Here are my takeaways:

Timing chain wear is a problem with direct injection engines. This is caused by soot that is formed due to the direct injection setup. When soot gets into the oil, there is the possibility that it can get into the tiny clearances on your engine's timing chain. That will cause wear. One way to mitigate this problem is to make sure the engine oil you are using has the API-SP and ILSAC GF-6 certifications.

Repeated short trips, less than 15 minutes or so, can lead to fuel dilution issues in direct injection engines. To avoid these issues, you want the engine to get up to operating temp (180F) during your drives. This means that if most of your drives are short trips, you need to incorporate a longer drive (30 minutes or more). The longer drives help vaporize the fuel that has mixed into your engine oil.

LSPI (Low-speed pre-ignition) is prevalent on small engines that run high boost. It's because running high boost on a small engine, will naturally lead to increased cylinder pressure, which can make LSPI more prevalent. Similar to the timing chain wear problem, one way to mitigate this problem is to make sure the engine oil you are using has the API-SP and ILSAC GF-6 certifications.

^ It might sound like this recommendation doesn't make sense, but you need to watch the video to get the full context. It has to do with studies done on oils that have the API-SP and ILSAC GF-6 certifications. They were found to be better able to resist LSPI.

Side-note: From what I recall during my days of hanging out on car forums, LSPI was prevalent on the 1st-gen Mazdaspeed3 and some early Hyundai turbocharged engines. For the 2nd-gen Mazdaspeed3, Mazda used a different piston design to mitigate LSPI. I don't know what Hyundai did to address the issue. So I guess this is more of a heads up to people driving older cars with turbocharged direct injection engines.

Another side-note: One thing we were sternly warned about as new Mazdapseed3 owners back then, was to never get into WOT or boost below 3000 RPM. This was to avoid blowing up the engine due to LSPI. I've kept this practice to this day and so far have not blown up my engine yet. Knock on wood. I have over 128K miles now on my Speed3.

Tags: #Bookmarks #Cars #CarMaintenance #Mazda #Mazdaspeed3

While I've enjoyed watching road trip episodes from Top Gear, I always felt like they were out of reach. Like the cars were out of reach, the people doing the road trips were out of reach. Those were big budget production episodes and it felt that way.

This one though is different. While these guys were sponsored, this one still feels relatable. This feels like seeing a couple of car enthusiast friends film their road trip. It feels down to earth. It feels like something a regular joe, like you and me, can do.

As the title states, it's a road trip across 48 states in two Mazda FD RX-7s. One is still running a rotary engine, while the other has a K-swapped Honda engine. Interesting, right?

It's also very nicely shot. The cinematography, if that is the right word, is beautiful. The choice of background music is beautiful. I've never thought seeing somebody wash a car would illicit an emotional response from me, but it did. Then there's the numerous clips showing a Mazda FD RX-7 in motion. It's like watching poetry in motion. Just stunning to see a red and yellow Mazda FD RX-7 cruising on the highway. It's a sight that I'll probably never get tired of seeing. I consider the Mazda FD RX-7, one of the most beautiful cars ever made.

Anyway, I've run out of words and time. I hope you enjoy watching these as much as I did. And to the car enthusiasts out there, enjoy driving your fun to drive cars. It won't be long before our stick shift enthusiasts cars will be replaced by self-driving electric cars.

Episode 1

Episode 3

Tags: #Cars #Mazda #RX7 #GearsAndGasoline

Got back my Mazdaspeed3 last Saturday. I'm glad to have it back. But I also have to say that I was so spoiled by that CX-5 turbo loaner car. It was a really good car!

Anyway, cost to repair the leak in the Mazdaspeed3 transmission was $1,071. It was actually the transmission shifting mechanism that was leaking, not the transmission itself. Thankfully it was an affordable repair bill. And that's thanks to an emergency fund set up for times like this.

So, no need to trade in my car then. Though that CX-5 turbo did make me think twice about trading in... Is still making me think twice LOL!

