But if this were my car I'd really want to replace these all-seasons with summer tires once they wear out. A car in this condition is very unsafe to drive because it is impossible to control. Have you driven a Mazda 3? There are also a lot of great features in our car and the pricing is quite reasonable. I'm 5 feet, 10 inches tall, and I had my 6-foot friend sit in front of me in the front passenger seat. Basically, every time I brought the 3 to a stop, the brake pedal pulsed. It could be dumb luck, or it could be a really odd prank where the prankster doesn't get to see the payoff. To my understanding the circuit works like this: head unit positive steering wheel control wire -> clock spring -> steering wheel control box (contains the resistive . Thigh support was OK, too. Skip to main content. A resurfacing fixed the problem. Switch Assembly CX-3. Dan noted some drivers not only need to adjust the seat, but also the angle of the Mazda's head-up display itself. 5FNRL6H87PB027669 Do any of you have a Mazda 3? B&I Steering Wheel. Did that do anything to move the MPG needle? However, after a couple hundred miles in the Mazda 3 on Los Angeles's notoriously choppy, variously paved and poured concrete (and sometimes rain-grooved) freeways, we're less impressed with the busy ride and road noise we endure. Most of that was steady cruising at 70-75 mph, but there was about an hour and a half's worth of slow-moving traffic for the round trip as well. Turns out the folks over at Mazda think of everything. Bad news first. warnings before handling a front seat (with built-in side air bag).. Roughly 600 of those miles entailed a trip to Las Vegas, where the little Mazda averaged 30.8 mpg. I pulled into the hotel right around 5:30, got partially settled and went about my press trip duties. Mazda3PO: Sir the odds of navigating through the Inland Empire is approximately 3,701 to 1. Saved Searches . Then they started taking things apart. This leads us to believe it's a suspension noise, but we've been wrong before. Chute Cable End Cap - Black Cables. Jan 20, 2009 Worst Fill MPG: 22.2 Best Fill MPG:41.1 Average Lifetime MPG:28.9 EPA MPG Rating:32 Combined (28 City/39 Highway) Best Range:342.2 miles CurrentOdometer:903 miles. Ed Hellwig, "Back in May I took our Mazda 3 to the dealer for its first service and to have a TSB repair performed to eliminate the dash creak. Why We Got It The Mazda 3 has been a perennial driver favorite, but ultimately lacked the interior refinement, ride comfort and fuel economy offered by its mainstream competitors. This will allow you to jump into the menus, scroll down to steering wheel controls and switch them back on. I can't provide a price tag for the adaptive bi-xenon HIDs since they came standard on the S Five-Door Grand Touring along with some other premium goodies. In total there are two USB plugs, one aux jack and one 12-volt outlet in the center console. I like small feisty cars. MAZDA 3 MAZDA3 2010-2011-2012-2013 PLUG PASSENGER HARNESS FIX KIT BAG OEM. I get the idea that whoever built it had serious emotional issues. The Mazda 3 never contributed to that stress. The following performance numbers were originally published along with our Road Test of the 2014 Mazda 3 that would eventually become our long-termer. It's just as impressive and class-leading as their car was when new. While this is a sensation I've felt in plenty of personal cars before, it was a bit surprising on such a new car. They look better and fit my narrow frame better than the Mazdaspeed seats anyway. Recently, I set out on a four-day trip to the Sierra (yes, it's singular) and finally got some seat time in the Mazda. I drove this car for the first time last night. Our average after 20,000 miles was 30 mpg, with a best single-tank range of 358 miles. But you get my point. But then you might be wondering: Which style (or trim level) should I buy? Yet apparently I'm in the minority of American buyers, as you have to constantly badger automakers about why they don't offer hatch/wagon versions of popular two- and four-door models, models usually offered in other countries. But overall, I'm a fan. Replacement Steering Wheels. The oil change and tire rotation were done in short order. With visions of prosciutto dancing in our heads, we headed out into torrential rain. It uses the same sensors for vehicle detection but activates instead when you put the Mazda 3 in reverse. 