in the TSX delivers 166 lb-ft of torque and it's pretty linear too. That's a far more lively engine than the 2.3 in the 3.

    Now a turbo on the 2.3...that'd be sweet.
  • creakid1creakid1 Member Posts: 2,032
    I'd rather drop in the CRV engine in the 3.
  • audia8qaudia8q Member Posts: 3,138
    is that the same CRV engine that blows up when you change the oil?
  • creakid1creakid1 Member Posts: 2,032
    although tuned for max low-end torque that runs economically on regular gas. Does this highly populated Accord engine also blow up?

    Someone predicted that the big 2 auto maker of the future will be Toyota & Honda. & GM & Ford will have to merge w/ them. Isn't Toyota going w/ GM & Honda going w/ Ford(& thus Mazda)?
  • nyquist688nyquist688 Member Posts: 15
    Hello Everyone-

      I was wondering if anyone could tell if there is a differences in gas mileage on the Mazda 3 auto. For example, I know that the gas mileage on a Mazda 3 auto is 24 and 29 on highways, but if I use the manual shift on the auto, will this help increase my gas mileage. Also, when they 24 and 29, do they mean that I could get 24 miles per gallon or 24 miles on the tank of gas.

    Thank you
  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    FWIW, in CR's recent test of the 3i they found the manual got about 10% better fuel economy than the automatic overall and on the highway, but in the city just 1 mpg difference. I doubt shifting the auto by yourself will help a lot with gas mileage, as self-shifting doesn't eliminate the slippage within the "slushbox" (another name for an automatic transmission).

    You were kidding about the 24 miles on a tank of gas, right? Maybe on a Hummer, but the Mazda3 will do way better than that.
  • nyquist688nyquist688 Member Posts: 15
    Sorry about the confusion, what I was preferring to was the MazdaS hatchback. On the web - it said that the gas mileage is 24 and 29. But I was wondering if it meant that the car can get 24 miles on one tank of gas or does it mean that it could get 24 miles per gallon.

    Also - the reason why I ask about the other question about the gas mileage was because a saleperson told me that if I get the Mazda3 auto. and use the manual shift, my gas mileage might increase.

    Thank you.
  • big_guybig_guy Member Posts: 372
    Most of the "manu-matic" transmissions now have a "fuzzy-logic" learning program that will adapt the shifting pattern to match the way the driver prefers to drive. I suppose if you manually shifted the automatic transmission to try and maximize fuel efficiency that the transmission might learn this shift pattern and get a little bump in fuel economy. Of course, if you just left it in automatic mode and drove the same way you would if you were trying to "shift" and get maximized fuel economy, the transmission would learn the same type of shifting pattern to maximize the fuel economy.

    Just my $.02
  • riopelleriopelle Member Posts: 132
    Automobile Mag -

    "But it's (the 2.0) certainly not as convincing as the bigger engine (the 2.3), which has as-yet-untapped capacity, according to Jim O'Sullivan, Mazda's U.S. president. "

    Other references to the 2.3 adding hp have appeared, I'll post em as I find em.

    I bet it's bumped to 170hp+ just to stay competitive with the corolla, focus and jetta.
  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    ... a saleperson told me that if I get the Mazda3 auto. and use the manual shift, my gas mileage might increase.

    First rule of car buying: most car salespeople will say anything to get you to buy a car NOW--and the car that THEY want you to buy (if, for example, they have more automatics in stock than 5-speeds). Then there are some that just don't know any better. I know one salesperson who asked a prospective buyer if they would like a 2-door or 4-door Toyota Prius--which comes only as a 5-door model.
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