Started reading the Lord Of The Rings 50th Anniversary Edition book. This was a much appreciated Christmas gift from my brother.

There's apparently a way to forward/send emails into OneNote. Got this idea after reading Tiago Forte's One-Touch to Inbox Zero: How I Spend 17 Minutes Per Day on Email, which is a great read by the way.

Here's some good parenting advice from an Instagram post on how to handle your kids when they lie to you.

Up to Episode 6 now of Vincenzo and man, what a good show! There were a couple of interesting things in Episode 6 that caught my eye, most notably the interaction between a Buddhist and Catholic character.

There's this scene where a Buddhist monk was carrying a huge wooden cross, like Jesus was on his way to crucifixion. The monk was carrying the abandoned cross to donate to a nearby church. It struck me as a beautiful scene, where people can cast aside their differences and just be kind to one another.

That scene then led to a conversation between Vincenzo and a Buddhist monk regarding enlightenment.

Vincenzo: “If I go live somewhere far away, like in the middle of the ocean, will the anger inside me disappear?”

Buddhist monk: “It doesn’t matter where you live. What matters is whether you still have the anger inside you or not.”

Vincenzo: “Does that mean that I need to achieve enlightenment?”

Buddhist monk: “The only way to get rid of your anger is by fighting it. Stand your ground and fight back. Enlightenment is what you get when you win that battle.”

Tags: #Weeknotes #Cars #Mazda #CX5 #Mazdaspeed3 #LordOfTheRings #Productivity #Parenting #TVShow #Vincenzo

I really enjoyed the 2020 Mazda CX-5 loaner car. I had it for a few days while the Speed3 was in the shop. I think it's a great daily driver. It wasn't the top of the line CX-5 trim, but it had a Bose sound system, heated seats, heated steering wheel and even had power folding mirrors. I think it also had ventilated seats, but I didn't get to try it out.

It didn't have the turbo engine, but it drove really well. Sure, it could use more passing power at highway speeds, but the engine felt responsive and strong. The biggest difference in my opinion, between the engine in this 2020 CX-5 and our 2016 CX-5, is the powerband. They both have the same 2.5 liter 4 cylinder SkyActiv-G engine. The newer engines do have cylinder-deactivation. But the powerband on the 2016 CX-5 goes from 3250 to 5700 RPM, while the powerband on the 2020 CX-5 goes from 4000 to 6000 RPM. Technically, the 2016 CX-5 has a wider powerband, so it should feel stronger in everyday driving. But this was not the case.

The much improved throttle response on the newer CX-5, plus the powerband being at the higher end of the RPM range, meant the newer CX-5 felt stronger in everyday driving. It also made for a much more fun drive. Bury the throttle on a 2020 CX-5 and the transmission puts you right into the powerband, where you can wind it out to 6000 RPM if you want to. The 2016 CX-5 on the other hand, feels like it runs out of steam before the redline. It's like the 2016 CX-5 doesn't want to be revved to redline, while the 2020 CX-5 wants you to redline it as often as you want.

The 2016 CX-5 also seems to prefer to cruise at around 60 mph. To cruise faster than that, you have to step on the gas pedal more. But when you do, you will feel this sort of resistance. Like it does not want to cruise at a higher speed. The 2020 CX-5 on the other hand, I had a hard time keeping it below 75 mph. It's almost like it prefers to cruise at 80 mph. The engine spins so freely while cruising on the highway, I end up cruising at a much higher speed than I intend to.

The throttle response and transmission shifting logic in the 2020 CX-5, was so well matched to my driving style, it felt telepathic. This was one instance where I really felt Mazda's Jinba Ittai philosophy in a car. It's almost like the car was made for me, or I did the test driving and told them how the throttle response and transmission logic should be set.

