[cydisc]

I'm new to the group and to Mazda as well. I've been looking for a replacement for my current ride, the ever practical Ford Ranger. I have the pickup because it's hard to haul lumber and appliances in a compact. But, the daily 40 mile (one way) commute is killing me at the pump. I've paid off the Ranger and I'm keeping it for when I really need it, but it's time to get a more fun (and fuel efficient) vehicle. My only other cars have been a 1977 Plymouth Arrow and a 1990 Nissan Sentra. Obviously, any measure of performance will be a vast improvement to me.

I've been looking for a balance of economy and performance. The MZ3 seems to blow every other in its class away. The i is billed at 35 mpg hwy and 148 HP/135 ft-lbs. Tq. That's pretty impressive for a stock 2.0.

I guess my question is:

Is the 3 for real?

 

[mz6zoomzoom]

Haha yes I can say with some level of certainty, the 3 IS for real

 

[AK/47]

I may be a bit biased, but the Mz3 is by far the best in it's class.

I could go on and on, but just take it for a test drive. That's all you'll need.

 

[vaBooM]

Want MPG?

Go Hybrid. Damn things get like 50 mpg.

 

[cydisc]

MPG is great with the hybrid. But I was looking for a balance of power, handling and mileage.

 

[cydisc]

The sticker gets pretty shocking with the hybrids, too.

 

[jintegra]

The 3 is a great car & is at the top of my list for replacing my 'teg. Unfortunately it is not the most fuel efficient vehicle out there in this price range. If performance & handling is not a top priority & fuel efficiency is, you may want to check out the competition as well.

 

[cydisc]

Considering my Ranger gets roughly 22 mpg, I'm thrilled with anything over 30. I've looked at the Corolla, which gets about 40 but was unimpressed with the handling and styling. I've yet to drive the Civic. It may come down to that and the MZ3. Although the Civic gets merely 2-3 mpg more than the MZ3 and the MZ3 looks a lot better, IMO. I like 4 wheel discs and the Civic doesn't offer that, either.

 

[mz6zoomzoom]

LOL well, I wish I got 22 MPG in my MZ6 ;-) (eh well, I get somewhere close I suppose)

 

[Slalom]

MPG is great with the hybrid. But I was looking for a balance of power, handling and mileage.

how about a TDI then? They can't be beat for fuel econ and power
(i'm just playing devils advocate here)

 

[funkyfreshmonke]

its fuggin awesome hands down best car in class...

 

[LeeLee]

how about a TDI then? They can't be beat for fuel econ and power
(i'm just playing devils advocate here)

You are kidding, right? The newest TDI has all of 100HP. The base Mazda3 has 48% more power! Wow...

 

[lmp180psu]

how about a TDI then? They can't be beat for fuel econ and power
(i'm just playing devils advocate here)

You are kidding, right? The newest TDI has all of 100HP. The base Mazda3 has 48% more power! Wow...

Plus, I was behind a Jetta TDI a few weeks ago, and the diesel smell was awful. I thought diesels are supposed to be cleaner these days.

 

[hotptato]

hahaha, i remember the VW Rabbit my parents used to have in the 80's, talk about making a good smoke screen. down shift it and punch the das, you couldnt see anyone behind ya.lol.use to upset alot of people with white cars.lol.

how about a TDI then? They can't be beat for fuel econ and power
(i'm just playing devils advocate here)

You are kidding, right? The newest TDI has all of 100HP. The base Mazda3 has 48% more power! Wow...

Plus, I was behind a Jetta TDI a few weeks ago, and the diesel smell was awful. I thought diesels are supposed to be cleaner these days.

 

[Slalom]

how about a TDI then? They can't be beat for fuel econ and power
(i'm just playing devils advocate here)

You are kidding, right? The newest TDI has all of 100HP. The base Mazda3 has 48% more power! Wow...

ever looked at the torque rating and gearing of a TDI? 177 lb-ft is some serious muscle... drop in a powerbox and yur looking at over 200... torque is fun!!

 

[Slalom]

how about a TDI then? They can't be beat for fuel econ and power
(i'm just playing devils advocate here)

You are kidding, right? The newest TDI has all of 100HP. The base Mazda3 has 48% more power! Wow...

