PUNkProtege

i like the stock stereo stuff

DarkApathy

i hardly notice them..

DarkApathy

yes OEM is great. but aftermarket is so much sweeter. i agree wit u though, mazda makes it look good from the factory.

gtgray

Here is my quick review, Just bought the car yesterday.

I bought the 3s sedan with the automatic. This is a very zippy car, with very flat and neutral handling. The manual shifting feature on the automatic is nice for holding the car in the fat part of the power band mid-corner.

This engine just loves to rev. You will be bouncing off the rev limiter a lot on this one.

I have only a couple of nit picks. The seats could be a bit softer. But in all fairness that is an initial impression. They give excellent support and you forget almost immediately about them as you focus on the rest of the driving experience. Great steering is a Mazda trait and the new electronic assisted steering is quick, and precise. The steering wheel has that great Mazda tactile feel.

Not as fast through corners as my supercharged Miata with V-rated Falkens, but that is too be expected. Still the 3 is extremely confidence inspiring. This is a car you will love to rev and drive hard. This one has the 16' wheels and down the road the all-season Toyo Proxes will have to go, they are just okay.

Build quality is very nice, Mazda will have a real hard time selling the 6i now that this car is out. Although the dash is a nicely themed design, I would have preferred the audio be in a stackable din packaging. The MP3 option is very expensive and a dealer installed item.

A 5th gear in the automatic and a 7K redline would have made this little car insanely great, as it is, it is only brilliant. There are no perfect cars but this one is pretty close especially considering the bargain pricing. When it comes to the compact class the Mazda 3s is definitely the new leader. Move over Honda.

Fun..Fun..Fun!

badM3

With a little more time... and a ECU upgrade, Im sure the rev limit will be raised at least another 700rpm.

I swayed away from the Auto just because it didnt have a 5th gear... but it still ran nicely when I test drove it.

Thxbrett

Car and Driver just tested the 3 hatchback and it weighed 2957 pounds!!! I was hoping for an AWD turbo version of this car via Mazdaspeed but I shudder to think what an AWD version will weigh? 3300 pounds perhaps? The 3 does look good and appears to be quite quick with the 2.3 liter motor. It's a shame they couldn't trim around 400 pounds off the car. My Civic EX coupe only weighs 2580 pounds?

Brett.

badM3

feels much more powerful than the Matrix... and its heavier.

I think the curve is a lot smoother and there is more torque. Overall, it may not the stronger or fastest... but its a pretty damn good balance between power and handling.

gtgray

The C & D test car was pretty well loaded up. I don't know why people think you can add everything to one of these cars and not see the weight go up.


The 7.6 second 0 to 60 of the C & D test car is pretty quick as far a I am concerned. I think these car will exceed most peoples expectations.

Beside not wanting to pay for a boatload of options I felt the weight would add up, so I went with the 3s sedan, and the auto as the only option.

First automatic trans car I have purchased for me to drive in many years. This thing accelerates way faster than my 5- speed Protege LX 2.0, and is quicker than my Miata was stock.

I am very pleased. If there is another 10 whp to be found in a CAI, and catback I will be one happy camper and ready to call it day.

I did noticed a little black soot on the exhaust tip. Sounds like another too rich from the factory fuel map. Maybe we will see a reflash down the road and get a couple of free ponies there.

PUNkProtege

The test drive 3 at the dealership had 500 miles on it and they said it was getting exactly the mpg is was supposed to get and there was no deposits on the tip so i dunno
how many miles are on yours so far?

i would replace the intake manifold also to get some hp out of it..

gtgray

The RX-8s are running pretty rich and showing a fair amount of soot on the exhaust tip and bumper.

I only have about 220 miles on 3s. I picked it up Saturday. Oil level has not moved. Could not say much about the mileage yet still on the first tank.

gtgray

I have read reviews of the 180 hp Matrix that were very critical of the narrow power band. I can't remember which mag, but they said they liked the 130 engine better as they had to keep downshifting the higher hp motor on steep freeway grades. The 180 hp car could not maintain freeway speeds while the torquier lower hp motor ran just fine.

badM3

My opinion about the Matrix was based on a test drive.

I was planning to get that originally... but then discovered the 3. Once I drove the 3, it was the car I wanted.

gtgray

I always thought the P5 was so much better looking than the Matrix. Actually the only hatch I really love the look of is the Protege 5.

The 3 is light years ahead of the Protege overall. I can't exactly put my finger on it but the 3rd gen Proteges have something special about them. I still find my 2001 LX sedan an entertaining drive, and say what you like, they are just good looking cars. I guess that something special is why the reviewers at C&D seem to have such mixed emotions about the 3.

I think their review fails because they (C & D) were so fond of the Proteges over the years. They should have realized the 3 is really something else, whatever the 3 is, it is not a 4th gen Protege.

The 3 is a clean slate car. Maybe someday when there is a 3rd gen 3, C&D will be just as wistful at its passing as they seem to be over the 3rd gen Proteges including the 5.

To me I do not morn the Protege. Instead I say long live the 3. The 3 is an amazing car. As one reviewer wrote, "The Mazda 3 is simply the best car you can buy for the money, period!" What better compliment can you give.

I can only hope the next gen Miata is as much improved over its predecessors as the 3 is over the Proteges. If Mazda can keep the weight and cost inline it should be as sensation in a 4th gen as it was at launch in '89.

badM3

Yea I love the look of the P5 as well... but the motor doesnt cut it. The first time I test drove it, me and 2 other people went. The car felt very sluggish, but it handled nicely.

I feel the 3 is picking up where the P5 left off. Is it the 4th gen P.. no. But it sure helps Mazda keep up in the ranks.