Hi all,

I'll be dropping by the Mazda showroom later today to take a look at the Mazda 3 and if everything pleases me, I'll most probably be placing the booking fee.

If bought, this will be my first Mazda (has been on Toyota/Honda) previously.

Anything "red herrings" that I should be made aware of before I decide to go with the purchase?

oh cock.

but all the need for replacements happened within the warranty period?

i just returned from the showroom not long and I got an offer back for a 2019 Mazda 3 (2.0 Sedan High) at RM141,000.00 thereabouts, is it a reasonable deal?

I'm driving a 2016 2.0 Honda Accord now and is looking to downsize to something a little bit more nimble and engaging to drive.

4 poly metal grey for the 2019 1.5 liftback but should left with 3 now cause I placed by booking for one already

the bank called me earlier to get some details so should be able to know if my loan gets through or not by tomorrow.

with the discount given under the Sales Tax and the additional rebate for 2019 units, although it is still more expensive than the Corolla and the Altis, i think the asking price now becomes reasonable - taking into the fact of what Mazda is giving.

if you have the budget then go for the 2.0 because while you may not be able to use all the horsepower, you'll definitely be able to take advantage of getting more torque at lower rpms which translate to less engine revving hence less noise.

just to put the engine power into perspective.

the 9th generation Honda Accord has a HP to weight ratio of 0.1:1 (@6500rpm) and torque to weight ratio of 0.12:1 (@4300rpm).

the 1.5 mazda 3 has a HP to weight ratio of 0.08:1 (@6000rpm) and torque to weight ratio of 0.11:1 (@4000rpm).

so statistically speaking, you shouldn't feel that the 1.5 is "severely underpowered" like what non-owners claimed however i got to admit, when it comes to highway speed, the 1.5 should find itself struggling or to be very noisy if it tries to breach the 120km/h mark.

then again, with the interior of the mazda 3 looking this good, couldn't understand why would anyone want to get in and get out of the car as soon as they can.

This post has been edited by shaniandras2787: Aug 13 2020, 06:37 PM

Lucky me, I just received a text from the bank informing that the loan has been approved. I have spoken to the banker earlier today and she said she will be recommending 2.33% but I'll need to check again once the document comes in.

I have heard banks offering as low as 2.2% for 7 years tenure.

To be honest, I was very skeptical about the "inadequacies" of the 1.5 and its specifications but after rationalizing, they don't really bothered me that much. Most of the items that were omitted are actually creature comforts which I can easily do without.

I bought my Accord 4 years ago because I wanted to make my monies worth and it sure did but of all the things that the car has, I seldom use so they are wasted. The only thing that I will miss is perhaps the reverse parking sensor, the 1.5 and even the 2.0 High variant doesn't have them

For whatever that's worth, I will surely miss my Accord, very very much.

This post has been edited by shaniandras2787: Aug 13 2020, 11:39 PM

Car loan applications have been fast for me, I remembered it took about 2 days or so for approval when I bought my Accord 4 years ago.

How time flies and it hasn't even clocked in 50,000.00kms yet.

I got a rebate offer of RM4,800.00 for the 2019 model together with the usual 6years stuffs, tinting and coating vouchers.

Usually for cars, I would go for the current year production model but since the production year is end of 2019 and it's a CBU so I wouldn't worry too much about deterioration in terms of quality and that 6 years warranty/free maintenance runs from the date of my registration so no sweat.

The deciding factor for me was because I'm currently driving a 2.0 and it sure is comfortable and effortless cruising at highway speeds but my profession doesn't requires me to travel frequently to far distances so while it's nice to know that you have the power at your disposal but I seldom get to use it. It's like buying a 6000sqft bungalow and only utilizing the master bedroom.

Oh! one more thing. I feel insecure driving above the speed limit because I don't want to pay saman so even if I have a 3.5 V6 engine, I'd still drive within the speed limit.

If you are an expecting parent then I would highly advise against going for the Mazda 3 solely based on these 2 reasons:-

1) the torsion beam set up is too harsh to give your baby a comfortable travel; and
2) the rear space is just too limited.

The CX-5 is definitely the more sensible choice or if you need to have a sedan nonetheless, consider the Honda Civic, at RM130k+, you get the top of the range variant with full set of safety suite and a much bigger rear passenger space, not to mention a more comfortable/subtle ride too.

The Mazda 3 rides just a little harsher compared to its competitors.

This post has been edited by shaniandras2787: Aug 17 2020, 11:11 AM

there's a jet black one in PFCC Puchong, saw it when i collected my PolyMetal Grey

left out the foremost important thing, the wraps on the piano black panels

thanks!

most car tint shops that provide car wrap service can wrap up the piano black panels but they might need to remove those panels from your car in order to get a clean/proper installation, the problem is fitting them back in.

you can try coating shops that do PPFs, some can custom cut the films to fit the panels but it's very expensive. i had one quoted me RM500.00 just for that centre console only.

i resorted to aliexpress and bought this instead as a temporary measure until a good deal comes by:

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/10050013112....27424c4dJyeyH1

if you scroll lower to the comments section on the aliexpress page, under the customer review column, there's shared picture from the buyer, doesn't look tacky at all.

here's the fresh link



it only costs around RM75 if you buy it directly from aliexpress. those vendors selling from lazada/shopee are just "trading", ordering it from other online sites "on your behalf" with marked up prices.

not sure about others though but i tried asking the shop that did my coating and according to them, they are waiting for the templates to do the PPF cutting for the centre console and one thing's for sure, it's definitely going to cost much more than RM75

has anyone swapped out their factory fitted front windscreen Skytint?

managed to found out that its TSER is only about 34%+ which explains why i could feel the heat from the sun on my thighs (in long working pants) during an afternoon drive. even the top part of the steering and dashboard heats up.

yeah, Hamel has been gaining wind in recent times but do share your updates here! I'm planning to get my re-tinted soon, the factory fitted Skytint on the front windscreen really cannot make it. even if my skin can take it, i fear the dashboard and the steering will peel/fade before its time.

can't help you in respect of Android Auto, have been using Carplay and it is lots of fun

the black dots on the FWS are called "Frits"" and they shouldn't affect how a tint adheres. the original Skytint adheres nicely without any issue.

using cellophane tape is a bit

the good news is that it is a no frill fix but the bad news is that most tint shops will not guarantee that it will not damage your original tint but if it was up to me, i'd have the entire tint removed and then get it properly done up again.

good luck.

are they a reputable tinting shop or just some random accessory shops that does tinting?

yeah, the removal of old/previous (skytint) tint is a normal and recommended process - new tint adheres directly to glass better and also this is to avoid any disputes when it comes to warranty claims. for the rear window however is a totally different story, never remove the tint in any circumstances.

if they are a specialist tint shop then that is very unprofessional of them then. by the way, is the darken sunshade tint a brand they are carrying? if they are then i'd recommend you raising a complaint to their headquarters/main branch and see what are their replies.

i truly understand your situation, it sucks when things turned out bad but don't let it overwhelm you though because it is still an easy fix and not very costly.

the cellphone tape is very tacky indeed.

my advise is since the tint is under warranty then you should make full use of it. instead of going back to the same branch, try to pay a visit to the other branch and claim the warranty.