my message still the 'before' ver. Think i need to ask SC when i go for 1k service

last sunday, lol

Just want to share my experience with my Mazda 3 after 2 weeks with 800km mileage. I am definitely not a car reviewer nor someone who is very familiar with a car. Whatever i state will purely based on my own feeling and experience and to address other common comments that were given to Mazda 3 when i was doing my research.

I upgraded to Mazda 3 sedan from honda city (2018). Therefore, the new things for me are mainly on electronic and driver assist feature. So far, only fetched my parents + my brothers

1) Comment: Limited space
My experience: As someone with 168cm height, the car is very spacious for me to be frank. When i sit behind me, i still have 2 fists + 2 finger of knee room.

2) Comment: Hard to enter due to small opening
My experience: Don't feel it is low and hard to enter, maybe i am more flexible perhaps?

3) Comment: Engine is noisy
My experience: still bearable, definitely quieter than peugeot 405 that my family had.

4) Comment: Limited bootspace
My experience: Still larger than my honda city, so that's a plus.

5) Comment: Lots of blind spot, especially A and B-pillar
My experience: I haven't experience problem so far, i feel that the blind spot is similar to my honda city.

6) Comment: no touch screen panel
My experience: Initially i thought i would face some difficulties to adapt to the dial, but actually, no, i got used to it right away. Lol

7) Comment: I-stop is annoying
My experience: Strangely it didn't trigger at all no matter i stop for a long while, waiting at traffic light junction, my air-con temp is just 22 degree.

Regarding the jinba-ittai driving experience, unfortunely, it is not something that i can feel...maybe i am just not aware of such thing.

The good:
Very sturdy build with no rattling, better than my honda city.

Front sensor, BSM, auto headlight, I love these features alot to be frank. Lol
walkaway lock, felt very annoyed at first, then slowly got used to it.

Fuel efficiency: 9.8km/l - 10.2km/l in city, 14.8km/l - 15.5km/l at highway

Nothing bad so far, maybe something that is not-so-good?
paint is damn thin and easily get swirl mark....windscreen also sort of more fragile? at least i feel it that way, already got some chipping accidentally from lorry at highway, really bad luck, when i was already driving really far from the lorry.
the battery still running after the engine has been switch off by design, which is something i dislike (and unable to sit in the car, with engine switch off, while waiting for people!)
windscreen wiper switch to maintenance mode...yea...this is just annoying...

That's all i can think of now so far.

This post has been edited by gundamsp01: Jun 9 2023, 10:59 PM

2) I am definitely not thin....
3) Well, at least the engine sound is louder than my honda city
5) that's why BSM helps me alot, i also feel that it can detect the car suddenly speed up from my side and give me the warning
7) I am ok with what it is now, don't want to "fix" it, lol

No PPF, just coating + personal waxing

Windscreen wise, i really got chipped by small rocks flicked from lorry, had to buy the windscreen fix kit just after like 4 days after getting the car, maybe i just unlucky

high plus

i think the difference come at 130 above, but it could be just me

for my car, things are solid, nvh is good (compared to my previous car, h city) no rattling

today pump Ron97 for the first time in my life, omg, not sure if just my imagination, but can feel the car very responsive and power comes instantly.
And less (or maybe none) vibration when idling at traffic light.

Totally can feel the "fun" in driving, easily reach 130-140 on highway.

But then, not much fuel efficiency, maybe too pedal happy, from average 14.8 - 15.5 km/l dropped to 14.3 km/l (highway + town journey)
While on cost side, maybe increase RM30-40 per refuel (per week)...if i use Ron97 all the time.

This post has been edited by gundamsp01: Jun 17 2023, 08:46 PM

yea...but then i really wait till i only left with 50km mileage then only refuel with 97. Anyway...

It also came to my surprise, this will be my last time to drive at high speed (more than 130km), damn the front bumper and hood got so many rock chips!!! Need to do some fixing.
damn regret for my action, as a matter of fact, i dont even tailgate people, yet still hit by rock chips...

i did consider about that initially, but didn't opt for it, because of price and needs to be removed, repainted, reapplied after few years, which is another cost.
Then i found that i have serious OCD, and can't tolerate the rock chips...

Just ordered touch up paint, let's see if i can fix it.

This post has been edited by gundamsp01: Jun 19 2023, 10:23 AM

RM200 - 300 is quote by bermaz mazda?

hmm, my fuel efficiency is around 10km/l for city drive, while 14 - 15.5km/l for highway drive. I think depends on driving behavior?

yes

4 months now, sedan, no rattling sound at all. But tire already changed once due to pothole, that's the risk with low profile tire.
Aside from that, the paint is thin, advisable to have ppf installed. I didn't do that, damn regret now.

black, like what u get for stone chip

there is always a saying that repaint quality is not good and not able to match the color of the rest of the body, and the color fade easily etc etc

apply to 2023 mazda 3 model as well? just service my car in nov

This post has been edited by gundamsp01: Dec 22 2024, 02:29 PM

That's on performance, shouldn't build quality be considered as well? I have a City 2019 and Mazda 3 2023, the quality of the interior totally different.

i agree that 1.5 Mazda 3 will feel underpowered. For my experience with 2.0 Mazda 3, i feel that it is good enough, definitely more power to overtake cars compared to my city, and i do not mind torsion beam or what not. It is better than city with a soft suspension with higher chance of scratching the bottom whenever going through a speed hump (my experience). Quite happy with my mazda 3 in short.

This post has been edited by gundamsp01: Jun 9 2025, 10:49 AM