[Levitron]

For those of us who aren't lucky enough to get this option, or those of us who don't even get to have this cool feature.

I use it for my cellphone and a pack of gum.

Tell us what YOU do with it

 

[MARKPMM]

We got a loaded 4 door in yesterday.. leather, hids, Navi.

The Navi panel had Japenese letters on it.

 

[dinu01]

It's solid plastic in NA if you don't have NAV. There's no lid.

 

[dinu01]

Hold on - you're in BC and you have a lid + container area on top of the dash?

 

[MARKPMM]

It's solid plastic in NA if you don't have NAV. There's no lid.

I didn't notice but you're right.

I've been in 14 and never noticed that.

 

[lmp180psu]

Aren't we talking about the small rectangular space next to the shifter, not the space on top of the dash where the nav screen resides? ( shown in the following pic with the nav remote installed)

http://www.edmunds.com/new/2004/mazda/3/100364219/photogallery.html?pg_type=Sedan

All N/A 3's w/out nav just have a non-functional plastic cover over the top of the dash. The first time I saw the small cubby next to the shifter I thought " Would my cellphone fit there?"

 

[MARKPMM]

Hold on - you're in BC and you have a lid + container area on top of the dash?

Like in the 6?

 

[Absinthe]

Navigation Control hole, not nav screen.
It's the space beside the shifter, where the remote is.

I use it for my cellphone..... fits my big phone pretty well.

 

[Levitron]

Yep. Absinthe's got it right

 

[D]

Now talking about the spot where the NAV screen would be... the Mazda 6 without Nav uses this as another glove compartment. I wonder why this is not the same case on the Mazda3 sedan? It'd be a great place to install aftermarket stuff. It would tucks away nicely with the lid shut.

 

[mz6zoomzoom]

I use that compartment in my MZ6 to hold my EZPass - it works from inside the compartment.

 

[wahyinghung]

I pick cell phone.

 

[dinu01]

Oh, then yeah. I thought you guys have a pop-up lid on the dash like in the 6.

 

[D]

I was hoping for a pop up lid on the dash but no such luck. I'm gonna try and see if I can order a dash from Europe and have it installed so I CAN have the pop up lid. But only if that is less than a few hundred bucks (ya right... I'll never get it).

 

[RICKIESP-5]

I WONDER IF U CAN JUST INSTALL A POCKET AND PUT SAY A 7 INCH MONITOR TO FLIP OUT AS WOULD THE NAV SCREEN.

 

[Kazbaeden]

Oh come now... you don't consider the hole to be a cool feature? I think it's kick-ass! Best hole design ever.

 

[D]

The 3 doesn't have the cool on-dash compartment, just the not-so-useful beside the gear-shifter little slot.

 

[Absinthe]

edited: nevermind

 

[schulkw]

When I test drove the 3s sedan, it didn't have a pop-up compartment (like the 6) where the navigation system. If it did, it sure wasn't noticable. I don't remember about the spot next to the shifter. I think it was solid plastic.

 

[dinu01]

You can't fit anything in that little curved tray. My cell phone? I have a belt clip for it (Motorolla i90 - use it for work)