New Mazda CX3

[Neeranam]

I just bought the new Mazda CX3 SP. 

Was going to go for the Honda HRV but happy now I didn't. I recommend this car!

The safety features are great, smart city braking (brakes automatically).

Blind spot monitoring, makes a noise and wing mirror flashes. So much more I'm still finding out.

Was cruising at 170 and felt very smooth.

1.05 million baht. 

 

[juehoe]

I also own a CX-3 SP since it was available in Thailand. The HR-V is roomier and more practical, but the joy of driving is far more better with the CX-3. I also prefer the interior and exterior design of the Mazda - but this is a matter of personal taste, of course.

[Big Guns]

That dog looks surprised to see a bloke with blue ink all over his face ?

[skyiceice]

This is the 2017 or 2018 version ?

[phantomfiddler]

Nice car ! I just bought the Honda Civic Hatchback, but it is too complicated for this sliderule dinosaur

[PETERTHEEATER]

Was cruising at 170 and felt very smooth.......

 

Cruising, so that's you usual speed and thrashing a new car too. Sad. Despite what the modernists say about new cars it pays to drive them gently for the first 1000 kms and that important first oil change but it looks like you wont make it that far......

[SOUTHERNSTAR]

On 15/10/2017 at 3:33 PM, Big Guns said:

That dog looks surprised to see a bloke with blue ink all over his face ?

He just checking the gy out before marking his car.

[irwinfc]

cruising at 170? kph? which road in thailand is that speed legal? 

[glasswort]

The price list I have indicates the available models as Entry, Core, High, High Plus, all 2.0 lit and High Plus 1.5 lit (the diesel model I guess) Which model equates to the SP? I ask because I am considering selling my CX5 and scaling down to the CX3 so that my wife can use it.

[swissbie]

3 hours ago, PETERTHEEATER said:

Was cruising at 170 and felt very smooth.......

 

Cruising, so that's you usual speed and thrashing a new car too. Sad. Despite what the modernists say about new cars it pays to drive them gently for the first 1000 kms and that important first oil change but it looks like you wont make it that far......

No problem with new cars these days, but not very smart to do this here in Thailand.

[ujayujay]

3 hours ago, PETERTHEEATER said:

Was cruising at 170 and felt very smooth.......

 

Cruising, so that's you usual speed and thrashing a new car too. Sad. Despite what the modernists say about new cars it pays to drive them gently for the first 1000 kms and that important first oil change but it looks like you wont make it that far......

...yes, in Stoneage you had to go this way for first 1000km you describe. This Mazda Engine go around 2000 Rpm by 170km/h, so whats the Problem!?

[mstevens]

Let us know how effective the safe features are in a crash at 170 km/h....

[F4UCorsair]

5 hours ago, ujayujay said:

...yes, in Stoneage you had to go this way for first 1000km you describe. This Mazda Engine go around 2000 Rpm by 170km/h, so whats the Problem!?

2000 rpm...170 km/hr???  Never!! 

My CX-5 would be revving at 3500+ at 170, 2.5 litres.

 

If the CX-3 Is half as good as the CX-5, It will be a great car.

 

I'm a convert from Honda.

[jgarbo]

On 10/15/2017 at 1:02 PM, juehoe said:

I also own a CX-3 SP since it was available in Thailand. The HR-V is roomier and more practical, but the joy of driving is far more better with the CX-3. I also prefer the interior and exterior design of the Mazda - but this is a matter of personal taste, of course.

Nice machine. This is the SkyActiv-G model, amazing technology. Good choice.

[Tofer]

What's wrong, couldn't afford a pair of shoes now you've spent all that money on a new car!!

 

[Katipo]

12 hours ago, glasswort said:

The price list I have indicates the available models as Entry, Core, High, High Plus, all 2.0 lit and High Plus 1.5 lit (the diesel model I guess) Which model equates to the SP? I ask because I am considering selling my CX5 and scaling down to the CX3 so that my wife can use it.

The top petrol model I believe. I also have the same. Super fun car to drive.

[TKDfella]

13 hours ago, irwinfc said:

cruising at 170? kph? which road in thailand is that speed legal? 

Yes I was thinking the same. Or did he test it on one of these?;

 

[Neeranam]

On 17/10/2017 at 7:10 PM, PETERTHEEATER said:

Was cruising at 170 and felt very smooth.......

 

Cruising, so that's you usual speed and thrashing a new car too. Sad. Despite what the modernists say about new cars it pays to drive them gently for the first 1000 kms and that important first oil change but it looks like you wont make it that far......

I had done about 1000 km.

When I say cruising I mean it felt smooth. It was 7am on a quiet good road between chaiyapum and king kaen. Even my wife said nothing as she didn't realize how fast we were going. 

I like to see how fast a new car can go without shaking etc.

[Neeranam]

2017 model

[Neeranam]

On 15/10/2017 at 3:33 PM, Big Guns said:

That dog looks surprised to see a bloke with blue ink all over his face ?

He speaks Thai and knows my name is neeranam, which means anonymous, so he's used to it.

[Alantct]

Nice car but I prefer something in two wheels

[JimGant]

Yeah, CX3 is fun to drive. Takes awhile to learn all the bells and whistles (still haven't played with the nav system, although eventually I'll program it to the 'take me home' mode -- which would have been handy a few times in the past). Cruise control, even of the standard variety, not too much use around town. The radar separation mode even less useful, although I haven't quite figured that out yet....

 

Automatic braking, if you're about to collide, sounds useful. No easy way to try that out , but will assume it would be (will be?) useful. Just wonder what a malfunction would entail while cruising peacefully at 120clicks....(?).

