Mazda 3 FAQ

Mazda 3

Question: When will they change the body shape of mazda 3?
im thinking of buying the new 07 mazda 3 thats y i need to know.

Answer: They usually change the shapes/style of cars about every 3 years. Sometimes 2, but never longer than 4. I like the Mazda 3.

Question: Can anyone who owns a Mazda 3 Mazdaspeed answer this question?
I am considering this vs. the Honda Civic Si.
I see that the 3 has more horsepower and torque, but the test results to the Si are very comparable.

Not sure I can see the reason for the price difference (the mazdaspeed is much more expensive).

Why did you choose the Mazdaspeed 3 over the Civic Si?

Answer: I am a Mazdaphile. Love the brand. Consider this. Assume both are even and see where you can get the best deal. I have had many cars and trucks in my life. I have had a Lexus 430, BMW 318i, Olds Aurora just to name a few. I have enjoyed my Mazda better than all of those cars. When you can drive a car closer to the edge day in day out, it is a joy. In the States, I could not stretch the legs of the much larger cars with big engines, not enough room and the gas mileage would suffer. A compact car gives you the best of both worlds because the technology has now made possible for a MazdaSpeed3 to embarrass any of the aforementioned brands on any day. Your gas mileage will be great compared to a bigger motor with half the outlay of cash. They wouldn't know what hit them until they see your tail lights get smaller in the distance.

Question: How can i reduce the the door rattle due to speaker bass of my mazda 3?
i recently got a mazda 3 2006 and the speakers are awesome, but the doors rattle with the speaker effects, and that is relly troublin,, can any one help me???

Answer: Dynomat inside the doors is the only way to go and not very hard to do yourself. If you have it done be prepared to pay dearly. Trust me it is easy to do. Here is a link where you may buy it and get help installing it!

Question: What's the difference between Mazda 3 4 Speed and 5 Speed Automatic?
I know the obvious difference is one more gear, but why? If they wanted it to be a 4 speed they wouldn't give you an option. This is just very strange to me. When I buy cars it's manual or auto, not manual, and two kinds of auto. Help me out!

Answer: The 5-speed automatic costs $3,500 more than the 4-speed. In my opinion, that's just not worth it. The 4-speed is sufficient.

I believe it's supposed to be an improvement over the 4-speed because it feels more like a typical 5-speed manual transmission and allows the car to run at lower RPMs at high speeds. I don't think you'd actually see much improvement in gas mileage over the cheaper automatic transmission, because how often do you drive at excessively high speeds anyways? Not often in most of the US.

Question: I just bought a brand new Mazda 3 and i am having some problmes with the auto system anyone have any ideas?
It seems that the volume goes up and down with out anyone pressing any buttons. It turns the bass up and down and on and off and sometimes, the sound does not even reach to the back where the other passangers are. Please anyone with information I would greatly appreciate it.

Answer: Click on the unstable audio link (it is the first one). Check your vehicle VIN number to the ones listed. Apparently there is a glitch in the head unit of 2008/2008.5 mazda 3's. You will need to take it back to the dealer so that they can order and replace the defective head unit.

Question: Is the Mazda 3 built in Japan?
I know Ford owns Mazda, but does the Mazda 3 have a Ford engine or Japanese Mazda engine? Is it imported from Japan?

Answer: FOrd does not own mazda. They have a 30% share of them. The above poster is correct.
The 2.3L engine is the same CAST or engine block as the ford focus. However mazda designs the setup and all the insides of the engine. and from what I understand the Mazda 3 is actualy built in Japan. To be cost efective they need to cut some corners. they do this by using some parts that have been built already by their sister companys. I know if you look under the hood of my mazda 6 you will see certain parts like sensors or hoses or wiper motor ect.. that say fomoco (ford) but it is a car designed and built by mazda. these cars would be less cost effective if they had to assign engineers to built stupid little parts like that. It is no different than what you will see under the hood of a volvo or a jaguar.

