Wait for the new civic only decide la....

Words are merely words here, what is most important is that you go see/touch/taste/feel/smell/test drive both cars. You can go test drive some distance to see whether the rattling irritates you or not.

Engine oil viscosity : suka hati kamu, can try xw30 or lighter oil if you want

ATF : MV (MES MN 117C)

Brake : Any Dot 3 equivalent will do

Always out of stock de....i got refused twice because takda stock when reach my turn

The free oil is still from shell and not some crap oil....it is not the best neither the worst, still quite decent....save your money la

If you die die want to pamper your car...just top up for the fully synthetic oil. I've not tried it, but I can guestimate the performance is similar if not slightly worse than the free oil as the fully synthetic oil is thicker oil (10w30 vs 5w40). My opinion is to just save that sum of money for petrol.

For 6 months/10,000km oil change, semi synthetic is still quite ok. Even honda offering mineral oil option for 6 months/10,000km....

I saw your facebook on this driving recorder. How did you manage to settle the power source? The only power source in the car is at the arm rest, you tap the fuse?

Go for track session la

TT tak cukup oomph...

Don't call us peeps la....not exactly polite....

Just go pump air every 2 weeks, save your cash. The air pumps already have a pressure regulator in it.

You try redlining your way during an up hill climb, you'll feel like your fuel tank bocor in just 2 runs

The engine ECU tuning different and the intake/exhaust header (forgot which one) is not the same as the bread and butter models...

I don't really think need to be so accurate on the readings. I just apply 270-280kpa every fortnight on the pumps, since need to visit to top up petrol anyway Also a good time to have a rough visual check on the tyres, rims and brake disk.

alamak, ni manyak mahal la Petrol station punya kan dah free...

If really so paranoid about tyre pressure, just get a a proper airpump. Still can save hundreds even if buy the expensive and heavier duty type...
http://www.fasmoto.com/tools-equipment/tir...ressor-air-pump

If say scared halfway driving then got leak, you'll definitely feel it as the steering will pull to one side/car will slowly shift to one side as the speed picks up. The feeling is different than an alignment issue. Further, if you buy an air pump, you can pump up if got leak and head to the nearest tyre shop for repair/replacement. The pump can run on the 12V socket in the car.

Anyway, that's my "cheapskate" way of ensuring proper tyre pressure without breaking the wallet. Up to individual car owners to decide.
If under warranty, just head to the nearest Mazda service centre.

Your points noted. My opinion serves just as an alternative method for people to consider.

It is iridium type, that's why more expensive.

If really got air, you tekan also not much braking power and need to keep pumping.

You just need to get used to the breaking action and adjust to it, it is not a defect. As proven that after bleeding, still no difference. I agree that it doesn't feel as linear or "strong" enough, but actually quite adequate. I've slowed down from 130km/h to half of it in a short distance.

If you really want a hard shove on the brake without stepping deep, teach you a tip, double tap the brake (step the pedal>release>step the pedal; do it in quick succession within 1 second or 2). This action amplify the brake booster tremendously. Try it if the car at the back is not to close or else most likely will bang into your butt.

As i said in my comments above, the brakes are adequate, just the "feel" not nice. As drivers, we need to get the hang of it, that's how you understand the quirks and character of the car. If still unhappy, I think need to adjust the brake booster, maybe you can ask outside workshop a workaround without changing the pads or the disc. There should be a way to adjust this. The brake pad is actually quite a good one, not much brake dust compared to the other 2 cars in my family.

I'm no mechanic, but i think just need to tweak the valves related to the brake vacuum assist. Can casually ask your favourite local mechanic about this, but not sure whether need to plug into the car computer to adjust...

One thing good about vios is the rather oversized brake disc used compared to the size and weight of the car. You can see no car in the same segment that uses such large brake disk. Further, vios is about 300kg lighter than the Mazda3. I was once an owner of the vios and I agree that the brake feel is very linear throughout the whole pedal travel.

Still missing it, but not something that I'm unhappy with the Mazda3. I've adjusted to the braking characteristics already, feels quite similar to the other hyundai i have in my family.

For those who like to understand more about the engine technicalities, here's a good read :

http://www.autoserviceprofessional.com/art...engine-packages

Just got a reply from a Mazda expert, the brake booster cannot be adjusted manually like older cars, have to adjust through ECU

There will always be creative individuals and organisations that will find ways to improve it

See this : http://www.ovtuned.com/

We miss the fuel economy and the fantastic brake modulation from the Vios, other than that, all else the Mazda3 is

(Maybe also the irritating front suspension noise.....)

I think MissHanz or someone else did say the service centre technician did something about the brakes...

Because it is the average against the total driving time including those times that you idle your car just for the sake of aircond, stuck at traffic jam, wait for traffic light or start the car for no reason but not driving it, etc...

Mine now is 45km/h after one month of rather spirited driving

Thanks for the link, yours one better, very informative and insightful reading. I liked the fact that they added their commentaries with lots of pictures.

When left second bar, the fuel light starts showing. But will have no problems driving until zero bars as the reserve/unmeasured portion is about 5 litres.

I can average about 650km per 45L of RON95 petrol which is about 6.9L/100km or 14.km/L.

Does your place have a significant uphill climbs or got quite a lot of need to do overtaking? But I don't really feather footed and rather ah beng in early mornings and I still can get that fuel economy....

If your referring to the new Civic with the new 1.5L turbo engine :

Technically, fuel economy will favour the Civic, but not sure in real life. My guess is should be similar.

Maintenance cost will be Mazda as fuss free for the 3 years.

Ease of headache, both cars won't cure your headaches (just kidding ). So far not heard of any bad cases of engine and gearbox failure for the Skyactiv petrol engines. The powertrain is consider rather reliable from a UK car website and have good recommendation for Skyactivs. The common issue with the Mazda 3 being :
1) Noisy suspension even when new (most of us complain to SC kaw kaw)
2) Loud tik/tak noise on windscreen for some, a little annoying but less frequent than the suspension noise
3) The NVH insulation of the Mazda3 will really need to step up on the upcoming facelift, the factory fitted performance tyres made this worse (the new Civic will beat it hands down)
4) Some complain of being a little tight at the rear seats. Will be an issue for tall people, but my family members are fine with it (new Civic wins this hands down as the space can compete with the Accord )
5) Skyactiv engine roar vs Vtec scream (personal preference applicable)
6) Some with light tickling/rattling of the dashboard
6) Brake feel and travel not so nice (personal preference applicable), but the bite is absolutely adequate even when needed to slow down from high speeds.
7) The "Mazda" brand vs the "Honda" brand (suka hati kau la.....)

In the end, your choice la...despite continental cars having vocal complaints, there are many people still flock to them as the emotional appeal can be stronger than rational appeal (example : there are more W205 C Class on the road than the Mazda3 within the places i drive often). Get what satisfy you most. If you're in the lookout and not in hurry, please do wait for the new Civic and the new Elantra later on (i have a 2010 hyundai back home and it is rather solid till this day with no nightmares other than the regular service).

This post has been edited by wkc5657: May 2 2016, 04:27 PM

You're welcome. My driving situation is 60% highway and 40% urban. I only have to wait for 1 traffic light on the way to work and 3 traffic lights when coming back, so maybe that helps the fuel economy a bit more.

Instead of coating, better do transparent wrap. Around the same price range of an expensive coating...

At least the wrap is a real physical protection, coating makes the car look really nice but not much substance when a real stone hit it...