Plus, I was behind a Jetta TDI a few weeks ago, and the diesel smell was awful. I thought diesels are supposed to be cleaner these days.

they are much cleaner... of course its still going to smell... did u see much, if any smoke?
plus once the government mandated switch to low-sulphur diesel starts in 2006, diesels will be even cleaner and more efficient... hopefully diesels become alot more common in NA just as they have become 50% of the market in europe.

 

[LeeLee]

ever looked at the torque rating and gearing of a TDI? 177 lb-ft is some serious muscle... drop in a powerbox and yur looking at over 200... torque is fun!!

177 lb-ft? So what? What does 177 lb-ft get you other than doing repeated jack-rabbit launches from 0-15? How long does it take a TDI equipped VW to reach 60mph? Last time I checked it was in the 12 to 14 second region for the old 90HP engine. I'll give it a full 2 second boost and say it now takes 10 to 12 seconds with the new 100HP engine. Is being an impediment to the normal flow of traffic your idea of fun?

I don't care how much torque you have, it's HP that tells you how fast your car is going to accelerate. Torque is good for tractor trailers, bull dozers, and tow-trucks - not the sort of fun I am into.

Another thing: crank torque by itself is a meaningless number because gearing affects how crank torque is translated into wheel torque that accelerates a car.

 

[zaimon]

how about a TDI then? They can't be beat for fuel econ and power
(i'm just playing devils advocate here)

You are kidding, right? The newest TDI has all of 100HP. The base Mazda3 has 48% more power! Wow...

Plus, I was behind a Jetta TDI a few weeks ago, and the diesel smell was awful. I thought diesels are supposed to be cleaner these days.

they are much cleaner... of course its still going to smell... did u see much, if any smoke?
plus once the government mandated switch to low-sulphur diesel starts in 2006, diesels will be even cleaner and more efficient... hopefully diesels become alot more common in NA just as they have become 50% of the market in europe.

Maybe Mazda should consider producing an Mz3 that runs on natural gas. The buses my university runs do such (I think it's methane), the emissions don't smell all that bad, like popcorn almost .

 

[Slalom]

ever looked at the torque rating and gearing of a TDI? 177 lb-ft is some serious muscle... drop in a powerbox and yur looking at over 200... torque is fun!!

177 lb-ft? So what? What does 177 lb-ft get you other than doing repeated jack-rabbit launches from 0-15? How long does it take a TDI equipped VW to reach 60mph? Last time I checked it was in the 12 to 14 second region for the old 90HP engine. I'll give it a full 2 second boost and say it now takes 10 to 12 seconds with the new 100HP engine. Is being an impediment to the normal flow of traffic your idea of fun?

I don't care how much torque you have, it's HP that tells you how fast your car is going to accelerate. Torque is good for tractor trailers, bull dozers, and tow-trucks - not the sort of fun I am into.

Another thing: crank torque by itself is a meaningless number because gearing affects how crank torque is translated into wheel torque that accelerates a car.

wow ok so thats enuff of this argument... Lee im not trying to win you or anyone else over, take one for a drive, you may like it, you may not, to each his own. I only suggested a TDI because cydisc was looking for a vehicle with a good mix of economy and go... a TDI is a good mix of both, especially compared to a hybrid that someone else mentioned. The 3 with a 2.0L can also be this, but it will never come close to the fuel econ of a diesel... but yes the 3 will be more fun to drive.

 

[lmp180psu]

how about a TDI then? They can't be beat for fuel econ and power
(i'm just playing devils advocate here)

You are kidding, right? The newest TDI has all of 100HP. The base Mazda3 has 48% more power! Wow...

Plus, I was behind a Jetta TDI a few weeks ago, and the diesel smell was awful. I thought diesels are supposed to be cleaner these days.

they are much cleaner... of course its still going to smell... did u see much, if any smoke?
plus once the government mandated switch to low-sulphur diesel starts in 2006, diesels will be even cleaner and more efficient... hopefully diesels become alot more common in NA just as they have become 50% of the market in europe.

No, I really didn't see any noticeable smoke, but the smell was still awful, and the sounds the diesel engine made at idle was weren't very nice either. I do appreciate its efficiency, but I couldn't live with a car that smelled like a tractor trailer, and sounded like farm equipment. Hopefully in the future, diesel engines will become more refined and less "stinky".