Hi,
To start with, for the uninitiated, this is what has been going on, in deciding on my car in the US.
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/luxury...-carolina.html
Finally, decided on going with the Mazda3, after much deliberation between new cars and used exotics (with valuable tips from 1100D, MPower, Mayavi, sujaylahiri, spawnofsatan, Bimster, Superleggera, aah78 and many others), I finally went ahead and got the Mazda3 i Sport. I wanted it to be a Manual and in Black. The first challenge was to get a Black one and that too a Manual. These guys just dont stock up enough Manuals here. Finally got a Copper Mica Red manual day before yesterday.
The car looks great and rides well. Here are my initial impressions:
Looks:
Its really a looker, both from the front and rear. It appears very proportionate and has a sporty styling. The finish is extremely good.
Interior:
There is adequate space in the front with 3 way adjustment of the driver's seat. The rear might be a little crampy for those around 6ft. There are enough storage spaces and the glove compartment is really huge.
What catches the eye is the instrument cluster and the illumination. While all controls fall well in place, the illumination has just blown me away. So far, I used to be a big fan of the blue-on-white illuminations of the VW, but, this one has a red-on-blue one, which looks very good.
Engine:
The engine is a 2.0L 144bhp 16V DOHC VVT engine, which has great pickup, seems to be revv happy and has got good low end torque. The owner's manual says the running in period is 600miles. I am not pushing the car much but took it upto 75mph on the freeway and it was very well planted and handled very well. The gear shift seems to be a bit stiff, but I guess it will smoothen out over another 100 miles. Or may be its me, getting used to shifting gears with my right hand.
Ride Quality:
Ride quality appeared to be on a slightly harder side due to its sporty suspension. Cornering is extremely good and the steering is precise and well weighted, giving good feedback from the road. The car comes with Toyo Proxes 195/65/R15 tubeless tires.
Audio System:
The factory supplied audio system has 4 speakers and mp3 compatible. The sound quality is good with nice and tight bass, but not exceptional. Another $1500 would have given me a 6-speaker Bose audio system.
Safety Features:
The car has Disc brakes on all 4 wheels and comes with ABS and EBD. It also has side curtain airbags both in front and rear, apart from driver and passenger side airbags.
While these are initial reports of 2 days of ownership, will keep you posted on the developments.