Mazda 3 Impressions

Went for a test drive of the Mazda 3 2.0 today. Also went for a ride in the CX-5.

According to salesperson, Mazda 3 sedan is stable up to 150 km/h whereas the CX-5 is stable up to 120 km/h due to its increased height and weight.

Some thoughts on the Mazda 3:
- car feels a little heavy. So acceleration is a bit more sluggish and not as snappy compared to my Vios.
- Car feels rather wide too. May not be able to squeeze through narrow lanes compared to the Vios. Measurements wise, the Mazda 3 is 9.5cm wider than the Vios. For occassions where the lane is narrow, and you just need that extra space to squeeze through, this may make a difference.
- I used a sound measuring app on my phone to measure the interior volume when travelling at 110 km/h. Vios measured 60 dBA. Honda City also measured 60 dBA. Mazda 3 measured 63-64 DBA and the CX-5 measured 63 dBA. It is very surprising the Mazda C-segment vehicles are slightly louder than the Toyota and Honda B-Segments. However, it is not that noticeable during the drive. Maybe because I was busy talking to the salesperson.
- The Mazda 3’s ride is a bit stiff. Bumps are clearly felt. Maybe because of the 18” wheels. Perhaps changing to 16” wheels with a thicker sidewall may help. This is compared to the softer tires of my Vios 15” Continental CC6 and Honda City’s 15” Yokohama Advan DB.
- i-Stop may need getting used to. The car restarting sound is a bit unsettling but it does restart instantaneously so it shouldn’t be a problem in stop-go traffic.

Quality Control is supposed to be really good because it’s under the direct supervision of Mazda’s people from Japan.

Overall, I was quite impressed with the Mazda 3 because it feels very stable.

I personally think that for purely city driving, the Mazda 2 would be the best choice because it’s smaller, lighter, and has a snappier response. If only it had 6 airbags, then it would be an instant buy.

Why would you say downsize to 16" is a big NO? After all, the GL spec comes standard with 205/60 R16" wheels.

If follow Malaysian mentality on discounts, maybe have to raise price by another RM 5k, and a few times a year give RM5k discounts to make Malaysians feel like they got a good deal.


I think the Mazda 3s are really good value for their money. At around RM 110k, it already has 6 airbags, rear seats can be folded down (unlike Honda Civic), and does not use a CVT (unlike Altis and Civic). There already a number of CVT issues popping up on Honda and Toyota forums internationally.

Thank you for the info. That's a really major turn off. Not only is the battery expensive and spoil fast, but also can't use non start stop battery because it will spoil the alternator. Sheesh. I was seriously considering the Mazda 3 as one of my options but after this, haih...

Does anyone know what brand airbag is in current Mazda 3 GVC? Is it still Takata?

Concerned after reading this:
http://www.thestar.com.my/business/busines...r-airbag-scare/

This post has been edited by konchy: Jul 18 2017, 02:02 PM

Thank you

I just saw this post on reddit talking about jerky gear changes (from 4th to 5th gear, and from 2nd to 1st gear) in their automatic transmissions. Any owners notice jerky gear changes in their Mazda 3s? I didn't notice any unusual jerks during my test drive.

Link: https://www.reddit.com/r/mazda3/comments/6u...t_transmission/

You ordered the GL , high spec sedan, or hatchback?

I have some questions:

1. How do you check how much voltage your battery is? Use a multimeter?

2. You have any info on where to buy good lead acid battery chargers in Malaysia?

Thanks!

Dear all,

I would like to buy a Mazda 3 GVC hatchback early next year. But would prefer to have the 16" OEM wheels instead of the 18" because I usually drive slowly and would prefer the comfort.

Any idea how to go about this?
I e-mailed Bermaz but they have not gotten back to me yet.

Hopefully will be able to swap because it helps Bermaz save money too. The 18" wheels are more expensive than the 16" wheels.

Thank you very much for your replies. Hopefully SA will be able to help out. If not, will go and buy the 16" rims.

With 16" wheels, the tyre sidewall is thicker.
205/60R16 = 4.8" thick sidewall
215/45R18 = 3.8" thick sidewall

Pros:
- More comfortable because more impact absorption from thicker siewalls
- Better NVH

Cons:
- Cornering and responsiveness not as good.