|
Post by brucemacneill on May 22, 2015 7:50:49 GMT -5
My son got a Mazda 3 last year and as far as I know loves it. Surprisingly, it had the first GPS we'd seen that actually found my house.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on May 22, 2015 8:00:49 GMT -5
Screw the zoom factor, you want something you can put guitars and gear in.
|
|
|
Post by billhammond on May 22, 2015 8:38:28 GMT -5
I'm probably only interested in the 3. The length and wheelbase match up with the Corolla and Civic. I drove a Honda Fit and found it to be too tin-can like. Sue frowned. Said she felt every bump in the road. I see the 3 has a 2.0 liter as opposed to 1.8 for Corolla and Civic. The Zoom factor, I imagine. But I've been driving a 1.8 for 11 years and have not lusted for the extra power. And I enjoy the efficient gas mileage. C&D review: www.caranddriver.com/features/mazda-3-2015-10best-cars-feature
|
|
|
Post by Cosmic Wonder on May 22, 2015 9:02:34 GMT -5
I think you should spring for a Fiat Cabrio. That way, if you don't really fit in it, you can stick your head out the top and drive. Mike
|
|
|
Post by epaul on May 22, 2015 9:21:40 GMT -5
AND ...
the 3 has a well-placed nail file incorporated into the steering wheel.
|
|
|
Post by Marshall on May 22, 2015 16:56:31 GMT -5
I ran off to the Hyundai dealer and drove an Elantra. Very nice car. I'd say it's close behind the Civic. I stopped in the Mazda dealer but they were too busy and couldn't free up somebody to give me a ride. ("If you can wait over here we'll have a salesman in about a half hour that can help you. You can have some free coffee."). But I sat in a Mazda3 and thought it was cozy nice. All these cars are very similar. And so are the sticker prices. Surprisingly there's really not much difference in price; a grand or so. At the Mazda dealer I ran into a friend of mine who was there with his sister helping her buy a used car for her son. I told him about my trailer hitch problem. He said that's a common thing that some people put a trailer hitch on their SUVs just so they can have less damage on their vehicles in a rear end bump.
|
|
|
Post by billhammond on May 22, 2015 17:05:42 GMT -5
Ah, so it was the Odyssey's fault! The thot plickens!
|
|
|
Post by Marshall on May 22, 2015 17:08:37 GMT -5
Well, of course not. But if it hadn't been for the hitch, I'd still be driving the Corolla.
|
|
|
Post by billhammond on May 22, 2015 17:36:16 GMT -5
I just can't imagine anyone spending hundreds of dollars to install a trailer hitch merely to minimize damage in the event they are rear-ended. Those accidents are always the fault of the following car, so they are gonna pay, not you.
|
|
|
Post by epaul on May 22, 2015 18:00:44 GMT -5
My guess is:
60% of the people who put a trailer hitch on their car do so to pull a trailer.
35% do so because they think they may someday want to pull a trailer.
The remaining 5% do so because they want a mount for their little moose head or Vikings helmet.
|
|
|
Post by coachdoc on May 22, 2015 18:37:04 GMT -5
OK. There's a Mazda Dealer down the block from all the other guys. I'll look into it. But it's going to be hard to move me off the Civic. It was a real car compared to everything else I've driven. My rental car now is a Chevy Impala. Soft, loose, spongy ride GM is know for. Yuck. Here is the 2 Hatch: I loves me my Fit. 3 y.o when bought. 5 y.o now. Not a single complaint. Great cargo space. Great mpg. Nice sound system. Utilitarian and sorta looks nice. 'Fits' lotsa guitars with back seat down.
|
|
|
Post by billhammond on May 22, 2015 18:54:42 GMT -5
Coachdoc -- I know a few very happy Fit owners, but they use them almost entirely as around-town cars. Marshall does a fair amount of longer-distance driving -- have you done much of that in your Honda?
|
|
|
Post by Doug on May 22, 2015 19:37:05 GMT -5
I just can't imagine anyone spending hundreds of dollars to install a trailer hitch merely to minimize damage in the event they are rear-ended. Those accidents are always the fault of the following car, so they are gonna pay, not you. Most of the newer SUVs have a Reese hitch so all you need is the draw bar.
|
|
|
Post by billhammond on May 22, 2015 19:44:38 GMT -5
I just can't imagine anyone spending hundreds of dollars to install a trailer hitch merely to minimize damage in the event they are rear-ended. Those accidents are always the fault of the following car, so they are gonna pay, not you. Most of the newer SUVs have a Reese hitch so all you need is the draw bar. Odyssey is not an SUV -- it's a minivan.
