2010 3 Sport GT - New owner's first impressions

[slam525i]

I thought I'd share for anyone thinking of getting a 2010 model.

A little bit of background. I've been driving the same 5-series BMW for the last 10 years. She was built in 1991, but I loved her nonetheless. I absolutely adored her 2.5 liter inline-6 that was as smooth as a turbine engine. No mechanical failures in all those years. But, with so many little defects, I finally retired her last night for a new 3, and I've already put on 200 km. So, keep in mind I'm always comparing the 3 with the old faithful, consciously or otherwise.

Performance - Drivetrain
Both are 2.5 liter cars, but the BMW made a lot more horsepower. However, the Mazda is much quicker off the line because of the short and close ratios on the 6-speed. The clutch is progressive, the throws are short, but 6th is a little too short. (3000 rpm at 120 km/h) In comparison, the BMW hit 80 in first and 180 km/h in 3rd. It was a 4-speed auto.
It would be "unfair" to compare the sound of an inline 6 vs an inline 4. However, the Mazda is almost silent at idle when you're inside.

Performance - Suspension
The Mazda actually rides remarkably well for a small "economy" car. It soaks up the bumps really well. I haven't pushed her all the way to the edge yet, so I don't know what she's like at the limit and how well behaved she'll be. I did feel a little oversteer around an off ramp, but I think that's the DSC pulling the car back in after a slight understeer. (It wasn't lift-off oversteer.)

Exterior
You've all seen it. Love it, hate it, whatever. I spent most of my time IN, so it doesn't really matter.
The HID headlights are fantastically bright but the cut-off is very very abrupt. The high beams don't make it any brighter, but throws the light much further. The rear window gets really dirty, really fast, and the rear wiper remains visible when not in use, which can be annoying. The wing mirrors are a little too small, mainly due to their shape.

Interior
The materials are good, soft touch plastics. The white needles on the gauges are great because you can see them in your peripheral vision. The interior lights don't just turn on and off, but fade, which is a nice touch. The ambient blue lighting in the foot wells and in the door handles are nice, but they should have been aimed better so they cast light on the window switches, which are unlit except for the driver window switch. The passenger and rear window switches on the driver side are also unlit. The sunroof switches are not backlit. Also, when the overhead light is on, it almost completely overwhelms the blue foot well lights.

The white info screen is a little off-putting compared with the rest of the red-lit interior. I just wish there was a way of turning it off quickly without going deep in to the menu. I also wish I could display the time on the red radio display when the white display is off.

There's a blue overhead light that stays on and gently illuminates the interior. It's a nice touch that is also found in the VW Rabbit in red. However, blue is more eye catching and I find myself unable to not notice the weird blue thing that keeps moving about in the middle of the cabin; the weird blue thing being my right arm as I row through the gears.

While we're on that topic, the gear stick is nicely curved towards the driver side and is placed a little further back than most cars, which is good as you don't have to reach forward. However, the handbrake is on the right and that places it against the passenger's leg. Embarrassing situations will be unavoidable on hill starts with a female passenger. (Note that I didn't say it's necessarily a bad thing...)

The center arm rest/storage cover slides forward enough to rest your elbow while holding the wheel, but it may interfere with hand-brake operation. The lid has large notches in it to allow cables to go through to the power-outlet inside when the lid is closed. The cupholder has a swing-cover rather than just have holes in plastic. All these make the interior a comfortable place to live in.

Bluetooth & Audio
Setup was simple and took less than a minute. If you've used Bluetooth devices before, this will not be a problem at all.

No training for the voice recognition is required, although a very abbreviated training is available to optimize the system. I managed to dial a number without training and it worked the very first time. I have yet to upload the address book from my phone.

What I really like is the Bluetooth music link. I streamed music from my phone to the car's audio system. No additional setup is required once the Bluetooth link is established. The audio quality is remarkably good. It's probably just a hair short of being CD quality. I'll have to do a back-to-back comparison to tell for sure. The car can change tracks via Bluetooth as well, although none of the track info is displayed on screen.

I also can't say for certain how good the audio system is as I haven't tried using a CD yet, but I was very impressed with how well it sounds as is. The bass is surprisingly deep without muting the treble. The speed sensitive volume control has 7 levels. One of them has to be right for me.



So, That's what I think after a few hours and 200 km. It has a few minor annoyances, but it's been a great car so far. If anyone has any questions, I can try to answer them. There are really just too many features to mention, such as the lighting effects on volume control and climate controls. Maybe I'll post another long update after a few hundred more km.

[bhrm]

Well written.

I'm surprised, 6th gear and still short? For older 3's , 5th gear at 3000rpm is roughly 110km/h. Was expecting better with 6 gears.