1. In the above photograph, note the speed limit information on the left and the lane information at the top. If I was in the market for a new daily driver-like car, the Mazda 3 would be at the top of my personal shopping list. But hatchbacks eliminate the pass-through issue. But the Mazda 3 offers a rarity for cars of this ilk: It's fun to drive. Worst Fill MPG:22.2 mpg Best Fill MPG:41.1 mpg Average Lifetime MPG:29.1 mpg EPA MPG Rating:31 Combined (27 City/37 Highway) Best Range:342.2 miles Current Odometer:10,877 miles. While I find analog tachometers the most natural for me, I actually prefer digital speedometers. We'll put some additional highway miles on it in May to see if that overall number edges up a little. And then tightened the front license plate. My daughters are finally starting to show interest in getting their driver licenses. Let's just say that you've been reading our fantastic collection of updates about our long-term 2014 Mazda 3 and you've decided to buy a Mazda 3 for yourself. After a 13-hour work day I like walking into a dusty parking garage and finding our 2014 Mazda 3 waiting for me. My wife drives a first-generation, '07 3 S Grand Touring Hatchback (pictured above), which is exactly what our long-termer is, and at the time she bought it was just as much the class leader the new car is. The unit's translucent screen should rise when the ignition is switched on and then display numerous bits of information including speed, lane-departure warnings, turn-by-turn directions and more. And, of course, we had the car in for its scheduled 7,500-mile service, which included a TSB. As soon as I was done driving the Murano, I hopped back into the Mazda 3 and pointed it south towards home. So there I was stranded on some dusty old rock that seemed as though it was the furthest point from the bright center of the universe, also known as California's 909 area code. Still the CarMD was able to pull a single code, P0882. And a sharp stick for keeping kids out of your yard. That counts for a lot in a car that's meant mainly for just getting the job done. Our hearts ultimately opted for the versatility of the five-door. Body style was the first. The navigation system simply wouldn't shut up. Shop by category. When I finally cleared the hold, I stood back and stared. This morning the check engine light was still on but the car drove fine, which is good as we'll be driving it straight to the dealer to see what might have happened. While driving our silver hatchback, I found myself changing tracks and stations easily, accurately and quickly without taking any focus away from the road ahead. As I was slowly making my way along the freeway at about 20 mph, I noticed tapping noises. Equivalent-Ad-9292 1 yr. ago. Check out those bolsters. Mazda 3. One day recently, the windshield washers in our long-term 2014 Mazda 3 refused to wash the associated windshield. Free shipping. All this, plus practical and fuel-efficient, too. (You are getting a Porsche, after all.). But the ride itself is controlled during cruising speedsthe Mazda 3 does the best job of balancing handling and ride comfort in its class." There was a suitable amount of legroom for me, and there was close to an inch of clearance above my head. Just turn the seat heaters on once and leave them that way. I ran speaker wires back to. Mazda mounted the 3's tachometer (on "S" trim levels) in the middle. I like putting our Mazda 3 into its manual mode. $35.10. Latest. With shift paddle. Here's how it fared. Cross-traffic alert is especially useful if the Mazda is bracketed in its parking space by bulky SUVs or trucks on one or both sides that limit your own view of what's coming. They're safe, quick enough to get out of their own way, decently comfortable up front and can be equipped with many of the latest convenience features. I'll take a few creaks from the windshield over a sloppy suspension any day. Comments: Acceleration comments: After sampling Drive, Sport Drive, and manual-shift Sport mode, the best results came in Sport Drive because the manual-shift requests aren't registered/don't happen quick enough and result in hitting the rev-limiter. I suppose the best news is that now you get the choice for 2015. Which is in the trunk.". Well, owners of the first-generation Mazda 3 (like my wife) are far more likely to be tempted to trade-in their car for a 2015 Mazda 3 than they would've been for Mark II. Nine buttons on the wheel face alone, controlling 15 commands. September was a good month for our 2014 Mazda 3. You may also be amazed and interested to learn that Route 6 is also known as the "Grand Army of the Republic Highway" in honor of Civil War Veterans. It really is a fantastic little motor with plenty of grunt, even at passing speeds. Though I'm yet to read about its specifics, it's easy enough to understand that that this feature gives an average of the traffic history for the specific time you're asking, a good thing to know for the commute you don't usually take. It wasn't until passing Palm Desert that we outraced the clouds and finally hit normal freeway speeds. The 2014 Mazda 3 available navigation system includes some handy information on its map display. Me, the first thing I'm looking for when I get into a head-up display-equipped car is the "off" button. This gave me enough space for my cargo, but only just, and zero room for passengers. 