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Comments
How do I check the build date?
I can tell you that it has less than 4000 miles, for what its worth.
Remember, Mazda is a "zoom zoom" company, & therefore cares about...
My '90 Pro cuts off the A/C for at least a few seconds to maximum of 7 seconds every time the throttle reaches zero vacuum. So it feels like your power is unaffected by the A/C, at least for the 1st 7 seconds. If you need the max power for more than 7 seconds, then you should be smart enough to turn the huge A/C button off in time.
But what bothers me is that every time I down shift for braking, it also keeps the A/C compressor disengaged for a few seconds & thus, partially defeats the purpose of engine braking.
They agreed to $20,000 out the door - then they come up with some story about a $1,000 down payment - if they do not know what an "out the door price" is - it must be the first car that they have ever sold.
Btw, I got a chance to play with the sport shifter a little. Actually, those 148 hp really can stretch their legs!
fowler3
Here are the stats:
Titanium Gray Metallic
4 door sedan
2.3L 5M
6 CD changer
ABS/SAB/SAC Package
Leather
Moonroof
power everything
Price paid: $18,935
Other cars considered:
BMW 325i
Honda Accord
I chose the Mazda3 because:
Best price/performance
Very good reliability
Very good handling, fuel economy
Very favorable Edmunds, Consumer Reports & owner reviews
About the A/C issue:
Here in Sacramento, CA temperatures routinely reach 100+ in the summer and today was no exception. Sitting in traffic I had no problem staying cool with fan speed at 3 and recirc. Date code on door panel was 5/04.
After day one, I am very happy with my new M3s!
Although I personally hate black leather...
It may be that in the east and southern states the high humidity is the difference with the A/C. Hot and sticky.
fowler3
So far, the S40 T5 does it w/ hardly any torque steer in FWD form, while combining w/ a relax-riding suspension std.
I'm gonna have to pass it 'cause even the stock Mazda3 already rides harder than the RX-8, which will give birth to the next Miata, which I should take instead.
Good thing the Mazda3 is around.
So does it rule all the time or just when it's not in the repair shop for another recall or breakdown?
If you have had a new fuel pump installed did your mileage and/or start up crank times improve??? Once the new pump was put in have you had any problems directly related to the new pump???
Mazda is going to put a new pump in my 3. I hope this improves my currently sickening gas mileage/start up problem. Any comments will be much appreciated. Thanks. Regards
everfeb
Oct 03 build date and I've had almost every problem discussed on these Forums with my Hatch Auto GT
I also have a 10/03 build date - so far I have had (still have *) these problems
Grinding noise in rear brakes*
Excess rear brake dust*
CEL (3 trips to the dealer to fix)
Defective AC system*
Very harsh 1-2 shift - first few shifts each day*
Front end clunky noise over speed bumps*
Dash rattle*
Loose front seat
Paint stains
So far 6 trips to my dealer in 7 months of ownership - that is more that any other car/truck I have ever owned.
The one thing that all of these cars have in common is that they are fuel sippers.
For instance: I have a 99 Infiniti G20, one of my best friends has a 03 Matrix XR. On the day we picked up his car he noted that he wished his A/C worked as good as mine did and I said well your car has a small engine so it cant give the same output that mine can.
But when I rode in the car with him I to thought that the A/C was significantly underpowered.
Thing is, people living in areas where temps don't normally reach 90, or have covered parking will find it easier to cool their cars ..... while those that park in the open and live in areas with high temps and/or humidity (Metro DC my area) will find it much more difficult to cool their autos.
Personally I don't think black on black is an issue. My G20 is black and has black leather seating and surfaces, yet I never have to have my A/C blowing on high for any longer than 5 minutes even on the hottest of days, however it does take a little longer when the car is parked in the open.
I never use recirculate, or crack windows to make the A/C work better. You simply should not have to do that.
Its my PERSONAL conclusion that the A/C issues experienced by small car owners MAY just be a sympton of an engine not powerful enough to get the job done.
Then again, I may be totally wrong!
