My son was car shopping a few weeks ago and drove a 2024 Mazda3 hatchback with a stick (used with 5k miles). The trim was "Premium" IIRC. Attractive red interior, but I have to agree that it was somewhat boring. Competent, drove nicely, but not interesting. He is not that much of a car guy and didn't think he was looking for a hot hatch but the next car he drove was a Mk7 GTI and the first time he put his foot down he smiled and said "I like that", so he bought it.
alphahotel said:He is not that much of a car guy and didn't think he was looking for a hot hatch but the next car he drove was a Mk7 GTI and the first time he put his foot down he smiled and said "I like that", so he bought it.
In case he needs some enablement, we know of a few easy ways to get more speed out of a Mk7:
jaball77 said:Our CX-5 has weirdly heavy controls. The steering is very heavy and the ratio is slow, and the brake pedal requires a lot of effort - way more than is appropriate for a CUV. Does the 3 have the same thing?
The brakes and steering didn’t seem oddly slow/weird to me.
The car is a bit of a paradox. It has plenty of power, once you let the steam build up. In Sport mode, the shifts are crisp. But, in normal driving around town, it just feels boring.
Also, on the highway, it feels nervous–pulls under power and seems very eager to tramline. Our car’s steering wheel is a little off-center, so I’m wondering if it needs an alignment.
Coniglio Rampante said:Gratuitous pic of the Mazda 3 TCR. Would have loved a Mazdaspeed 3 version of that. Oh well. As a long-time Mazda owner (B2000, 323, Miata, Millenia, previous gen 3) I hope the little company finds large profits making "nice" cars for other people.
Ha, I was about to share the same image. Oddly, I followed a Mazda3 hatch last night. It looks good out there.
Totally unrelated, but while in Orlando last night with the Mazda3, I found this used bookstore: BrightLight Books on 436. Friendly staff, big selection and fair prices. I came home with two books. (And, yes, I got a good parking spot.)
In reply to David S. Wallens :
Hah, I know EXACTLY where you were. Travel Country just up the road is good fun. Come to think of it- i'm on that stretch of 436 a lot. But I live almost exactly a mile from Mr B's so you can pretty well figure out my area.
Ha. It’s been a while since I have been up that way. I was meeting a friend for dinner, and she was running late so I had a few minutes to kill. I saw the bookstore and figured I’d check it out. Glad I did. When I entered the store, a gentleman welcomed me and asked what I liked to read. He then walked me over to the Arthur C. Clarke section.
David S. Wallens said:When I entered the store, a gentleman welcomed me and asked what I liked to read. He then walked me over to the Arthur C. Clarke section.
Dang, I can't recall of ever walking into a store and getting service like that. I'll have to check it out.
Just took a look at the tires on the Mazda3, and my tread depth gauge shows wear across all four.
David S. Wallens said:jaball77 said:Our CX-5 has weirdly heavy controls. The steering is very heavy and the ratio is slow, and the brake pedal requires a lot of effort - way more than is appropriate for a CUV. Does the 3 have the same thing?
The brakes and steering didn’t seem oddly slow/weird to me.
The car is a bit of a paradox. It has plenty of power, once you let the steam build up. In Sport mode, the shifts are crisp. But, in normal driving around town, it just feels boring.
Also, on the highway, it feels nervous–pulls under power and seems very eager to tramline. Our car’s steering wheel is a little off-center, so I’m wondering if it needs an alignment.
One complaint I had about my old 3 is exactly this. It felt really nervous on the highway and a bit twitchy. The longer wheelbase CX-50 doesn't have these issues. In fact, it's a GREAT highway bomber as a result.
Not the sportiest tires, though.
In reply to David S. Wallens :
I wonder how much of a difference sportier tires could make? Tire Rack says the RE-71RS and the Potenza Sport will fit.