The interior is a great place to be. Mazda has been trying to raise their cars up to luxury car standards. Their current cars are not far off. If you consider the price you're paying for a Mazda, versus say a BMW or an Audi, then yes their interiors are luxurious enough. And they are very quiet too. As soon as I closed the doors on this 2020 CX-5, my ears picked up on the deafening silence. Okay that's a bit of an exaggeration. But it is really quiet inside. You have to try it out to understand what I'm saying.

Lastly, it is a beautiful looking car inside and out. I seem to be saying that for newer Mazdas nowadays. But I really believe that to be true. Mazda's newer Soul Red Crystal Metallic paint is beautiful. And it comes alive in different lighting conditions. You can see the difference in color when you look at it under the sun and at night. It renders a wonderful shade of red, that looks even better than the Soul Red on our 2016 CX-5.

Anyway, time to wrap this up. I've written more about this car than I thought I would. And it was just a loaner car. And no, this not a Mazda sponsored post. But I am a Mazda fan. If you are looking for a new daily driver and it needs to be a CUV, then this is my recommended choice. Get the turbo if you want more passing power. Otherwise, stick with the Grand Touring trim and the 2.5l engine for a luxury feel without the luxury price tag.

Related: – 2019 Mazda3 Sedan – First Impressions – Final Thoughts on the 2019 Mazda3 Sedan

Tags: #Cars #CarReview #Mazda #CX5

From RockAuto:

• LUK 10064 (10-064) Clutch Kit
• LUK DMF118 Flywheel

From EdgeAutoSport:

• 6 × Mazda OEM Flywheel Bolt Mazdaspeed 3 2007-2013 | Mazdaspeed 6 2006-2007
• 1 × Mazda OEM Clutch Release Fork Mazdaspeed 3 2007-2013 | Mazdaspeed 6 2006-2007
• 6 × Mazda OEM Clutch Pressure Plate Bolt Mazdaspeed 3 2007-2013 | Mazdaspeed 6 2006-2007

Couple of notes on the choices of parts.

• EdgeAutoSport does sell a Mazda OEM Clutch kit, however as I mentioned in a previous journal entry, I have learned that LUK is an OEM parts manufacturer from Germany. So their parts should be as good as OEM parts, if not better.
• EdgeAutoSport only sells the Mazda OEM Dual Mass Flywheel, which is very expensive. I decided to go with the cheaper LUK Dual Mass Flywheel from RockAuto.
• The LUK Clutch Kit, unlike the Mazda OEM Clutch Kit, doesn't come with the flywheel bolts and pressure plate bolts, so I had to get those separately from EdgeAutoSport.
• The LUK Clutch Kit and Dual Mass Flywheel combo is actually a very good combo. I would even say it is an upgrade over the OEM setup. The clutch pedal was noticeably lighter which makes for a more comfortable daily driving setup.
• The clutch release fork was something that the service tech recommended I get, since I was getting the clutch replaced anyway. People on forums don't seem to be getting this one though, so you might be able to get by without having to buy this one.

Tags: #Cars #CarMaintenance #Mazda #Mazdaspeed3

For my first impressions on the car, you can refer to this post. I will be quoting some of my initial observations from that previous post, so as to give more context to the findings I’ve noted down in this post.

This is the only decent photo I have of this car. I wished I took more pictures of it, but ever since I've been on my digital minimalism journey, I've neglected having to take photos of a lot of other things as well. Mostly because I don't feel the need to share them online anymore.

First off, I want to mention the reduced visibility in this car, which I failed to mention in my previous post. For the first 3 days that I had the car, I was sitting too low, hence my rear visibility was compromised. Still, even after raising my seat to the proper height, the visibility in the new Mazda3 sedan is not as good as it is in my Speed3. Don't even try to compare it to the visibility on the bigger CX-5. You'll get used to the reduced visibility over time, but it doesn't really go away. I guess this is why Car and Driver considers the new Mazda3 to be the Camaro of the compact car segment.

