Thinking about an '18 Mazda3 GT

huidaman

Member
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nissan altima
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!
 
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!

the new Mazda's are much better with rusting. the panels are made from double-dipped galvanized steel, meaning you are indeed very unlikely to experience rusting throughout the cars life. as long as you wash and wax the car regularly and avoid washing the car before driving over salted roads, you will be fine.

you are cross-shopping a little, personally It would be between the honda civic turbo or mazda 3 2.5 (the Hyundai is poo and the GTI is in a completely different level, unless that is what you want) and I would only be looking at the manual version.

I have a 2015 Mazda 6 GS (built in Japan) and the doors do seem a little tinny, but the car does feel well put together otherwise and the car still feels nice and solid even after putting 100K KM onto the car, so as long as whatever you're buying is built in japan then you won't have to worry about build quality.

another choice could be a CPO (certified pre-owned) BMW, such as a 2014 535i. I also have a 2011 528i which I bought used, and I have had an amazing experience with the car. it's very reliable (currently at 122k KM) , good on fuel, excellent handling and composure (the RWD balance is excellent especially in the snow we have here in Toronto) and overall a very comfortable and enjoyable vehicle to own. you can pick up these cars for very cheap right now so that is certainly also a suggestion.
 
you are cross-shopping a little, personally It would be between the honda civic turbo or mazda 3 2.5 (the Hyundai is poo and the GTI is in a completely different level, unless that is what you want) and I would only be looking at the manual version.

I have a 2015 Mazda 6 GS (built in Japan) and the doors do seem a little tinny, but the car does feel well put together otherwise and the car still feels nice and solid even after putting 100K KM onto the car, so as long as whatever you're buying is built in japan then you won't have to worry about build quality.

another choice could be a CPO (certified pre-owned) BMW, such as a 2014 535i. I also have a 2011 528i which I bought used, and I have had an amazing experience with the car. it's very reliable (currently at 122k KM) , good on fuel, excellent handling and composure (the RWD balance is excellent especially in the snow we have here in Toronto) and overall a very comfortable and enjoyable vehicle to own. you can pick up these cars for very cheap right now so that is certainly also a suggestion.

I tried the new Turbo Civics, and wasn't overly impressed with them. They were very well equipped, but personally I think they look like a bad mix of plain and busy, and the amount of rev-hang on the manuals is just plain bad. I had an older Accord a few years back, and one of my favorite things about that car was how quickly the RPMs dropped off between shifts.

The Hyundai was actually pretty good midway point between the Mazda and the Civic (without the egregious rev-hang), but I do think that they're a poor choice (resale$ being the main thing).

The GTI was overall a great car, but I agree that it's in a different category. The main thing holding me back from this car is the price.

I think I'll go have another test-drive of the 3 to try and make up my mind. Good to hear about the rust, too.

I've thought about the BMWs, but I'm going to shy away from them because I've heard that the reason the 3+ y/o ones are so cheap is because they're easily one of the most expensive cars to maintain after their (apparently extremely good) warranty expires. The reason I'm looking new is the warranty. I've maintained my Altima myself for the 6 years I've had it, but am now finding car maintenance time hard to come by... My Altima is a fairly expensive car to maintain when things break (parts & labor), so that's one of the reasons I'm looking to replace it. Sure it's been a great car so far (haven't had a check-engine light in over 5 years!), but it takes 3-4 hours to change the plugs. Can't imagine what it would cost to get a shop to put in something like a water pump, with it being driven by the timing-chain...
 
Remember that the 3 has a 7 year unlimited milleage rust warranty.

Being a VW guy at heart, owning a 2014 Golf Wagon (fully loaded), I much prefer driving my 2017 3S GT (all with Eibach ProKit lowering springs). I live in Bromont Qc and we are getting snow like crazy this year. Mounted on Nokian R2 I'm happy as ever on its winter performance.

Back window and blindspot view is cured by drivers assistance package. It works really well honnestly, and the backup camera works wonders.

As for Carplay or Android Auto, sucks not to have, but GPS isn't half bad. The Bose system is just amazing. Compared to the Fender I had in my 2012 GLI, this radio is the bomb!

I have this annoying rattle coming from the trim piece around the front passenger handle. When the bass drops, it rattles lots. Windshield is thin A/F, so don't tailgate. Mine is manual, and second gear is rough, I need to really step into the clutch for extreme smoothness.

