picked up my black mica GT sedan 5 speed this morning at 9... after leaving the dealrship, not quite ready to have fun because i had the car rust proofed right after... picked up the car and took it to work... i'm still getting accustomed to driving manual, and i embarassingly stalled while making a right turn onto traffic and another time while trying to park the car... after work had the chance to really see what the car is made of... i'm very satisfied with my choice... after getting the hang of driving manual i could feel what the Mazda3 is all about...
but before i get to the driving impressions i wanna say that my favourite part of this car's interior is the seats.... they are superbly comfortable and easy on the back side... i felt like i could take a 4 hour road trip and never need to stop... the feel of the interior door panels, the dash, and even the roofliner all have a certain clasiness unheard of for an "economy car"... my only feeling of cheapness might be the lighting around the stereo, and the turn signal/wiper stalks... other than these minor quibbles, the interior is extremely well done in its design, uniformity, and overall feel that just speaks "quality".
now getting to the fun stuff... the clutch take up is light and the shifter has a smooth, predictable feel that is a joy to row through... being leather wrapped is a nice touch and provides a good level of grip along with its just right size that fits like a ball inside my hand... the ride is never harsh, but provides a great amount of road feel and feed back to the steering wheel... with a relativley small turning circle, the steering is responsive and direct and stays on course when pointed straight... because of this, powering out of turns is a breeze and never did i feel the car was going beyond its limits, even though i never pushed it that hard... the engine i feel is not overly powerful and at the same time is just right to pull this car on its way... never sluggish or wheezing, but with available power whenever u need it... all in all, this car is wicked fun and a fulfilling one to drive... i cant wait to take it to the twisties this summer...
the best driver's car i've ever driven is my dad's 325ci in terms of its handling prowess, refinement, and its perfect synchronization of powertrain, suspension, and road manners... the Mazda3 i believe has set a new benchmark for it's class, just as the 3 series did among its competitors... if i were honda, toyota, or any of the big three, i know that the Mazda3 is the new kid on the block that's the only one to beat...
EDIT: Topic heading for uniformity :twisted:
but before i get to the driving impressions i wanna say that my favourite part of this car's interior is the seats.... they are superbly comfortable and easy on the back side... i felt like i could take a 4 hour road trip and never need to stop... the feel of the interior door panels, the dash, and even the roofliner all have a certain clasiness unheard of for an "economy car"... my only feeling of cheapness might be the lighting around the stereo, and the turn signal/wiper stalks... other than these minor quibbles, the interior is extremely well done in its design, uniformity, and overall feel that just speaks "quality".
now getting to the fun stuff... the clutch take up is light and the shifter has a smooth, predictable feel that is a joy to row through... being leather wrapped is a nice touch and provides a good level of grip along with its just right size that fits like a ball inside my hand... the ride is never harsh, but provides a great amount of road feel and feed back to the steering wheel... with a relativley small turning circle, the steering is responsive and direct and stays on course when pointed straight... because of this, powering out of turns is a breeze and never did i feel the car was going beyond its limits, even though i never pushed it that hard... the engine i feel is not overly powerful and at the same time is just right to pull this car on its way... never sluggish or wheezing, but with available power whenever u need it... all in all, this car is wicked fun and a fulfilling one to drive... i cant wait to take it to the twisties this summer...
the best driver's car i've ever driven is my dad's 325ci in terms of its handling prowess, refinement, and its perfect synchronization of powertrain, suspension, and road manners... the Mazda3 i believe has set a new benchmark for it's class, just as the 3 series did among its competitors... if i were honda, toyota, or any of the big three, i know that the Mazda3 is the new kid on the block that's the only one to beat...
EDIT: Topic heading for uniformity :twisted:
He was at work and then went driving. More than important than pics hehe
