Here is an undeniably useful story/report/review for all you people out there that have a mazda 3 'i' or and 's' (OZ terms Neo, Maxx, Maxx Sport, SP23) that would like to gain a better performance or sound or just achieve a healthier car 
So i bought my first 2005 Mazda 3 'i' (Maxx Sport) 2.0, i wasn't much into modding back then so i kept the car basically all stock, except for a better sound system, different colour interior lights and........
Installed a HPS Short Ram Intake (Tubing 2.5"), didnt want to risk hydrolock with a CAI
Everything else was stock on this car and installing that SRI was the best thing i've done for that car, it changed the car from a soft weakling to a soft ROARING car that pulled harder than ever. I loved the SRI for it.
Anyway i sold it with its stock parts and then bought a 2004 Mazda 3 'S' (SP23) 2.3
Now this car i starting modding little by little.
1. Sound system upgraded, 2 amps and 6 speakers.
2. Interior Lighting
3. Front lip and rear aprons
4. Rear engine mount Street Unit (street)
5. JBR RSB
6. Matsu Strut Bar
7. Painted Engine covers
8. HPS SRI/FUJITA F5 CAI
9. Custom 2.25" Cat back exhaust with cat delete
Now 1 thing i noticed with this is that i installed the HPS SRI into it with everything else stock and the car did not have a dramatic improvement like my old 2.0 'i' did
Then i installed my rear engine mount and that helped alot, planted the wheels to the ground more and gave more power to them. It was a great mod, other than the vibrations which has died down now.
Skipping over the RSb mod and Strut bar.......................
Then i thought heck i'll delete the 2nd Cat on my car with a stock exhaust and the SRI on the car. MANNNNNNn was that a BAD MISTAKE! The car just felt like shit, it did not pull at low rpms like it used to, it didnt even change the power at the top end. I had no idea why this happened other than the back pressure theory.
Then i put my FUJITA CAI ON!!! GOD FUJITA OWNSSS!!! The car CAME BACK TO LIFE! It was pulling harder than ever from bottom to the top end, it was a way better improvement than the SRI, i had torque and power all over
Now just yesterday, after researching for months, i got myself a Custom 2.25 inch (lets call it flex pipe back since the cat was already deleted). The sound, you hear it when you turn the car on, it becomes quite as soon as the rev drops, there is no way you can here it over your CAI. No drone whatsoever, screams just enough when i step on, PERFECT, i hate loud exhausts.
Anyway, driving back home with brother, the car felt like it lost some torque down low, but gained alot past the middle to the top. Then driving it around my block with brother, the car feels much better all over the powerband. then a few hours later, driving to the gym, just by myself, the car has torque, it has enough to make me feel like the car was on a diet and has just lost 200 kilos. The car just feels so light now and picks up speed sooo fast and easily. Very good improvement just by an exhaust mod.
So what i figured this to be is, the hps with a 2.5" tubing did great deal for a 2.0 mazda 3 with stock exhaust tubing (2.0") although didn't do much for the 2.3 mazda 3.
Deleting the cat on a 2.3 mazda stock exhaust and SRI mazda made me lose power.
Replacing the SRI with a 2.75" tubing FUJITA CAI and a cat delete with stock exhaust gave me very good power.
Getting a 2.25" cat back with cat delete and the FUJITA CAI gave me great power and torque everywhere. I did not lose any torque down low like many people say.
Now the car Inhales better and exhales better to become a healthier car that is ready to go on its toes.
So i bought my first 2005 Mazda 3 'i' (Maxx Sport) 2.0, i wasn't much into modding back then so i kept the car basically all stock, except for a better sound system, different colour interior lights and........

Installed a HPS Short Ram Intake (Tubing 2.5"), didnt want to risk hydrolock with a CAI
Everything else was stock on this car and installing that SRI was the best thing i've done for that car, it changed the car from a soft weakling to a soft ROARING car that pulled harder than ever. I loved the SRI for it.
Anyway i sold it with its stock parts and then bought a 2004 Mazda 3 'S' (SP23) 2.3

Now this car i starting modding little by little.
1. Sound system upgraded, 2 amps and 6 speakers.
2. Interior Lighting
3. Front lip and rear aprons
4. Rear engine mount Street Unit (street)
5. JBR RSB
6. Matsu Strut Bar
7. Painted Engine covers
8. HPS SRI/FUJITA F5 CAI
9. Custom 2.25" Cat back exhaust with cat delete
Now 1 thing i noticed with this is that i installed the HPS SRI into it with everything else stock and the car did not have a dramatic improvement like my old 2.0 'i' did
Then i installed my rear engine mount and that helped alot, planted the wheels to the ground more and gave more power to them. It was a great mod, other than the vibrations which has died down now.
Skipping over the RSb mod and Strut bar.......................
Then i thought heck i'll delete the 2nd Cat on my car with a stock exhaust and the SRI on the car. MANNNNNNn was that a BAD MISTAKE! The car just felt like shit, it did not pull at low rpms like it used to, it didnt even change the power at the top end. I had no idea why this happened other than the back pressure theory.
Then i put my FUJITA CAI ON!!! GOD FUJITA OWNSSS!!! The car CAME BACK TO LIFE! It was pulling harder than ever from bottom to the top end, it was a way better improvement than the SRI, i had torque and power all over
Now just yesterday, after researching for months, i got myself a Custom 2.25 inch (lets call it flex pipe back since the cat was already deleted). The sound, you hear it when you turn the car on, it becomes quite as soon as the rev drops, there is no way you can here it over your CAI. No drone whatsoever, screams just enough when i step on, PERFECT, i hate loud exhausts.
Anyway, driving back home with brother, the car felt like it lost some torque down low, but gained alot past the middle to the top. Then driving it around my block with brother, the car feels much better all over the powerband. then a few hours later, driving to the gym, just by myself, the car has torque, it has enough to make me feel like the car was on a diet and has just lost 200 kilos. The car just feels so light now and picks up speed sooo fast and easily. Very good improvement just by an exhaust mod.
So what i figured this to be is, the hps with a 2.5" tubing did great deal for a 2.0 mazda 3 with stock exhaust tubing (2.0") although didn't do much for the 2.3 mazda 3.
Deleting the cat on a 2.3 mazda stock exhaust and SRI mazda made me lose power.
Replacing the SRI with a 2.75" tubing FUJITA CAI and a cat delete with stock exhaust gave me very good power.
Getting a 2.25" cat back with cat delete and the FUJITA CAI gave me great power and torque everywhere. I did not lose any torque down low like many people say.
Now the car Inhales better and exhales better to become a healthier car that is ready to go on its toes.