[acwnyc]

I am having a lot of difficulty decide whether I want to save money and go with the Sport or go all out with the GT! Also there aren't a lot of Celestial Blue GT's in my area with the tech and bose package installed. It gets a little easier if I drop down to the Sport trim.

According to Mazda's comparison page, the features that the GT has over the Sport is:

• Halogen headlights
• Self-leveling Bi-Xenon High-Intensity-Discharge (HID) headlights
• Adaptive Front-lighting System (AFS)
• Nagare-inspired illuminated head-light details
• Rain-sensing windshield wipers
• Heated outside mirrors
• Clear-lens LED taillights
• Dual-zone automatic climate control with pollen filter
• Leather-trimmed sport seats
• 8-way power-adjustable driver’s seat with memory
• Heated front seats with 5-level variable heat settings

I live in Upstate NY, so the most useful features in my circumstance seem to be the heated outside mirrors and heated front seats. The nice to have features are the rain-sensing wipers, leather seats and adjustable seats.

Can any GT owners comment on why they chose their trim over a sport? Or vice versa; why did you sport owners pass over the GT?

Your input is appreciated, thanks!

 

[ChrisJuede]

I live in LA, and it gets hot here, so I dont need leather. I barely even use AC, unless I'm in traffic, so no need for all that climate control stuff. I never really move my seat, because I dont let other people drive my car, so once I have it set, its set. I love the headlights on my Sport, and the Tailights are awesome too.

But the main reason I chose the Sport was because they had the Sport 2.5 hatch in the graphite blue, and that was the color I wanted. They also had the GT hatch, but it was white, and no 2.5. I chose engine power over leather and the other features. Thats just me. I am still in love with my car. If yo ucan get over those other features, then I would save your money for mods, because that stuff is too expensive for what they charge...IMHO

 

[bfritts3]

Go GT!!!!!

Headlights are really nice and make the car look 300% better. The leather, heated seats are GREAT!!! Skip all of the packages! I've got the boses package and i'm not very happy with it. Just save your money and get an upgraded system later on. Also if you look around everyone says the NAV sucks!.

 

[Derrick_B]

I bought a GT because I wanted the leather seats and automatic climate control. It's very nice not having to mess with the heater and AC. I had it on my last car and can't imagine being without it. I also had leather seats on my last car and it's hard to go back from those too. HID's, heated seats, heated mirrors, and everything else was just icing on the cake.

 

[haku]

i got a sport since i don't need all those extra things with the GT. depends on your preference.

 

[ChrisJuede]

i got a sport since i don't need all those extra things with the GT. depends on your preference.

Yups. Sport sounds cooler too! Because thats what I use it for, Sport. Not Touring.

 

[StitcH]

They also had the GT hatch, but it was white, and no 2.5.

:blink: Was it a hatch from Canada? The hatches in the states only come with the 2.5. Maybe you meant to type sedan?

On topic, I have the Sport trim. I kind of wished I would have opted for the GT, but oh well. I would have loved to have auto climate control, xenon headlights, LED tails, leather seats, and all of the other goodies. Don't get me wrong, I still LOVE my car, just wish I would have sprung the extra bucks for the GT.

With my sport I got the BOSE/Moonroof package. I'm pretty glad I did not get the technology package as it seems kind of gimicky. The advanced keyless system seems really cool, but I could not justify spending the extra money for that and a, from what I've heard, rubbish navi.

 

[Doughboy]

I went for the GT trim and I'm happy I did.

The dual zone climate control is really nice. My girlfriend is always cold and i'm usually warm, so we can just set our sides where we want and forget about it. No messing with the settings if the sun comes out, its just set it and forget it.

The rest of the features are nice too, but it depends on each person's preference. I like leather, especially because it won't stain (my old car had it's share of coffee stains on the seats).

I did also get the bose package, but really just because I wanted a sunroof. The stereo itself is average.

 

[deezmazda3s]

I have no regrets getting the Sport. I wanted zoom-zoom w/o all the bells and whistles. It all depends on what you're looking for and how much you want to spend.

 

[Homer3D]

GT GT GT GT GT !

I love mine

GT !

 

[BibZ_03]

Me and my sister got BOTH GTs!! and loving it everyday!!

get the GTs!!:clap:

did you consider the MS3?

 

[glennk]

Just get the GT.... You live only once!

 

[bipbip2fast4u]

Personal choice but if you ask, I'll go for the GT too. I could order the Sport but I really prefer the GT. I live in europe and even if it's a rainy country here, I could not imagine not to have automatic A/C, Bi-xenon with AFS is a great improvment too. In fact for me I absolutly want the GT. I got to wait till end of '09 to order the engine/level of equipment I want but it worth it. How much cars have I already bought thinking if I could I took a better equipment. Too much, now it's all what I want or I keep mine. I enjoyed all my previous cars but don't want any frustrations more. I'm 39 now, no time to have regrets anymore. You only live once, so it's your turn to choose what's the most important for you : have a fully equiped car or spare a few $. May be sparing is not a bad idea if you have other project. A car is only a cube with wheels after all, but in this case do you need the zoom-zoom? May be you can save more if you buy another car? NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO, just kidding, a sport is not bad and nothing but the zoom-zoom.:clap::clap::clap:

 

[pipboy2006]

To me, the biggest feature of getting a mazda 3 is the features they offer for GT version.