Second, that $25,000 loaner car came with most of Mazda's safety features, including Mazda Radar Cruise Control and the Lane-Keep Assist/Lane Departure Warning system.

• I've tried the Radar Cruise Control feature on the highway and it works well. I can see it being of great use on road trips.
• The Lane-Keep Assist bothered me and I didn't like it. Whenever it activated, I was getting confused because it felt like it wanted me to steer into the other direction, the direction to get out of the lane, instead of staying in it. If I had it on my car, I would just turn it off.
• Mazda has a display mode where it shows you all the safety tech working together as one. If you get too close to the car in front, it will show a car on your dashboard, and if you get really close, it will start to warn you. If your blind spot is detecting a vehicle, it will show it on the dashboard including the location (left or right) that the vehicle is in. It is pretty cool and kept me somewhat entertained. My Speed3 has blind spot monitors, but no Radar Cruise Control and no screen on the dashboard showing more safety info.

It also comes with the new version of Mazda Connect and has Apple Carplay. Today was my first time using Apple Carplay. It is pretty cool, though I wasn't blown away by the use of it. The main benefit in my opinion is not having to mount your phone somewhere on your car while driving.

The more I used Carplay, the more I started to like it. Mazda also makes it really easy to switch between Carplay and their Mazda Connect system; you just have to do a long press on the Mazda Connect Home button. I got so used to doing this that when I drove my wife's CX-5, I did the same thing and was disappointed to see that there is no Carplay in our CX-5. (It can be added as a dealer installed accessory on a 2016 CX-5, but it will cost around $400, which is to say not cheap.)

There is something weird that happens when accelerating hard and the engine goes past 4000 RPM. It is almost like it hesitates at the 4000 RPM mark, like it's not sure if I really wanted to go fast or to back off. If I keep my foot on the throttle, it will eventually give me everything it's got all the way to the redline.

It actually doesn't happen at 4000 RPM, but at around 3700-3800 RPM. In one instance, I managed to look down at the tachometer just as this was happening and I could see the RPM teetering up and down at around the 3750 RPM mark. This only happened at less than full throttle applications. I still think the car just couldn't figure out whether I wanted to go all out or not.

The throttle mapping on this car is pretty good, compared to the sluggish throttle mapping on the 2016 CX-5s. You don't have to step on the throttle too much to get it to downshift. It is just right in my opinion.

Throttle response and the transmission on this car is really good! I know for sure my Speed3 is faster in a straight line, but in daily driving passing maneuvers, this Mazda3 is so responsive that I cannot find a fault with it. Step on the gas pedal quickly and the car will reward you with a really quick downshift and will sometimes even shove you back to the seat. Here are some examples:

• I was trying to merge into a highway with slow moving traffic, I found a gap between a truck and a small hatchback and started to ease my way in. I was in no way driving aggressively, I was just trying to slowly merge. For some reason the hatchback driver accelerated to stop me from merging, even if I was already partly in the lane. I was annoyed. I saw a gap in front of the truck and promptly buried the gas pedal. The car downshifted to 1st gear and took off while slamming my head back to the headrest in the process. I was not expecting that, but I was pleasantly surprised.
• I was driving behind a slow car going 30 mph on a 40-mph road. I wanted to pass, so I turned the wheel to start the lane change and buried the gas pedal. The car quickly downshifted, revs went up to around 4000 rpm and took off with a nice growl from the engine. I was also pushed back to the seat, with a grin on my face.

Just for comparison this is how a passing maneuver unfolds in my Speed3: I downshift to either 3rd or 4th gear, turn my wheel to initiate a turn then I bury the gas pedal. (Okay I don't have to bury the gas pedal all the time in the Speed3, but it's fun and well you get the idea.) There will be a momentarily delay while boost builds up and then BAM, the car takes off. The longer I stay on the gas pedal, the faster it goes.

