[shifty]

about 120 miles today in my new hatchback. Commute to work and taking care of some things afterwards. Raining all day so that was a bummer lol. But I am very pleased with most thus far. What a really good car to drive. As the reviews past few years have said the car is really actually a fun drive.

I bought the car more for necessity than a want. My current existing car went to my daughter (new driver) and I needed a car. I made good efforts past couple months at investigating, reading, and also visiting dealers and checking out and driving other vehicles. It wasnt like I was all that exited and anxious to buy a new car but after making this careful decision ans after a day of 125 miles in it I can honestly say the car now has me honestly exited about it.

The whole cabin imo is just great looking and feeling. The drive itself is fun and impressive. Im just really liking most everything about the car much more than I thought I would. That's just the impression its leaving on me even though I wasn't necessarily expecting it. It feels and drives and looks like your in a more expensive vehicle. Im sure some things will creep in and bother me but any car would have those things happen.

The flimsy flooring and wall panels in the cargo area are a disappointment. Noise could be better but honestly after all the noise hype Ive read I find the car after 125 miles (mixed hiway and city) to be pleasant enough. Its certainly quieter than my existing 2010 Hyundai elantra ever was. I suppose it just matters what one is coming from. And fwiw the 2017 is suppose to be a little less noisy and as I indicated in other threads posts I thought it was during my test drive comparisons. Not a whole lot but noticeable enough. Also as been mentioned by many people on different forums the stock Dunlop 5000 tires are loud. So even though good enough noise level now imo I imagine will be even better when time for a tire change comes. So noise (with all its written hype) not an issue for me in this car.

The eternal blue mica (which is the lighter blue) imo is an awesome looking color for this hatch. Its just a different kind of blue from most any other and I am really happy with the color. It really sells the car very well imo.

City bumps and potholes I have endured for 17 years in my daily city portion of my driving has really proved a nice improvement over my last vehicle. Even with 18" tires I am finding the car more than comfortable enough and seems to take it all very well for this class of car.

And that last part is imo important. "This class of car". Its not a high end luxury vehicle nor a high end sports car nor even a mid range version of either. Its a car in a class of what i would call 2nd tear compact economy. Along with cars like the elantra, the civic, the cruz, the forte, etc, etc. In that sense I sometimes don't know what people expect. Thus far it seems to me to exceed most any my expectations I had. I know this segment of car class has become better than ever before and it happened pretty quickly. Ride, interior, options and drivability have been elevated pretty high in this class by many makers. But still one has to consider just where in the car market we are here. For what my new mazda3 is, it exceeds my expectations when viewed in that perspective. I just dont think its realistic to expect silence, exceptional power, and/or the plushest of surroundings in this car class even though its been much improved the past few years. Imo it is what it is and for its class of car its a really good one

Now lets just see if about a year from now with about 20 to 25 thousand miles on her if I will feel the same.lol

 

[Studum]

I'm glad you're liking it. I've been in my new GT for 5 days now and the more I drive it the more I'm liking it.

I came from a 2010 GT which was taken from me too soon (rear ended and written off). I looked all around and compared - I have never bought the same car twice but I couldn't get that same Mazda feeling in anything else I tested. To be honest I was a bit nervous picking up the new one fearing that it wouldn't be enough of an improvement over the last one to justify the money I'm now spending. Basically the impression that my '10 left on me left big shoes to fill for the new one.

With this being my new car I was pretty timid with it for the first day or 2. I couldn't do anything but compare it to what I had come to love about my last car. With that said I'm starting to get really comfortable in it and I feel this new GT, much like the reviews say, overall is a class above.

The driving dynamics are wonderful. It's everything I loved about my '10, just with everything turned up a notch. The interior is an amazing improvement - a wonderful place to be.

I agree about the trunk carpet - didn't even seem as nice as my '10 was. But I put in the cargo mat anyways. There are a few small opportunities for improvement - but nothing was a deal breaker for me. And when considering that this was still only a Mazda 3 they're pretty much non-issues.

