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Hatchbacks Mazda3 Changes You'd Like To See in the Mazda3
38 messages, Last post on Feb 03, 2009 at 8:51 AM
You are in the Mazda3 Forum. Your Host is pf_flyer
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Upgrade the 5-speed manual to a 6-speed in 's' models Improve quality of some interior materials- carpeting and floormats wear very quickly; plastic on center console and lower dash (glovebox door, center stack) scratches too easily (black) Reduce road noise in 5-door (coming from rear tires) That's all I can come up with....minor issues, actually...
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Replying to: igozoomzoom (Dec 20, 2008 2:30 am) 1) Either wider gear spacing to yield a taller top gear or a 6th gear. 2) Lose the crappy Goodyear Eagle RS-A tires. I replaced mine with 714 miles on the car with Michelin Pilot Sport A/S tires, and the ride and handling of the car was dramatically improved. That and the snow traction between these two tires is a night and day difference, the RS-As were very dangerous with anything more than a dusting on the road, the Pilots have performed very in snow up to 3" (the deepest I've had to deal with so far). 3) Reverse the HVAC Mode knob with the HVAC Temperature knob (I'm thinking that they're laid out for RHD models). 4) Lose the blinky-blinky lights from the audio system. 5) The horn is an Epic-Fail, upgrade the horn to a fuller tone. 6) Mazda seems to be under the impression that those of us that live south of the Canadian border never see any snow, and as such, they've seen fit to offer our car with non-heated exterior mirrors. Geez, another Epic-Fail. I'll be adding heated mirrors in the next week or two. 7) The electric steering assist is often much too boosted, especially at lower speeds. Please don't construe that the above gripes mean that I don't like my car, nothing could be further from the truth. The fact is, I believe that the Mazda3 is far and away the best economy car offered (dollar for dollar) from any of the Asian or American manuracturers. Best regards, Shipo
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Struts that last more than 25K miles and can withstand several HPDEs per year. Motor mounts that do not allow excessive movement of the engine- and that don't break. More horsepower; that engine should make at least 290 bhp off the showroom floor. A much more progressive clutch engagement. A better defined shift pattern. No top speed limiter; life begins at 165! An on/off switch for all the electronic nannies save ABS. Switch to a tire size that has more R-compound choices available. One-touch power windows that work both up AND down on all four windows. Heated seats. Continue to keep the sunroof unavailable. Don't make a DSG or slushbox available, let the poseurs find another car. |
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Replying to: shipo (Dec 20, 2008 6:38 am)
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Replying to: ahightower (Dec 20, 2008 12:10 pm) Thanks, that's good to know.  Another thing that I'd like to see changed that I just encountered tonight on the way home from one of our local ski hills. 7) Apparently my Mazda3 doesn't have an instrument cluster light that indicates when the washer reservoir is low, and I ran out of washer fluid on a night when running out of fluid was a very bad idea. Annoying. Then I found out that unlike virtually every car I've had since the mid 1980s, the washer reservoir only holds three quarts (instead of five liters), so you cannot run it down to the warning light, dump in a gallon of fluid and be on your way. Annoying^2. To top off my washer reservoir rant, when I pulled the cap off to fill it, the cap came out with a long tube attached to it, and getting the tube to feed back down the filler neck when the time came to put the cap back on was a lesson in frustration. Annoying^3. Best regards, Shipo
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Replying to: shipo (Dec 20, 2008 9:57 pm) Scott |
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Replying to: scwmcan (Dec 21, 2008 6:22 am) Hmmm, that's odd, I've had a 5-liter container in five Chrysler products, two VW/Audi cars, two BMWs, and a Mazda MX-6. Go figure. Thanks for the advice on the light and the filler neck/tube. I'll look further into it. Best regards, Shipo
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Replying to: shipo (Dec 21, 2008 1:53 pm) The tube is Mazda's bargain-basement method to check the washer fluid level. You put your finger over the hole in the reservoir cap and then you remove the cap. Since your finger is over the hole in the cap the tube will show the fluid lever. Brilliant, no? I can't wait to find an E46 330i ZHP or M3 ZCP... 
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Replying to: roadburner (Dec 21, 2008 3:26 pm) Thanks!  Oddly enough, even though I didn't know they did the tube thing on purpose, that's exactly how I checked my level earlier today.  Best regards, Shipo |
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