Question: How do I work the automatic transmission with overdrive on a 2007 Mazda 3?
I can drive using the automatic or switch over to the manual. How do I know when to shift up or down? Will it hurt the transmission/engine if I shift incorrectly? Also, which is better...automatic or manual?

Answer: your car is automatic trans and forget about the "manual shift" because that dont exists

if you switch to "manual" if you try for example.... you are going at 55 and you try to shift down to 1 gear.... trans wont let you do so.... the shift light on the cluster start blinking..... and dont you do that

while you cant put your car in first gear reach 35mph because it automatic will shift up to 2 gear

or if you are at 10 mph and try to shift to 5 gear the car will try to shut down and it detects that and automatically will shift down to first gear to avoid engine shut down

so is always been an autotrans with a shift for play

Question: How do I get better gas mileage for my Mazda 3?
In automatic drive it shifts at around 2500 rpm , i wanna try the "M" mode but i dont know when to shift for better gas mileage, city driving

Answer: Generally speaking, car manufacturers tune the shift points in automatic transmissions for optimal efficiency / mileage. Switching to manual will invariably decrease your MPG. Why? Because you will shift late at higher rpm or lower making the engine work harder. Not saying you are a bad driver but the M setting is for performance or special circumstances or driving conditions where you don't want the transmission thinking for you. The best advice I can give is to pay attention to how you are driving, eliminate the quick starts, and maintain your car as recommended in the manual.

Question: What is the song on the Mazda 3 commercial?
It's the commercial where the 2 guys bump into each other and pick up the wrong keys. Can't make out any words but its a killer base.

Answer: According to Mazda "the music was post-scored specifically for the commercial. It was done by the music house Beacon Street"

Question: My 2006 Mazda 3 check engine light is on but not blinking. Is it ok to drive?
My 2006 Mazda 3 check engine light is on, but not blinking. The dealership said that it's not serious if the engine is not blinking and that it is ok to drive. Can anyone else out there confirm this is true? Has anyone else had this problem with a Mazda 3? They say it can be a loose gas cap. And that if i drive for 100 miles it should turn off.

Answer: Play it safe, go to auto zone and have the codes scanned for free. If they say it is an EVAP code then the dealer is right and the lite will go out due to a loose gas cap. The 100 miles is to reset the OBD2 system
good luck

Question: Can anyone tell me what are great all-weather tires for a Mazda 3?
My tires are getting a little long in the tooth, and I'd like to know if anyone can recommend a good set of all-weather tires. I drive a lot, and am willing to spend some money, and because I live in Seattle, I think all-weather is the way to go. Any recommendations?

Answer: Michelons are very good. If they are hard to find try Kelly-springfield, Cooper or Hankook

Question: How to remove rear bumper from 2007 Mazda 3 Hatchback?
I have a dent on the rear bumper of my car and wants to attempt to get it out myself. but that will require the removal of the bumper. Does anyone knows how to do it? and is it easy to put it back on?

Answer: it should have a series or screws and rivet type things that you will have to use a special tool to get out.... to get the dent out, you will need a heat gun

Question: What is the difference between a Mazda 3 iTouring and Ssport besides motor?

Answer: The upgrades from the 3i-Touring to the 3s-Sport are these:
ABS brakes are standard, fog lights, more durable cloth seats, sport grille, if you get an automatic you get a 5-speed auto over a 4-speed auto with the 3i, electroluminescent gages, and a leather steering wheel and shift knob. There are also a few colors you can get on the S that you cant get on the i. On the 2007 models, the 3s interior has an brushed aluminum finish that looks really nice where the 3i is just flat black.
You cant go wrong with either one if you are looking to purchase. Zoom Zoom!!

Question: What kind of rims for a Mazda 3?
....should I get? I have to replace one of them but instead of spending almost $400 for one, I give up and will just buy a new set. So what looks good for a mazda 3? I don't want the shiney chromy ones, I need something with a similar finish as the original ones that came with it. Thanks.

answer: Try ebay or call up the local junk yard. I would guess about $100 for 1 at either place.