I'm a little jealous of your color. I tried to get that color but demand was high here and in the package / color combo I wanted I would've had to have waited an extra 6 weeks over what I had already waited for the color that I got and I just couldn't do that. My previous car was red and I was just trying to make this one a bit different. I don't do silver or black cars and I didn't want to be the 51st shade of gray on the road so I ended up with red on this one as well and I'm not upset about it at all I find color pallets are pretty bland these days. I personally like some color / personality to cards and hope manufacturers start bringing some color back to the mainstream.

Got any pics of your blue?

 

[shifty]

Thanks and glad for you too. Did you get the 2017 I assume or was it a 16? The lighter blue changed a bit from 16 to 17. I liked both those lighterr blues.
I was seriously considering another elantra. heck my last 2 about 150,000 big city and lots of highway spirited driving miles on each of them and no issues at all. With Hyundais great warrantee and my past 300,000 miles experience I really was really torn about just getting another for all practical reasons. Plus honestly the new ones are a nice look imo. But in the end it was time for something different and so after good long looks and investigations here I am.

I got the rubber cargo area mat too. I also bought a set of rubber floor mats too. With high usage they are a must if I want the floor and mats to look good and last. I think im getting the oem mudguards too. Imo got to help keep crap off the most beat up areas there if I still want good looks longterm.

Back to the color. Im not a fan of red normally but I have to say the red they use on their cars is pretty awesome so much so that even though not normally a fan I gave it serious consideration too. Ive always been a white or silver fan simply because they keep the nicest over time (for noticeable nicks and scratches) and with high mileage I desire longevity. Unfortunately my last elantra was dark blue and was the worst mistake I ever made. My front looks like sandpaper and that's with waxing 3 to 4 times per year. So while I wanted color I needed to stay somewhat lighter. This eternal blue mica is even a tad darker for my wishes of practicality but oh is it ust so darn good looking of a different blue color imo. Just something about it that sings the right song and also not as many around. Sorry to brag lol. Kind of strange because most all the sales people love that color. My dealer had to get it from another for me cause it wasn't in their stock. But hey as said the red is certainly very sweat too and was another favorite. I feel the car (even though I do normally like white on a lot of cars) loses something in white. The lines of this car imo seem to disappear when in white. just my opinion on that.

I agree it feels a wonderful place to be when inside and feels everything like a class above. I just didn't get the same feeling in other cars I tested including the civic. BTW I think the civic hatch was (at first glance) sexy in exterior looks. But shortly after and now as I see more of them on the road I felt they actually look ridiculous. looks like pieces of different cars put together to make one unit. I think Honda overthought the design and went far too busy for me. The mazda on the other hand speaks well for what it is. Not imo trying to be too much or something its not like the Honda yet unique and makes its statement well even after 4 years in design still does that very well imo. But hey looks are just personal taste anyway so who am I to say.lol I also don't yet trust a small turbo and also a cvt on a car that Hnda and others are now going with. I will put a ton of mileage on and so glad mazda still uses the time proven and tested NA engine and standard geared tranny. Fwiw Hyundai also another NA engine and regular tranny although dual clutch.

But honestly nothing quite caught my eyes and feel for comfort as well as the mazda did when I tested them. In the end.....the looks and feel both in and out, the test drives, the reputation and my preferred choice of drive trane all worked better than all else to lock me in for my new mazda3 vs anything else in the class. Time will only tell now if I made the best choice.

Anyway good to chat and hope you don't mind the long posts lol. Good continued luck with your new ride.

 

[Rdrokit]

Glad you enjoying your new ride. After 23,000km I am still loving my ride.

 

[sp4772]

Congrats! Nice color too!!
2500km here in Quebec (Mtl area) and a pure joy! Last one was a sky 2012 sedan 2.0 and man, it's not in the same league at all! Mine is also red... a sedan GT 2.5 manual! What a car.... I took my '12 for a couple of lapping sessions with stickier tires and Hawks brake pads and had a lot of fun. This one with the same recipe and a beefier rear sway bar will be awsome !! Can't wait next summer.