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Mazda3 Sedan

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What is this discussion about? Mazda MAZDA3, Sedan

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#1 of 9235 2004 Mazda3 discussion by mdaffron Jan 14, 2003 (7:34 am)
Welcome to the discussion about the 2004 Mazda3 sedan, the successor to the Mazda Protege. It is reported that this sedan (with a wagon added later) will have Mazda engine options, including the 2.3-liter four offered on the 2003 Mazda6i, as well as other options not available on the current Protege line. Look for news about this new model to appear later in 2003 after the hype over the release of the RX-8 dies down.   If you have any "spy photos," technical details or other information, please post them here!   You can find me hanging out on the Protege discussion when I'm not here ...   Meade
#2 of 9235 Spy-Photos by panamaltd2 Jan 14, 2003 (11:25 am)
I have some spy-photos of the car, but how are we supposed to post pictures on this message board?
#3 of 9235 upload to a picture-hosting site by the_big_h Jan 14, 2003 (1:57 pm)
and then link the URL to the photo album here   most painless way to do it.... no HTML required!
#4 of 9235 I'm a lucky, luckky guy by groovypippin Jan 14, 2003 (5:08 pm)
This post was deleted from the Protege board so I am reposting here for your info.   A little while back, I indicated that Mazda reps would be dropping by soon with pictures of the new 2004 Mazda3.   They did.   I'm freakin' looking at it right now!!!!!!!! I have a front 3/4 and side shot of both the sedan and 5-foor.   I don't have a scanner, so I can't post anything tonight, (as a matter of fact, I haven't even decided if I will post it - I don't want to get myself or anyone else in trouble) but I will try and describe them to you.   First off, do I like it? Yes, although I now like the sedan more than 5-door.   What do they look like?   OK, here I go. First, the sedan.   I had been previously told to expext to see lots of RX-8 in the new M3. Well, I don't really see it. To me, the car looks more like a smaller, somewhat more agressive looking Mazda6.   The car I have pictured is obviously the top trim level. It is red, has what appears to be 16 inch gorgeous alloy wheels and a collor-keyed front grill (exactly like the optional sport grill on the M6).   Grill shape and headlights are very similar to the current M6, although they are smoked - like the current Protege. The headlights assembly has three projectors - there are relatively small rounded fog lights on the lower fascia.   The hood has very similar character lines to the M6, but there's more a power bulge to the hood.   Viewed from the side, the front half of the car is - again - very similar to the M6. The rear half - especially the C pillar - looks very much like the current Jetta. Door handles? Just like the M6. 4 wheels discs on this car.   Rear end. Very hard to tell with the shots I have. My guess is that it will - again - look very similar to the current M6. Small decklid "chin" spoiler on the car in this photo.   Oooh, oooh, oooh!!! The sedan is nice.   A word on the engine front. Protege lovers, your dreams have come true - the 160 HP 2.3 will be available in the M3.   OK (grin grin), now for the 5-door.   I'm not quite as enthusiastic about the this one. I currently have a P5, and in all honestly I think I kinda like the current one better.   Just about everything I said above applies, so I will concentrate on what's different.   The back end is less steeply raked than the current model - in other words it looks more hatchbacky and less wagony if you get my drift. It may just be the color of the cars, but the hatch also appears to have a much more prominent fenders and a character line that runs the length of the car.   It gives it a more high beltline kinda look. In that way it kinda looks like that silver hatch "spy photo" of the M3 that has been kicking around the net forever.   I'm going to leave my description at that for now, but I am more than happy to answer
#5 of 9235 Please post the pics, and a question ... by mdaffron Jan 15, 2003 (4:40 am)
By saying the sedan looks like a smaller version of the Mazda6, can you get any feeling for how much rear seat room there would be? One selling point to me on our current 2000 Protege and 2002 Protege5 was the enormous (for the car's class) rear seat room. At 270 pounds, I can sit "behind myself" without having to adjust the front seat. I've read some complaints about the lack of rear seat room in the 6. If the 3 is a downscaled 6, does that mean it will have LESS rear seat room than the 6?   Does the 3 benefit from other 6 innovations like the lack of shock towers in the trunk, and what kind of suspension does it have? Any word on proposed pricing in that announcement? I'd imagine they'd still try to keep it under $20K so it doesn't compete with the 6's pricing point ...   I hope!   Meade   P.S. Somebody post some pics! If that announcement says "confidential," I'll understand! If it doesn't, there's nothing against posting the pics, guys!
#6 of 9235 Mazda3 assembly location by wongpres Jan 15, 2003 (8:43 am)
This will inevitably come up and my post from another board was removed.   All Mazda3's worldwide will be assembled at Mazda's Ujina (Hiroshima) plant number II. This plant was shut down in Sep 2001 and will be re-opened sometime in 2003 almost exclusively for the Mazda3 (I hear the plant will make some Mazda2's as well since those are selling very well).   Engines for the Mazda3 are assembled at Mazda's Hiroshima engine plant.   And yeah, post the pics, I'm dying to see the car that I'm 90% sure I'll be getting.
#7 of 9235 Posting the Pics... by groovypippin Jan 15, 2003 (9:35 am)
I've decided that I'm not going to. The car will apprently debut in Geneva in about a months time, so I don't think thats an unreasonable time to wait. Plus, I don't want to get anyone (inlcuding myself frankly) in trouble for doing so.   Meade:   I can't answer the questions you're asking about size and mechanicals. Unfortunately, I do not have the info. Its very difficult to judge size with not point of reference (ie a person) in the photos I have.   With that said, I would be very surprided if Mazda downsized interior volume, although I would also be surprised if it was much bigger either. I think they got the previous generation just about perfect in terms of size and dimensions.
#8 of 9235 groovy by bigdaddycoats Jan 16, 2003 (9:17 pm)
When is the 3 supposed to go on sale in the U.S.? With the 2.3 it should be a very fun car. I would imagine 0-60 times of less than 8 sec. Every thing that I have seen has the 3 being a 2005 model. Would be sweet if it was an 04 in fall of 03. Thanks.
#9 of 9235 new C&D comparo by boggse Jan 17, 2003 (7:40 am)
In the new C&D family sedan comparo, the Mazda 6i came in second. I am looking forward to seeing how the smaller, lighter Mazda3 with the same 2.3L four does. 160 HP is very close to the Mazdaspeed 3's 170, and this is without a turbo. It might be hard to resist buying one for autocross.
#10 of 9235 Mazda3 release schedule by wongpres Jan 17, 2003 (1:36 pm)
According to Ward's Auto (Jan 9 '03), the Mazda3 will be introduced at the '03 Geneva Auto Show (early March) with production beginning in the 3rd quarter.   If the production schedule is true, I don't see how the Mazda3 can reach N. America in calendar year 2003.

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