ablueSI
Senior Member
- Joined
- Jan 2, 2019
- Threads
- 5
- Messages
- 198
- Reaction score
- 163
- Location
- SF Bay Area
- Vehicle(s)
- '18 Civic SI Sedan
- Thread starter
- #1
As car enthusiasts, many of us have thoughts on the new Mazda3. As a previous owner of a marvelous 2003 Mazda6 V6, and a less-marvelous but better overall car 2011 Mazda3 2.5 (6-speed), I test drove the latest 3 sedan ($29k sticker) out of curiosity. Down the line, should Mazda decide to bring the Speed3 back -- which the company recently said will likely happen -- I would potentially be interested. Right now I have a stock 2018 Si.
First-off, Mazda is a master of interiors and most people know this by now. From a materials quality perspective, the 3 handily surpasses the Civic. The chrome trim looks and feels real, the new infotainment system and 8.8 inch screen is a breeze to use, the leather feels nice and there are soft-touch materials throughout.
BUT....
I've come to appreciate the extraordinary driving position the Civic offers. I felt like I was sitting on top of the Mazda3, not inside of it. I could not get my seat nearly as low as in the Si and overall the car felt raised. This is a post-2010 Mazda thing -- my friends sometimes joked my old 3 felt like a crossover. I'm a stickler for a good interior, but the materials quality did not, IMO, make up for the less-special feeling driving position. Coming from an Si, the Mazda's seats just weren't the same. It felt a lot smaller inside, too. A negative for me, but that might be a plus for some folks.
Onto the driving experience: for the most part, it still drives like a Mazda. The ride, even with the torsion beam, is incredible. It has that slight bounce characteristic of all Mazdas, like the suspension is under constant tension (think of a rubber band just before it snaps) but in a good way. It's not stiff, but it's not soft, either. On tight corners, a few on which I had a chance to push the car, it rotates beautifully. Obviously, it's not nearly as sporty a drive as the Si -- the steering (as many have reported) is SLOW -- that part wasn't fun. The feel is okay. It felt a little loose. Not great. Such is the modern world of cars, but they could have done better for enthusiasts.
Acceleration was simply "whatever" but adequate for the class. I'm seeing 7 seconds to 60 from most publications -- not bad. But the Skyactiv engines do not make power in an exciting way. Second gear is still way too long for fuel economy purposes and it takes some fun out of the drive. The noise from the intake is still economy car-ish. It's not bad but the 1.5 turbo is a lot better.
Mazda is going for a mature market and with this latest model, it shows. Personally, even as a prior Mazda fanboy, I'd get an Si or a Civic Sport Touring and call it a day.
First-off, Mazda is a master of interiors and most people know this by now. From a materials quality perspective, the 3 handily surpasses the Civic. The chrome trim looks and feels real, the new infotainment system and 8.8 inch screen is a breeze to use, the leather feels nice and there are soft-touch materials throughout.
BUT....
I've come to appreciate the extraordinary driving position the Civic offers. I felt like I was sitting on top of the Mazda3, not inside of it. I could not get my seat nearly as low as in the Si and overall the car felt raised. This is a post-2010 Mazda thing -- my friends sometimes joked my old 3 felt like a crossover. I'm a stickler for a good interior, but the materials quality did not, IMO, make up for the less-special feeling driving position. Coming from an Si, the Mazda's seats just weren't the same. It felt a lot smaller inside, too. A negative for me, but that might be a plus for some folks.
Onto the driving experience: for the most part, it still drives like a Mazda. The ride, even with the torsion beam, is incredible. It has that slight bounce characteristic of all Mazdas, like the suspension is under constant tension (think of a rubber band just before it snaps) but in a good way. It's not stiff, but it's not soft, either. On tight corners, a few on which I had a chance to push the car, it rotates beautifully. Obviously, it's not nearly as sporty a drive as the Si -- the steering (as many have reported) is SLOW -- that part wasn't fun. The feel is okay. It felt a little loose. Not great. Such is the modern world of cars, but they could have done better for enthusiasts.
Acceleration was simply "whatever" but adequate for the class. I'm seeing 7 seconds to 60 from most publications -- not bad. But the Skyactiv engines do not make power in an exciting way. Second gear is still way too long for fuel economy purposes and it takes some fun out of the drive. The noise from the intake is still economy car-ish. It's not bad but the 1.5 turbo is a lot better.
Mazda is going for a mature market and with this latest model, it shows. Personally, even as a prior Mazda fanboy, I'd get an Si or a Civic Sport Touring and call it a day.
Sponsored