2014 Mazda 3

**NewbDriver** · April 26th, 2014 10:33 PM

Nagtest drive ako kanina sa BGC (1.5), ok naman ang steering.
'Di ko lang mahataw ang makina kasi sandali lang ihahataw eh abot na ko sa stop light.

'Di ko nga lang talaga type 'yung fabric seats ng 1.5 and sana naka-embed na lang sa dash ung screen na 'yun.

FYI pala, Mazda 3 1.5 is only offered in white, gray, and black. 2.0 has white, gray, black, soul red (+16.8k), and supposedly 'yung blue; pero hindi pa ata available. And mas madami daw dadating na sedan kesa hatch.

**RF02** · April 26th, 2014 11:09 PM

Originally Posted by germs

RF02, hiwalay naman talaga ang warranty ng battery kasi consumable item yun, kahit anong brand. May Yojin3 ka pa rin naman so malaki pa din matitipid mo, plus the gas savings.

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nung una kasi ang sabi sakin ng SA ko lahat daw 3 years warranty and 3 years free pms

tapos nun on the way na ako for test drive saka lang nya nalinaw na hindi kasama battery...

eh diba 13k yun battery pero sabi naman nya bawing bawi daw yun sa natipid ko sa gas...

**jdjoeydean** · April 27th, 2014 09:32 AM

can the I-stop deactivate?

**RF02** · April 27th, 2014 10:03 AM

Originally Posted by jdjoeydean

can the I-stop deactivate?

pwede po isa sa mga ito lang:

1. push nyo yun i-stop OFF sa baba ng aircon vent nyo sa left (safest way, pero need mo gawin yun eveytime gagamitin mo yun car)
2. wag kayo mag seat belt (not advisable pero it will not activate the i-stop)
3. itodo mo yun aircon thermostat (number 18)

hth

**jut703** · April 27th, 2014 12:36 PM

Drove both variants yesterday. Overall, the 2.0 is a winner by KO while the 1.5 is more of a winner by split decision.

Power - The 2.0 has merely adequate torque in the lower rev ranges, but delivers linearly increasing power past 3500 rpm. Thankfully, the transmission is responsive so you can get in the powerband quickly enough if you need to. It's a bit like driving a 2-liter Honda. Even a 1.6 Altis feels more responsive at lower revs.

Speaking of the 1.6 Altis, it's definitely more powerful than the 1.5 Mz3. The Mazda really needs to be floored to get any sense of acceleration, and even so, you don't get much. In city driving you'd be revving to 3000 rpm to get good pace, and this isn't exactly the car that would inspire you to overtake quickly on a 2-lane provincial highway. In comparison, the Altis feels effortless up to 100-120 kph which is all that most people need anyway.

Saving grace for the 1.5 is the beautiful exhaust note. Actually both variants have very lovely engine noises, revving them becomes addicting.

Space - Gone is the cramped Mazda 3 of old. This new one is about as spacious as an FD Civic - not class leading, but finally out of the subcompact level of space. Odd though that the rear floor still isn't flat. Compared to the Altis, the Mazda 3 doesn't hold a candle, but the space it has is respectable in its own right.

One thing I noticed though is that the seating is low for rear passengers. This is better than the Altis though which has low seating for all passengers.

One more thing about space, both sedan and hatch have cavernous rear cargo areas. Indeed, Mazda had put the additional length to good use.

Handling - I tried my best to induce understeer in the short test route, and I was pleasantly surprised that it was very, very planted. Nothing short of what you would expect from what is touted as the poor-man's-BMW. One gripe that I have though (which I also expressed for the Mz6) is that the EPS is rather too light for spirited driving. Perfect for city driving, but I would've wanted a bit more weight into it.

Ride Comfort - With a sporty sedan like the 3 you'd expect a crashy ride, but it's actually pretty good. It's not plush-soft like the Altis, but rather it feels very solid and refined. As expected, more 3-series than Camry. Also, during sudden braking or potholes, the car doesn't lose composure like most subcompacts do.

After the short test drives, I'm convinced that the 2.0R is again the class leader, like how the 1st-gen Mz3 was in 2004.

