Topic: First Drive: 2014 Mazda3

[Autos_Editor]

Mazda's popular compact has always been good, and it just got better.

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[hemusbull]

A traditional question - Did they solved the rust issues with new generation Mazdas?
In recent rust ratings Mazda was shown as a #1 of top 10 worst cars for rust. You can see it here: http://ca.autoblog.com/2013/09/25/top-10-best-worst-cars-rust-problems-repair-fix-used-car-for-sale-top-10-best-vehicles/

[dencanad]

A traditional question - Did they solved the rust issues with new generation Mazdas?
In recent rust ratings Mazda was shown as a #1 of top 10 worst cars for rust. You can see it here: http://ca.autoblog.com/2013/09/25/top-10-best-worst-cars-rust-problems-repair-fix-used-car-for-sale-top-10-best-vehicles/

I was thinking the exact thing.  I also wonder if the dealer will honour warranty claims for rust.  Several of my friend's Mazda3's (all under 5 years old) have rust in the rear wheel wells, and the dealer play the "rust is not perforation" get-out-of-jail-free card.  Until then, I won't ever buy a Mazda.  Too bad.  I've owned three of them in the 80's and 90's.

[dkaz]

They switched steel suppliers in 2006-07 apparently...

[Scaerio]

Is it just me, or is white not a good colour for this car? Perhaps it is just the angle of the shot...

[mixmanmash]

A traditional question - Did they solved the rust issues with new generation Mazdas?
In recent rust ratings Mazda was shown as a #1 of top 10 worst cars for rust. You can see it here: http://ca.autoblog.com/2013/09/25/top-10-best-worst-cars-rust-problems-repair-fix-used-car-for-sale-top-10-best-vehicles/

I was thinking the exact thing.  I also wonder if the dealer will honour warranty claims for rust.  Several of my friend's Mazda3's (all under 5 years old) have rust in the rear wheel wells, and the dealer play the "rust is not perforation" get-out-of-jail-free card.  Until then, I won't ever buy a Mazda.  Too bad.  I've owned three of them in the 80's and 90's.

Well that is true, it is a rust perforation warranty.  Unless there is a visible hole through, they can't honour a claim because Mazda Canada won't reimburse the dealer for it.  Good thing is Mazda has increased their warranty to 8 years.  Still, nothing beats VW, Porsche, Audi and BMW that have a 12 year warranty.  It also helps that those manufacturers use galvanized steel.

[TheHire]

A traditional question - Did they solved the rust issues with new generation Mazdas?
In recent rust ratings Mazda was shown as a #1 of top 10 worst cars for rust. You can see it here: http://ca.autoblog.com/2013/09/25/top-10-best-worst-cars-rust-problems-repair-fix-used-car-for-sale-top-10-best-vehicles/

I was thinking the exact thing.  I also wonder if the dealer will honour warranty claims for rust.  Several of my friend's Mazda3's (all under 5 years old) have rust in the rear wheel wells, and the dealer play the "rust is not perforation" get-out-of-jail-free card.  Until then, I won't ever buy a Mazda.  Too bad.  I've owned three of them in the 80's and 90's.

This has been pretty prevalent on '04-09 cars. I have yet to see a second-generation Mazda3 (2010-13) with rust. My '06 had a bit of bubbling back in '09. I had it fixed under warranty, then promptly got rid of the car.

[Northernridge]

Looks sharp in some photos esp. from the front but other angles look a little...like everything else. Since the hatch is so raked now the 3 looks a fair bit like modern CUV styling just lower.

I don't think Mazda's problem is poor cars as much as poor marketing...kind of an under-performer these past few years to me. Not sure if the sales numbers show this.

From the review I love, free standing info screen...almost sounds like a feature.

[Rupert]

   I don't know about the galvanized steel comment. Anyway, nice to see that the hand with the spatula only seemed to get a single swipe and the shape of the body was used to define style more. Is it a quiet ride? Interior highway noise is important to me (the lack of it). I think I have to see them in the flesh and wonder why reducing the height is so important overall. There were some cues on the outgoing car that were nice. Anyway, handling is important for this car and if improved, above even it's present level, good things will happen I am sure.
   How about a Trax approach to a Mazda 2. Might be interesting.
   

[810]

Note to Ed:

"castor angle"

CastOr is the oil you take when you are constipated.

CastEr is the angle....

[Solstice2006]

Great first drive, little longer than usual which is nice.  Probably because it's such an important car to us Canadians.  Mazda is doing a great job with the Mazda3, selling more than the Cruze, Focus, Dart, Golf & Jetta, Sentra, and Impreza.  It will be interesting to see this time next year, who is doing better, the new Mazda3, or the new Corolla. 

When the manual comes in the GT, for the most part they will make everybody happy.  Mazdaspeed 3 is important to the brands image, so I assume that's coming in 2015.... Haven't really followed the news on that one. 

When the manual comes to the GT.  I have mentioned before, still makes one wonder, how much bigger is the Mazda6 (especially rear seats) compared to the Mazda3. 

Might consider a Mazda3 GT sport manual, over a Mazda6 GS.  Will have to look at it more closely...

[Jaeger]

Like the 6, this one immediately jumps to best in class in the looks department, IMO.

[JRM]

I've been anxiously awaiting the arrival of this car and the 2015 Golf before making my next car purchase.  I really like the exterior looks of the 3 Sport hatch.  However, I'm not that fond of the dash top info screen and lack of traditional speedometer.  For me, the more analog guages the better. 

