3 speed

any experiences on Mazda-3 speed group of cars?

In article <5101b$474c81eb$d066ac9c$(E-Mail Removed)>,
"nntp.fuse.net" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

> any experiences on Mazda-3 speed group of cars?

FWIW, I test drove one after having test driven a MINI Cooper a few days
before.

The Speed3 is really a LOT of car for the money. I drove a so-called
Grand Touring version, standard transmission, and I am seriously
contemplating buying one. I traded in a 1996 BMW328 three years ago and
I would call the Speed3 a poor-mans BMW3. (Where do you think Mazda
came up wit the numeral "3"? I think they are hoping driving
aficionados will think BMW3 series and associate that with the Mazda
Speed3.)

Anyway, nice handling, very responsive engine, the shift gates are
quite close together (6 foward speeds) and it would take a little time
to get used to it and I can see the occasional "bad" shift and your
ending up not in the gear you wanted from time to time.

Head and shoulder room were good. Leg room a little less so. I have a
34" inseam and I am 6'3" tall and found it just the tiniest bit cramped,
leg-wise.

Fit and finish are what your would expect of for a $25k vehicle. A
little on the cheese, Star Trek side. Japanese ought to hire a few
German guys to design their interiors. I looked at a Subaru Tribeca
once and didn't even get in. It looked like a pimpmobile inside. Beam
me up Scotty.

One major dislike: what the hell is it with the Japanese designers
shitty speedometer ergonomics? My wife has a Subaru and on sunny days it
is a bitch to read the bloody speedometer; ditto for the Mazda. On my
1992 525 BMW and on the 328, the speedometers were clear and easy to
read, with sun glasses on, even with the sun pouring directly onto the
speedometer over your shoulder. Go figure.

Carl

"Carl" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:carlhammel1-(E-Mail Removed)...
> In article <5101b$474c81eb$d066ac9c$(E-Mail Removed)>,
> "nntp.fuse.net" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>
>> any experiences on Mazda-3 speed group of cars?
>
> FWIW, I test drove one after having test driven a MINI Cooper a few days
> before.
>
> The Speed3 is really a LOT of car for the money. I drove a so-called
> Grand Touring version, standard transmission, and I am seriously
> contemplating buying one. I traded in a 1996 BMW328 three years ago and
> I would call the Speed3 a poor-mans BMW3. (Where do you think Mazda
> came up wit the numeral "3"? I think they are hoping driving
> aficionados will think BMW3 series and associate that with the Mazda
> Speed3.)


SNIP!

I think you will find the "3" came from their earlier model # 323 or Protege
as it was also called.

Glad you like it though. A son had the 323 (97) and another had the 626
(98) and they ran both into the ground. Good service considering they were
used when they got them and as High School/ College students they really
hardly kept up with any maintenance.

I am back in heaven though in my 83 RX-7. Rotary power foreever!

In article <carlhammel1-(E-Mail Removed)>,
Carl <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

> I would call the Speed3 a poor-mans BMW3. (Where do you think Mazda
> came up wit the numeral "3"?

Well, the history within Mazda goes back decades... so I'm not sure of
your guess.

Before the Mazda 3 and the Mazda 6, was the Mazda 323 and the Mazda 626
(and also the Mazda 929 for awhile).

Now the Mazda 323 used to be the Mazda GLC at the same time there was a
Mazda 626 on the market.

So, I'd almost say that the Mazda 323 was named as sort of 1/2 of the
Mazda 626... Not literally, but symbolically.

Back when it was WANKEL cars, you had RX-2, RX-3, etc.

Anyway, I feel the "3" came from "323" which came from "626" and so I
feel the current Mazda Speed 3 doesn't really owe it's name to the "3"
series BMW line.