Hi everyone. I'm new here. I've been a Honda owner and a Nissan owner (both excellent cars). Recently I was in the market for a new compact car and was looking for something sporty; but "Daddy sporty" not "Street car racing" sporty. So the Honda Civic Si was out (plus I was not happy with how Honda redesigned their car this year) and the BMW was too expensive, so I settled for the Mazda 3 S Touring (manual trans).

I love the way the car drives. But after being with it for a week I notice what I feel to be cheap quality parts in the car. In terms of the quality of the visors, the ***** on the AC, the pad/liner in the trunk, the cloth interior, etc... I know these are small things, and I am not worried that I will break the sun visor or rip the carpet and cloth in the car, but what worries me is, if Mazda skimped out on the interior quality, did they do the same on the transmission or any other important engine parts?

My concerns stem from reading posts that engine mounts are breaking and cars are being broken into just by knocking into the side of the door. So far my only negative experience (and I've only had the car for a week mind you) is that when I picked up the car from the dealer, the gas tank read 1/4 full. I asked him where's my full tank of gas? He said that the tank was full and sometimes on the Mazda the tank will read 1/4 full but as I drive around I will see the needle go up. OK, that's weird. Never had that problem before with my other cars. I drove the car around for a couple of days and the needle went up to just above the halfway mark towards 3/4 full. However, is this going to happen everytime I gas up? Or was this a one off thing since it was filled up and driven for the first time? Has anyone had similar experiences?

I was looking for a reliable car... did I buy one in the Mazda 3? What has been your experience.[/align]

 

I have a 2004 3i with 62,XXX miles on it. Other then..lol...breaking the visor clips, i have had no problems with my 3. Yeah teh carpet could have been better...but i was happy with it since i only paid 16k out the door.

My fuel always reads accurate for the most part...it goes up a little after the full mark when full, but alot of cars do that.

Engine has been strong...mine is modified and i autocross it....pretty much i drive the car like i stole the bitch...lol.

I suggest using synthetic fluid for the oil changes...i also swithed to synthetic gear lube for the man tranny fluid as well.

any questions feel free to post afterward.....but you bought a good, reliable car.

and as far as the engine mount issue...that is pretty much a speed3 problem now...expect for the #3 on the basic 3...but that item is covered under warranty.

 

Great cars, congrats

 

So far I only have 80 miles on it. I need to make a trip to Philly from New York City next week. Is it a bad idea to take the m3 and break it in? It will be a lot of mileage all at once and I will be driving above 80mph most of the way. Is that a bad way to break in the engine?[/align]

 

[font=californainfb] Sure! Why not. Only try not to maintain a constant speed throughout. It is recommended that you vary your speed... and if I know that route, you may not have a choice.

 

Fill your tank full. If your fuel gauge does not immediately show full, it does not work, take it back to the dealer.

I would not break my engine in by driving it 80 mph. Take the train, don't wreck your new vehicle.

 

If you fill the tank with the key in the ignition, or the car running, the computer doesn't like that (same with Fords). Make sure the car is off, and the key is out the next time you fill. It should re-set itself, if not, take it to the dealer, and they can re-set it for you in 5 min (free). The sales guy had a shop kid take the car over for gas, and for all the knowledge that 16 year old kids have, they need to lay off the pot (at least until your 30). My two cents.

 

Congrats on your purchase. I have an '06 hatch with 25,000 miles on it. I've never heard of the 1/4 full issue, so I'd force the dealer to fix that.

ILOVE my car and will be keeping it for the long haul. I don't recomend a long 80 mph trip be taken during the breaking in period.The issues, which haven't really bothered me, have been:

Goodyear Eagle RS/A's are impossible in the snow. Get snow tires if needed since these freeze up.
Rear brade pads wear fast. Mine will be gone at around 30,000 miles.
Had dealer replace the clock module. It would often jump back for no reason.
Had dealer replace the plastic hangers that hold up the muffler, due to swaying.
Carpet is thin - I recomend aftermarket plastic mats to preserve them.

My favorite things about my car? Reliable, hot looks, wonderful handling, pretty good engine response.

 

my car barely reached 7k and i have no problems. not even the fuel guage acting up. love the car even though ford owns mazda.

 

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Careful digit. Dissing Ford like that will get you into a lot of trouble from @ least one poster on this forum. I know... personally. And I wasn't even really dissing them (Ford) either. He's a bit touchy on the subject. You might want to be more careful.