live in vancouver and also ski alot so awd was a big consideration....

found a steal on an subaru impreza rs but it's automatic and l love stick, so just can't 'do it'...tried other vehicles too ie honda accord, fit...until i reluctantly stepped into a mazda 3 hatch, 2.3 litre/160hp....(i mention reluctantly as everyone out there seems to drive one and i wanted to be different)....but upon trying her out, not once but 3 different times, i was and remain very impressed...i was smiling the whole manner with that mild growl and stick shifting (not as buttery as honda, but with more meat, authority)

so i'm looking for one (if anyone is unloading one email me please)...i see the newer models have traction and stability control (are these needed in your ops? hear most car makers to make these features standard in all cars this and next yr going forward)..

is there any outfit in vancouver bc or lower mainland that can do after market mods to this vehicle to get more ponies.....note; i'm not into loud exhausts (wife would kill me) or hot rodding, just want a bit more ponies (so wish they'd make an awd version of this baby)....looking to not break the bank or lose alot in resale value either with any mods that i do.

 

I drive an '06 3 Hatch and REALLY wish mine had more power, 104hp is just not enough. Mine doesn't have traction or stability control and it handles just fine, only had it sideways once on black ice but the car is VERY good at responding to what you put in and not being too tail-happy, although to be honest, didn't think you really could in a FWD car but I have had the tail slide out a few times in a corner (no not speeding), always been snowy or icy though. These seem to be great cars, parts are not cheap (here anyways) and the headlights are a PITA to change, who designed those damned headlights anyways?!?!? Took me forever to get one changed and in the end I still think I got it wrong. Braking on snow and ice will trigger the ABS which IMO seems to be a weak point, it does not cycle fast compared to other cars I have driven and it shows also on the skid points left in the snow which increases stopping distance. I tend to not rely on the ABS on mine since I can threshold brake better than the ABS can modulate. Fuel economy is not so good but I think that is more from my lack of HP in a heavy car, I get at most around 24mpg on the highway and MUCH less city. The transmission is very good EXCEPT the lack of a synchro for reverse and (as in my other post) mine pops out of reverse when backing up a loooooong distance or going "fast" in reverse. Overall I love this car, just wish it had more power.

 

Looks like MAZDA ripped us off on our ZOOM ZOOM Again!!
SHIPO: what part of 104 HP don't you understand as a lack of ZOOM ZOOM. The Honda Fit has more,.
I'm sick of Mazda's false advertising.

 

Before you buy, take a MazdaSpeed3 out for a spin; same basic car as the one you drove but with an extra 107 horsepower and 130 lbft of torque.

 

Dude, why so negative (again)? Mazda Tirol bought a 1.6 liter 5-Door Mazda3; the car has the same basic Zoom-Zoom handling and exchanges one "power" Zoom for better fuel economy.

 

thanks but as in my quote the motor i tried was the 2.3 litre motor running 156ponies....i try to avoid anything less that that amt of hp for the very fears you share below....i loved the zoom zoom and quick p/u of the 2.3 mazda3...heck i tried it out 3x...

have been offered a 2005 mazda 3, 2.3 litre/160 hp...stick (black on black leather) from a legit dealership for 10k...92km...leather, sunroof, (no heated seats though) so i think it's the gs pkg however....
so just wondering if 1/that is a good price (was originally 12.5)
and 2/the best way to get more zoom in aftermarket without breaking bank and affecting resale in a few yrs.
???

...would love the mazda3speed but my budget is $10-13000

 

If you are going to drive this a lot in the snow to go skiing I would consider a different car. I owned an '04 3S 5 Door and it was terrible in the snow. My '08 Grand Touring Sedan I now own has traction control and snow tires and it's better but I wouldn't take the car to any ski slopes. I love the Mazdas but if I were going to the slopes I'd buy a Subaru(Sorry Mazda lovers).

 

wgwbtbn:
as per your thoughts below, well yes and no...most ski resorts have good roads kept up by road crews ie whistler or cypress...2nd and most important imo, is having snow tires (and not all seasons) on all times during the winter months will go along way to keeping mobile....esp if the roads are clear/in good condition, salted, plowed etc

this issue of needing (or not) awd was something i was stewing over for some time....then i had to realize where i live (PNW vancouver), where rain, not snow, is what meets us mostly in the wintertime, unlike back east, or in the BC interior or up north, where having awd is definitely more important due to snowier conditions.

this all said, however, you have put a bug in my ear so am considering the suzuki awd that has adaptable awd...so more of a versatile machine...http://consumerguideauto.howstuffwor...hb-cvt-awd.htm

 

Granted, we don't see a ot of snow here in the south, and we are not very prepared for such weather here either. No snowplows or salting trucks. They lay down some sand in snowy/icey weather which doesn't do much after the first 3 cars pass over it. But as far as bad weather traction is concerned there are only three little words I can say about it... Tires, tires, tires!!
Including the OE Bad~Year's, I had 3 sets on my '04 before my current set, and wouldn't even consider trying to go to work in bad weather. Even rainy days upset the traction using the tires I had. They WERE: GY RS-A's (the OE's,) Falken 512's (good when they were new but quickly wore and became dangerous,) and Kumho ASX's (dangerous practically from day one.)
Last year we had about an inch of snow one day and I made it to work with no problems on this latest set, the Continental DWS's. I even passed a cop in his Crown Vickie that day who I'm sure was riding on RS-A's.
Tires can make a HUGE difference in the way any car handles bad weather.
And as far as HP is concerned, when dealing with snow and ice, less is more. Too much HP and all you'll do is slip and slide around.

 

Hey Canali. Didn't realize the roads to the slopes would be maintained but from a business standpoint makes sense. I will say that my '08 with traction control and dedicated snows has been much better than my '04. Stick with a Mazda then. This is my 5th Mazda dating back to 1988!