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Mazda3 Hatchback
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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.
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.
FWIW in Consumer Reports objective headlight test, the P5 had the best headlights of any car they tested. (Including xenon.)
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.
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.
I'll be shocked if anything from Subaru/Saab can sway her. The 3 is appearing to be a lock.
regards,
kyfdx
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I 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.
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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> 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>
Xenon driver
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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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!
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.
At least the Mz3 hatch, like the TSX, got tones of rear headroom due to relatively low seat-cushion height.
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
In my experience it is only (or at least mostly) manually operated sun/moon roofs that slide back and above the roof.
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!
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.
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".
But their rear seats are far from comfortably high.
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curious about the seats as i had an rx-7 that was very
hard on my back. any opinions?
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
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.
Okay, traction control and a winter package are available on the Focus ST, why not the 3S?? Grrr...c'mon Mazda, make them available!
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.
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.
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)?
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
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.
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.
Just my $.02
"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.
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.