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BMW may be the ultimate driving machine but maintenance and repair costs are stratospheric compared to more humble stuff like the Mazda 3, and starting at 45k miles with no warranty vs 0 miles with 5 year 48k mile warranty makes a big difference.
The service mgr at the Toyota dealership where I work has an out-of-warranty 3 series BMW that she'd dearly love to get rid of due to outrageous upkeep costs.,
Mazda 3 GT Sedan (automatic)
6500 down
Financing over 5 yrs 3.9%
Monthly: 370.71
If dad is nice enough to give you a BMW, he's certainly going to help with repairs should they be neeed, right?
Mazda 3 GT Sedan (automatic)
C$6500 down
C$370.71 x 60 (5 yrs @ 3.9%)
PF Flyer
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In the manual it states that "some models" have a low washer-fluid light and a cabin air filter. Do any of you long-time 3 owners know if this is standard equipment on a Mazda3S?
Meade
thanks.
Jason
Sometimes called Manumatic or Automatic Sport mode, these are automatic transmissions that allow you to use manual gear shifting without the use of a clutch. The clutch is engaged by a third pedal (in addition to the brake and accelerator pedal); many North Americans consider using the manual with a clutch to switch gears to be inconvenient (especially in stop and go traffic) and hence prefer automatic gear shifts. The stick-guys and gals (people who like manual stick shifting) swear by them, and think the manumatics at best a compromise (and many would say, a poor compromise) and at worst a waste of money. I drive an automatic and like the idea of a manumatic, although I must agree with other people in this forum, that the thrill of using a manumatic would likely fade quickly. There is lots written on the topic in this and other forums.
Some of the first "automatics" had clutchles shifting, you still shifted gears but there was no clutch pedal. I had a 1954 Plymouth with that type of AT.
fowler3
VW also had one on the Beetle in the late 60's.(68 or 69 if I remember correctly). It was a floor shift, and the clutch was electrically operated by the knob on top of the stick shift. Pushing it down engaged the clutch.
I remember a road test by Motor Trend where they commented that they were in gear, and ready to drive away with their hand on the stick, and the car wouldn't move. They threw their hands up in disgust, and the car lurched forward. (I now suspect this was literary license....I was 16 or 17 years old and very in awe of what those road testers wrote...) LOL.
This is a pretend manual in that the car lets you choose at which point you can upshift but protects you from some bad choices. Suggestion: why not call your salesman and ask him/her to show you how to use the shifter? It would take 15 minutes (or a half hour if its a slow period in the sales department).
Driving schools give short sessions on usving manual transmissions but I wouldn't do that unless I was planning to buy a real one.
I wouldn't expect anything more than the average mileage of an automatic; if you do better than that you'll have something to smile about.
To return to automatic, or standard Drive, just move the lever to the right into the Drive slot. It's all very easy to do, after a while you should be selecting the Manual side without thinking about it, when you need it. Salesmen say to NOT hold the lever when in Manual, leave it centered. This is probably the main difference between true stick shifting and the AT. Many stick drivers like to keep their hand on the shift lever ready to downshift at any moment. They have to in slow city driving between traffic lights. If you live where there are many twisty roads and highways you might enjoy a stick shift car, for mostly city driving the manumatic is a better idea. The manumatic fuel economy will be the same as with any automatic and may be better than a stick shift in city driving since many drivers are usually in the wrong gear at the wrong time, which burns more gas.
For example, I have a 2001 Mazda Protegé 2.0L which is rated at 30mpg highway, but gets 36mpg on trips I have made. The EPA fuel economy ratings are low because the EPA uses outdated test procedures. The mpg you will get depends on how you drive as well as the kind of gear shifter you buy.
fowler3
1. I see from the specs that the 2.3 has an aluminum block- how about the 2.0L
2. I presume that the exhaust is all stainless- I didn't see a mention of that in the specs like I see for the Corolla. I have kind of gotten used to not changing the exhaust every few years after owning a Camry.
3. Any complaints from 2.0 L owners on power. We are stuck with an auto for various reasons, tried the 2.0 and the 2.3 out and found the 2.3 to less than smooth in the city and bit buzzy on the highway.
Cheers,
Al
When I looked at what options were available, the base 2.3 model had most of what I wanted at about the same price as a 2.0 model with equivalent options added. I have been experiencing gas mileage of 36-38 mpg and wonder if the 2.0 engine really can be expected to do much better than that?
Mazda plans call for a three-door, wagon and convertible 3, and MazdaSpeed, MPS and all-wheel-drive versions available by the end of calendar year 2005.
A Mazda3 convertible??? :shades:
Let it happen! Then watch Honda and Toyota go !!!
Meade
Meade
Do you have a link to the article? I couldn't find it when I searched the Autoweek website.
I've heard about the Mazdaspeed3 (and I can't wait) but I thought AWD would not be available for the 3. The wagon/five-door version of the 3 already exists, doesn't it? Are they possibly referring to the Mazda5 which is a crossover minivan-type vehicle?
A convertible version would be cool, I guess it would compete with VW's cabriolet.
(Is is the first article to come up when you type "Mazda3" into Autoweek's search engine.)
http://www.autoweek.com/article.cms?articleId=406
Meade
Any thoughts????
1) Edmunds says the curb weight is 2696 lbs (manual tranny?), but the car manual says it's 3794lbs (1100 lbs heavier)?
2) The car manual doesn't say how often to change the transmission fluid (schedule 1). When does it need to be flushed?
3) Does the Mazda 3i have a time belt or a timing chain? When does it need to be changed?
Thx
1) The weight must be wrong or a misprint! Check the Mazdausa.com website for true weights.
2) The transmission fluid is usually changed at the 60,000 mile check.
3) The Mazda3s has a timing chain and I assume the 2.0L engine does also.
fowler3
automatic tranny only weighs 40lbs more than manual tranny?