About the handbrake, yes its really awkward with it on the right side, I have to apologize ahead of time and at the time when there is contact on a guy's lap.

Awkward.

[mazdathree]

However, the handbrake is on the right and that places it against the passenger's leg. Embarrassing situations will be unavoidable on hill starts with a female passenger. (Note that I didn't say it's necessarily a bad thing...)


just make sure that you know the handbrake is on the passenger side everytime you want to use it and you wont be embarrassed...:)

[McGuyver_3]

thank you for the great rite up as i have an 2010 on order. Just a little dissapointed with the rpms in 6th in the highway as my 3 now does the same with 5 gears :(

[STeeLy]

The only time the handbrake being really close to the passenger irked me is when I have a big guy sitting in the front sit... a lot of times I will park and reach for that handbrake and he'd think I'm feeling him up...

Thanks for the write up.

[whiteomega]

Good write-up.

The gear ratios on the 6-speed sound like they're pretty well optimized for fuel efficiency over maximum speed. There's nothing truly wrong with that though.

[slam525i]

Good write-up.

The gear ratios on the 6-speed sound like they're pretty well optimized for fuel efficiency over maximum speed. There's nothing truly wrong with that though.

Thanks. I'll write another one once I've put on more miles and I know the car better.

I don't understand how it's fuel efficient to cruise on the highway at 3000 RPM. I don't have the HP curve for the engine, but surely a 2.5 litre generates excess power at that RPM, so fuel is wasted just turning the engine that fast.

Drawing from experience in airplanes, it should be more efficient to gear towards cruising with a wide throttle, whereas the 3 still pulls really well if you open it up in 6th. But then, airplanes are designed to cruise at near maximum speed and have "gearing" (prop pitch) with a far wider range than cars.

Can someone fill me in?

[Gods Son]

Thats interesting. I figured 6th gear would put the engine and much lower rpm level. The 6spd was probably the biggest envy i had of the 2010...

[mazda lover]

recent review

http://www.nextautos.com/driven-2010-mazda3?gid=13683&nid=36436#gallery-13683?src=Nextscreen

[Darkfrosty7]

nice 1+

[whiteomega]

Thanks. I'll write another one once I've put on more miles and I know the car better.

I don't understand how it's fuel efficient to cruise on the highway at 3000 RPM. I don't have the HP curve for the engine, but surely a 2.5 litre generates excess power at that RPM, so fuel is wasted just turning the engine that fast.

Drawing from experience in airplanes, it should be more efficient to gear towards cruising with a wide throttle, whereas the 3 still pulls really well if you open it up in 6th. But then, airplanes are designed to cruise at near maximum speed and have "gearing" (prop pitch) with a far wider range than cars.

Can someone fill me in?

the 2.3L cruises at 120km/h around 3200 rpm (i forget the exact number).

what i'm saying is with more gears, you shift out of the lower gears (1st/2nd) sooner. those two gears are not designed for fuel economy, but rather to get you moving. the sooner you're out of the lower gears an into the higher ones, the sooner you can save gas.

of course, it's also sportier (or at least feels that way because you're shifting more often)

[x_o_k_x]

so you saying that in 6th gear you are still at 3000rpm going 120km/h?

My fifth gear, i go 120km/h at about 2800rpm and 130 at 3000rpm and however to point out i could drive in 4th gear at 180km/h.

My whole point is I thought that 6th gear would be sitting somewhere 2500rpm.. to save fuel at highway speeds.

[McGuyver_3]

The 6 speed transmission according to mazda canadas website is worse then the 5 speed :O Seems to amaze me aswell that a larger car with a smaller motor is pushing better fuel mileage then the big motor with the same size body. How?

link (http://www.mazda.ca/root.asp?lang=eng)

[2hit6]

A 6the gear for car that is under 200hp is really pointless...being that the mazda3 is pretty fuel efficient already....

Just a thought...

[whiteomega]

so you saying that in 6th gear you are still at 3000rpm going 120km/h?

My fifth gear, i go 120km/h at about 2800rpm and 130 at 3000rpm and however to point out i could drive in 4th gear at 180km/h.

My whole point is I thought that 6th gear would be sitting somewhere 2500rpm.. to save fuel at highway speeds.

gear ratios are funny things, but yes, this is essentially correct. by keeping the final drive ratio the same (or nearly the same) between the 1st-generation five-speed and the 2nd generation six-speed, what Mazda does is give you more gears to achieve the same speed. Top gear fuel economy doesn't concern Mazda as much as economy in third, fourth and fifth, which is where a city car spends most of its life as its cruising along.

By shortening the ratios between gears (through adding a sixth gear), what happens is you get out of first gear and into second sooner, and then out of second and into third. If you have your trip computer set up to show you instantaneous fuel consumption, watch the numbers (or have someone write them down for you) as you accelerate. In first gear, you can use as much as 100L/100km (!!) depending on how much pressure you use and how long you stay in first. The sooner you're out of first and second and into third, the more gas you'll save.