As for the 1.5...it's not as convincing a winner. The Altis 1.6 has more power and space, and might be equally if not more efficient. The Mazda has much more appeal, but seriously needs a wheel upgrade (though that will rob it of even more power). I will still probably get the Mazda if I only had a 950k budget just because it has more soul than the Altis, but other people would want the more practical choice.

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**Albastru** · April 27th, 2014 04:05 PM

Originally Posted by jut703

Drove both variants yesterday. Overall, the 2.0 is a winner by KO while the 1.5 is more of a winner by split decision.

Power - The 2.0 has merely adequate torque in the lower rev ranges, but delivers linearly increasing power past 3500 rpm. Thankfully, the transmission is responsive so you can get in the powerband quickly enough if you need to. It's a bit like driving a 2-liter Honda. Even a 1.6 Altis feels more responsive at lower revs.

Speaking of the 1.6 Altis, it's definitely more powerful than the 1.5 Mz3. The Mazda really needs to be floored to get any sense of acceleration, and even so, you don't get much. In city driving you'd be revving to 3000 rpm to get good pace, and this isn't exactly the car that would inspire you to overtake quickly on a 2-lane provincial highway. In comparison, the Altis feels effortless up to 100-120 kph which is all that most people need anyway.

Saving grace for the 1.5 is the beautiful exhaust note. Actually both variants have very lovely engine noises, revving them becomes addicting.

Space - Gone is the cramped Mazda 3 of old. This new one is about as spacious as an FD Civic - not class leading, but finally out of the subcompact level of space. Odd though that the rear floor still isn't flat. Compared to the Altis, the Mazda 3 doesn't hold a candle, but the space it has is respectable in its own right.

One thing I noticed though is that the seating is low for rear passengers. This is better than the Altis though which has low seating for all passengers.

One more thing about space, both sedan and hatch have cavernous rear cargo areas. Indeed, Mazda had put the additional length to good use.

Handling - I tried my best to induce understeer in the short test route, and I was pleasantly surprised that it was very, very planted. Nothing short of what you would expect from what is touted as the poor-man's-BMW. One gripe that I have though (which I also expressed for the Mz6) is that the EPS is rather too light for spirited driving. Perfect for city driving, but I would've wanted a bit more weight into it.

Ride Comfort - With a sporty sedan like the 3 you'd expect a crashy ride, but it's actually pretty good. It's not plush-soft like the Altis, but rather it feels very solid and refined. As expected, more 3-series than Camry. Also, during sudden braking or potholes, the car doesn't lose composure like most subcompacts do.

After the short test drives, I'm convinced that the 2.0R is again the class leader, like how the 1st-gen Mz3 was in 2004.

As for the 1.5...it's not as convincing a winner. The Altis 1.6 has more power and space, and might be equally if not more efficient. The Mazda has much more appeal, but seriously needs a wheel upgrade (though that will rob it of even more power). I will still probably get the Mazda if I only had a 950k budget just because it has more soul than the Altis, but other people would want the more practical choice.

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Hmmm... With dealers also being greedy, I think the 1.5 Mazda 3 will be a tough sell... I'll wait for a year and jump in on a good opportunity to buy one cheap through discounts. Or maybe, just wait for the new Kodo Mazda 2. :-)

**spencersy** · April 27th, 2014 05:04 PM

Hi,

don't wait just because of some unwanted dealers who take advantage of customers like us, you just have to find a reputable sales person and dealer just like where i bought my car and you will be surprise i got the best deal i just don't know if i can post her name or dealer .......... so you can also inquire thanks.

**TMackus** · April 27th, 2014 07:01 PM

Hi, first timer here.

Hindi pa pala available yung GPS niya for Pinas. The one shown sa test drive is just for testing pa lang. They will probably release it daw around late this year pa.

Eto naman yung dashboard:

**jut703** · April 27th, 2014 08:13 PM

Originally Posted by Albastru

Hmmm... With dealers also being greedy, I think the 1.5 Mazda 3 will be a tough sell... I'll wait for a year and jump in on a good opportunity to buy one cheap through discounts. Or maybe, just wait for the new Kodo Mazda 2. :-)

5% DI right now. Though the SA said they'd give it for 3% DI, or no DI pag cash.

Will wait for a few months, mataas pa kasi demand right now.

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