I was just in a Kia Rio ($11.5K out the door including TT&L) - not sure how big an engine it has but it has way less power than the Mazda3 and it blew ice cold air. I also know of a 10 year old Civic that has a much better AC then my 2004 Mazda3 - I think that those old Civics had about 80-85 HP.
We need to stop making excuses for Mazda's incompetence. Mazda needs to step up and admit that they have a problem and fix this defect.
Meade
I still believe that something has changed in the industry particularly when it comes to finding ways to get cars to travel farther using smaller amounts of fuel.
I'm planning to replace my G20 next summer and my current vehicles of choice are in order:
- Chevy HHR (If it doesn't meet expectations then)
- Mazda 3s (If A/C issue is not addresseed then)
- Mazda 6s
I'm like you, except for the fact that previous experience with Chevrolet products and their customer service keeps me from ever considering a GM product again. The Mazda3 wagon is my top choice for the replacement for my 2000 Protege ES next May. If they don't fix the A/C by then, I may be looking at a Mazda6.
Meade
Little things were breaking or popping off and I just got tired of it and then bought my G20. I'm still a Chevy fan boy, but GM needs to stop using cheap materials to build their vehicles, otherwise, they will continue to loose loyal customers to imports.
What I see of the Chevy Cobalt looks good so far but if Chevy uses cheap glue to apply the fabric to the sealing, then it will become apparent over time and customers won't go back to the Cobalt.
And as much as it pains me to say it ....... its little things like this that make imports so much better than domestics.
Something funny about my Tracker is that I would always turn off the A/C when merging onto the highway or going up some of the hills in my area. Was kinda funny but still lots of fun. :-)
My neighbor has a Mazda Millenia (spelling?) it has an ice cold AC.
The fact is any competent car company can - and most do - design and build cars that have ice cold AC systems.
Does anyone really think that Mazda decided to put an AC system in the Mazda3 that does not cool the car when it is hot out?
Of course they did not do this - it was a mistake - when you make a mistake you should admit it - and fix it.
I was saying that it might be the result of a small engine. I only mentioned the refrigerant because someone made a comparison between a current model and a model built a decade ago.
There are many things at play here that could be at fault. But its kinda hard to ignore the fact that the majority of these complaints are coming from owners of NEW small cars.
The service manager where I went, told me the engine size is why my AC is poor .If that is my Mazda service manager's opinion then they are false advertising the Mazda 3 with AC in my opinion. We all pay top have AC in ANY car.Therfore it should work in ANY car.
Meade
Secondly, if they offer good deals on 04's would it be better to snatch one of those up instead of worry about resale value loss and waiting for an 05?
Oh, and I would also like to ask if there is a better chance of having less problems with an 05 since it is not a first year production?
Do late model 04's have less problems (like with the A/C) than the first 04's?
Does anyone know when or if Mazda will be starting deals on the 04's?
** AND COULD SOMEONE PLEASE CLEAR UP WHETHER OR NOT THE HATCH HAS A TENDENCY TO ROLL OVER? AND IS IT ANY MORE THAN THE SEDAN?
** IS THERE MORE HORSEPOWER COMING OUT IN THE 05,S??
They didn't test a wagon (hatch).
I wouldn't see why the wagon would do much differently, since it sits on the same wheelbase and has almost the same center of gravity. I wouldn't sweat the rollover issue.
Meade
Little things were breaking or popping off and I just got tired of it and then bought my G20. I'm still a Chevy fan boy, but GM needs to stop using cheap materials to build their vehicles, otherwise, they will continue to loose loyal customers to imports."
That's funny because your Beretta was pure GM and the Geo Tracker is Suzuki.
BTW, I have a 2003 Mazda6. Someone in here mentioned that it has the same A/C unit as the Mazda3. My A/C works just fine.
Even if it does, it's still way less likely than just about any other car on the road. The 3 sedan's performance is amazing & took 3rd place behind the RX-8 & TL, both of which are available w/ DSC in N.A.
What kind of test exactly did the sedan 3 take 3rd in?
*AND STILL, IF ANYONE CAN ANSWER THE BELOW QUESTIONS PLEASE DO:
I don't know the cut off date for models that had problems with the A/C?