Mine is 20500km in (in 9 months) and I don't regret my purchase. Miss my Stage 1 GLI for the power, but overall prefer my 3S GT. But gimme the $$ for a Golf R and sorry to say... So long Mazda! [emoji6]

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I went with my daughter when she was car shopping. Her test drive choices had to be Japanese, since reliability for her is of utmost importance. This certainly ruled out VW which has had much worse than average reliability over even recent years.
Here were the candidates:
Mazda 3
Subaru Imprezza Sport
Honda Civic (not an Si)
Toyota Corolla
The two quietest cars she drove were the Subaru Imprezza Sport and Corolla. They were also the most comfortable. The Subaru did have the best combination of handling, technology, ride, and quietness, but the Mazda 3 handled best and was fastest. I wasn't the one making the final decision, so she bought the Subaru. With all the highway driving she does, I can understand why, though.
 
Just an update: I ended up going with the Mazda3 GT Premium manual sedan. I was never able to make a clear decision between it or the VW, so I just ended up going with whichever was cheapest lol (which was the M3GT, by about 4k).

I can't say I regret it, but it definitely hasn't been the hassle-free experience I was hoping for in a new car. Everything you mentioned, SUTTONRIDER, I'm seeing, and more. 2nd gear (and even 3rd for me!) can be a little stiff. During the colder months especially, I notice it sometimes catching between gears, grinding the tiniest bit before popping in unless it's been driven for 30+ minutes. It has fully grinded for no reason a few times as well, even when it was +20C out. The Bose system is kick-ass (even comparing to the Bose system in my old Nissan), but I have the bass-induced rattles in both front doors. I've even faded the audio to the rear speakers by 2 notches (something I've never had to do in any car I've ever owned), and it's still noticeable when the bass hits. During the warmer months it's only bad when the volume is cranked to 45+, but during the winter it's noticeable even at 30.

I also have a small suspension clunk in the front & rear (only happens once per drive, which makes it a true PITA when trying to show the dealership for diagnosis) which started creeping up after only 2 weeks of ownership.

The plastic clips that hold the leather upholstery to the metal rail on my driver's seat is also failing. Re-clipping only helps so much, quickly unclipping and causing the leather/cushion to start lifting up after getting getting in and out of the car a few times.

The bluetooth in the infotainment system is pretty bad... admittedly the bluetooth in my OnePlus 2 is subpar too, but about 30% of the time it connects, the audio comes out glitched & garbled, and about 5% of the time it won't play anything at all. Receiving a phone call while jamming out to music is a surefire way to get the audio to mess up after the call ends. I've since upgraded my phone, but it's only improved things a fair amount. In other words, the issues still exist, but are only less prominent.

The 2018 M3 also has a TPMS system that doesn't use sensors in each wheel; instead it uses the ABS system to detect a tire that has more rolling resistance than the others. It's a good system in theory, but in practice has left me having to pull over on the side of the highway on 12 separate occasions in 4 months from false-positive readings (and yes I reset/recalibrate the TPMS system every time, and have even started doing it again the next morning when the tires are cold). Worst part is that it doesn't even tell you which tire is the issue. The "Warning Guidance" app in the infotainment system just warns you a tire might be low. Only 1 time did it actually save me from ruining a tire (yes... I got a nail in the treads 3 weeks after getting my new winters D: ).

I just got my first service done, and obviously they couldn't reproduce any of my issues. Just re-clipped the seat together too (it's already come apart twice since).

Like I said, I don't regret my purchase. The car gets good mileage, handles like a champ stock on its 18"s, and is even a bit peppy too (though there's pretty much no torque in 2nd+ gear below 3kRPM). Also, the new features this car has get a LOT of use... adaptive cruise, automatic highbeams, bluetooth audio, great highway mileage, even that weird HUD I thought I'd hate (and apparently the TPMS...). Even now, the car surprises me with weird little features nobody seems to mention (did you know that just putting the car in 1st, revving the engine a bit & taking off like normal will automatically disengage the parking brakes? I didn't!). It's a great little car; I was just hoping my brand new car would have less small issues than the 12 yo car it replaced.
 
I'm very surprised with your experiences, as I've had my 3 for almost 4 years now and have had none of those things happen. Consumer Reports rates the 14-17 Mazda3's reliability as "Much better than average". It could be that Canadian cold weather is bring out the issues you experience. The coldest temps I experience here rarely drop down below 40 degrees F.
 
Yeah, we've had my wife's 3 Sport GT for a year now and haven't had one issue. Fit and finish is top notch, no blue tooth issues, no 2nd gear issues. Only 'issue' we had with TPMS is having to reset it when I swapped her all seasons back on from her winters.

I'm highly contemplating getting myself one this summer. Should be able to get a good deal with this model being EOL. Gonna see if I can't negotiate in a free upgrade to AA/ACP for both cars too if I do get one.

I'll be cross shopping it with a Golf Sportwagen 4Motion (more room and AWD but heavier/mediocre power to weight, more $ and less features) and an Elantra GT Sport (likely a bargain, good power but no LSD with that extra power...and it's a Hyundai).
 
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