[TallyAl]

I bought my 2010 Mz3 2.5L MT about a year ago with 33k miles (it has about 44k now). I know Mazda has some maintenance schedule that they want you to follow, but I've read off and on here that most of you don't follow too closely to that. I want this car to last for a long time and run well but am not the most knowledgable when it comes to cars...in fact I know very little haha.
So what kinds of things have you guys done to keep your 3's running smoothly? Synthetic oil? Specific oil filters?
Also, as far as modifications go, any mods out there that genuinely improve the vehicle? Drivability, reliability, things like that?
Thanks!

 

[Leets]

If you haven't already, replace all your fluids. They may not need it, but with a used car it's cheap insurance. Who knows what fluids are in there already, and what kind of life they've seen. Synthetic oil isn't really necessary, but if the extra $10-$15 is doable then it may be worth it just for piece of mind. I tend to be pretty rough on my engines and regularly take them up in the rev range, so with the lower weight oils I just feel safer with the stability of synthetics. Even with regular dino oil, though, your engine should be just fine for at least another 100k miles. As for filters, get the larger capacity Ford (Motorcraft) filter. For the money, you can't beat it.

As for modifications, get a rear sway bar and some good tires. That's really all you need to make the car more fun yet completely livable. Everything else is just for looks and/or sound, not that there's anything wrong with wanting it to look different or sound louder.

 

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So what kinds of things have you guys done to keep your 3's running smoothly? Synthetic oil? Specific oil filters?

The best thing to keep it running smooth... is driving smooth, and driving a lot! Ha. Seriously though just keeping up on fluid changes is the best thing you can do for longevity.