Canuck GT3

Hi All. I'm new here and new to Mazda.

We bought a house in the country and I will be doing a 70 mile commute (all highway) 1 way to work.

My SUV was going to kill me on gas so I was given the opportunity to buy a 2005 Mazda 3GT Hatchback (Fully Loaded) for a great price.

I jumped on it. The car has 95,000 Kilometres (55,000 mi) on it. Came with snows and summers mounted on rims.

What service am I due for and how are these cars in the snow? How are these cars on gas , I have a 2.3.

Thanks

djs2571

I don't think there's any service needed yet - check the manual to make sure, but i've got about that mileage on my 07 and haven't done anything major yet. Though I did replace the coolant on general principles, and will be flushing the brake fluid when it gets a little warmer out.
I've got winter rims too, and am not particularly happy with the performance in the snow. Then again i've got a manual, so it's a lot easier to over-accelerate than an automatic... last car I had that was a tank in the snow had the same tires as what i've got now, but an auto 93 maxima.
Good luck with the new ride.

BennieBoarder

Welcome! I just recently joined as well, and I have a similar commute with about 72 highway miles each way. So far, I've averaged about 34-36 MPG going 65-70 MPH the whole way. It's definitely great on gas, and more fun than any economy car I test drove! Win-win on everything.

BennieBoarder

Oh, and in the snow so far mine hasn't been great, but that's due to the crappy tires I had. I just barely swapped the summer tires for some Hankook i*cept snow tires, so far they've been better, but I'll let you know when the next snow storm hits.

Canuck GT3

Thanks for the replies!

I forgot to mention , mine's an Automatic (wife can't drive a stick).

My commute will be all highway. The car is presently sitting in storage. It's going to the new house in March, but I wont be driving in until about April.

I just bought Hankook summer tires for it. The Snows are Yokohama's.

I've driven the car briefly, and it is a blast!!

I am very impressed.

djs2571

btw, the rear tires usually wear on the inside edge - part of the mazda design. you may want to get a camber kit to fix the problem since you have new tires for it.

Canuck GT3

OK Thanks for the tip .....................

fullofzen

You're due for a coolant drain-and-fill/flush if it hasn't been done. Mazda claims it should be done at 4-years/60k then every 2 years subsequent.. Other than that, the car should be maintenance free for quite a while -- I drive a MT, so I'm not sure what the AT-fluid drain-and-fill interval is. Anyone else?

Canuck GT3

Thanks. The transmission fluid was changed. I will get the coolant flushed and replaced prior to putting the car into service.

fullofzen

If you're even modestly mechanically-inclined (or even simply not mechanically-disinclined), you may want consider performing the coolant flush on your own. It is even simpler than changing the oil:

-- Allow engine to cool completely -- engine should be cool to the touch
-- Pop the top to the reservoir
-- Put the car on jack stands
-- Remove the engine scuff plate below the car
-- After placing collection tub, remove radiator drain plug with screwdriver to allow old coolant to drain
-- Run some distilled water into the coolant reservoir -- this will flush old coolant from the radiator
-- Replace radiator drain plug
-- Pour new coolant in -- it will take about a gallon to hit between the low and high lines on the reservoir; you can google around for coolant recommendations, but I use Peak Long Life in my '07
-- Replace reservoir lid
-- Check for leaks at radiator drain
-- Start up the car
-- Check for leaks again
-- Drive the car around a little; maybe a little trip on the highway. Check for leaks again.
-- Pour enough fluid in to reservoir to put you between the low and full lines -- the level will decline as bubbles work their way out of the radiator up to the reservoir
-- Replace engine scuff plate

As a note, this isn't a full flush -- the coolant in the engine block and heater core remains untouched. However, I would think that changing out half the coolant every 30k miles/2 years will probably keep your coolant system in good working order.