That's why a sixth gear is added to most new economy cars. The disadvantage is that it hurts your acceleration times (one more gear change in the 0-100km/h zone) and you have more changes to make.

Now, flip things around a little bit; if Mazda were to extend the final drive ratio, and keep 1st, 2nd, etc the same as the five-speed, but add a six cog, you would be getting more fuel economy out of the transmission, as well as a higher corresponding top speed. Unfortunately the fuel economy benefits of changing just the final drive pale in comparison to adding a sixth cog and keeping the final drive the same, because the vast majority of drivers will never use the 6th gear except on the highway, where fuel economy isn't half bad.



A 6the gear for car that is under 200hp is really pointless...being that the mazda3 is pretty fuel efficient already....

Just a thought...

there are a lot of posts that debate the fuel efficiency of the mazda3.. :) i do agree with you though; the 6th gear really isn't worth it for the regular 3.

[slam525i]

I got around to doing the math for the 09 and the 10 models. the 09 models 5th gear x final drive = 3.099, where as the 10 model comes to 2.943. So, there is a slight (~5%) difference in speed/rpm in final gear.

Given that 6th gear is barely different from 5th (500 rpm difference going from 5-6 at 3000 rpm), I would have thought a very tall 6th gear would have been good for highway cruising would be preferable... but then, Mazda doesn't make the car just for me. It's a damned lot of fun rowing thru the gears regardless.

[Auroraboy]

Have had my MZ 3 Sport GT for almost two weeks. Thought I would chime in with my impressions. Just returned an 05 TSX auto, and still have on 07 CSX 5 speed


Spec - 2010 Sport GT, automatic with leather and sunroof - CWP over Dune beige leather. Have added 35% tint and Weathertech floor liners.


Powertrain - pretty peppy, no complaints on 5 speed auto. Early gas mileage is about what I expected (9L/100km). Bigger gas tank gives good driving distance/tank versus Civic/CSX

Suspension - 17" Yokohamas ride much smoother than CSX with 17". Setup more to the comfort side (which I don't mind). No creaks and rattles.


Exterior - I don't find the front end as unattractive as others seem to, even in white, where the "Smile" is even more pronounced. I think its an edgier exterior versus the previous generation. Better door detents than on CSX - door stays open on slight incline. Bi-Xenon headlights are nice.

Storage - lots of space under the floor liner, but the hatch area seems small. Not a big deal since it's fairly big when seats folded down. Don't think I can put a golf bag in without folding seats down.


Interior - Generally very impressed

Pros - build quality seems good, door pulls are solid, excellent fit and finish, good texture and finish on dash etc., lots of controls on steering wheel, console audio and HVAC are within easy reach, BT is slick, 5 position heated seats are great, footwell lighting, and blue console lighting (same as Acura), huge glovebox, great seats with nice memory electric seat controls, auto dimming rearview mirror, parking brake on far side of console.


Could be better - window and mirror switches and SR controls are not backlit, window switches should be closer to driver, needs more cubby space in forward console - there is nothing ahead of the gear shift selector, cup holder lid does not have that nice damping feature like on TSX, would prefer the 12V plug inside console to be switched to the ignition, headliner is old style mouse fur versus nicer woven cloth, steering wheel could be thicker, switchblade key is nice, but it seems awfully long when the blade is opened up, no on light for heated seat switches, clock is hard to see at a glance.


Why? - World's largest Car manual and chinziest holder for the manual - why couldn't they make separate English and French versions, and then I could put the French version in a drawer somewhere, 260km (I think) speedometer seems somewhat optimistic - 0-120km all happens between 7:00 and 11:00 on dial. Not sure I will ever use the manual headlight leveling control. The info display in black and white seems an afterthought since almost everything else is in red.


Audio - Seems fine - not outstanding. I am too old to discern any more anyways (probably the oldest forum member - my first new car was a 75 Vega!). Has a 5 Disc CD - which is probably on it's way out,I would imagine, with Aux input and iPods etc becoming more and more common, along with BT music transfer


Overall - so far I am generally impressed. Lots of features for the price. Honda and Toyota need to watch out because Mazda is providing more features for the dollar IMHO. I am sure features will be tweaked and added as the model evolves.


TBD - reliability, service, real gas mileage

[aerooo]

Worst feature - placement of handbrake

It's waaaaay to the right and can lead to some disturbing situations. Like grabbing passenger's thigh, instead... It's quite an experience, especially when the passenger happens to be the mother-in-law.

Does anyone know if Mazda pays for driver's psychiatric treatment after such occurrences?

