Looking at Mazda3 Again

Are you sure it’s a four speed transmission? The 2 came with the six speed SkyActiv like most of the Mazda cars.
OK I figured it out. It does have a four speed automatic but it's a 2014 and not a 2016. It has a 1498 cc engine but the OM doesn't mention it being a SkyActive engine.
 
OK I figured it out. It does have a four speed automatic but it's a 2014 and not a 2016. It has a 1498 cc engine but the OM doesn't mention it being a SkyActive engine.


Probably a Z motor. Nothing wrong with those either. That was pre-SkyActiv. Mazda tended to transition the change in different ways for different models. The transmission is a joint effort between Mazda and Ford.
 
OK I figured it out. It does have a four speed automatic but it's a 2014 and not a 2016. It has a 1498 cc engine but the OM doesn't mention it being a SkyActive engine.
I know that the 2.0L Skyactiv started in the Mazda3 in 2012. Not sure about the other Mazda models.
 
I know that the 2.0L Skyactiv started in the Mazda3 in 2012. Not sure about the other Mazda models.


The transition was complicated depending on assembly location. In the case of the 2 they are built in Salamanca Mexico so that might have delayed the move to SkyActiv.
 
The used car hunt has finally ended ... and this is the resulting find. It's a 2010 Mazda3 with the 2.5L 4-cylinder (port fuel injected, not DGI like the Skyactiv) and 5-speed automatic. I drove a 2012 with the 2.0L Skyactiv and 6-speed auto and I didn't like it, and the 6-speed auto acted more like a CVT than a conventional automatic. Not sure if that's how they are, or if something was going wrong with it. Bottom line, didn't like it. The 5-speed auto in the 2010 is much better feeling while driving ... shifts very positively like a good conventional auto should. Plus the 2.5L seemed more powerful and sounded good with the dual exhaust.

This car is actually for my GF, but I'm the car guru and told her I'll find you a good car. So we tried to find the most reliable car with lowest possible miles in the best possible shape, and within her budget. Not to mention that only a few colors she liked and some other criteria in the mix - like a local non-salt car, clean title, no accidents etc that we used the Carfax for, which this car satisfied. When you put all those factors on top of each makes it a virtual needle in a gigantic haystack adventure. This was a well taken care of car, and a trade-in at the Chevy dealer and not an "auction" or dealer "wholesale" car like ones that show up on no name used car lots. Sales guy who we worked with said it almost sold that afternoon, but the guy couldn't get financing.

This one fit all the criteria by some miracle and we popped into the Chevy dealership that had it 20 minutes before they were to close at 7 pm. I looked it over pretty good and we took it for a test drive, then hammered out a deal in about 30 minutes that was fair to us and the dealership after seeing prices for others in this condition. This car was a 1-onwer and has 73K miles. Graphite gray metallic with black cloth interior which was like new. Always in the PNW and has zero rust anywhere. I looked down the oil fill cap on the engine and it was clean as a new engine. Has new tires and brakes are at least 50-60% left. Came with both keys, the owner's manual, all the factory floor mats and all the spare tire, jack and other tools were all intact like it was brand new. You wouldn't believe how many cars we looked at the were missing lots of that stuff, and only had one key and no owner's manual. The wheels don't even have any curb rash on them ... all other cars we looked at had at least a couple of curb rashed wheels. I wouldn't mind owning this car myself ... I liked it after a 15 minute test drive.

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The used car hunt has finally ended ... and this is the resulting find. It's a 2010 Mazda3 with the 2.5L 4-cylinder (port fuel injected, not DGI like the Skyactiv) and 5-speed automatic. I drove a 2012 with the 2.0L Skyactiv and 6-speed auto and I didn't like it, and the 6-speed auto acted more like a CVT than a conventional automatic. Not sure if that's how they are, or if something was going wrong with it. Bottom line, didn't like it. The 5-speed auto in the 2010 is much better feeling while driving ... shifts very positively like a good conventional auto should. Plus the 2.5L seemed more powerful and sounded good with the dual exhaust.

This car is actually for my GF, but I'm the car guru and told her I'll find you a good car. So we tried to find the most reliable car with lowest possible miles in the best possible shape, and within her budget. Not to mention that only a few colors she liked and some other criteria in the mix - like a local non-salt car, clean title, no accidents etc that we used the Carfax for, which this car satisfied. When you put all those factors on top of each makes it a virtual needle in a gigantic haystack adventure. This was a well taken care of car, and a trade-in at the Chevy dealer and not an "auction" or dealer "wholesale" car like ones that show up on no name used car lots. Sales guy who we worked with said it almost sold that afternoon, but the guy couldn't get financing.

