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Mazda 3 vs. Honda Civic Si - READ ONLY

43 messages,  Last post on Nov 25, 2004 at 2:27 PM

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Messages Page 1 of 5

#1 of 43 Mazda 3 vs. Honda Civic Si by bunk1968

Sep 20, 2004 (12:48 pm)

I plan on getting the Mazda 3, but I have a friend that is trying to convince that the Si might be the way to go.
Just wondered what anyone has to say about the comparison of these two vehicles.
Is the Si a faster and sportier vehicle?
Which has more cargo room?
And...?

#2 of 43 Re: Mazda 3 vs. Honda Civic Si [bunk1968] by mz3ct

Sep 20, 2004 (2:04 pm)

Replying to: bunk1968 (Sep 20, 2004 12:48 pm)
Your friend is jealous - stick with your feelings, which (in my case) have only gotten stronger after 5 months of owning the 3...or test drive the 3 again and find a big lot with a Civic Si in it (Wal-Mart?) and park next to it--get out and look.....decision made. zoom-zoom

#3 of 43 I put these two by nippononly

Sep 20, 2004 (4:15 pm)

back to back earlier this year when I was shopping. I ended up going with the dark horse option 3 at the eleventh hour. Before that, I was all set to pick up an SI. There are some differences between these two, and basically you sacrifice some utility (less stowage space behind the back seat, and two less doors) with the SI in order to get a somewhat sportier-feeling car. Which is not to say the 3 is not sporty (I am assuming you are considering the 3s hatch, which is the direct comparison model with the SI).
 
But the 3 feels a little longer and heavier from the driver's seat, and has taller gearing (more widely spaced). The SI is geared short to be a revver, which gives you better power around town and in the twisties at the expense of great highway mileage. It also means that if you are not accustomed to shifting when you need power, the 3 might be a better choice for you.
 
Plus the 3 has those 215mm tires, which contributed an intrusively loud rumble to the cockpit in the Mazda I drove - YMMV. I generally like spartan interiors, as long as they are not cheap, so I preferred the Civic on the inside, but I could easily see where someone would like the Mazda better on this count. And even I liked the exterior looks of the 3 better than those of the SI.
 
The SI is tossable, which is something I would not say about the Mazda, which also has heavier steering. The 3 has more options available like HIDs and NAV, though, if you like that sort of thing.

#4 of 43 re: I put these two by ambull

Sep 21, 2004 (9:25 pm)

I have driven both and would agree with what nippononly has said, except the 3 hatch has 205 50R17 tires, not 215s. The SI has 205 55R16s, the same as the standard 3s sedan. I considered the SI to be "edgy" which was quite fun on my short test drive, but it might get tiring on a long trip. The 3s is more solid, but I did hear the tire rumble over bumps especially. I don't remember the same driving the SI.

#5 of 43 yeah by nippononly

Sep 21, 2004 (10:51 pm)

I definitely did not experience tire rumble in the SI - it was one of the more obvious distinctions between the two.
 
ambull: good catch on those tire widths! I don't know where I got the idea those were 215/45/17s on the Mazda.

#7 of 43 Has anyone compared both cars w/ the same tire size by creakid1

Sep 21, 2004 (11:58 pm)

& see which one got more tire rumble?

#8 of 43 well the thing is by nippononly

Sep 22, 2004 (6:57 am)

they don't both have the same tire size in stock form, so you would have to buy one of them, then change its tires to match the other, then go test drive the other, and why would you do that?
 
But they do both have the same WIDTH tire, and having a shorter or taller sidewall should not make much difference in tire rumble, IMO.

#9 of 43 which means Mazda's road-noise problem is worse than Honda's by creakid1

Sep 22, 2004 (11:18 am)

When comparing my '90 Protege LX(sport-model) to the high-tech double-wishbone Civic EX from '92 to '00, I kept finding the Civic more boring especially steering wise, but the road noise of the Mazda is always a disadvantage & have eventually forced me to ride the Turanza LS-H quiet tires, which sort of numb my steering to the point of almost Honda level. Ride-comfort wise, the Civic was less harsh superficially, but my long-spring Protege w/ aftermarket Gabriel struts seems to ride more comfortable except when comparing to the '96-00 Civic on the fwy. Handling wise, the Pro is sportier w/ excellent front bite, but the rear twitchiness at the limit can only be tamed if you keep the throttle on, which can't always be done if a nerdy slow poke's blocking you on the ramp.
 
No, the 4-dr Mazda3 2.3 does come w/ the 205/55-16 just like the 3-dr Civic Si. I test drove one w/ stick.

#10 of 43 Re: which means Mazda's road-noise problem is worse than Honda's [creakid1] by sschaffer

Sep 22, 2004 (5:08 pm)

Replying to: creakid1 (Sep 22, 2004 11:18 am)
"No, the 4-dr Mazda3 2.3 does come w/ the 205/55-16 just like the 3-dr Civic Si. I test drove one w/ stick."
 
The 205/50-17 are optional on the sedan, standard on the 5 door hatch.
 
I've owned high strung cars like the Civic SI, very tiring to drive on long trips and don't perform any better than base models at normal rpms--no thanks.

Messages Page 1 of 5

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