Time to defend my car!
quote:
Originally posted by JHZR2:
And Ive said it once, Ill say it again... "performance oriented" is saying little more than "we'll give you crap that you can pretend is a race car to make you feel good". 8.6 seconds 0-60 isnt fast. It isnt anything special. Id rather have 9.6 seconds 0-60 and 7 more MPG in real driving... Niether is fast, one at least is economical.
Well, 7.8 seconds if you actually know how to drive a standard. When do you need to go faster than that in traffic? Mid-15 1/4 miles on the stock car are not uncommon. Handling is impressive on this car, and that's also a major component of performance.
http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/wagon/112_0406_2004_mazda3_5door/
I average 35mpg on the highway with my 3, and about 32 mpg overall. The little bit of extra money for gas over a Civic is pretty much paid for by insurance savings (based on EPA numbers). With the 2.0L, fuel economy would be about 10% better.
quote:
Originally posted by JHZR2:
Take away those gimmicks, put 15 or even 16" wheels, and 4-wheel discs (I assume the 3 already has them but the focus doesnt), and put an economical engine in there, and then were talking...
Sorry to disappoint you, but 15" wheels won't clear the 11.8" front brakes on the GTs (and they all have discs all-around).
Now for a few comments from someone who's actually driven it:
The engine is smooth and revs to 7000rpm very easily. It lists the max power at 6500rpm, but I'm pretty sure they just say that because that's what they list the redline at. It feels as though it's still building power at 7000rpm. Torque below 3500rpm isn't great though.
The electronic throttle has a delay that can be very annoying. Give it gas to make a left turn in a traffic gap, and there is sometimes a significant delay (about a half-second) before the throttle starts opening. This is my biggest complaint about the car, and it's almost dangerous at times. I wish it had a cable running the throttle.
Wheel hop is a horrible problem if you actually run 32 psi in the tires. It often feels as though the engine and tranny are going to end up in your lap. 28 psi fixes that problem and the handling and ride are still good. I still average 35 mpg on the highway, with a full-tank high of 39 mpg, at 28 psi.
I put Michelin Pilot Sport A/S tires on the 17" wheels and it handles great. I wouldn't want the extra sidewall of 16" wheels.
Shifter is a cable linkage, so it's not the greatest feel but it's much better than most. 1st, 4th, and 5th gear are right on. The 1-2 gap is big though; 2nd should be 15% lower, and 3rd should be 5% lower.
The brakes are exceptional. 70-0 distances are 160ft (Car and Driver), on par with many high-end sports cars.
Steering and handling are very tight and they feel great. The steering gets progressively heavier as speed increases. No complaints here about the electric power steering.
The interior is spacious in front and back. I'm never driven a car that is more comfortable to me than the Mazda3. It fits me right. I couldn't imagine buying a car without a telescopic steering wheel anymore!
The oil filter is a bit of a pain to change compared to a spin-on, but it's not that bad.
I have a few other minor complaints about interior things, but I have complaints like that about any car.
It's certainly not perfect, but IMHO it was the best car for the price in 2004. Everyone who's gotten in my car has been genuinely impressed, and most have been surprised at how low the cost is. Of course, the Civic has been totally redesigned since then, so maybe it is better now. You still can't get the cargo space of the hatch in the Civic though!