|
|
|
Post by coachdoc on May 22, 2015 19:47:57 GMT -5
Coachdoc -- I know a few very happy Fit owners, but they use them almost entirely as around-town cars. Marshall does a fair amount of longer-distance driving -- have you done much of that in your Honda? Couple hours at a time over to Portland Maine, no problem. That's about it. Other longer trips we use my wife's Prius. Now that's a car.
|
|
|
Post by Doug on May 22, 2015 19:48:21 GMT -5
Most of the newer SUVs have a Reese hitch so all you need is the draw bar. Odyssey is not an SUV -- it's a minivan. From Marshall - "He said that's a common thing that some people put a trailer hitch on their SUVs just so they can have less damage on their vehicles in a rear end bump" Which is what you were responding to, but I see where we changed vehicles. Kind of like playing Red Light with two vehicles, everyone jumps out and instead of changing seats change cars.
|
|
|
Post by Village Idiot on May 22, 2015 21:32:52 GMT -5
My guess is: 60% of the people who put a trailer hitch on their car do so to pull a trailer. 35% do so because they think they may someday want to pull a trailer. The remaining 5% do so because they want a mount for their little moose head or Vikings helmet. You forgot to factor in the people who just want to sport a pair of these: You guys sure take cars seriously. Kim always has a decent car, but I've never paid more than a couple thousand for a personal car, the requirements being that it moves, and lasts at least three years.
|
|
|
Post by Marshall on May 22, 2015 22:22:28 GMT -5
Coachdoc -- I know a few very happy Fit owners, but they use them almost entirely as around-town cars. Marshall does a fair amount of longer-distance driving -- have you done much of that in your Honda? Couple hours at a time over to Portland Maine, no problem. That's about it. Other longer trips we use my wife's Prius. Now that's a car. Interesting. On a long trip, the Prius will run out of electricity and be just a normal small engine gas car. Their MPG ratings are better in the city than on the road. Yeah. My car needs to keep me comfortable on the long highway and nimble in the urban environment. Or so I'd like to think. Everybody has their own comfort level. I'm thinking the Corolla/Civic/Elantra/Mazda3/Fusion is the right size for me. Also interestingly, though I didn't drive the MZ3 yet, I went to the local dealer web site and clicked to ask for a quote. They already got back to me on the 3 saying the MSRP is $20.3k. But they'd sell me one for $17.3k. . . . , nice to know. I'm heading out of town again (in the rent-a-chevy). I get back on friday 5/29. I hear car dealers are always hungry at the end of the month to make their monthly quotas. So, I'll probably be wheeling and dealing end of next week. (By then I'll have the check from State Farm I figure). Rumor has it Honda won't deal like the other mfrs do, because of the rep and resale. But we'll see. In terms of MSRP there's parity across these platforms. (The Mazda 3 doesn't have a sun roof option )
|
|
|
Post by fauxmaha on May 23, 2015 8:59:36 GMT -5
Coachdoc -- I know a few very happy Fit owners, but they use them almost entirely as around-town cars. Marshall does a fair amount of longer-distance driving -- have you done much of that in your Honda? I used to have a Geo Metro. No radio. No AC. Drove that damned thing to Oklahoma City twice, Dallas once, and Houston three times. Other than not using much gas, those trips sucked the most. Marshall: Do not buy a Geo Metro.
|
|
|
Post by billhammond on May 23, 2015 9:21:23 GMT -5
Well, you can get a sunroof on some models. The Mazda 3 lineup is split in half by engine choice -- the 3i models have the 2-liter, the 3s models have the 2.5 liter. Then there are basic option packages you can add to the cars in either division.
For some reason, perhaps structural rigidity, you can't get a sunroof in the 2.5-liter models, but if you are OK with the two-liter powerplant, you can add the Touring Technology package:
All other Mazda 3 trims are available on both the sedan and hatchback. The 3i Sport adds cruise control, a 60/40-split folding rear seat, Bluetooth phone and audio connectivity, a 7-inch touchscreen display with a knob-based controller interface, and a six-speaker sound system with a CD player, HD radio, smartphone-enabled Internet radio and a USB/iPod audio interface.
The 3i Touring models lose the CD player but add 16-inch alloy wheels, foglights, heated side mirrors, a rear spoiler, keyless ignition and entry, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, a rear-seat center armrest, a blind-spot warning system with rear cross-traffic alerts and a rearview camera. The optional Touring Technology package adds a sunroof, dual-zone automatic climate control, a navigation system, voice controls and a premium nine-speaker Bose surround-sound audio system that further adds satellite radio.
Those features come standard on the 3i Grand Touring, along with leatherette (premium vinyl) upholstery, heated front seats, an auto-dimming rearview mirror and a six-way power driver seat (with manual lumbar adjustment).
The 3s Touring is equipped like the 3i Grand Touring but adds a more powerful engine, 18-inch alloy wheels, steering-wheel-mounted paddle shifters and a head-up display for vital driving information.
|
|