[slam525i]

Worst feature - placement of handbrake



I assume it's still on the right when in RHD, which may explain for it. But actually, without passengers, it rests nicely "down" from the shifter, so it's not bad. I've gotten quite used to it. Just warn your passengers beforehand, and use it as an excuse if it's a girl. :chuckle

[pacmann33]

Great review! Can't wait to get mine!!!

[psyduck912]

very complete review. :)

[wrhfinancial]

I have had mine a few weeks now
I had a 2005 Mazda 3 GT
Went to a Mazda 5 GT

[wrhfinancial]

To contiue
This car is nothing like the 2005 and
One thing I will say so far
The car is very fast and corners like your on rails
I love the bluetooth
I do wish they put a plastic cover for a footrest and
Adjustments for the seat boltsters
But so far I am quite impressed with the new design
and engine
More to come

Wayne

[Majarvis]

Not sure I will ever use the manual headlight leveling control.

Can you expand upon this more? What is this feature? Thanks! :)

[Auroraboy]

GT Models have a manual headlight levelling switch on the left side of the steering wheel. It has about 4 positions I think, and its supposed to allow you to level the headlights to compensate when you have heavier loads due to cargo or rear passengers. Not sure, but I think it is actually an electrical adjustment that moves the headlights. Something else to go wrong down the road.

[Majarvis]

GT Models have a manual headlight levelling switch on the left side of the steering wheel. It has about 4 positions I think, and its supposed to allow you to level the headlights to compensate when you have heavier loads due to cargo or rear passengers. Not sure, but I think it is actually an electrical adjustment that moves the headlights. Something else to go wrong down the road.
Oh wow, what a cool feature! Very impressive! :hawt

[McGuyver_3]

To contiue
This car is nothing like the 2005 and
One thing I will say so far
The car is very fast and corners like your on rails
I love the bluetooth
I do wish they put a plastic cover for a footrest and
Adjustments for the seat boltsters
But so far I am quite impressed with the new design
and engine
More to come

Wayne

wait until you instal sway bars then your statement of "cornering on rails" will REALLY be 'CORNERING ON RAILS" true story lol

[AS_Styles]

damn... sounds like a sweet ride. great review

[Mundek]

Auto headlights leveling is very/mainly useful when towing. ......towing? With Mazda3 ? What towing?
Here is a question: why Mazda3 is rated to tow 900kg or so and not even rated [not recommended] in N. America?

[pacmann33]

Because our standards are retarded.

[Brainmaze]

nice review ! :thumbsup

[Elusivellama]

To contiue
This car is nothing like the 2005 and
One thing I will say so far
The car is very fast and corners like your on rails
I love the bluetooth
I do wish they put a plastic cover for a footrest and
Adjustments for the seat boltsters
But so far I am quite impressed with the new design
and engine
More to come

Wayne

You can go to Home Depot and buy a strip of 'bullnose stair tread' in the carpeting section, it's made of rubber and has a curled lip on one side. Cut it to shape, use double-sided carpet tape, line up the curled up with the edge of the footrest and voila you have an unobtrusive footrest that is waterproof, dirtproof and requires no drilling. Total cost: $10 - $12.

[Nutella]

Good review.

Is the GT sport (hatch) suspension different than the other models? (GS/GX?) I cannot find documentation stating it has 'sport suspension'.

I am considering a Sport GT hatch 6speed, but I want to make sure it's a different handling animal compared to the other trim levels.

[Elusivellama]

I'm almost positive that there is one suspension setup for all regular Mazda 3s (excluding MS3), which is an independent strut/coil springs/stabilizer bar in the front, and independent multi-link/coil springs/stabilizer bar in the back. They still handle good in all trim levels though.

[slam525i]

Thanks. I haven't gotten around to posting a follow up yet, although I've had the car for 2 years almost.

As for the suspension, the handling is great for a FWD. It pulls 0.86 lateral G, points remarkably well and is fairly neutral at the limit. I don't really want it firmer or the ride really will be too harsh.

[Nutella]

^ and that's all stock right. Now I was always under the impression the GT suspension is > GS/GX. But I guess I'm wrong and the only diffs are the tires/rims?

I would think the GT with a little lower springs would make it handle even BETTER. This is what I did with my 2003 Protege5. Lowered it 0.75" on modest springs, and changed from 16" stock rims to 17" bigger/wider tires. Handles way better, but a little bumpier because I didnt change the shocks/struts to something beefier.

[slam525i]

Lowering (properly, not just chopping the springs) will make it handle better, but I already find the ride harsh enough as is. Yes, it's all stock right now, except the front tires. I'm running Michelin Pilots up front and it makes a world of difference. Much better than the OEM crap.

I believe the only diff between the trims is the wheels and tires; the suspension is the same.