[bostonescape84]

Just got back from test driving an 07 3i Touring. I will be trading in my 03 Ford Escape this summer for a 3 because it is a pig on gas. I have decided on going with the 3i Touring with the 5speed stick and ABS/Curtain airbag package. The dealership ship only had a 3i Touring in auto so I took it for a ride.

I must say that I was very impressed with the automatic 2.0L. It had some good pep to it for such a small engine hooked up to a 4 speed auto. I have decided with the 2.0 over the 2.3 becuase gas mileage is very important to me. The handeling was awesome! The car feels so tight and well built. I love a car you can toss around. I was also very impressed with the interior build quality. When the test drive was over I was sad to go back to my boxy, sloppy handleing Ford.

The dealership told me I can order my 07 just the way I want it in June. I think I'm set on getting a silver one.

I have yet to drive a 07 3i Touring 5speed manual. Can anyone describe the difference in performance between the 4 speed auto and the stick on the 2.0L. I was impressed by the auto. Although I thought the 4 speed's gearing was too tall for top performance from the 2.0.

Thanks!

 

[azazel1024]

I happen to have a lovely strato blue 2.0L 3i 5-spd manual. The performance is significantly better then the auto as is the milage. Most 2.0 owners with autos seem to be getting in the low 30's for milage, I generally get mid 30's (especially in the summer time) with about an 80/20 mix of highway and city driving. My record milage so far is 40.7mpg, the highest I have ever heard of with an auto owner was more like 36 or 37mpg. My average though is more like 33-34 in winter driving and 35-36 in summer driving.

The acceleration is deffinitely stronger in the manual version of the car and the fun factor is also quite a bit higher rowing the gears for yourself. The fact that it costs less then the auto is just icing on the cake. The only thing I don't like about the manual gear box is that there is a fairly step transition between 1st and 2nd gear, it doesn't ruin my day, but it would be nice if the gears were a little closer.

When just driving around town or at 10/10ths the gear box is great, at 7 or 8/10ths it is not quite as much fun, but then again I would still take it over the auto (still much more fun then the auto at any effort).
-Matt

 

[bostonescape84]

Thanks for the reply! That is just the information I was looking for. When I first started looking at the 3 I was set on getting the 2.3. After test driving the 2.0 and reading the average gas mileage I will definitely be buying the 3i Touring with the manual. Going from an SUV that gets about 14-19 MPG to a sporty compact that gets over 30 will be a shock for me. Can't wait til the summer.

 

[azazel1024]

One other thing to throw out there for you, not to knock the 2.3...okay knocking it, is that some owners with the 2.3 motor have radiacally varying milage. I have really not seen or heard this with 2.0 owners, they all seem to get somewhat consistent milage from high 20's to high 30's (okay that is a pretty big range, but not as bad as the 2.3). 2.3 owners seem to get any where from about 32-34mpg for 100% highway cruises taking it really easy to 12-13mpg in some cases. No one on here and Mazda included can seem to figure it out. But, as I mentioned the 2.0s seem to not be effected by some of the dismal milage the 2.3 motors have. Most of the worst milage is for all city driving getting in the high 20's for milage.

On my test drive I did notice more pep out of the 2.3, especially down low, but it was not an especially large difference. So that combined with the price difference and lower milage I just went for the 2.0 and have been happy ever since (okay I would be lying if I said I wouldn't mind if the car had another 20-30hp every once in awhile, but I doubt I would be willing to sacrafice my awsome milage for it).
-matt

 

[MetalCord]

Just to throw something out there... During the summer months, I can regularly get low to mid 30's mostly highway... driving VERY agressively. Taking it easy isn't necessary for me. Of course, I'm just one person in a VERY large sample. YMMV.