Hey all,
I'm right about that point where I'm looking to buy a new car, and I'm considering the 2018 Mazda3 2.5L GT. I've already checked out several different cars on the market, including the Golf GTI, Hyundai Elantra GT, Honda Civic Si, Subaru WRX, etc.. Some of them impressed me more than others, but in the end it seems to be a toss-up between the Volks, the Hyundai, and of course the Mazda3.
The volks seems to be the best in terms of fit & finish, but is also the most expensive of the lot. The Hyundai seems like a great car, but the stereo (important for me) is pretty terrible, and it has poor resale value. The Mazda seems like the best in-between car, and the performance isn't half-bad either for a N/A engine (coming from a 3.5L v6 Altima).
I have a few questions/concerns, though. Please bear with me.
1. I've done some reading about the newer models not officially supporting features like Android Auto, but that there is an unsupported version out there. I've read it's okay, but was wondering how installing such a thing might affect warranty, or if anyone here's had an opportunity to try it out.
2. When I took a seat in the Mazda on a dealership test drive, I accidentally knocked my foot against the rocker panel/inner door jamb. To my surprise, it made the most hollow, tinny, echo-y sound I've ever heard from a rocker. I have to say I was pretty shocked, because of how cheap it sounded. It sounded thinner than even a front fender, even if it's supposed to be at least partly structural...
I know Mazdas have had issues with rust in the past, but even with everyone saying that the older Mazdas being made of recycled metal was the cause of that, and that the newer ones have resolved this issue... it just seems like any bit of rust would eat through the panels in a matter of months (I live in southern Canada, and it seems like there's never a shortage of salt on the roads in the winter).
The salesman kept going on about it being a much higher tensile strength steel than average cars built nowadays (something to do with Skyactiv), so it wouldn't rust for the lifetime of the car... but I know salesmen are there to sell the cars, not downplay their products. Anyone here have any input on this?
3. How do you find the blind spots on these cars? I know we tend to get used to our cars' visibility, but that back window seemed pretty tiny on my test-drive, and the pillars are pretty sizeable.
4. What are some common problems with these newer Mazda3's?
Thanks in advance for your input!
I'm right about that point where I'm looking to buy a new car, and I'm considering the 2018 Mazda3 2.5L GT. I've already checked out several different cars on the market, including the Golf GTI, Hyundai Elantra GT, Honda Civic Si, Subaru WRX, etc.. Some of them impressed me more than others, but in the end it seems to be a toss-up between the Volks, the Hyundai, and of course the Mazda3.
The volks seems to be the best in terms of fit & finish, but is also the most expensive of the lot. The Hyundai seems like a great car, but the stereo (important for me) is pretty terrible, and it has poor resale value. The Mazda seems like the best in-between car, and the performance isn't half-bad either for a N/A engine (coming from a 3.5L v6 Altima).
I have a few questions/concerns, though. Please bear with me.
1. I've done some reading about the newer models not officially supporting features like Android Auto, but that there is an unsupported version out there. I've read it's okay, but was wondering how installing such a thing might affect warranty, or if anyone here's had an opportunity to try it out.
2. When I took a seat in the Mazda on a dealership test drive, I accidentally knocked my foot against the rocker panel/inner door jamb. To my surprise, it made the most hollow, tinny, echo-y sound I've ever heard from a rocker. I have to say I was pretty shocked, because of how cheap it sounded. It sounded thinner than even a front fender, even if it's supposed to be at least partly structural...
I know Mazdas have had issues with rust in the past, but even with everyone saying that the older Mazdas being made of recycled metal was the cause of that, and that the newer ones have resolved this issue... it just seems like any bit of rust would eat through the panels in a matter of months (I live in southern Canada, and it seems like there's never a shortage of salt on the roads in the winter).
The salesman kept going on about it being a much higher tensile strength steel than average cars built nowadays (something to do with Skyactiv), so it wouldn't rust for the lifetime of the car... but I know salesmen are there to sell the cars, not downplay their products. Anyone here have any input on this?
3. How do you find the blind spots on these cars? I know we tend to get used to our cars' visibility, but that back window seemed pretty tiny on my test-drive, and the pillars are pretty sizeable.
4. What are some common problems with these newer Mazda3's?
Thanks in advance for your input!