That momentarily delay due to turbo lag, is what makes the new Mazda3 feel much more responsive than my Speed3. On the Mazda3, you bury the gas pedal and it takes off right away at a moderate pace. On the Speed3, you bury the gas pedal and there is a slight delay then it takes off like a rocket. On sustained full throttle applications, the Speed3 will pull away from the new Mazda3. However, in the four days that I have had the loaner car, I have never ran into a passing maneuver where I felt that the car didn't have enough power to pass. (I cannot say the same thing about the CX-5.) Like I said in my previous post, the power that this car's engine has, is adequate for daily driving.

And therein lies the beauty with the new Mazda3. If you drive it calmly, you will get decent fuel efficiency, but if you need to pass, you have adequate power for doing so. Not as much power as the Speed3, but good enough for daily driving. For some reason I now get a kick out of seeing how much fuel efficiency I can get by driving slow (still don't want to consider a Prius though ^_^).

Contrast that to the Speed3, where driving slow can admittedly be boring and then you're still not getting better than 25 MPG out of it. (Others might be getting better MPGs, but they won't if they have the commute that I have now.) Sure, it is unfair to compare the fuel efficiency of a decades old engine to a modern one, but it doesn't diminish the fact that the new Mazda3 really impressed me. And maybe I am tired of paying $40 at the pump.

This car takes corners really well. It is a little hard to explain, but it feels like when you start turning, it is already ready to turn. Contrast that to other cars, where when you turn, the car sort of like sets itself up for the turn or leans for the turn, then turns. In this Mazda3 it's like it doesn't have to wait to lean into the turn, it just turns. My prior research indicates that this is the new G-Vectoring Control Plus and the updated i-Activ AWD system in action.

When you push the car, like drive it at 8/10ths of its capability, it starts to exhibit more body roll than I’m accustomed to. To be fair, Mazda never said this car was a Mazdaspeed or a performance variant of the regular Mazda3; this is just a Mazda3. On the limit, the Speed3 is more stable and inspires more confidence. In city driving speeds though, this Mazda3 can do whatever the Speed3 can do within the legal speed limits. It is a very good daily driver.

The suspension on this car is comfy but sporty enough. It absorbs bumps way better than my Speed3 does, which is to be expected, but it also beats the CX-5 in this aspect. I'm saying it is more comfy to drive than the CX-5, while being able to take corners faster than a CX-5.

I take back what I said about this car being comfier than a CX-5. It can take corners faster, that’s a given, but there were certain roads that exposed a minor issue with its suspension. On some roads it would exhibit a lingering vibration that I would feel on my legs or thighs. A few hours after I dropped off the loaner car, I drove the wife’s CX-5 on the same roads and didn’t experience the same issue. I also regularly drive my Speed3 on the same roads and while I felt the bumps on the road, I never felt a lingering vibration on my legs or thighs.

The roads where the new Mazda3 is superior to the CX-5 are on those smooth undulating roads, where the CX-5 with its higher ground clearance ends up with a bouncy ride. That leads me to think it is an issue with the loaner car. Maybe something to do with the rear torsion beam setup?

Side-note: A lot of people think vehicles with higher ride height offer a better ride. This is not always the case, unless you're paying luxury car money for a sporty German SUV. The higher ride height means there is more suspension travel that the shocks need to handle when driving over bumps, which can end up in a bouncy, less responsive ride. While you are waiting for the suspension on your SUV to settle back down after a bump, a car driving over the same bump has already recovered from the vertical jolt and is already ready to absorb the next bump on the road. Imagine driving through a bumpy road and then having to perform an evasive maneuver. It is for this reason that I highly prefer driving cars over higher riding vehicles that are much less responsive.

Regarding that torsion beam setup, I don’t think anyone will notice it while driving this car. The car drives just like a regular Mazda3 with multi-link suspension in the rear. There was only 1 instance where I felt like the rear may have stepped out a little. I was accelerating quickly while slightly turning on a bumpy road and when I drove over one of the bumps, I felt the rear of the car step out a tiny bit. When I say “step out” I mean that I felt like the rear of the car went up, then moved a tiny bit to the side before coming back down. The general population probably won’t notice that though. So, what I’m trying to say is that the rear suspension on the new Mazda3 is good enough that I wouldn’t use it as a reason to not buy this car.