Secondly, if they offer good deals on 04's would it be better to snatch one of those up instead of worry about resale value loss and waiting for an 05?
Oh, and I would also like to ask if there is a better chance of having less problems with an 05 since it is not a first year production?
Do late model 04's have less problems (like with the A/C) than the first 04's?
Does anyone know when or if Mazda will be starting deals on the 04's?
No one knows; the A/C problems have been scattered and sporadic, depending on the car. For instance, mine was built in 12/03 and has no A/C problems, but some built in 2004 have been complained about. Test drive on a hot day.
"Secondly, if they offer good deals on 04's would it be better to snatch one of those up instead of worry about resale value loss and waiting for an 05?"
Yes. After all, they jacked up the MSRP. Always a good sign to those worried about resale...I bought mine BEFORE the MSRP increase...both MSRP and price paid seem to have gone up a bit since.
"Oh, and I would also like to ask if there is a better chance of having less problems with an 05 since it is not a first year production?"
Maybe, and maybe not. We don't know how many little tweaks they may have made to production. I do know there aren't any huge changes for 05..the big ones are some color availability changes, and satellite radio compatibility.
"Do late model 04's have less problems (like with the A/C) than the first 04's?"
Highly likely, but not guaranteed.
"Does anyone know when or if Mazda will be starting deals on the 04's?"
If. BIG "if." They'll only do great deals on the 04s to get rid of them when the 05s start rolling in...basically, to get rid of the leftovers. If the sales lately have been any indicator, there'll be few leftovers, except for some of the more undesirable option bundles. Likely October at the earliest would be when they'd do it I think...could be later though.
Did someone sneak into the Mazda manufacturing plant and switch the light colored dash that Mazda planned to use and install the black dash -WITHOUT MAZDA NOTICING IT?
NO! Mazda made a decision to put a black dash and black seats and offer a car that is black - don't you think it would be a normal brain function to test the AC system under the "black dash, black seats,black car - with temps in the 90's and high humidity scenario? Only a completely incompetent company would NOT do this test before they sell a car. But wait - this is Mazda - as long as they get your money -ONCE- they could care less.
My car is velocity red with black leather interior and I parked without cracking any windows but did have the moonroof tilted up (shade pulled shut).
The seat was too hot to touch with my bare hands and so was the steering wheel. Turned ac on fresh, speed 2, openned windows until out of parking lot, closed windows, put ac on speed 4 and recirc. The air coming out of the vents was cold, but there was so much heat absorbed into the upholstery and interior that it took 2 miles or so for the interior to cool down significantly. I directed the vents toward me from the outset so was still not terribly uncomfortable while waiting for the interior to cool.
I work for a Toyota/Scion dealer and can confirm that my MZ3s AC works much better than that of the Scion XB, Toyota Echo, or Scion TC. It's also a bit better than the typical new Corolla, but not by a huge margin.
My ac blows as cold on "fresh" on a typical Fresno summer day (100+ but only 35-40% humidity) as a Corolla on "recirc", and the outlet temp varies very little during long stoplights, less so than on most Toyotas.
It is definitely far superior to the AC in my last car, an 01 Nissan Sentra SE, which was almost totally inneffective on "fresh" at temps over 90 degrees in traffic.
I am a smoker, and find I can crack the driver's window to let the smoke out and run the ac on fresh to keep it from getting stinky from smoke and still be comfortable on a 100 degree day, once the interior is cooled down from it's initial heatsoak from being parked in the sun. I could never do that with the Sentra, nor with most small cars I've owned.
BTW, the best AC I've ever experienced in an automobile was in a 91 Chevy Lumina which I owned from 93 to 98. If one started with open windows after a heatsoak, fan on 2-fresh, and rolled windows up and hit Max AC after half a block, one could be comfortable within another block of city driving. GM may have their faults but they can do AC.
I say the problem with the A/C is the A/C.
A/C seems to be working fine, even on the hottest days here in Sacramento.
Lot's of comments from friends on how well the car rides/handles and how good it looks. This car is a real joy to drive!