In reply to David S. Wallens :
Hasn't this generation of 3s been a dud for Mazda? I have to think that part of the problem is that however much you pimp it up, it's still a 3, and kinda looks like something that you'd buy from Kia for several thousand dollars less with more features. Since they got rid of the Two, it's kinda like Mazda got a little big for their britches. My wife and I cross-shopped for a small SUV a couple of years ago. I expected the CX-30 to cary the day, but preferred the Hyundai and my wife preferred the Subaru (!!!). As a long time Mazda guy it was a shock.
I do like the CX-50 a lot. If i could give up my pickup it would be at the top of my list.
In reply to Colin Wood :
Tires definitely would help. Shocks, camber and maybe some transmission tuning, too.
Kreb (Forum Supporter) said:In reply to David S. Wallens :
Hasn't this generation of 3s been a dud for Mazda? I have to think that part of the problem is that however much you pimp it up, it's still a 3, and kinda looks like something that you'd buy from Kia for several thousand dollars less with more features. Since they got rid of the Two, it's kinda like Mazda got a little big for their britches. My wife and I cross-shopped for a small SUV a couple of years ago. I expected the CX-30 to cary the day, but preferred the Hyundai and my wife preferred the Subaru (!!!). As a long time Mazda guy it was a shock.
I do like the CX-50 a lot. If i could give up my pickup it would be at the top of my list.
for 37k for a tarted up 3- that puts me into camry territory. I'm a big time Mazda fan, but i'd be hard pressed to NOT buy a Camry for that $$$.
Mazda stopped liking fun about a decade ago. We enthusiasts still remember the Speed6/Speed3/RX-8/stick shift in everything/lots of pro racing involvement era and expect Mazdas to be fun but the reality is that ended a long time ago. At least they still make the Miata (even if they refuse to put fun colors on it).
It's a shame. I miss the old Mazda. You've got Hyundai and Toyota putting out some fun stuff but nobody is as all in on enthusiast friendly fun as Mazda was a while back.
In reply to David S. Wallens :
Thanks for the bookstore tip. Next time I'm on that side of the Gulf, I'll check it out.
In reply to David S. Wallens :
One "oddity" I recall seeing for the proposed Mazda TCR car was that it was going to use the Volkswagen EA888 TCR motor. That surprised me (and made that factoid memorable).
I'll stop posting about aborted race cars and let more relevant production car questions have the floor.
06HHR (Forum Supporter) said:In reply to David S. Wallens :
I had to check the thread title again, $37K for a Mazda 3? WTF??
Welcome to post-Covid, when it seems like cars suddenly became 50% more expensive.
A crack-head porn star girl friend is exciting, so in my mind, boring isn't necessarily a bad thing. We sold Midlana, and later a Jaguar F-Type R, and bought a Mazda CX-30 Turbo, pretty much like the above but shorter and possibly lighter, and I'm perfectly happy with it. Traffic is around here has pretty much sucked all the fun out of the activity. If forced to nitpick on something about the Mazda, it's as if they used a 4-bit ADC for throttle position, meaning that throttle position sensing is very "granular". If you just barely step harder on the gas, it speeds up a bit too much. Barely let off, and it slows down a bit too much. Happens at all speeds. Whatever.
Colin Wood said:In reply to WonkoTheSane :
You can still get a manual, but it's only offered on the hatchback and only on one specific trim: The non-turbo, front-wheel-drive-only 2.5 S Premium.
Gotcha . Thanks for the clarification. I hadn't stumbled across that option on the website. So no 323GTX glory for me :)
In reply to WonkoTheSane :
Yeah, sadly this isn’t a modern take at the 323 GTX. Although Mazda could probably build one if so desired....
Not a huge back seat but I can sit behind myself.
Sorry for the vertical photo, but somehow Mazda makes a bunch of buttons fit together nicely without it seeming like a wall of buttons. (Looking at you, Chevy Silverado.)
And bonus points for that little coin drawer for your toll booth money.
Fuel economy: Mazda says 23 city, 32 highway, 27 combined.
The car says that we averaged 27.1 mpg.
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