The engine has a weird sound when accelerating. It sounds... artificial or sometimes even comical.

This only happens when accelerating below 3000 RPM. I still don't know why it makes that weird sound, but I also don't think it would be reason enough to not buy the car. The engine actually sounds pretty good when accelerating at 4000 RPM and above.

On a related note, this Mazda3 for some reason feels tighter in the back than my Speed3. I think daily driving with 1 car seat would be my limit on this car. If you have to use 2 car seats, I think it is best to move up to a midsize vehicle, like a Mazda6 or CX-5.

I verified that the new Mazda3 actually has less legroom than my Speed3, which is most likely why it feels tighter in the back. My Speed3 has something like 36.2 inches of rear legroom, while the new Mazda3 has only 35.1 inches. If you must use 2 car seats, but one of them is a front facing only (not the front/rear convertible ones) car seat, then I think you could make it work with this car. If both you and your partner are tall, or if you want to stay with a compact car and still daily drive with 2 car seats, then look into a Honda Civic sedan, which has like 37.1 inches of rear legroom.

I'm worried about the fuel economy on this car. This is supposed to get 25 mpg in city driving and above 30 mpg on the highway. I'm averaging less than 25 mpg. Actually it's more like 23 mpg, which is not good.

I previously had a concern with the fuel efficiency of this car because I was barely averaging 23 mpg. This turned out to be a non-issue as I got more highway miles with the car. My commute is generally a 60-40 split between highway and city driving. To elaborate, here were my findings from commuting with it for two days.

• Monday Commute

  • Traffic was light on my morning commute to work last Monday. When I got to the parking lot, the car’s fuel efficiency monitor stated 32.6 avg mpg for the drive. Right after I got off the highway though, before driving to the office parking lot, it said 33.8 avg mpg.
  • On my lunch breaks, I usually go out to pick up my lunch. Driving on my lunch break is like therapy for me. Anyway, both heading out and coming back to the office, I averaged around 22-23 mpg, which is below the 26 city mpg estimate.
  • On the drive home from the office, I always have to drive through a section of slow traffic on the highway. Then I have to drive through some hilly terrain as well. I averaged around 28 mpg for this drive.

• Tuesday Commute

  • Tuesday’s morning commute had more traffic compared to Monday and when I got to the office parking lot, the car said I averaged 28.9 mpg for the drive.
  • I got the same 22-23 mpg for my lunch break drive.
  • My service advisor finally called and said my Speed3 was ready. The loaner car’s fuel gauge was down to like 30-40%, so I had to fill up with gas before returning it. I ended up paying $17 to get it up to a full tank of gas. In comparison my wife usually pays around $20 for a full tank of gas on her CX-5. Lately I’ve been paying an average of $38 to fill up my Speed3 with premium gas (93 octane). This is based on data from last month's fill-ups. The first 3 fill-ups last September were actually at $40 and above, ouch.

This means that if I were to trade in my Speed3 for a new Mazda3, I would save at least $15 on every fill-up. $15 per fill-up multiplied by 4-5 fill-ups a month, means I would save at least $60 a month. $60 a month is $720 a year. That is an eye-opener!

Of course, in the big picture I would be spending at least $25,000 just to get a more fuel efficient car, as opposed to keeping the car I already have. So from a long term cost perspective, buying a new car is still more expensive than keeping an old one. Still considering that I will eventually need to replace my car in a few years, the difference in monthly/yearly fuel expenses is significant.

I had the car for a total of 4 days; drove it from Saturday to Tuesday. When I finally dropped it off, the car’s computer said I averaged 27.5 mpg for the duration that I had the car. Not bad, especially compared to the 21-22 mpg I’m averaging on my Speed3, but also not as close to the EPA estimated combined rating of 30 mpg for the car.