For you. I will say go test drive both, see and feel the difference between them, then you will know your choice.

 

[gio64]

Quick answer for those who asked: Canadian 3s in the Sport version come with 2.0 in GX trim (base) and 2.5 in GS and GT.

I think it is difficult to comment from us here as -for what I was able to understand- the packages and the "standard" equipment in each trim level are different from US to Canada.

However, I can give you a personal experience which might be similar to what you could encounter in the US.

I wanted a Sport GS (intermediate trim) because I could get the 2.5 in it without going full tilt (GT that is here, in either hatchback or sedan).

The dealer said that in the entire country there weren't celestial blue GSs other than one downtown with a "Comfort Package", which in Canada means you get Traction control, stability control and the power sunroof.
This package here costs 1600 CDN. This brings the price of a Canadian GS Sport (hatchback) within 450 $ from the cost of a Canadian GT Sedan.

I had second thoughts as I felt that for that little more I was going to get a pretty much fully loaded car, other than navi and leather (another two extras here, worth over 1k each).

In the end, given that a celestial blue is hard to come by and a celestial blue hatch is pretty much impossible to see (I have seen 3, but I had to go to Mosport -180 kms away from here- and 2 of them were from Quebec), I decided that I really didn't care about those extras and went for the Sport GS (hatchback).

If you care about heated seats (I'd rather sit on barf) or climate control (I use the air 3 days of the year on average) or the in-dash CD changer (I prefer having 10k songs in my ipod and less moving parts that could break), or 17" instead of 16" rims (if you're going to change them for something nicer, why bother), or moving HID lights and rear LEDs (I really don't give a damn about HIDs, for the most par they just piss me off when I'm driving towards somebody who has them, moving front lights are another thing that can break and rear LEDs are a "must" if you are under 18, otherwise, who gives a crap), then go right ahead and get the GT sedan.

From a "sporty" point of view, the only notable thing is that the hatch is heavier so the GT (sedan if you are in Canada) should be a whisk faster (although, for whatever reason, from what I read, the hatch actually accelerated better (if you would consider 1/10 of second something worth looking at).

 

[Desertnate]

i got a sport since i don't need all those extra things with the GT. depends on your preference.

Same here. The GT didn't offer anything I cared about and I really dislike leather seats, so it was a pretty easy choice for me.

 

[acwnyc]

Thank you for all the helpful feedback. I just love the enthusiasm here!

I'm heading over to a local dealership tomorrow morning to compare the Sport and GT. And just to clarify certain things, I'm getting both packages because you can't get the tech package by itself I know it sounds dorky, but the keyless ignition is so damn cool! Plus I was thinking about getting a Sirius subscription for the past year.

I personally could care less about the 10 speaker Bose system, which I heard is mediocre and I definitely don't care about the cd changer or moon roof. At least the cd changer supports mp3's so I can have about 4 gigs worth of music in additional to my Palm Pre's 8 gigs.

 

[Matthew]

Mazda Mazda3: Reasons to buy
Control design: Controls are canted toward the driver and enhance the experience.
Reliability & durability: Mazda has been a reliable purveyor of fun cars, and its Mazda 3 is no disappointment. The new-for-2010 version features overhauled sheetmetal and extra cabin refinement, and a 3 s Sport model.
Materials & workmanship: Impressive attention to detail even if some of its controls aren't as simple to use as those found in competitor models. The materials used are some of the nicest found in this class and your passengers are bound to think you paid more than you did.
Handling: Feisty steering, a buttoned-down suspension, and a willingness to rotate in corners with minute throttle changes aren’t traits expected from a front-drive economy car. That the 3 also adds utility and comfort makes it a star.
Past personal experience: My 2002 Mazda Protege ES with a 5 speed manual didn't leak a drop of oil during 7 years and 112,000 miles. Car had no unexpected break downs, pulled strong, and handled well up to last day of ownership.

 

[Matthew]

My Mazda 3 S Sport 6 manual is the enthusiasts choice. The four door sedan body style and 6 manual put it just under 3,000pounds. I love the sports seats and 17 inch 205/50 tires ( good starting point and lots of aftermarket options for this size).

I'm very happy with the choice (I was comparing the 3 S Sport to a 3 I).

The 3s Sport (available as sedan and hatchback) adds to the 3i Touring a bigger engine, different front and rear fascias, 17-inch alloy wheels, foglights, dual exhausts, rear lip spoiler, more aggressively bolstered front seats, upgraded upholstery, leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob, trip computer and electroluminescent gauges. All options I wanted.

The 3s Grand Touring adds automatic bi-xenon headlights with auto-leveling and corner swivel illumination, heated side mirrors, dual-zone automatic climate control, heated front seats, leather upholstery and an eight-way power driver seat with driver memory functions. Lights are cool, I don't like auto climate, and the only other item is memory driver seats (wish they came with the cloth seats.)

 

[SCYankee]

The only reason I considered the GT was for the auto-leveling and corner swivel illumination but since there wasn't any performance differences I went with the base w/Sunroof & Bose. I think if I still lived in NJ I would have went with the GT for heating/climate functions but here in SC who needs it.