0. Tilt the steering wheel and/or adjust the 2004-2006 MAZDA 3 IGNITION DOOR TRUNK LOCK CYLINDER SET WITH KEYS USED OEM! Only 2 left. It had sharp handling, a responsive engine, attractive styling, good interior quality for the segment and a level of available equipment that most competitors didn't offer. The good news for those car guys and car gals, at least, is that this automatic works quite well, particularly in its manual shifting mode. Getting the boxes to fit though, wasn't as easy as I expected. All too often the change is so imperceptible that there's little reason to engage it. I was the first to drive the Mazda when it arrived at the office, and I will be one of the last before it leaves. Being full leather makes them a little more slippery than I'd prefer when cornering hard. When a steering wheel does not turn the car it signifies a more serious problem. Mazda press material says that "each control and function has been specifically placed with intuitive utility in mind." As Travis commented as part of an overall update about the Mazda 3's control layout, the knob and buttons fall readily to hand. It's small, sporty, sits low, enjoys a curve, and has the versatility of a hatchback. Alone, the code didn't pinpoint the actual problem. This model stickers for $27,290. This I have known and appreciated since it arrived here a year ago. It's not padded, and my elbow kept sliding off." Remove the following parts: But, really, this is like complaining about the freckle on Monica Belluci's elbow. Our 2014 Mazda 3 travelled 1,100 miles during the month of June and increased its lifetime average by 0.2 mpg. This fixed the problem until the next time I drove the car. In this instance, a quick glance to your right will allow you to keep your eyes on the cars in front of you rather than searching for a speed limit sign or waiting to read overhead green highway signs. Keen readers will correctly conclude that the only time the ADD stows away is when the car is shut off. I'll rev it out towards redline or blip down a couple gears in advance of a turn. And, to be honest, the silver on our long-term car isn't even the best color for this thing. The six-speed Skyactiv automatic transmission isn't even a penalty. There are also fixed buttons to immediately go to the most common things you'll use or do: audio, navigation, the home screen, favorites and a back button. But it offers one related feature that isn't very common, and it does this even when no navigation route has been input, when no actual route guidance is going on. The reason I asked this was because of the way in which the D5102 front logic board has it's resistive buttons and illumination mapped. The center fold-down armrest was just fine, though. Steering Wheel Left Side Steering Wheel Right Side Lighting Control/Turn and Lane-Change Signal Wiper and Washer Lever Cluster Switch Switches Around Power Window Instrument panel Console Around Overhead Light. It was corrected at the dealer free of charge. It looks great inside and out. I got you covered. Please press the button on the steering wheel remote, otherwise the button you pressed is not usable.". up and down to make sure it's locked Just as the car begins to dance and respond, the ESC believes it's out of control. There's a narrow box under the armrest, a sliver of flat space ahead of the shifter and a glovebox. But since we probably won't be back at a dealership for the rest of the car's stay with us, just getting it done seemed prudent enough. Nope. Mainly, the annoying sound waves are emanating from, I think, where the A-pillars and windscreen meet at the bottom, but there's also some much lighter squeaking from what sounds like the intersection of the rear door and B-pillar." They're not your usual economy car chairs. Okay, actually put a blanket down, take off the front wheel and place the bike gently. Didn't creak the rest of the time I drove it. Click to enlarge. Really, the biggest improvements are in the areas of refinement. It basically "reads" the street signs to you and displays them as text before you're close enough to see and read them for yourself. But for this class of car, it's sporty. Cameron Rogers pointed it out, but unlike the previous noise we encountered, he described it as "more of a