What I learned from driving this loaner car and comparing it to my wife's CX-5, is that Mazda's NA 2.5L SkyActiv engine needs a lot of highway miles to realize its full potential. If all you do is city driving, I think you will have a hard time hitting 26 mpg. For that kind of driving, you would get better MPGs by going with Honda's turbocharged 1.5 engine with the CVT.

If you do a lot of highway miles, then you will have a chance at getting good fuel mileage from Mazda's NA 2.5L SkyActiv engine and also enjoy Mazda's responsive 6-speed automatic transmission. (I tried to like CVTs, but I just couldn't get used to the experience when going WOT with CVT equipped cars.)

After I dropped off the loaner car, I was actually very interested to see how I would feel getting back into my car. Usually I would be excited to drive my car again after not driving it for a few days. I was a little shocked when I felt just “okay” when I got back into my car. Going from the new Mazda3 into my old Speed3, felt like going from a brand new flat-bar road bike, into an old road bike. Everything on the Mazda3 felt smoother, lighter, more comfortable, while the Speed3 felt “stickier” or heavier, like its joints needed to be lubricated more. The Speed3 is the faster car for sure, but that's about it. I feel like everything else is better on the new Mazda3, well except maybe the visibility and slightly tighter back seat accommodations.

One of the biggest differences is the way the steering wheel feels. Driving the new Mazda3, it is hard to tell what Mazda's GVC+ system is doing. But if you immediately switch to an older Mazda like the Speed3, you'll notice a difference. The steering wheel on the Speed3 feels heavier, which is to be expected since it still uses hydraulic steering, however, I also noticed that I had to make more corrections when driving my Speed3 compared to new Mazda3. It sort of feels like the new Mazda3 was helping you steer.

This benefit seems only applicable in city driving it seems. At highway speeds, the heavier Speed3 steering wheel feels more stable, especially on that curvy off ramp that I like taking at a good pace. That said, I wonder if all I needed was more time to get used to the new Mazda3's steering. I guess I'll never know unless I drive one for more than 4 days.

So the big question for me was, would I trade in my Speed3 for the new Mazda3? If you asked me that years ago, or even a day before driving the loaner car, my answer would be a resounding “No.” After having driven the loaner car, my answer is now a suprising “I think so” or even a “Yes.” Maybe my days of “hooning” with the Speed3 has come to an end, or I most likely just grew up in the past 6 years that I've daily driven the Speed3, but one thing is for sure, that new Mazda3 left a really good impression on me.

The plan is to still drive the Speed3 until it is 10 years old, then trade it in for an AWD Mazda6 or if that is still not available in the US, then an AWD Mazda3 hatchback.