The slightly lighter sedan should be just a hair faster than the hatch, which actually feel a little rear-top heavy by comparison when I drove them both back to back at the RevItUp event. A while ago, Bruno posted that he believes the hatch's extra weight on the rear will balance out the understeer & hence handles better. As it turned out that the sedan already got all the oversteer dialed in so you can provoke it that way anytime you want, & having the hatch's extra rear weight is not necessary.
You can fool yourself thinking you're going faster by adding a cat back exhaust. When my Protege's aftermarket stock muffler broke again, it sounded so fast while going at 70mph. Then when I replace it w/ the same muffler, I was going at 80mph but seemed slower.
"What kind of test exactly did the sedan 3 take 3rd in?"
Some one post it earlier. It's about how likely a car rolls over during an one-car accident. The 1st-place RX-8 may or may not come w/ the optional DSC. The 2nd-place TL got DSC std. While the Mazda3 sedan does not come w/ DSC in this country & still took 3rd place. The Beetle convertible wasn't far behind.
Cars w/ roll-over problems even w/o collision were the high-center-of-gravity Mercedes A-class & the awkward-aerodynamic Audi TT back in Germany. So they ended up w/ adding std ESP(DSC), plus lowered the suspension & adding rear spoiler, respectively.
NHTSA, see here: http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/nhtsa/announce/press/pressdisplay.cfm?ye- - - - - ar=2004&filename=pr34-04.html
"Oh, and I would also like to ask if there is a better chance of having less problems with an 05 since it is not a first year production?"
Manufacturers are constantly modifying the production line throughout a vehicle's life cycle (some of it is to fix problems, while others may be to actually use cheaper parts because the original spec was set too high). But if you take this view to the extreme, you shouldn't buy a Mazda3 until the '08 year (and the car to buy now would be a new '03 Protege). Point-being, just buy a car when you need it. For an '04 vs '05 Mazda3, base your decision on things like availability of your preferred color/option combo, exactly how much the price difference between the two are, and exactly when you need the car.
Just two weeks ago, I went in with a friend to purchase a Mazda3. For that particular situation, it was better to order an '05, but your individual situation will vary (my friend didn't need a car until Oct, their preferred colour/option combo was rare, and the dealership was willing to sell an '05 at the '04 price, so the decision was obvious). So base your '04 vs '05 decisions on these factors (not any potential issue fixes).
As for the A/C issue, Mazda will offer a TSB but it takes time, and only once the TSB is out will we know for sure the change-over date. Take the RX-8 A/C amplifier as an example, Mazda only released the TSB in Apr '04 (almost a whole year after the vehicle was on sale). So look for one between this fall to next spring (in the meantime, those affected will have to deal with it for this summer). "Weak" A/C is not a critical stop-sale item.
I have a car that can hold me over for at least a couple of months, I am now just trying to decide on whether or not I should wait for the '05's or if I should go for any deals on the '04's.
As I had mentioned in another post, I just don't know what kind of deal on the '04's I should be looking for that would justify not waiting for the '05's.
If I can find an '04' in the color and combo I want when the deals start would it be worth going for in consideration of not only the discount for the '04', but also becuase of the price hike the '05' will probably get.
Does anyone know if Mazda will most likely keep the owner loyalty discount around for the '05's?
I am currently being offered $500 off of the '04'.
Also, I tried to start a post, as shallow as it may seem, asking whether people thought the Sedan or the Hatch was sportier looking. I just wanted to know peoples general opinion. From one day to the next my mind changes on which I like better. I am very curious to know what you all think will sell better in the U.S., the Sedan S or the Hatch S.
Well, thanks again everyone and thanks for your patience in answering any questions that may have seemed uneccesary.
Incidentally, I drive the hatch. I wanted the carrying capacity and versatility, because I'm a single guy and therefore a one-car family (and it's SO handy for carrying big items..next plan is to get a couple of those bed-chair pillow things and set them up in the back with the seats dropped and go to the drive in with this girl...uh, anyway..).
Some will prefer the sedan instead, because it's lighter, has less road noise, and I've heard the visibility is better from some angles. It can also be had slightly cheaper. Point is, pick your own merits and then decide. Once you HAVE decided, THEN worry about whether to get a leftover or not, because then you'll know what you want.