soft thump than a clanging." The location of the multi-function control and volume knob is perfect, especially when combined with the curved center console. True, the loaded Grand Touring trim helps, but as I'm comparing apples of today to apples of 10 years ago, it's even clearer to see how much has changed. Another nice bonus is that the downshifts are rev-matched, which means the engine's rpm is automatically raised to the correct amount to match the rotational speed of the wheels before the next lower gear is engaged. The manufacturer provided Edmunds this vehicle for the purposes of evaluation. We didn't have a chance to haggle that price down, as Mazda provided the vehicle on loan for a year. Back in May I took our 2014 Mazda 3 to the dealer for its first service and to have a TSB repair performed to eliminate the dash creak. Rather than take a short flight up, I decided to drive. The empty cargo bay of the 2014 Mazda 3 S. I loaded a shallow cabinet about 3 feet tall, six cardboard boxes full of books, and a handful of other loose knickknacks. Recently, I was sent to Napa Valley to drive the new Nissan Murano. Turns out, the noise is coming from the front driver side only. We replied that we just had an update that was part of our 15,000-mile service. 1HGCV3F27NA047683 Our 2014 Mazda 3 has enough plugs to satisfy even the most device-heavy travelers. I searched the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration's site anticipating the TSB, but found nothing. Going around turns and having the tires squealing away is kind of embarrassing, too. One nice thing about our car is that it seems there's plenty of summer tire selection in the 215/45R18 tire size. Though I was driving on high alert the whole time, only one incident managed to rattle my cage. What, exactly, is the point of that? The display screen remains vigilantly present in your field of view like a business card stuck under the wiper, standing at attention for absolutely no reason at all. At that trim level the Mazda 3 has 18-inch alloy wheels, steering-wheel-mounted paddle shifters, bi-xenon headlights, foglamps, LED taillights and a head-up display for vital driving information. Like the others, I really enjoy driving this car. One of the new 2014 Mazda 3's many virtues is its sharp styling, especially at the front end. Only a few small affordable cars, however, go beyond this and actually provide an engaging driving experience that helps to make normally mundane trips a little more fun. $39.00. Hopefully I'm imagining things. Nothing terrible, just the occasional sign it's no longer showroom fresh. Instead of just getting by when you need to make a pass, it jumps to attention and gets the job done quickly. To top it off, its EPA mileage numbers are only two points down compared to the smaller engine." Looked like I was living out of the car. As it turns out, it doesn't appear that system is connected to anything else and is entirely isolated, as I suppose you would expect it to be. The numerals are easy to see (they appear larger in real life than they do in these photos) but they don't intrude on the view ahead one bit. Driving in the mountains is a quick way to see what a car is made of. in this thread in this sub-forum in the entire site. That was when a big rig trailer started swaying back and forth in the wind and rain. As we started this test at the beginning of the year, we're on track to meet our goal of at least 20,000 miles. I like these seats. JavaScript is disabled. The interior is sufficiently roomy. But I have to draw a line somewhere, and I'd rather stay with the 3s Touring and save $1,200. Our 2014 Mazda 3 has been steadily racking up the miles and recently achieved 10,000 miles on its odometer. The new car is now among the class best in both regards. To illustrate, here's our Mazda 3 going over a speedbump at 7 mph. Mazda certainly isn't alone in this folly, but how does any carmaker design a car without taking into account the front license plate? But over the four tank-fills in October, we averaged 29 MPG combined, right in line with our current lifetime average. And folks who bought a late model year Mark II may be kicking themselves for not waiting a year or two. Not a big surprise here. This performance steering wheel is designed for the facelift 2017 - 2018 Mazda 3, 2017+ Mazda CX-5 and 2018+ Mazda CX-3 . Or any sane person. I'd like to see factory torque curves on both cars. There is a trade-off, however, in terms of ride quality. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. Nothing seemed amiss other than the noise. column. Our 3 was still on the lift when we arrived. Along with the Touring's other extra features, it's a worthwhile upgrade in my opinion. Worst Fill MPG: 22.2 Best Fill MPG: 41.1 Average Lifetime MPG: 29.3 EPA MPG Rating: 31 Combined (27 City/37 Highway Combined) Best Range: 358 miles CurrentOdometer: 14,867 miles. But let's also face it, from a design layout it makes more sense to group volume and skip buttons together, no? The normal maintenance work, on the other hand, was completed without a problem. I'm a big proponent of securing heavy cargo so it doesn't fly around in an accident. When we set out to develop a performance steering wheel for the facelift 3 rd GEN . JavaScript is disabled. Carry emergency gear, including tire All the space is right there for ya, just throw the bike in. It pulls hard like that old Integra and it's always willing to chirp the tires. Handling comments: Slalom: The Mazda 3 has quick reflexes, precise and communicative steering, intuitive behavior at the limit, AND an electronic stability control (ESC) that's calibrated to go to DEFCON 2 in our rapidly transitioning slalom test. There's not a lot of nook-and-cranny storage in the Mazda 3. Of course, the last thing you're going to want to do after buying a brand-new Mazda 3 is spend even more money on a set of new tires. Automatic temperature control. For that price you get a solid amount of content for the small-sedan class that nicely complements the 3's upscale vibe and won't make you potentially regret skimping on your purchase later on. A lot of pioneers drop their steering wheel control memory when they lose power. There are also fixed buttons to immediately go to the most common things you'll use." I use those buttons way more often than I do the info buttons, which scroll through the various trip computer menus in the instrument panel. My middle-school algebra tells me this is a longer distance. Installing the Recaro in a car is rarely a problem, and that was true here as well. Research the 2022 Honda Accord Hybrid Sport Sedan in Tampa Bay, FL at Crown Honda. Worst Fill MPG:22.2 mpg Best Fill MPG:41.1 mpg Average Lifetime MPG:28.9 mpg EPA MPG Rating:31 Combined (27 City/37 Highway) Best Range:343.8 miles Current Odometer:12,761 miles. sand or salt. Sure, it's an expensive solution for this vehicle segment, but considering that this is truly the one area that the Mazda 3 falls on its face, it would certainly be welcome. The report concludes that sales aren't falling to Golfs, Elantra GTs or Ford Focus hatches, for example. And if we'd opted for the manual transmission, the knobs are mounted far enough away that they wouldn't interfere with shifting, either. There was a suitable amount of legroom for me, and there was close to an inch of clearance above my head. Come join the discussion about MazdaSpeed performance, modifications, classifieds, troubleshooting, maintenance, and more! It's a car I can use every day and consistently enjoy the experience. It's the sort of thing that one might not notice until he tries to have a conversation with the stereo playing and abruptly the concrete surface disappears in exchange for smooth asphalt. Even the volume and selection knobs worked this way. Classifieds. Hi cmu-150 70.00.335NA user/jci cmu/jci no connecting Plissee help. It's fun and versatile like few other cars in our fleet right now. I've always had a fondness for sporty hatchbacks and I don't mind the Mazda 3's firmer ride. Brent Romans, "The first time around I was just putting along in traffic at around 15 or 20 mph when I felt a sizable clunk from the transmission. During that time we're shooting for as many miles as possible to see if the updates make the 2014 Mazda 3 the widely acceptable car we think it can be, or if Mazda's once again built a niche machine that appeals to a small subset of drivers who favor performance a little more than most. But new cars come in through the front door for testing and evaluation all the time. What's your take? Order) CN Shenzhen Siruida Electronics Co., Ltd. 4 YRS. . First, we followed proper break-in procedure, then we tested it at the track, and even drove it on the 120-mile Edmunds.com test loop. Thread starter djbailey; Start date Jan 20, 2009; D. djbailey Member. The controls are readily at hand and the overall design, with the exception of the touchscreen, is pretty harmonious and attractive. Last we left our 2014 Mazda 3, there was a crazy noise coming from the front left suspension. Thanks to the quick steering, taut suspension tuning and strong engine, the 3 feels alive and energetic. It was not the only item beyond regular maintenance, as we also had issues with a subframe creak, an unusual suspension creak, dashboard creak, object trapped in the windshield sprayer hose and a loose battery cable. Our 