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brand new 2010 mazda3 GX sport!

3K views 12 replies 7 participants last post by  baratacus 
#1 ·
i'm very excited...i just got my first new car ever...a brand new mazda3 GX in aluminum mica! the gx is a canada-only model. we canadians are a thrifty (cheap) lot and we like our hatch backs and wagons so mazda makes a special version for us: 2.0L engine, 5 speed manual, nothing fancy, no side sill extensions or alloys but the same brilliant chassis and handling. i love it! the ride is 'big car' solid and it is so nimble and has a viciously tight turning circle...i'm in love. it also has the same high quality interior fit and finish...i can hardly believe that they can make money selling these under $18K -- about $15k US!

one thing i've also been amazed by is how 'big' the stock 4 speaker stereo sounds. i thought for sure that i'd disappointed in the stereo but i must say i feel no need to upgrade.

i love the minimalist look of the car without the aero add-ons like the side sills...now time to add some GT 17" or MS3 18" alloys!

hopefully have some pics to post soon.

dave
 
#3 ·
Welcome and CONGRATS!!

I was considering the aluminum mica as well and I think it's a great colour (I was considering either that or CWP). I think it resembles the new silver paint used by more luxury brands such as BMW and Mercedes. Also, I noticed that it's arguably a low maintenance colour so props to you!

I was also surprised by the stock stereo as I expected something a LOT less but it sounds even better than the one in my family's 2005 Accord.

Enjoy your car and I'm looking forward to the pics! :)
 
#4 ·
[quote author=tylah link=topic=149277.msg3206683#msg3206683 date=1246468622]
Welcome and CONGRATS!!

I was considering the aluminum mica as well and I think it's a great colour (I was considering either that or CWP). I think it resembles the new silver paint used by more luxury brands such as BMW and Mercedes. Also, I noticed that it's arguably a low maintenance colour so props to you!

I was also surprised by the stock stereo as I expected something a LOT less but it sounds even better than the one in my family's 2005 Accord.

Enjoy your car and I'm looking forward to the pics! :)
[/quote]

yeah, i really like the aluminum mica...looks very slick. i like contrasty colour schemes so that the black bits don't blend in. my first choice was the CWP, as i love white on mazdas, but my wife vetoed it. fair enough, i'm very happy with the aluminum mica.

went for a drive through some twistys near UBC yesterday and was amazed yet again by the handling and solidity of the car, not to mention the stereo! i hope to get some pics up this weekend.

enjoy your gt in ontario!

dave
 
#5 ·
welcome!

[quote author=thejesus link=topic=149277.msg3206884#msg3206884 date=1246474441]
went for a drive through some twistys near UBC yesterday and was amazed yet again by the handling and solidity of the car
[/quote]

wait until you discover suspension mods...you'll wear your tires out faster than you care to imagine from taking corners so quick.
good to know the '10s are starting off nicely.
 
#6 ·
[quote author=Grazamataz link=topic=149277.msg3207570#msg3207570 date=1246500472]
welcome!

[quote author=thejesus link=topic=149277.msg3206884#msg3206884 date=1246474441]
went for a drive through some twistys near UBC yesterday and was amazed yet again by the handling and solidity of the car
[/quote]

wait until you discover suspension mods...you'll wear your tires out faster than you care to imagine from taking corners so quick.
good to know the '10s are starting off nicely.
[/quote]

i'm of the mind that driving slow cars fast is much more fun than driving fast cars slow. since mine is the 2.0l, i don't expect miracles. it's a fun, smooth engine. where i get to drive, sharp handling is much more of a priority. my first stop is to look into some stock 18" mazdaspeed 3 alloys with some good rubber. after that...suggestions? don't think that i'll be able to lower ride height due to parking issues at work and in my garage, but other than that...where should i start?

dave
 
#7 ·
sway bars will improve your handling tremendously...though i do recommend taking a few thousand kms to get used to the stock handling first.
also, you don't necessarily have to get springs that lower it too much, there are some that will only drop it .5" but still make a difference because of the stiffness.

it may be a little bit before a lot of aftermarket mods are available for the 2010 3s anyway since they were changed.

is your car a manual transmission? if so i'd also recommend a short-throw shifter, makes shifting so much more fun and less of a chore.
 
#8 ·
[quote author=Grazamataz link=topic=149277.msg3207676#msg3207676 date=1246505387]
sway bars will improve your handling tremendously...though i do recommend taking a few thousand kms to get used to the stock handling first.
also, you don't necessarily have to get springs that lower it too much, there are some that will only drop it .5" but still make a difference because of the stiffness.

it may be a little bit before a lot of aftermarket mods are available for the 2010 3s anyway since they were changed.

is your car a manual transmission? if so i'd also recommend a short-throw shifter, makes shifting so much more fun and less of a chore.
[/quote]

yes, mine is a manual. had to wait for it...mazda is sneaky, they fill the dealers with gt's frist, then the mid-level gs', then the final production run is the base gx. only 10 manual gx's came to canada on the last boat! would the short throw shifter be the one that is listed in the mazdaspeed catalog? i also notice some mazdaspeed stabilizer bars...would those be the ones?

i've been reading more on wheels and it souds like i might be better off to go a bit smaller and lighter...stick with 16's or 17's and go up in width to a 7" or 8" wheel. lots of fun stuff to research.

i'm having fun getting used to the stock handling. reminds me off my dad's eagle talon tsi that he had seriously blown...i used to bomb back roads with that thing till my cheeks hurt from smiling.

dave
 
#10 ·
[quote author=danielj link=topic=149277.msg3207955#msg3207955 date=1246524757]
Welcome to the forum.

Is the GX hatch the one without any steering wheel buttons or center armrest? I saw one at the autoshow in BC a few months ago. I got inside almost fell over as there was no center armrest to catch my elbow on.
[/quote]

the gx has no steering wheel buttons but it does have the same centre armrest as the other 3's...maybe pre-production? i'd fall into the passenger seat if i didn't have an armrest...driving style i guess.

dave
 
#13 ·
I think the U.S. Mazda 3i SV sport is the base model manual with no bells and whistles. (no a.c. either) You may not expect miracles, but you're going to be surprised at the capability of the 2.L For handling and more torque, you would be better off to stay with the smaller diameter wheels and go with a wider tire for a better footprint. You will loose some torque and HP going with larger diameters unless you reduce the tire profile so much that its a hard ride and will bend your rims up when you hit a chuck hole. A slightly stiffer spring will tighten the ride and reduce roll a lot. It will make the car a little lower, but only about .5 an inch. You more than make up for that with the 25% more support they give. you won't drop down as much once you clear the bump with the front wheels, allowing you to actually take speed bumps faster!

Stay stock for a while untill you wear out your first set of rubber. Its a fun car witout messing with it.
 
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