Mazda3 2.5T Turbocharged AWD Mazda3 for 2021 model year

I do hope that the 3's turbo is retuned for a different feel compared to the other current turbo cars. I have a CX-5 turbo. It has plenty of low end torque, but not a particularly fun engine to wring out, and it doesn't sound great either - it's definitely not an equal to the BMW or Audi turbo fours.

That, and the lack of unique turbo badging is what I think is holding back CX-5 and 6 turbo sales
 
So far pricing seems to be quite attractive...I'm definitely looking forward now to some reviews!

In the meantime...Just posted a new Poll...Cast your vote!
 
once i saw AWD i was like they're finally doing it! this is good news. Don't think it's on the books for me, but it's a good idea.
 
More info on Traffic Jam Assist:
"An advanced radar cruise control that can steer the car at speeds of under 40 mph (64 km/h)."
 
why are Mazdas so much cheaper in Mexico? Can I buy it there and bring it over?

Nope, not for new cars at least. Something to do with the emissions and safety regulations not being the same.
 
Yes, they found this out with the Mazdaspeed Miata and Mazdaspeed 6, quite a few years ago.
 
"engine is specifically calibrated to the Mazda3 so as to deliver the unique driving dynamics expected by our most passionate drivers"
Uh, I would think their most passionate drivers buy the MX5, although I have both.
 
This just in - the sedan image being thrown around will become the turbo 3 sedan with optional 6 cylinder engine. I'm in!
 

Attachments

  • 2020-mazda3-makes-triumphant-debut-in-los-angeles_34.jpg
    2020-mazda3-makes-triumphant-debut-in-los-angeles_34.jpg
    115.4 KB · Views: 181
I do hope that the 3's turbo is retuned for a different feel compared to the other current turbo cars. I have a CX-5 turbo. It has plenty of low end torque, but not a particularly fun engine to wring out, and it doesn't sound great either - it's definitely not an equal to the BMW or Audi turbo fours.

That, and the lack of unique turbo badging is what I think is holding back CX-5 and 6 turbo sales

I personally doubt it. It is the exact same engine and tune found in the CX-9, CX-5 and Mazda 6 and I think one would be hard to show that it has been tuned differently in those three cars.
 
I personally doubt it. It is the exact same engine and tune found in the CX-9, CX-5 and Mazda 6 and I think one would be hard to show that it has been tuned differently in those three cars.
I'd be happy if they added a touch of synthetic engine noise to make the engine sound better.
 
I personally doubt it. It is the exact same engine and tune found in the CX-9, CX-5 and Mazda 6 and I think one would be hard to show that it has been tuned differently in those three cars.

Quote from Mazda USA press release:

"This engine is specifically calibrated to the Mazda3 so as to deliver the unique driving dynamics expected by our most passionate drivers."
 
Quote from Mazda USA press release:

"This engine is specifically calibrated to the Mazda3 so as to deliver the unique driving dynamics expected by our most passionate drivers."

I bet that's just marketing speak for "we changed the throttle mapping".

I would like to see the 2.5T re-tuned to be higher revving but given that it has the exact same HP an torque figures I'd say that hasn't happened. There's no mention of any changes to suspension or brakes. The aero kit is an optional add-on.

I think this is just supposed to be a luxury trim, look at all the tech and convenience features they're packing into it.
 
Quote from Mazda USA press release:

"This engine is specifically calibrated to the Mazda3 so as to deliver the unique driving dynamics expected by our most passionate drivers."

The one thing I hope is that the AWD in the Mazda 3 is set up better to handle the torque of that engine. The amount of wheel spin and torque steer on the AWD CX-9 is shocking. It is noticeably less on the CX-5 (with 2.5T).
 
Quote from Mazda USA press release:

"This engine is specifically calibrated to the Mazda3 so as to deliver the unique driving dynamics expected by our most passionate drivers."

I hope so. When the redesigned CX-9 came out, Mazda claimed they studied the driving habits of people that owned the previous generation and discovered that most drivers of the CX-9 never wound the engine out past 3 or 4 thousand RPM. They designed and tuned the new engine accordingly. It is really ill suited for a "hot hatch" in it's present state.
 
I get the impression that the turbo is on the small side to minimize turbo lag, although I have never seen actual flow rate data or even a model number.

There's probably some power left on the table, but there's only so much that can be done before the turbo is well out of it's efficiency range.
 
I personally doubt it. It is the exact same engine and tune found in the CX-9, CX-5 and Mazda 6 and I think one would be hard to show that it has been tuned differently in those three cars.

There are some differences between the 2.5T engines and the way they are tuned for each model. AFAIK, the torque and hp curves are supposed to be the same.

With that said, the FWD Mazda6 w/ 2.5T does 0-60 in 6.4s and weighs 250lbs less than the AWD CX-5 w/ 2.5T, which does 0-60 in 6.3s. That would hint towards a slight difference in transmission tuning. Either that, or the AWD helped in acceleration off the line.

There have also been some reported issues of power loss on the CX-5 when temps get below 20F, but the difference appears to be much less pronounced on the CX-9 and the Mazda6. A few owners here have documented the difference in performance, but so far we haven't been able to figure out what exactly causes it, so we have just chalked it up to a general tuning quirk until we learn more about it.

I expect that they will tweak the Mazda3's 2.5T to behave largely like it does in all of the other models (lots of torque in low RPMS, falling off around 4k), but they will tweak it to fall in line with their marketing as a more "refined" experience. This would probably mean things like modifying throttle mapping and AWD behaviour to reduce torque steer/wheel spin (effectively making it more predictable, but less "fun"). Just my 0.02c.
 
Back