[fleecy]

My Canadian-spec 3 has automatic settings for both headlights and wipers : I love those!

The owner's manual seems to imply that US models are not equipped with those features. Mazda USA doesn't seem to even offer that as an option. Could this be why we don't get Xenon headlights here? Maybe the light & rain sensor (at the top of the windshield, behind the rearview mirror) is incompatible with HIDs?

 

[M3-GT]

We get autolight and the US get Xenon. :roll:

It's just a marketing decision...a stupid one but hey I still have a hard time accepting that crappy decision of not being able to get Xenon in Canada. :x

 

[Geepy]

In Europe we have Xenon and automatic lights and wipers...
It is a commercial decision, may be these accessories are not often chosen in North America ?

 

[M3-GT]

In Europe we have Xenon and automatic lights and wipers...
It is a commercial decision, may be these accessories are not often chosen in North America ?

They are chosen on Cars like benz, BMW, Audi etc....and those companies import only their high end models to NA so those cars are expensive.

It would be chosen on Canadian mz3 if it was available.

 

[Butters]

Not to be mr. negative here... but, why would I need automatic lights and wipers? Isn't it easy enough to flip a switch or lever ?

 

[fleecy]

It's not an essential feature, but it IS nice to have the car turn its lights on and off automatically. It's safer for other drivers (how many dumbasses do you see driving around without any lights on at night? I see a lot of them daily). The system will also shut the lights off automatically when you turn the ignition off, so you never forget to turn the lights off when you park the car.

Automatic wipers replace the standard intermittent feature : they activate more or less often based on the amount of water that's on the windshield. One less thing to deal with, so we can concentrate on driving.

 

[Absinthe]

I dun use the auto-light feature, but the automatic wiper works great!

 

[Butters]

It's not an essential feature, but it IS nice to have the car turn its lights on and off automatically. It's safer for other drivers (how many dumbasses do you see driving around without any lights on at night? I see a lot of them daily). The system will also shut the lights off automatically when you turn the ignition off, so you never forget to turn the lights off when you park the car.

Ok, gottcha, it's usefull for forgetfull people.

Automatic wipers replace the standard intermittent feature : they activate more or less often based on the amount of water that's on the windshield. One less thing to deal with, so we can concentrate on driving.

I still see it as a useless feature... I guess it's one of those things that you'd never want or need if you've never had it, but it's nice if you do... like the wipers on the headlights on the luxury cars, compleatly useless IMO

Do you get theese standard in Canada, or are they part of a "convenience package" ?

 

[cowtown]

Standard on the Sport for sure in Canada. I haven't had much use for the wipers though they are a toy more than anything else it would seem right now. When spring comes and the rainy season starts up in June here in Calgary I'll probably appreciate them more.

The auto headlights on the other hand are fantastic. I never have to worry about my lights now and it's nice to have one less thing to turn off in the car when I get home.

All told I'd rather have the auto headlights than Navi or Xenons, not much use to me really and I think Xenons are more trouble than they are worth.

 

[Slalom]

ya im still annoyed about the lack of Xenons here in Canada... i do like the functionality of the auto lights and rain sensor but could live without the auto lights. The rain sensor is great but I would have been plenty happy with regular variable intermittent wipers... but thank god we don't have the fixed interval wipers that the Protege had... those sucked.

 

[rpc180]

We don't? That might be another thing you guys north got. Mine's got a 1, 2 intermitent and high setting.

 

[LeeLee]

Yea, one thing I wish my MZ3 has is adjustable intermittent wipers. Instead it has a single pre-set intermittent speed. Sucks.

Another thing I wish it had is auto climate control. The LCD readout is there, and it would be awesome if we could just swap in the auto climate control module from an european spec car for like a couple hundred dollars.

 

[cowtown]

"but thank god we don't have the fixed interval wipers that the Protege had... those sucked."

Amen to that.

 

[Slalom]

We don't? That might be another thing you guys north got. Mine's got a 1, 2 intermitent and high setting.

Our GX trim sedan still has these fixed interval wipers, only the GS and GT get the rain sensors. I believe the US i sedan has the fixed interval while the s trims get the variable wipers (correct me if im wrong, i can't check the mazda usa site at the moment)

 

[rpc180]

This is from my S trim. Its got Off, Int (no variable), 1 and 2. Wow, another reason I should've just drivin north to get mine :shock:

 

[Slalom]

This is from my S trim. Its got Off, Int (no variable), 1 and 2. Wow, another reason I should've just drivin north to get mine :shock:

wow ok so the US doesnt get variable intermittent at all... that sux... thank you Mazda Canada for including rain sensing wipers!

 

[D]

The auto wipers are great in the rain but kinda crappy if your window gets dirty (due to salty roads or something). When the crud (aka salt) gets on the windshield, it can't clean it off properly so it keeps the wipers going. Gotta use washer fluid to clean it to get the wipers to stop. Also, if auto wipers are on and your car windshield is iced up in the morning, the auto wipers go on (over the ice). That can't be good for the wiper blades!

 

[Slalom]

The auto wipers are great in the rain but kinda crappy if your window gets dirty (due to salty roads or something). When the crud (aka salt) gets on the windshield, it can't clean it off properly so it keeps the wipers going. Gotta use washer fluid to clean it to get the wipers to stop. Also, if auto wipers are on and your car windshield is iced up in the morning, the auto wipers go on (over the ice). That can't be good for the wiper blades!

yup u gotta be mindful of the RS wipers... they arent a set and forget type of thing like auto lights are... they have their limits just like everything else but they work very well 90% of the time. They would definitely come in handy for those people that sit at stop lights in a really light rain with their wipers going full blast... i mean are peoples minds really that far away while they are driving to not notice their wipers making screeching noises as they drag across dry glass?

 

[Geepy]

In Europe we have Xenon and automatic lights and wipers...
It is a commercial decision, may be these accessories are not often chosen in North America ?

They are chosen on Cars like benz, BMW, Audi etc....and those companies import only their high end models to NA so those cars are expensive.

It would be chosen on Canadian mz3 if it was available.

I meant that we have these functions on the european Mazda3, and we even have them on mid-end little cars (size inferior to the 3 like Peugeot 206).
It does not seem to be very common in NA, maybe because it is not so useful ! (I have automatic wipers and I can live without !).
It has to be perfectly set up to be appreciate and it is not often ...

 

[M3-GT]

Cars do cost less in NA than in Europe so they have to cut somewhere.