2014 Mazda 3 Grand Touring has a navigation system that offers the guidance assistance you'd expect. We also voiced our irritation about the recurring creaking dashboard. $599.95. $180.00. (The bassinet is just long and wide enough that I just don't think most midsize sedans' pass-through openings would accommodate it in its fully assembled state. As fate would have it, California was finally getting some much-needed rain when I was scheduled to make the drive. It is the 2014 Mazda 3, and I'm a big fan. I'll let Mike Schmidt know in case he wants to have our Mazda 3 checked out before its first suggested oil change at 10,000 miles. They typically promise a heightened sense of urgency on the part of the engine and transmission through a change to their electronic programming. It could just as well have been 2,000 miles. If I left them in the middle or lowest setting, that was exactly where they'd be when I returned to the 3. The cargo mat is $70, while the rear bumper guard and the scuff plates on the door sills are $100 and $125, respectively. For small hatchbacks like the 3, the extra power isn't always worth the reduction in mileage. before driving. I realize this doesn't even qualify for first-world problems, but hear me out. So why are wagon/hatches slow sellers? Mazda3PO: I'm fluent in over six million forms of communication. $210.00. A little wrench appeared on the gauge cluster this week and it led me to this service menu on the center touchscreen. However, it is encouraging that we easily eclipsed the official 37 mpg highway figure with a remarkable 41 mpg stint on our high-biased test loop. This is a peppy car, but not what I'd call exhilarating or fast. Emergency communication system. Shop by category. And that actually makes the Mazda a joy for errand runs and twisty two-lane breakfast blasts, but less so for long, choppy pavement commutes. With the driving rain continuing for the first two hours, there was little opportunity to claw back some precious time. With the manual, the 3 will likely be quicker in our 0-to-60 mph acceleration tests by a few tenths of a second, too. Seriously, these knobs have minimal lateral play, offer solid indexing, have a grippy, knurled surface. But I didn't look forward to driving it every day like I do with the 3. I like lightness. It further cements the Mazda 3 as a more serious driving machine. I'm expanding a bit (Josh is a man of few words). Wheel Diameter: 13.78" / 350mm. I guess this is the price you pay for structural rigidity? Like I say, it's a small thing. It's well built with quality materials. Worst Fill MPG: 22.2 Best Fill MPG: 41.1 Average Lifetime MPG: 28.9 EPA MPG Rating: 31 Combined (27 City/37 Highway) Best Range: 342.2 miles Current Odometer: 7,729 miles. Sure, it won't overwhelm you with power, but nothing does in this segment. The sedan sells better, but our personal favorite is the hatchback. Today I had an errand to run 50 miles away from home and the office. Now, it's certainly not unheard of for manufacturers to provide an alternative mounting location off to a side. The rain was relentless, making the drive anything but calming. There's a lot to like about our 2014 Mazda 3. Suddenly we're yelling with tense shoulders up around our ears and wonder what the heck we're doing. As I wrote in that previous update, the automatic is responsive, quick shifting, has shift paddles and even blips the throttle when you're doing manual mode downshifts. MSRP on our 2014 Mazda S Grand Touring was $27,585. On this trip the Mazda 3 exhibited an awful, awful lot of road noise, no matter the pavement. The allure of hope is always enough to make me look at a screen. So were you trying to link steering wheel switch to your D5102 ? As with Josh, I like Mazda's approach here with a tachometer that's not only large, but perfectly mounted in the center. But if you've got very small children or have some on the way, this is something to note if you're considering a Mazda 3 purchase." Almost all of them are likely to meet your expectations for practicality, fuel economy, performance and safety. Try again. e. B-pillar lower trim. This marked the third time during its year with us. (The carved out portions on front seat-backs provide plenty of room for this once the rear headrests have cleared the top portion of each seat.). Unfortunately, a personal emergency back home put a damper on things. Mostly, I like how it gives you an extra way to make inputs if you're so inclined. c. Rear scuff plate. But apparently an even newer update had just been released. That had a minimal impact on our Mazda 3's lifetime average, which stands at 28.6 mpg. This trip underscored one area where this car really