The Little Things you LIKE about the Mazda 3

6248 Views 36 Replies 30 Participants Last post by dinu01, Jun 1, 2004

Badger Biker

Discussion Starter · May 17, 2004

Ok, we have a complaint thread, and after searching I didn't find a thread that relates to this...

What are those little things about the vehicle that surprised you, impressed you, made you smile or go "wow!"

My list begins with:
-Both sunroof buttons being able to close the sunroof
-Red lighted ashtray - very cool and great attention to detail there, I think.
-Blue light over the shifter is just way cool ...
-The rear-middle seat buckle holders in the seat, just making them sit flush, great thinking, Mazda!
-One of my personal favorites: The Tach needle has a little blue fiber-optic bit in it that turns blue on the tip of the needle when you reach red-line. Very cool indeed

That's my list so far... I'm sure people have others that I haven't even discovered yet, and perhaps I alerted you to something new as well

So ... what little details surprised you?

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21 - 37 of 37 Posts

Smokin

· #21 · May 17, 2004

No (or minimal) understeer?!?!

hmm..........I've experienced plenty of understeer as well as massive torque steer. Maybe the car was designed for the 2.0 liter engine? :shock:

Same problem with the MazdaSpeed Protege`. Journalists were ooing and aahing over it's amazing handling (some Road and Track issue). My brother owns one and I thought it's handling is crap. Especially the limited front differential that kicks in at corners. Feels real shitty.

Aside from that. I concur with other posters about the lil things that are just too amazing for this class.

lmp180psu

· #22 · May 18, 2004

Smokin said:
No (or minimal) understeer?!?!

Click to expand...

hmm..........I've experienced plenty of understeer as well as massive torque steer. Maybe the car was designed for the 2.0 liter engine? :shock:

Same problem with the MazdaSpeed Protege`. Journalists were ooing and aahing over it's amazing handling (some Road and Track issue). My brother owns one and I thought it's handling is crap. Especially the limited front differential that kicks in at corners. Feels real shitty.

Aside from that. I concur with other posters about the lil things that are just too amazing for this class.

I find myself anticipating understeer, but ending up steering too much around some curves ( hitting the center line/warning markers), as the steering is very reponsive. But, I do seem to have to constantly make slight corrections when the wheel is on-center. Overall I love the steering of the Mazda3, and is certainly better than the heaviness of my former 97 Contour V6.

G

· #23 · May 18, 2004

car is great.. everythingn that has been put up top... definately a great car..

digger10t

· #24 · May 18, 2004

i was really pushing my car through some tight esses...like 7 or 8 in a row, about 20 yards separated doing like 45. the car actually went tail around! i couldnt believe it, i got it loose just like i would with my old dakota. when they say the engineers designed it to handle somewhat like a rear-driver, they meant it. that, i love.

aeitingon

· #25 · May 18, 2004

i like the way the glove box handle is closer to the driver (makes much more sense than it being centered, like it is on most cars)

JT

· #26 · May 18, 2004

FR3D said:
I kind of those little lights that light up when you adjust the volume of the stereo

The volume, station tuning, etc...first time I saw that it reminded me of "KIT"! ha ha

I also like the tight turning radius. Makes it VERY easy to turn around on a 2 lane road.

JT

kak

· #27 · May 18, 2004

aeitingon said:
i like the way the glove box handle is closer to the driver (makes much more sense than it being centered, like it is on most cars)

I knew there was something other than it's size that made me like the glove box. I also like the two tier approach to the box. The stuff you put in the door part will stay separate from the stuff you put in the box part.

The bottle holders on all four doors are a simple and smart touch.

I like the "surprise, more storage" under the floor in the hatch. I keep a folded blanket and an old backpack with an aid kit in that.

The hidden hatch latch with the deep hand groove in the bumper is a great idea, too.

RickJames

· #28 · May 18, 2004

nikita said:
Little things I love:

8. Adjustable lumbar lever

Is this available on every model? (i, s, sedan, hatch) I haven't gotten my 3 yet, but test drove it a few times. I never noticed a lever anywhere.

stealth915

· #29 · May 19, 2004

i've had my 3 for a few days now, and I agree with everything that's been mentioned so far. The blue mood lighting infront of the shifter, the way the gauges look, giant glove box, two-tier storage under the armrest, steering wheel controls, solid doors...

i love this car

Metro Mateo

· #30 · May 19, 2004

Gas tank on the passenger side.

It seems most cars have the gas tank on the driver's side. Here in Jersey I always get to wait on the shorter gas lines because I can get gas on that side. Love it especially on the Turnpike, those gas lines are insane.

khoneyboy

· #31 · May 19, 2004

I like how the Nav screen closes itself when you shut off the car and automatically opens itself when you start it up again. I get a kick out of it everytime.

Mi3

· #32 · May 20, 2004

hydevil said:
ruff said:

Also in the rear part of the hatch were you can lock the floor cover up to keep stuff from rolling around in the back of the hatch. Thats very slick.

Click to expand...

What do you mean in the hatch you can lock the floor cover up?

The floor in the back of the hatch has two removable panels. The big one, closest to the hatch, can be swung up and stands vertically, dividing the compartment into two separate sections. The smaller one, which is right behind the rear seat, can be pulled out and locked into little clips on the side to make a horizontal shelf.

This is a really cool feature that I didn't know about until after I bought the car. Very clever, flexible storage.

TripleZero

· #33 · May 23, 2004

1. Radio controls on steering wheel, has to be one of my favorite things about the car.
2. The way the doors shut, nice and smooth, never to i have to re-shut it. The bad thing is when people who drive shitty cars shut the door they slam it.
3. Cup holders, never thought I'd say that but theyve really come in handy.
4. Tight steering, very responsive without being uncomfortable.
5. Ride quality/handling balance, I couldnt ask for a more perfect combo.
6. Hatch back, I dont think I would drive any other type. Just bought a new computer everything fit in easlily and was easy to load and unload.

I have a few complaints, like rock chips really bad on the sideskirts, easily scratched interior, cheap carpet, etc. but the good things far outwiegh the bad. I am very happy with my car.

pez11

· #34 · May 28, 2004

The glove box. The storage between the seats. The coin/cell phone holder.

I recently installed new speakers, new speaker wires, and added an amp.
Considering the amount of trim that I removed to route wires, I was amazed at how easily the trim and door panels came off without damaging them. My last install required a bottle of Crazy Glue.

JT

· #35 · May 28, 2004

Hey Triplezero, I think I'm one of the lucky ones so far without any rock chips after 3000 miles. And from what I've read so far, it seems a lot of people with TiGray have this problem (knock on wood).

I have to agree, the radio controls on the steering wheel are my absolute favorite (and they look good).

Good deal..another Michigan 3 owner. See many in the Detroit area? Not many 3's (HB's) around GR yet. I've only seen about 6 so far since last fall.

JT

lukel90

· #36 · Jun 1, 2004

i just like how 3rd gear pulls, and the fact that i dont have to downshift when going uphill like i did in my civic....OH,and i also love how the radio gets louder when you go faster..cool....

dinu01

· #37 · Jun 1, 2004

If we may continue here: http://mazda3forums.com/viewtopic.php?t=2901

please...

Thanks!

21 - 37 of 37 Posts

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