2012 Mazda3 iTouring

Deltona_Dave · Dec 5, 2015

About 6 weeks ago, I traded in my daughter's 2011 Fiesta (4 door with the ProblemShift Automatic 75K miles) for this 2012 Mazda with 48K. After the 2nd time the Fiesta trans needed to go for an input seal replacement, primary clutch (1-3-5-R shaft) and the high possibility of the TCM leaving her stranded, it was time to run!

This 3 has the SkyActiv powertrain (2.0 DI, 155 HP) and seems to be a much nicer vehicle vs the Fiesta. My daughter likes the fact it has a sunroof, bluetooth for the phone, gets 35 Mpg (average) and has plenty of power for the Interstate and a Bose sound system! The transmission is a hybrid of conventional and DCT. It has a torque converter for low speeds and a wet clutch. It is light years ahead of Ford/Getrag's 6 speed DCT (dry clutch)! Tires are new and it has an extended warranty til 125K miles.

I just changed the oil and filter. Valvoline SynPower 0W-20 and a genuine Mazda (Tokyo Roki)filter. I just wanted to put the right oil in and keep it on the 5's for changes. It is now at 50K.

Dave

SatinSilver · Dec 5, 2015

Nice and a huge upgrade!

Mr Nice · Dec 5, 2015

Love the way these Mazda3 drive. I had a rental and it drove much nicer than a Civic.

Deltona_Dave · Dec 5, 2015

Thanks guys. This car is light years ahead of the Fiesta, and they are around the same price new. Insurance dropped 150 for a six month premium, and the build quality is very good (Japan vs Mexico). Since my daughter commutes 35 miles one way for college and has a part time job, I wanted her to have a reliable vehicle with good fuel economy. This fits the bill.

skyactiv · Dec 5, 2015

My wife had a 2012 Mazda3 with the Skyactiv engine. It's how I came up with my name. She likes driving sticks and wasn't happy she couldn't get the higher end model with a Bose sound system and a manual. She got a new job and a new car to replace it with.
What impressed me the most about the Mazda3 is it's athletic handling. They don't lean much during cornering.

Mr Nice · Dec 5, 2015

Yep. Great handlig. That's why Mazda says Zoom Zoom.

BigD1 · Dec 5, 2015

@Delton_Dave

How does that Mazda compare to the 2013 Sonata? My son has the same year Sonata, and he was wanting a Mazda, but ended up getting the Sonata.

Andrew1972 · Dec 5, 2015

Much nicer car , sub compacts don't touch a candle to top tier compacts yet cost nearly as much.

3for3 · Dec 7, 2015

I had a 2012 Mazda3 Skyactiv hatchback for three years and 32,000 miles. It was a great driving car. I averaged 29.2 mpg over the course of the 30k miles, and that was mostly city driving.

My complaint was the weak AC unit. But that issue was fixed for the 2014 model year. I'm loving my 2015 Mazda3 AC system.

Congrats on getting the Mazda3, it should be a great car for a long time.

KrisZ · Dec 7, 2015

Congrats on the car. I hope the car serves you well and for a long time.

Sub-compacts pretty much only make sense in heavily congested areas and when very little highway is used. They are much easier to maneuver/park and that's where they will outshine compacts in gas mileage.
For people that live in suburbia or totally outside the big cities, compacts are a much better alternative.

badtlc · Dec 7, 2015

it is not a hybrid transmission. It is just a highly refined torque converter transmission that can compete with DCTs. The only real advances on this skyactiv auto is extremely fast torque converter locking and good reduction in weight.

Deltona_Dave · Dec 7, 2015

Originally Posted By: badtlc
it is not a hybrid transmission. It is just a highly refined torque converter transmission that can compete with DCTs. The only real advances on this skyactiv auto is extremely fast torque converter locking and good reduction in weight.

It does have a multi-plate wet clutch, according to Mazda's diagrams, along with a torque converter for low speed take-off.
SkyActiv Auto Trans Page There is a multi-plate clutch opposite side of the torque converter.

Dave

Deltona_Dave · Dec 7, 2015

Originally Posted By: BigD1
@Delton_Dave

How does that Mazda compare to the 2013 Sonata? My son has the same year Sonata, and he was wanting a Mazda, but ended up getting the Sonata.

I have not had more than 20 minutes of seat time in the 3 (My daughter is almost never home).

Sorry I cant give you much of a comparison.

Dave

DBMaster · Dec 7, 2015

The Sonata is a different class of vehicle. It's midsize while the Mazda3 is a compact. I've put about 55,000 miles on my Mazda3 itouring hatchback since purchasing it new in June of 2012. Thus far, it is the most trouble free vehicle I have owned. It offers excellent performance and handling given its price and fuel economy numbers. I consider it a real bargain. Of course, time will tell.

badtlc · Dec 8, 2015

Originally Posted By: Deltona_Dave
Originally Posted By: badtlc
it is not a hybrid transmission. It is just a highly refined torque converter transmission that can compete with DCTs. The only real advances on this skyactiv auto is extremely fast torque converter locking and good reduction in weight.

It does have a multi-plate wet clutch, according to Mazda's diagrams, along with a torque converter for low speed take-off.
SkyActiv Auto Trans Page There is a multi-plate clutch opposite side of the torque converter.

Dave

The "clutch" is just the mechanism they designed to lock in the torque converter faster and during hard acceleration. It is still just a fancy torque converter transmission. It doesn't have dual clutches. It is not partially an electronically shifted manual transmission. It isn't really a hybrid of any kind.

Deltona_Dave · Dec 9, 2015

Thanks for the info badtlc. It is definitely better than the DCT that Ford is putting into the Fiesta/Focus and a lot more efficient!

Dave

2012 Mazda3 iTouring

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