suffers, though. Last week, I had a few big boxes to ship with long, fragile car parts inside. Only a mother could love this steering column, though. Sometimes at the end of the day, you just want a well-damped pothole eater. I stopped only once on the way up in order to top-off with enough fuel to get me the rest of the way and wash down a Big Mac with a Red Bull. Annoying. We put just over 1,500 miles on our long-term 2014 Mazda 3 in February. I like that Mazda locates the plugs in the center console, too. As you may have surmised, the Mazda Connect system and navigation are necessary elements here, and these features are also standard on the Mazda 3 S sedan and hatchback. The official EPA highway estimate is 37 mpg. With a 350 mm diameter and 63 mm dish it offers the ultimate in. If I were a regular owner, the dealer visit just for the update wouldn't have seemed worth my time, honestly. Clearly, the 2014 Mazda 3 can achieve remarkable fuel economy. Free shipping. A couple of weeks ago Mike Magrath mentioned squeaking noises coming from our long-term 2014 Mazda 3. And the car looks great whether you get it in hatchback or sedan configuration." With the 2.0-liter, the 2014 Mazda 3 Five-Door has a starting price of $19,740, but the cheapest you can get into a 2.5-liter car is the "s" Touring model, which costs $25,890. We drove our long-term 2014 Mazda 3 nearly 1,000 miles in March and the lifetime average fuel economy continued to climb toward the EPA combined estimate of 31 mpg (27 city/37 highway). Is this accurate? Sponsored. Downshifts come quicker, too, although it doesn't immediately drop a gear the minute you press it. Not long enough though. I like the interior design, too. Mazda could add sound insulation to the car to mitigate the noise. Our long-term Mazda 3 is the 3s Grand Touring, and that means it has just about every feature that can be had on the 3. The Sparco dished steering wheel is a tuning accessory for any car. If not, then it does sound like the steering wheel control module could be faulty and you might try returning it and see if the replacement works. Maybe in the future there will be a new-generation Mazdaspeed 3 or something that I'll absolutely fall in love with, but right now this silver 2014 model is my favorite. Yes, you have to re-switch it off every single time you start the car. ), As with the previous-generation Mazda 3 hatch, I did have to scoot the front seats up on their tracks to allow enough clearance for the rear seats to fold with their head restraints still attached. But what I like about our 2014 Mazda 3. is that it goes beyond just meeting my expectations. Granted, 2.5 mpg or so below is actually pretty typical for one of our long-term cars. (You typically use the rear-facing position for toddlers who are too big to be in an infant-style safety seat but are still too small to be forward-facing.) driver to abruptly turn to the left or With so many features attached to this trim level, we didn't add much in the way of options. All the space is right there for ya; just throw the bike in." Most carmakers have created a door panel storage area. We were waiting in a parking lot for another friend to show up for a hike we were supposed to do, and it was a good opportunity to examine some of the 3's qualities that don't come up every day. A lot. This banishes the hovering digits during daylight hours, at least. SPONSORED. So what will the manual provide? Attempt to push the steering wheel up and down to make sure it's locked before driving. Mike Magrath, "I was pleased with the amount of space the 3 has. That helped out our Mazda 3's lifetime average, which now stands at a record-high 29.3 mpg. I like that Mazda locates the plugs in the center console, too. Tire Rack lists 17 different sets ranging from around $500 to $1000 for a set of four tires. Its seats may be the best in the segment, and comfortably supported our backs and legs over the course of the 12 hours I piloted the hatchback. Rear cross-traffic alert is part of the blind-spot monitoring system. To my understanding the circuit works like this: head unit positive steering wheel control wire -> clock spring -> steering wheel control box (contains the resistive buttons) -> clockspring -> head unit ground steering wheel control wire. The 3 has just enough headroom for me not to strike the headliner, which is a problem I have in other compact cars. When I drive this car I find myself actively searching out the next turn to attack. Recently a friend of mine was checking out Edmunds' long-term 2014 Mazda 3 hatchback. The first is the 2015 3i Touring hatchback that stickers at $21,145 (without destination but with the six-speed automatic transmission). It all adds up to keeping me busy on the audio levels in the car. Because, like several other editors, I truly like this car. Certainly this all depends on your budget. 