Tags: #CarReview #Cars #Mazda #Mazda3

• First off, the interior is indeed really nice for a $25,000 car. There are soft-touch materials almost everywhere in the car. The center console is padded generously and is a great place to rest your elbow.
• The car only came with “Leatherette” seats, but the seats are comfy and fit my body well. The seats in this Mazda3 fit me better than the seats in my Speed3. My only issue with it is that it somewhat sticks to the back of my shirt when driving. That usually doesn't happen with cloth or leather seats.
• The new 8.8 inch infotainment center is nice. It is a higher resolution screen than the one in my wife's 2016 CX-5. The backup camera feed looks great with the higher reso screen, though I feel like it is less of a wide angle backup camera compared to the one in the wife's CX-5.
• It also comes with the new version of Mazda Connect and has Apple Carplay. Today was my first time using Apple Carplay. It is pretty cool, though I wasn't blown away by the use of it. The main benefit in my opinion is not having to mount your phone somewhere on your car while driving.
• I tested its highway speed acceleration and thought it accelerated really well from 60 – 80 mph. It is weird because I feel like it is slower accelerating from 30 – 50 mph than it is accelerating from 60 – 80 mph.
• There is something weird that happens when accelerating hard and the engine goes past 4000 RPM. It is almost like it hesitates at the 4000 RPM mark, like it's not sure if I really wanted to go fast or to back off. If I keep my foot on the throttle, it will eventually give me everything it's got all the way to the redline. To be fair to the car, I might have really been hesitating as I do not recall tripping the kick-down switch yet on this car. Maybe I just needed to step on the gas pedal harder or just turn on Sport Mode.
• The throttle mapping on this car is pretty good, compared to the sluggish throttle mapping on the 2016 CX-5s. You don't have to step on the throttle too much to get it to downshift. It is just right in my opinion.
• One of my biggest issues with FWD cars happens when I am at a stop and need to quickly accelerate while doing a 90 degree turn. That is not an issue with this car thanks to it being AWD. In fact it feels really nice to launch from a stop and immediately turn. No wheel spin or wheel hop or anything like that. It just turns and goes.
• This car takes corners really well. It is a little hard to explain, but it feels like when you start turning, it is already ready to turn. Contrast that to other cars, where when you turn, the car sort of like sets itself up for the turn or leans for the turn, then turns. In this Mazda3 it's like it doesn't have to wait to lean into the turn, it just turns. My prior research indicates that this is the new G-Vectoring Control Plus and the updated i-Activ AWD system in action.
• The suspension on this car is comfy but sporty enough. It absorbs bumps way better than my Speed3 does, which is to be expected, but it also beats the CX-5 in this aspect. I'm saying it is more comfy to drive than the CX-5, while being able to take corners faster than a CX-5.
• The engine has a weird sound when accelerating. It sounds... artificial or sometimes even comical. It doesn't sound good in my opinion, but I'm spoiled because I drive a Speed3 and my previous car, a Gen2 Mazda3 had a K&N Typhoon intake on it. I'm not sure if it is really setup to pipe in intake noise, but it sounds like the engine noise is piped into the car, which is probably why it sounds weird. My wife's CX-5 has the same engine minus the cylinder deactivation, but it doesn't sound weird like this car when accelerating.
• The 2.5L SkyActiv- G engine in this Mazda3 seems... adequate. I feel like that engine is slow on the CX-5. It still feels slow on this Mazda3, but not that slow. It is... well adequate. A little more horsepower and it will be really good. I think a 3,200 lb/200 horsepower Mazda3 with AWD would be a blast to drive.
• This Mazda3 allows you to setup a car seat in the center position. On my Speed3, you can only setup car seats behind the driver or front passenger seat. On a related note, this Mazda3 for some reason feels tighter in the back than my Speed3. I think daily driving with 1 car seat would be my limit on this car. If you have to use 2 car seats, I think it is best to move up to a midsize vehicle, like a Mazda6 or CX-5.
• I'm worried about the fuel economy on this car. This is supposed to get 25 mpg in city driving and above 30 mpg on the highway. I'm averaging less than 25 mpg. Actually it's more like 23 mpg, which is not good. Will be interesting to see if it improves when I drive it to work on Monday. My wife's CX-5, which has a very similar engine, can hardly get to 26 mpg, which is the EPA estimated city mpg rating, but I give it a pass because it is a CUV. This car though is a sedan, it is supposed to get good fuel mileage.
• The trunk is spacious enough for a Costco run. You give up vertical storage space with a sedan compared to a hatchback or CUV, but I feel like you can better pack items in the trunk without said items jostling about.

I think I'll stop here. They had to order the front brake parts for my car, so I expect to have this loaner Mazda3 until Tuesday. If I learn anything new or interesting about this car in the next few days, I'll get some more posts up on here. Have a good weekend everyone!

Update: Final Thoughts on the 2019 Mazda3 Sedan

Tags: #CarReview #FirstImpressions #Cars #Mazda #Mazda3