This one fit all the criteria by some miracle and we popped into the Chevy dealership that had it 20 minutes before they were to close at 7 pm. I looked it over pretty good and we took it for a test drive, then hammered out a deal in about 30 minutes that was fair to us and the dealership after seeing prices for others in this condition. This car was a 1-onwer and has 73K miles. Graphite gray metallic with black cloth interior which was like new. Always in the PNW and has zero rust anywhere. I looked down the oil fill cap on the engine and it was clean as a new engine. Has new tires and brakes are at least 50-60% left. Came with both keys, the owner's manual, all the factory floor mats and all the spare tire, jack and other tools were all intact like it was brand new. You wouldn't believe how many cars we looked at the were missing lots of that stuff, and only had one key and no owner's manual. The wheels don't even have any curb rash on them ... all other cars we looked at had at least a couple of curb rashed wheels. I wouldn't mind owning this car myself ... I liked it after a 15 minute test drive.

(y)

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Great find! That interior looks brand new! nice!! 😍(y)
 
Good luck with it. My cousin has had a Mazda 6 for a quite a few years now with no major issues and I have a 2021 CX-5 Grand Touring Reserve with the 2.5 turbo motor and about 9700 miles on it with no issues so far and I'll probably keep mine a while as I barely drive anymore. Market must still be hot or Mazda holds value decent, possibly both as my CarFax/KBB history based value isn't too much lower than I paid for the car.
 
Great choice @ZeeOSix. In today's car market i don't think there's a better company. Good engines, nice driving experience, good to look at and reliable. Wishing you many years of trouble free, enjoyable driving.
 
Nice find. You should get good use out of that car.

The SkyActiv transmissions are different. It depends on what you are used to.
It was the first time I drove a Mazda3 with the Skyactiv and 6-speed auto. The automatic transmission just seemed "sluggish" and non-responsive to the throttle. The 5-speed in the 2010 was nicely responsive to throttle inputs, and shifted when I expected it to, and it shifted without feeling like it was sluggish. Mazda probably married that 6-speed with the Skyactiv to shoot for the higher fuel mileage.
 
It was the first time I drove a Mazda3 with the Skyactiv and 6-speed auto. The automatic transmission just seemed "sluggish" and non-responsive to the throttle. The 5-speed in the 2010 was nicely responsive to throttle inputs, and shifted when I expected it to, and it shifted without feeling like it was sluggish. Mazda probably married that 6-speed with the Skyactiv to shoot for the higher fuel mileage.


I’m suspecting that the computer needed some runtime to getting the settings back. Your experience is completely opposite of mine. Ours shifts quickly and is intuitive.
 
I’m suspecting that the computer needed some runtime to getting the settings back. Your experience is completely opposite of mine. Ours shifts quickly and is intuitive.
Could be maybe if someone disconnected the battery or clear some codes. Or maybe there was something going wrong with that one, which was a 2012 Mazda3 with 117K on it.
 
Mazda3 is more fun to drive even though it gets less mileage than a Civic or Corolla.

Mazda3 would also be my choice.
 
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2.3 mzr turbo, 150,000 miles, tuned and ran out of oil. i think they're decent cars, i was impressed with this Mazdaspeed 3 because it seized on the highway, was towed to the Mazda dealer, and after it cooled off it drove on to my trailer. engine block and many parts had fo mo co cast into them, and the engine i installed (from a cx7) also said fo mo co on it. i would get a non turbo manual version of the 2.3, the turbo mazda 3s were also gdi and had problems related to that.
 

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Here is a Skyactiv UOA posted yesterday. :(

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"Last July’s oil report showed a trace of coolant and increase in potassium. This report showed even more coolant and higher potassium. I had planned on doing a shorter interval and checking with a different lab, but never got around to it. Fixing it is really our only option. We can’t afford another vehicle or monthly payment right now.

My main concern right now is parts availability and how long the repairs will take me. My wife can’t drive manual trans which is what my 2 other cars are.

Not sure about the trip. There has been some coolant loss from the tank, but it’s been minimal. I’ve only had to add maybe a cup or two of coolant in the past year."
 
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