2022 Mazda Mazda CX-30 2.5 S Select Package SUV. An automatic can never provide the tactile enjoyment you get by working the clutch and shifter, and Mazda has traditionally done this well. Steering Wheel Package - Extreme. View pictures, specs, and pricing on our huge selection of vehicles. Chewing gum? My brother, who lives in Denver, Colorado, was car shopping recently and asked what I thought of the 2014 Mazda 3. For 2014 Mazda offered an optional 184-horsepower 2.5-liter four-cylinder. So I won't exactly be shocked if I'm accused of piling on yet again after this update on the 2014 Mazda 3 Hatchback. Here's its fuel log thus far. I decided a wagon/hatchback/truck bed will always have a place in my life. One of those was how comfortable we were sitting in back. If you think of word associations for the Mazda 3 it's unlikely that the first thing you think of is "roomy." Add some style to your interior and some confidence to your driving with this performance leather steering wheel. Most notably, it included 18-inch wheels, paddle shifters, adaptive bi-xenon headlights, a head-up display, a sunroof, rain-sensing wipers and leather seats. It was just shy of our 1,000-mile goal, but Dan Edmunds finished it off a few days later. The 3's rear seatbacks are angled in such a way that the Britax fit just about perfectly. We had a couple of final trips planned and wanted to make sure the car was in tip-top shape before we left town. I was able to link all these buttons to the JoyCon EXR and simply program functions to them as hotkeys in my Centrafuse front-end software. Dan Edmunds doesn't seem to mind it. Pros: More fun to drive than most compact cars, excellent front seats, easy to achieve its EPA mileage figures, excellent user interface for onboard systems, hatchback versatility, solid resale value. $22.28. Our 2014 Mazda 3's front seats mean business. It kept calling me sir, too. OK, I like cars. Our car is pretty loaded so we just have a few options. This isn't problematic since I'm past the rear-facing kid stage. Hi! Yes, it's a glamorous life being the spouse of an (often forgetful) automotive journalist. Ask an Authorized Mazda Dealer to check We are so excited to bring this option to the community, to give you the opportunity to take your driving experience to the next level. It's not the smoothest or the most refined four-cylinder engine I've ever driven, but its performance makes up for the lack of polish. I'm 5-foot 10-inches tall, and I had my 6-foot friend sit in front of me in the front passenger seat. See all those warning lights on the gauge cluster? Much to my surprise the transmission had returned to normal and the car drove fine. With its sharp steering, composed handling, quick-reacting transmission and well-bolstered seats, the Mazda 3 drives unlike anything else in the economy compact class. Those who did get behind the wheel clearly enjoyed the powerful 2.5-liter engine as the mileage figures dipped below 30 mpg on several of the tanks. Sure, I'd get more engagement with a regular manual transmission. More than 2,000 miles were added to our 2014 Mazda 3 test car's odometer in July, mostly during Jay Kavanagh's San Francisco road trip and during a couple of weeks in Brent Romans' care. The driver-oriented interior layout in our long-term 2014 Mazda 3 S is excellent. Hatchbacks are generally better at hauling taller cargo than their sedan siblings, but in this case a big enough trunk pass-through would've probably gotten the job done too. (The only thing we're missing is the Technology package). Used Cars for Sale. It's the right size. Change Vehicle. Who knows. Our local Mazda dealer was stumped for a few days. It works. Somewhat discouragingly, in my opinion, is that we're still off the pace of the EPA's 31 mpg in combined driving. But less clutter, more understatement would be good. The 2014 Mazda 3 is unusual in the small car class by offering a large amount of available safety features. I really like this car. It's a happy place. They weren't there when I started driving home last night, but they lit up like that twice after some odd noises from down below. Fire the engine and it pivots into position from its dash-top recess and begins displaying a digital speed readout. There are two choices: a 155-horsepower 2.0-liter four-cylinder that's hooked to either a manual or automatic transmission, or a 184-hp 2.5-liter four-cylinder that's available with an automatic transmission only. 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