2014 Mazda 3 Initial Review
- Thread starter The Critic
- Start date
- Status
Not a fan of the exterior styling (nor do I care for the 6 for similar reasons), but I'm all over the interior of this thing. I'm sure it drives nice as well. Thanks for the link.
Nice review with lots of factory spec numbers involved.
And as in other mazda3's the aggressive caster angle(mentioned in this review) will of course cause that dreaded tire cupping/chopping on the inside of the front/rear tires and will thus, lead to that(also dreaded) uncomfortable road noise as in my daughters '06, which will in turn, cause owners to think that they need front wheel bearing as the tires wear.
I hope Mazda adds some needed interior sound insolation to quel the noise.
And as in other mazda3's the aggressive caster angle(mentioned in this review) will of course cause that dreaded tire cupping/chopping on the inside of the front/rear tires and will thus, lead to that(also dreaded) uncomfortable road noise as in my daughters '06, which will in turn, cause owners to think that they need front wheel bearing as the tires wear.
I hope Mazda adds some needed interior sound insolation to quel the noise.
Last edited:
That's camber, not caster.
Originally Posted By: Char Baby
Nice review with lots of factory spec numbers involved.
And as in other mazda3's the aggressive caster angle(mentioned in this review) will of course cause that dreaded tire cupping/chopping on the inside of the front/rear tires and will thus, lead to that(also dreaded) uncomfortable road noise as in my daughters '06, which will in turn, cause owners to think that they need front wheel bearing as the tires wear.
I hope Mazda adds some needed interior sound insolation to quel the noise.
My 2011 Mazda 3 exhibits none of these cupping tire issues..I get 30K out of set of tires wih agressive rotation schedule!
Nice review with lots of factory spec numbers involved.
And as in other mazda3's the aggressive caster angle(mentioned in this review) will of course cause that dreaded tire cupping/chopping on the inside of the front/rear tires and will thus, lead to that(also dreaded) uncomfortable road noise as in my daughters '06, which will in turn, cause owners to think that they need front wheel bearing as the tires wear.
I hope Mazda adds some needed interior sound insolation to quel the noise.
My 2011 Mazda 3 exhibits none of these cupping tire issues..I get 30K out of set of tires wih agressive rotation schedule!
The 3 is really becoming the benchmark of its class. It just gets better and better.
Nice.
Quote:
The 2014 Mazda3 is not the cheapest car in the compact segment, nor does it ride the smoothest or offer the most interior room. If those are your priorities, several of Mazda's competitors offer nice alternatives, including the Ford Focus, Kia Forte, Honda Civic and Volkswagen Jetta. For drivers that don't want to think about their cars but still need reliable transportation, there's the Toyota Corolla. And there isn't anything wrong with anyone who chooses those cars for any of those reasons. But for the rest of us, and we may be a comparatively small group, the 2014 Mazda3 is more fun to drive than any of its peers. It's also attractive, reasonably priced and can be loaded up with cool technology and safety equipment.
Put as plainly as possible, the new 2014 Mazda3 is our favorite car in the compact class.
Quote:
The 2014 Mazda3 is not the cheapest car in the compact segment, nor does it ride the smoothest or offer the most interior room. If those are your priorities, several of Mazda's competitors offer nice alternatives, including the Ford Focus, Kia Forte, Honda Civic and Volkswagen Jetta. For drivers that don't want to think about their cars but still need reliable transportation, there's the Toyota Corolla. And there isn't anything wrong with anyone who chooses those cars for any of those reasons. But for the rest of us, and we may be a comparatively small group, the 2014 Mazda3 is more fun to drive than any of its peers. It's also attractive, reasonably priced and can be loaded up with cool technology and safety equipment.
Put as plainly as possible, the new 2014 Mazda3 is our favorite car in the compact class.
Originally Posted By: Vikas
What is with a humongous speedometer but an afterthought tachometer? In an enthusiast friendly car, this is unheard of.
I'm seeing tach as the main in some photos even on Mazda's site, yet still displays D on the left side, pointing that its still an auto. I was thinking maybe they switched positions based on the trans, but maybe its based on the trim/engine?
What is with a humongous speedometer but an afterthought tachometer? In an enthusiast friendly car, this is unheard of.
I'm seeing tach as the main in some photos even on Mazda's site, yet still displays D on the left side, pointing that its still an auto. I was thinking maybe they switched positions based on the trans, but maybe its based on the trim/engine?
Vikas, I downloaded the brochure from Mazda - the analog tach (photo in post above) is for S models (2.5L) only, it looks like.
Wow. I see a number of changes in the engine bay. Mine has a pressurized coolant tank mounted by the right strut tower. The new one appears to have the non-pressurized recovery tank and a conventional radiator cap. There are other changes as well (like doing away with the blue paint on the engine cover), but the coolant reservoir is most noticeable. I don't care for digital speedos so I like the cluster in the Autoblog article better. It definitely has a more pleasing front fascia than mine - no more manic clown face.
Originally Posted By: brandini
That's camber, not caster.
Thanks for the correction!
That's camber, not caster.
Thanks for the correction!
Originally Posted By: Vikas
What is with a humongous speedometer but an afterthought tachometer? In an enthusiast friendly car, this is unheard of.
autoblog's got the base model 2.0L, they have the analog speedo/digital tach vs the 2.5L with analog tach/digital speedo
What is with a humongous speedometer but an afterthought tachometer? In an enthusiast friendly car, this is unheard of.
autoblog's got the base model 2.0L, they have the analog speedo/digital tach vs the 2.5L with analog tach/digital speedo
Nothing wrong with a digital speedo/analog tach. I have that in my Cruze, and really like it. Much easier to read at a glance than a tiny-print analog speedo.
Originally Posted By: sciphi
Nothing wrong with a digital speedo/analog tach.
In a vehicle with manual trans, that's preferable.
Nothing wrong with a digital speedo/analog tach.
In a vehicle with manual trans, that's preferable.
Originally Posted By: FordTrucks71
My 2011 Mazda 3 exhibits none of these cupping tire issues..I get 30K out of set of tires wih agressive rotation schedule!
Ditto for my 2007 MS3- although with UHP all season tires and UHP summer track rubber I get @5000 miles less per set.
But they stay quiet until the end...
My 2011 Mazda 3 exhibits none of these cupping tire issues..I get 30K out of set of tires wih agressive rotation schedule!
Ditto for my 2007 MS3- although with UHP all season tires and UHP summer track rubber I get @5000 miles less per set.
But they stay quiet until the end...
Love the new Mazda interiors... That's about where it ends.
- Status