I like what I see in pics of the next Golf interior, but not as much, the exterior styling.  It looks a little too evolutionary.   

I'll have to wait to see see them both in the sheet metal.    It will be interesting to compare the two and make a purchase decsion.

[hemusbull]

I like this Mazdaw3 for something Civic miss: the available 2.5 SkyActiv engine. And I hate it for something Civic has: non-traditional dashboard. No speedo and German aftermarket screen - no Mazda, rework it the way you guys did with the mouth...Otherwise outside muscular and sporty look is simply the best in class IMO! 

[dkaz]

GX + GS = big speedometer gauge plus a tiny little digital tachometer gauge on the left.

GT = big tachometer gauge with a digital speedometer readout on the tach and on the HUD.

People like to judge that HUD just from the photos. I actually drove the GT and it works very well. It's unobtrusive, and the focal point of the numbers makes it look like the numbers are floating 50 to 100m ahead of you, meaning no need to readjust your eyes to see how fast you're going.

[LoveToDrive]

A traditional question - Did they solved the rust issues with new generation Mazdas?
In recent rust ratings Mazda was shown as a #1 of top 10 worst cars for rust. You can see it here: http://ca.autoblog.com/2013/09/25/top-10-best-worst-cars-rust-problems-repair-fix-used-car-for-sale-top-10-best-vehicles/

I have a 2010 Model bought in summer 2009.  If you look at the first generation models, the rear wheel wells metal were bent in toward the car, and cut straight back.  I believe there are actually 2 sheets of metal here that were pressed together with glue or weld.  I read that these 2 pieces could come apart and let moisture/salt in ... and thus the rear wheel well arch would start to rust from the inside out.

In my model, there is an extra lip of metal. It looks like the 2 pieces are bent together as a seam, and the overlap is pressed up into the wheel well arch. Presumable it would be far harder for these to separate and moisture to get it.  I have no visible rust in 4 years, but thats too short to make a judgement.

I love the car otherwise.  If it gives me at least 8 years with no visible signs of rust, I will be a repeat Mazda buyer.  If not, it will be the one and only Mazda I ever own.

[Blueprint]

Mazda still builds "Sears rebate" room in their prices - local dealer currently advertising new 2013 Mazda3 GS-Sky automatics at 17,495$, transport & prep included. With the 2014, you need to go up to the GS + 500$ pkg to get heated seats, nearly 2k$ above the Civic EX's pricing level (and that one has a std sunroof...).  I did test drive a gen2 Skyactive auto and did not find it as pleasing as a gen1 with the regular 2.0 auto. The manual mode that I loved in the gen1 tranny is trickier with the Skyactive slushbox; it won't let you shift at the redline, and on top adds insult to injury the rev limiter cuts in...saw that too in the CX-5 and new Mazda6.

Not happy with the IP layout, and both options at that. I can live with the analog tach, provided the digital speedo is legible, but Mazda reversed that for the 2.0 cars and only placed the huge tach in the automatic-only GT 

Mazda is at a point where its rusting reputation is really putting a dent in sales - even the least car person at the office associates "Mazda" with "rust". VW was at a similar point in the mid-'90s with their high theft problem, with cross-model parts sharing encouraging thieves to steal and part out cars. VW replied with a major parts identification program that was well advertised - theft went down, sales rebooted.

Mazda needs to act on galvanized steel sooner than later and build a pr program around that.

[Solstice2006]

I don't think the sales have been largely affected because of the rust issue on a couple of years of the 1st gen.  I think it was mostly because of the large smiley face that many did not like, and in the stiff competition catching up, like the Elantra, redesigned Civic, and Focus. 

So since it was long in the tooth, with this redesign sales will surge.  Even still, for it to have that many sales and be one of the smallest car manufacturers out there, its been doing quite well.   

[mixmanmash]

A traditional question - Did they solved the rust issues with new generation Mazdas?
In recent rust ratings Mazda was shown as a #1 of top 10 worst cars for rust. You can see it here: http://ca.autoblog.com/2013/09/25/top-10-best-worst-cars-rust-problems-repair-fix-used-car-for-sale-top-10-best-vehicles/

I have a 2010 Model bought in summer 2009.  If you look at the first generation models, the rear wheel wells metal were bent in toward the car, and cut straight back.  I believe there are actually 2 sheets of metal here that were pressed together with glue or weld.  I read that these 2 pieces could come apart and let moisture/salt in ... and thus the rear wheel well arch would start to rust from the inside out.

In my model, there is an extra lip of metal. It looks like the 2 pieces are bent together as a seam, and the overlap is pressed up into the wheel well arch. Presumable it would be far harder for these to separate and moisture to get it.  I have no visible rust in 4 years, but thats too short to make a judgement.

I love the car otherwise.  If it gives me at least 8 years with no visible signs of rust, I will be a repeat Mazda buyer.  If not, it will be the one and only Mazda I ever own.

They used some sort of weird foamy glue to join the pieces together.  And it was somewhat porous, so it let moisture in which is what would cause rust.  That's how my Protege was put together as well.

[Nuttygent]

  My 06 Mazda 3 has more than a few issues which has been disappointing to say the least. The car drives beautifully which keeps me with Mazda...barely. A good omen will the fact a lot of parts won't have FoMoCo stamped on them, also keeping an eye on the 2009 and up fenders. I'm patient and will wait for the 2.5L hatch with a manual to try before leaving the Mazda camp.