 

Backing up cameras and sensor warnings extremely well designed -- and useful -- even if about to get sideswiped as you pull out. Blind spot warnings, both visual on the heads up display, and aural, are very useful. In fact, there's probably one hot dog motorcyclist still alive, because when I put my turn signal on, I got a "no, no, no" aural beep alerting me to the guy in -- definitely -- my blind spot.

 

There's a feature that turns the engine off at a stop light -- to mitigate pollution, I guess. But, no thanks. Yes, it turns back on in a flash -- as the cylinders are aligned to accomplish this -- but your air no longer works -- and what if the engine doesn't turn back on (unlikely, I'm sure, but still a thought). Anyway, there's a button on the dash that turns the feature off -- but you have to do this every time you start the car. Also, if  you air is set at max, the feature doesn't engage. Would be nice if the feature allowed you to take your foot off the brake pedal. But, when you do that, the engine restarts. Worthless.

 

Fun to drive. I spent 15 years of my young adulthood driving a TR-4A and TR-6. This it is not, obviously. But just spunky enough to know replacing my Civic was a good choice.

 

Doesn't hold much in the trunk, and anybody bigger than a dwarf would be uncomfortable for long stretches in the back seats. But, the back seats do fold down to hold a reasonable amount of cargo. For just the wife and I, it was a good choice.

 

We got the top of the line -- the SP (choices were E, C, S, and SP). Pictured is my soul red model, with some extra red trim under the bumpers, and under the doors (and at the spoiler, I think). Really enhanced the appearance, IMO -- and it wasn't even advertised -- I just happened to see it on the demo model the dealer was driving around. 18k, I believe. Also paid extra to get the soul red (10k, maybe). But, that's the color that knocked our socks off (the red CX3 caught our attention outside Rimping at the Promenade shopping mall, Chiang Mai). We bought this just a few weeks later, a 2017 model delivered July 1, 2017.

 

Oh, I also have a 2016 HRV. Hard to compare the two -- and I like both evenly. HRV's CVT transmission I prefer, and, of course, its cargo space (designed perfectly functionally, like the Jazz). The 1.8 litre engine, sometimes maligned on torque, gets the job done for me. But, yeah, the CX3 is peppy -- even has a sports selection for the transmission (which I've used only once, and probably not again). And both have paddle shifters, which are also features I don't use (can't quite duplicate that old Triumph shifting experience, not that I'd ever want to push a clutch in and out in traffic situations at my age....).

 

She's got the red machine, I've got the HRV. But, she's happy to loan -- and I'm happy to borrow.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited October 22, 2017 by JimGant

[Sam Lin]

On 10/22/2017 at 3:37 AM, JimGant said:

There's a feature that turns the engine off at a stop light -- to mitigate pollution, I guess. But, no thanks. Yes, it turns back on in a flash -- as the cylinders are aligned to accomplish this -- but your air no longer works -- and what if the engine doesn't turn back on (unlikely, I'm sure, but still a thought). Anyway, there's a button on the dash that turns the feature off -- but you have to do this every time you start the car. Also, if  you air is set at max, the feature doesn't engage. Would be nice if the feature allowed you to take your foot off the brake pedal. But, when you do that, the engine restarts. Worthless.

 

Air: If the car interior temperature is too far from your set point, the engine will stay running to allow the air to work at full force. With the engine shut off, the air runs at a decreased, "high efficiency" mode, but after enough time the engine will automatically start so the air remains cooled.

 

Foot off brake: If you come to a stop and slip it into Neutral, you can take your foot off the brake pedal and the engine will not start itself. It will then start when you either press the brake again, or you put it in Drive.

 

Also, the engine only automatically shuts off if you depress the brake pedal far enough. If it's a short stop and you don't want the engine to cut, don't press the pedal much further than the position it takes to stop the car.

 

Note the car has electric power steering, so you lose power steering when the engine shuts off. As a result, the engine will restart itself for steering safety if the car begins to roll (on an incline).

 

Sam

[tifino]

what if you did come to the Stop, lightly pressing as mentioned...

 

But then instead apply your handbrake to remain still?

 

Will that pause the engine?

[JimGant]

Still, a silly feature, IMO. Just wish I could hardwire the dash switch to permanently turn this feature off. But, I guess, the tree huggers are impressed...

[Beryl123]

Modern car paint is  pretty grim from what I've  seen and Mazdas seem by far to be the worst here, the orange  peel on them is terrible, how's  your paint finish

[JimGant]

Excellent. No "orange peel" or other blemishes.

[KhunBENQ]

On 18.10.2017 at 4:28 AM, F4UCorsair said:

2000 rpm...170 km/hr???  Never!!

You didn't know

Max power 156 HP at 6000 RPM.

 

6000/2000*170 km/h = 510 km/h.

Wow, that's what a call a street racer

Lambo get out of my way.

 

https://www.mazda.co.th/cars/new-mazda-cx-3-2017/specs-prices/engine/

 

[Sam Lin]

Yes, the engine will remain running in that case.

 

You can hardwire the dash switch, if you just use something to jam it in so it's always pressed in, it will shut iStop off at startup. If you want to hardwire it, I believe the car is looking or 85ohms through the switch, just use an 85ohm resistor between the contacts of the harness behind the switch.

 

Also, according to a poster here, the car has a sensor in the hood latch that disables iStop if the hood is open. Adjusting the switch so iStop always thinks the hood is open will prevent iStop from ever engaging:

http://mazda3revolution.com/forums/2014-2017-mazda-3-skyactiv-discussion/198434-turn-off-istop-default.html

 

Sam

[juehoe]

what if you did come to the Stop, lightly pressing as mentioned...
 
But then instead apply your handbrake to remain still?
 
Will that pause the engine?

i-Stop also stops the engine, when the lever is in N or P. You restart the engine by touching the brake pedal.