![]() ![]() I didn't quite believe this until it happened to me, and I'll be damned, those wipers really DO come on at high speed just as your brain tells you to hit the switch. A friend had told me that this feature on his BMW seems to think faster than he does, actuating the wipers when a truck splashed him in traffic. Having other manual transmission cars with conventional and cable actuated clutches presents no problems for me, but after having owned my 3 since new in 2006 I STILL occasionally stall the car when coming off the clutch from a dead stop, making me feel like a newbie (which I certainly am not).Ībove all, the BEST feature of this car, and another one I thought would be insignificant, are the rain sensing windshield wipers. My only complaint about the powertrain is that the hydraulic clutch is too soft for my taste. My car is equipped with the standard 5 speed manual transmission so I can't speak to how the 2.3L engine performs when backed by an automatic transmission. The four cylinder engine performs flawlessly and although it isn't the most powerful plant on the market it is adequate for the size of the Mazda 3, only being taxed when climbing long inclines. The upgraded Bose audio system is superb, out performing sound systems in many costlier cars I've been in. I thought leather seats (heated) were a waste of money until I used them for a while, then i found the material quality and heat feature to be worth the cost. ***I'm not quite sure if I would have been as happy with a lower level of trim, but since my concern was having a dedicated onboard GPS system as opposed to an add-on unit I found myself having to purchase my Mazda 3 with the Grand Touring option package. Two years ago I changed all of the cooling hoses and thermostat as a matter of routine maintenance, but to get at the PCV valve the plastic intake manifold needed to be removed since the valve is mounted to the engine block and can't be accessed any other way-I think that's a pretty poor design that came from the Ford camp. The engine is still running like new, with no oil consumption or other issues causing a loss of confidence in this fine powerplant. A new replacement couldn't be found, so a judicious application of sealant was applied to the outer sealing edge to prevent air from being ingested and the code hasn't returned in over a year. The source of the PO171 lean code was found to be one of the plastic EVAP lines that's at the front of the engine. Finding a buyer who wants a car with a 5 speed transmission is getting harder these days, but whoever scoops it up is going to get themselves one hellova great used car. I'm a little remiss in saying that I recently committed to buying a … Toyota FJ and will be selling the Mazda. Now, in 2020 with 101,000 miles on the clock I've changed the upper motor mount and had the rusted exhaust hanger rods replaced and the car has been trouble free as always. Car is now in Nevada away from salt.I'm leaving my original review below (followed by the stars) as I still believe and stand by everything I've written about this car in the past. The exhaust rusted apart just after the downpipe so it's a little loud but fixing that means a full exhaust replacement. There is now a hole in the back seat floorboard from rust and the seat belt mechanism broke - replaced with junk yard piece. Still runs great, which means in over 155k miles it has never had a mechanical problem. 16 years later, it's now the teenager's car. Repaired the hood and front-end plastics myself summer 2019. Hopefully it doesn't cost too much because this car still has LOTS of useful life in it. I have not had an estimate for repairs yet, but the hood is crumpled, the grille is gone and headlights smashed, but the fenders seem OK. Shortly after 150,000, my son rear-ended another car. It runs perfectly - if it wasn't for rust, it would look and work very much like new. Both passenger side electric locks no longer work. Still no mechanical problems or break-downs. Rust wreaks havoc on these cars, though not as bad as some other cars. The timing belt et al has been changed and the car continues to run great. The worst thing on it by far is the rust in the rear fender wells.Īfter 105,000 miles, everything else still works great.Īt 150,000, I've replaced the right rear strut because it rusted apart. The passenger side electric door lock stopped working at about 50,000 miles. The sway bar bushings wore out at 85,000 miles and the tubing to the mass air flow sensor cracked, but a redneck duct tape fix still works. It's been a great car, extremely reliable and is still fun to drive. I bought my 2003 Protege ES new based on handling and ride - and looks. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |