2010 Mazda 3 owner

[Painkiller]

Hi, everyone.

2010 Mazda 3 GT, 6 speed manual, hatchback owner.

The car was purchased new from Morrey Mazda in Vancouver in February 2010.

Some comments about the car:

Likes:

- Car "feel". The handling is awesome. It's been more than a month since the purchase, and I still keep smiling as I am about to drive the car.
- Engine. If I am revving it above 3000 rpm, I am almost guaranteed to go too fast. I see virtually no difference driving alone or with 4 people in the car.
- Brakes, and all the drive train in general. Unlike most cars in its class, the car does not become sluggish when loaded with cargo/passengers.
- Xeon headlights. They are just good. Do not quite see the point of level adjustment, since I put it to highest setting anyway.

Dislikes:

- Fuel consumption (9.6 l/100km so far) Since the car is brand new, I expect this to drop in a few thousands km.
- Car is noisy. Tire and suspension noise is dominant, I rarely can hear the engine at all.
- Stupid button in the middle of the back gate, that opens it. Why Mazda abandoned the normal handle is beyond me.
- Seats have virtually no lumbar support. The exception is the power seat, but you can get it only in package with lots of other useless stuff like sunroof and leather, so I chose to ignore it.
- Automatic windshield wipers. They have insane lag, so I end up using manual mode anyway. However Mazda left only 2 speeds of wipers (fast and very fast) with no fine adjustment (it now regulates the sensitivity of the sensors). This is a major inconvenience in Vancouver.
- Climate control does not work for cooling. (It works perfectly for heating.) The fan speed is at minimum no matter how hot it is in the car and what the setting is, as long as it is below the temperature inside the car. However if I put the temperature to min (i.e. 15.0 degrees), the fan goes to the maximum. 15.5 puts it to sleep again. I observed this problem at least in 2 new Mazdas, so apparently this is a common problem.

[tonyzoomzoom]

Welcome pk to the forum!

Re your dislike, the car does consume a fair bit gas, especially if you do a lot of stop n go city driving.

The first gen cars has the manual lumbar adjustment.  I'm a bit surprised that they took this feature out for the second gen 

I quite like the auto wipers but it is not everyone's cup of tea.  And i don't have auto climate control   

[roflwaffle604]

welcome painkiller

and I still keep smiling as I am about to drive the car

and the car smiles right back

[Painkiller]

It does. I'm not the fan of the new design, but it kind of grows on me.

[derrick]

Welcome to the forums, Painkiller!

[stovetop]

i agree with the xenon headlights..there's no point in the levelling, i always have it pointed at the highest angle
and also, it is quite noisy...if it's raining and you're sittin gin the back seats, it sounds like there's a washing machine going at the back in the wheel wells

[Golddragoner]

i agree with the xenon headlights..there's no point in the levelling, i always have it pointed at the highest angle
and also, it is quite noisy...if it's raining and you're sittin gin the back seats, it sounds like there's a washing machine going at the back in the wheel wells

The highest number is actually the lowest setting if I remember correctly . The whole point of the setting is that its required by manufacturers to put on in order to get DOT approval for it. When you have people in the back your headlights aim higher up, so the point of it is to lower the headlights back to where it is supposed to be.

[Painkiller]

You do remember correctly.

Actually, I do not think that the beam is too high even at the highest level setting. It never reaches the level of the windows of the other vehicles.

[Golddragoner]

You do remember correctly.

Actually, I do not think that the beam is too high even at the highest level setting. It never reaches the level of the windows of the other vehicles.

The highest setting on that knob is actually for only the driver in the car. As you start adding weight to the back seat/trunk, you'll notice that it starts to get higher up. The knob is to lower them back to what they are supposed to be as to not blind drivers coming the other way. It will never get to the point of going inside other peoples windows, but the cast-off light that it doesn't manage to direct is enough to annoy oncoming drivers.

[WingZero_]

-Tire and suspension noise is dominant, I rarely can hear the engine at all.

If you want to hear more engine, you could always look at getting an intake.  The simota makes things a lil more noisy.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9zmqHcTBrKE

[MZRL5]

-Tire and suspension noise is dominant, I rarely can hear the engine at all.

If you want to hear more engine, you could always look at getting an intake.  The simota makes things a lil more noisy.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9zmqHcTBrKE

or this
http://www.mazda3forums.com/index.php?topic=167607.0

[Painkiller]

Thanks for advice, but I'd rather do the opposite - reduce the road noise. By the way, the last link is hilarious.

[surrey74]

Wow, 9.6 L/100km is very good, I only get that on the highway. I get about 11 to 12 mostly in city streets.
New tires should help, I popped my tires with pot holes months after having the car, replaced with Kumho K16, the noise is alot lower even after only two tires replaced.

I hate the auto windshield wipers too, i find them abit too sensitive. I also found Rain-X makes the system all screwy, gotta keep Rain-x, dirt and oil away from the sensor.

[jimmy]

-Tire and suspension noise is dominant, I rarely can hear the engine at all.

If you want to hear more engine, you could always look at getting an intake.  The simota makes things a lil more noisy.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9zmqHcTBrKE

or this
http://www.mazda3forums.com/index.php?topic=167607.0

LULS

[Painkiller]

Wow, 9.6 L/100km is very good, I only get that on the highway. I get about 11 to 12 mostly in city streets.

How fast do you accelerate??? I rarely go over 2500 rpm, there is no need to do so in normal driving. And I'd be happy with 7 liters/100 km. That is what my old 2001 Nissan Sentra used.

[ReD~DrAgOn]

Driving 5 days a week 75 - 80% city  the rest highway.
2.5L Automatic.

8 - 9 months of fill ups. I don't race the car, but I drive the car.

According to Mazda.ca I'm right on par for a 2.5L Manual

2.5L engine with manual transmission:                  10.1L/100km City; 6.9L/100km highway

[stovetop]

i only get 10.1

[niteron]

Welcome Painkiller!!!!

[tkosanostra]

Dislikes:

- Fuel consumption (9.6 l/100km so far) Since the car is brand new, I expect this to drop in a few thousands km.
- Car is noisy. Tire and suspension noise is dominant, I rarely can hear the engine at all.
- Stupid button in the middle of the back gate, that opens it. Why Mazda abandoned the normal handle is beyond me.
- Seats have virtually no lumbar support. The exception is the power seat, but you can get it only in package with lots of other useless stuff like sunroof and leather, so I chose to ignore it.
- Automatic windshield wipers. They have insane lag, so I end up using manual mode anyway. However Mazda left only 2 speeds of wipers (fast and very fast) with no fine adjustment (it now regulates the sensitivity of the sensors). This is a major inconvenience in Vancouver.
- Climate control does not work for cooling. (It works perfectly for heating.) The fan speed is at minimum no matter how hot it is in the car and what the setting is, as long as it is below the temperature inside the car. However if I put the temperature to min (i.e. 15.0 degrees), the fan goes to the maximum. 15.5 puts it to sleep again. I observed this problem at least in 2 new Mazdas, so apparently this is a common problem.

I just read this. Wow, sounds like someone didn't research the car enough.

[serpico007]

I don't have any complaints, nothing really bothers me. The automatic wiper thing is mostly spot on for me.