2010 Speed3 Tricky Clutch

[importgirl212]

My 2007 MS3 was fine, but my new 2010 has springy clutch. It catches too quick in 2nd. It's taking some time to get used to.

 

[joeboy]

I feel like a loser each time I stall in first (pulling out the driveway in the morning!) Seems to be highly effecting by engine temps. Where the hell is the temp gauge????

I agree - tricky clutch. I can't be that bad a driver.

 

[nondual]

welcome to the club. give it some time, this clutch is very different from everything else out there

Previous gen was worse. Mazdapeed6 was even worse! It was like an on/off switch. When I got my 07 MS3, I stalled it occasionally for about a year. The 2010 is a significant improvement.

 

[bigdaddy]

All I have to say is WOW. High school kids getting brand new cars, with 200+ HP. Bad mix. Douche should have learned on a ******* beater. Its like my neighbor has a Cobra that just sets in the drive with the hood up. Threw a rod cause he thought oh it can take it. A little moderation goes along ways. Besides this kid who blew it up had an Si (the one your talking about), I bet he bitched cause it was a POS because he probably frigged it up too. Damn I could go on and on...

I'm in high school. I have a gen 1 MS3 that my parents bought used for me. No tickets, no accidents. We are not all irresponsible. Mine is putting down 310-ish crank. I'm not looking to argue, I'm just trying to defend those of us whom are young, yet still responsible

 

[George in GA]

Back in the day a few makers - I think Studebaker was one (anybody else remember them) - had a "hill holder." If you pressed the clutch pedal ALL the way to the floor, you engaged the brake! Wowzer! Then you could have your foot on the gas, ready to go. I think Subaru revived it a few years ago.

Mazda (and all other makers) are your listening?

 

[Leathersoup]

I've found that in my MS3 I got a lot better control of the clutch when I tilted the bottom of the seat back so it was up against the bottom of my leg. I'm a tall guy so and it makes it a lot easier if I'm not clutching with my leg way up in the air.

 

[GreezyG]

It's funny, I'm feeling the exact opposite but maybe I just need time to adjust.

I had an '04 Mazda 3 (totalled from behind a week after I paid it off) and I loved the old clutch. It was heavy as hell and my girlfriend hated it but to me it was a much sportier feel. You really had to stomp on it and it gave you aggressive feedback which made me feel more in control.

The new one feels soft, mushy and airy. It's all a bit vague for my tastes. Further, I feel like the pedal placement is much higher which I don't like because I like to hover my clutch foot over the pedal in lower gears. (In my area the driving is about 50/50 city/"highway" which means I shift frequently.) I may be able to address this latter issue somewhat by adjusting the seat and steering column. I've only had the car for 12 hours now and haven't had as much time to play with it as I'd like.

Anyway, I love where they've moved the shifter and the handling seems even better than my '04 but the clutch really bothered me when I test drove and I'm still not digging it. I guess I'll report back in a month but, from what I'm hearing, it sounds like there's no easy way to adjust the clutch to get a heavier feel, eh?

I am a 2003.5 MSP guy. I test drove a 2010 MS3 and HATED the clutch. It's honestly a deal breaker for me. For me, there was no feedback at all, if felt like I was pushing a button instead of manipulating a mechanical device. It is certainly not a "driver's clutch".

 

[DailyDriver]

I am a 2003.5 MSP guy. I test drove a 2010 MS3 and HATED the clutch. It's honestly a deal breaker for me. For me, there was no feedback at all, if felt like I was pushing a button instead of manipulating a mechanical device. It is certainly not a "driver's clutch".

I'm a 2010 MS3 guy, I love the 2010 clutch and wouldn't have it any other way. I drive the car on a daily basis, in all weather, all conditions, heavy traffic, etc. This car is very easy and very comfortable to drive, I can spend all day in it with no issues... and that's very important.

I feel the clutch control and feedback is more than adequate even for spirited driving. In many cases it just has to do with what you're used to. At first my 2010 clutch felt a little weird to me too, but now that I've mastered it, I think it's just fine, excellent even.

In my opinion, there's really no place for a heavy-effort clutch in a true "street car". When you need to rely on a car year round, in all conditions, and sometimes need to drive 10 hours a day for weeks on end etc, you can't have anything in a car that makes it physically challenging and/or uncomfortable to drive. Now if it's a weekend hobby car / auto-crosser / drag racer / Sunday cruise car or whatever, that's a different story.

What I love so much about my 2010 MS3 is that it's a TRUE street car that can do anything, I'd take this car, in bone stock form, on a 10,000 mile trip tomorrow... wish I had the time to actually do so.

I should start a new thread for this, but will just mention it here now... my 2010 has about 6,000 miles on it now... all I can say is that this is one of the best cars I've ever owned. It's literately perfect. No issues. And I love everything about the configuration, design, performance, etc. I still can't believe the car costs as little as it does. I love this car to death, if it got stolen tomorrow, I'd buy another identical one immediately.

The only thing that bothers me is that I still NEVER see any 2010 MS3s on the road. I can't remember the last time I saw one. Scares me a bit, I don't want them to stop making these, it's such a great car. And the fact that it's a "hatch / wagon" with fold down seats... it's the ultimate daily-driver, street / utility, super fun sports car. And it costs so little that you don't have to worry about it, it's a super fast "beater car", out of the box. Perfect recipe for FUN.

Nice job, Mazda!!! (thumb)

(drive2)

 

[jamesjjj48]

kind of an old thread but I asked my friend with a highly modded s2000 and track every week about my 2010 MS3 clutch with 'unique' characteristic.

He mentioned our clutch is designed to be stiff, bite quickly, low engagement point so you don't lose too much rpm when you up shift. My friend also changed his s2000 clutch to act the same way. I guess the clutch is good for track but not so easy going for a DD...

 

[MS3G35]

No problems with mine...maybe it's just the operator?

 

[Chris410]

This car is very sensitive when it comes to the clutch. I have found that slightly riding the clutch (very slight) will allow for smooth shifting. Also, i shift at 4000rpm, this seems to be the sweet spot. One thing is for sure, you really need to pay attention to be smooth with this car.