Question: Brake pressure grinding on a 2005 Mazda 3?
I have been experiencing this for about a week. I think this might be the brake pads but then again it might have something to do with the rotor. Sometimes, when I slowly accelerate, I can hear some kind of soft grinding in cycles as the wheels speed up. Then, as I apply gradual pressure to the brakes, the grinding gets worse. Is this common on a car only 3 years old?

answer: It sounds like your brake pads have worn completely down and now scraping the brake rotor. I would suggest you get this checked ASAP.

Question: What is best cold air in take for a mazda 3?
2007 mazda 3 5 door 2.3l. I am trying to find the best for preformance, and real noisy too. thanks. Mike

Answer: little boy just leave your car alone and try to make your payments on time. i hope you don't get your car repossessed

Question: Changing the dash colors on a 08 mazda 3?
i just recently purchased a 08 mazda 3 and i was wondering is there a way to change to the interior dash colors from mazda red ( or orange however you take it ) to like a yellow or something to better match the paint job im going to try and go for.

Answer: Do you mean the gauge lighting? I would leave it the way it is. Keep your Mazda in factory condition.

Question: Does anyone have any opinions on the Mazda 3?
I'm considering buying a new model. Anyone got any good or bad info?

Answer: I own a 05 Mazda3, I have just over 20k miles on the odometer. I was reluctant about the Mazda brand and unsure of it's commitment to an excellent product, much less a competitive product. I am pleasantly surprised and happy I took the plunge.
The Mazda3 is based on Ford's C-1 platform, this same platform is utilized on the Volvo s40 series cars. Mazda's research and development placed emphasis on the current mzr motor. It is the workhorse motor for the brand. I have read that the engine is good for 275k miles before any major repairs. Mazda placed great engineering energy in this 4 cylinder engine and it was recognized in "Wards" annual review as one of the best engines for 2005 and 2006. I have a cold air intake and lowered the car 1.5 inches and a cat-back exhaust, I added Michelin sport all season tires and enkei rims. They are 13 pounds a piece as compared to the Mazda rims at 25 pounds a piece. The Mazda gene pool is greatly demonstrated in this configuration, the engine is more responsive on the mid to high end, the handling is second to none and the vehicle quality is more than you pay for. It is simply amazing. The windows are tinted to reduce the "fogging up" because the glass is very thin, tinting the windows help in this area. I questioned then, how can they build a top notch car for such a cheap price? One of the most costly items in developing a car is the chassis then the motor. The cost sharing with Ford, the safety strategies of Volvo and the small car traits of Mazda have paid off handsomely for the Mazda3. Mazda builds great small cars, probably one of the best in the business, you can look to the miata's reputation and performance specs throughout the years. Mazda parts are not expensive and the stereo system is on par with what you get in any other brand.

However, there are a few downsides to Mazda. The first is the Mazda brand is being built into a prestige brand, it doesn't have the legacy of BMW's performance and reputation and so Mazda history is spotty. Mainly, because they lost their focus on what they have done best, build small cars for a niche market of individualists. In Japan, more accessories are readily available, but here you will be frustrated on the "go parts" i.e. headers, but they have a few nice "bling" accessories if that is your thing. The dealer network is not the strongest in the business. The consumer is hard pressed to get the latest iteration of Mazda products, for instance the Mazda-Speed3 is hard to find at most Mazda dealerships. The Service Departments are not uniformly good. They have their fair share of bad apples, and the Warranty department in Irvine California has a lot to be desired. One good example is the eccentric Mazda Rx8, not every dealership has a mechanic available to service this car. The manufacturer has had some major hiccups on the rotary motor and unless you are a gear-head you really might find yourself in a love hate relationship with the Rx8. Mazda definitely makes a good product, they need to work on their dealership network and service departments.

What this means to you is that you can purchase a best in class product, it can be customized with a great deal of effort, the car is simple and reliable much like it's miata sibling and it is capable of lasting 10 years or better given the proper TLC.

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