The As Yet Un-named Mazda 3

That's a pretty poor attitude for manufacturers to have really.

puntofan01 said:

That's a pretty poor attitude for manufacturers to have really.

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It's the way the market is going, by the time my car goes in for its service next month it'll have been to the garage 5 times (at around 150 to 250 quid a time). Some of its direct competition would have had 2 scheduled services in that time. It keeps lease and scheduled costs down also means they can sell cars to private individuals with fixed price 3 year service plans safe in the knowledge that customer will probably only actually come back to them once in that time having basically prepaid the cost of the year 2 service..

It's a business at the end of the day if your product lasts at least 10 years and 120k before a big failure that'll do in most cases. It'll get probably be in its 4th or 5th owners hands by that time anyway. Because I keep my cars for extended periods and do short journeys I would get the oil changed annually even if my car didn't stipulate that but to a lot of people seeing a garage once every 2 years would be a bonus.


That and if it still looks this immaculate after 5 years and everything works as good as when it left the factory...you aren't exactly encouraging your customers into a new car.

I suppose, but at the same time, if after 5 years a car developed a catastrophic failure, it could send the owner to a rival manufacturers' showroom instead?

puntofan01 said:

I suppose, but at the same time, if after 5 years a car developed a catastrophic failure, it could send the owner to a rival manufacturers' showroom instead?

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It probably would but regardless of servicing a catastrophic failure at 5 years is unlikely unless you've flogged it like a mule everyday or had a latent fault present from build.

The chances are by the time any of the long life servicing and sealed for life business causes an issue the cars well outside the dealer network in the hands of someone who couldn't have afforded to buy new any way.

That and to be fair they do say the oil e.t.c. should last the time...even if the various owners clubs tend to say otherwise..so it may be overcaution on my and their behalf it's a feeling not a fact.

StevenRB45 said:

Perhaps these are known for mechanical longevity due to a belt and braces service schedule keeping wear and tear down to nothing.

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Toyota are not too disimilar in needing service every 10k.

Most Easterly Pandas said:

Toyota are not too disimilar in needing service every 10k.

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It's not quite that restrictive, 12.5k or annual although in practice mines every 7-8k on time rather than miles. Given 20k/2 year intervals aren't unusual in this class it's quite short by comparison. At least it means the oil never passes light golden brown and the fluids and filters are always pretty fresh so I'm fairly sure the internals will stay healthy unless I beat it to death.

Well that time again car is away having it's annual check over..

So I have..


Not going to write a page long assassination of this one it's not bad at all. Body roll is comical, steering is low geared, seats feel as though you'll fall out of them cornering hard. But for the type of car it's reasonable, nippy enough, engine sound isn't as bad as the Mitsubishi but worse than Citroen's 3 cylinders. Interior is millimetrically assembled out of cheap plastic but interesting to look at. Infotainment system is nice, although for all its colour touch screen whooshyness the only additional feature it has over the old 2009 designed Mazda system is a USB port and rear view camera which on a car this size is pointless.

A basic one would probably be nice cheap transport this one is 12 grands worth and doesn't feel it. It's got cruise control, but I imagine that at 70 for long periods the fruity 3 cyl burble would become annoying also it doesn't feel hugely stable. Find it very odd that a brand new car that is obviously designed as a city car had no stop start system it's not like this is a base model either.

It's back, no work required.

Good to read updates on the 3 - it's closely related cousin my Focus is up to 56k miles now and 4 1/2 years old. First fault reared its head recently, accelerating hard to join a motorway it went into limp mode, restricted power and flashed up with a message saying service engine now. The message would clear on restarting, the car would run fine but come up again under acceleration. Took it into the garage who put it on diagnostics which returned a number of possibilities of what the could relate to, some of which were very expensive!! They also told me that they were aware of some Kugas towing caravans accelerating uphill had the same problem come up, which turned out to be the air filter 'squashing' under acceleration. A new air filter, £20 and several thousand miles later it's not happened again!!!

This Focus is turning out to be massively reliable, no major faults at all and still looks, drives like new. At this mileage in the Grande I couldn't wait to get rid of it.

Interestingly, I thought the air filter was changed at its yearly or 12500 mile service, it's not! It's every three years, so I think I'm going to ask for it to be changed every year. As pointed out above, their is no service schedule on the gearbox, I will be asking them to do it though.

The getrag 6 speed box is far more reliable than the rubbish M32 I had in the Grande that was rebuilt twice, though I don't think I want to risk that!

StevenRB45 said:

Find it very odd that a brand new car that is obviously designed as a city car had no stop start system it's not like this is a base model either.

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I questioned this and why the mk3 Yaris doesn't have it, when the face lift mk2 Yaris does.

Apparently Toyota listened to their users, and when the majority said they didn't like it they removed it, and done some other tweaks to bring the emissions down. Make of this what you will lol.

JimbbobW1977 said:

This Focus is turning out to be massively reliable, no major faults at all and still looks, drives like new. At this mileage in the Grande I couldn't wait to get rid of it.

Interestingly, I thought the air filter was changed at its yearly or 12500 mile service, it's not! It's every three years, so I think I'm going to ask for it to be changed every year. As pointed out above, their is no service schedule on the gearbox, I will be asking them to do it though.

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My dads old focus mk2 is still going at 11 years old now, slightly frilly rear arches and the engine has an annoying flat spot but it owes him nothing at this point given he's had it since 05 and you can count none service parts it's had replaced on one hand. Tbf it's probably easily fix able but he only does sub 3k a year since he retired so doesn't see the point.

Going back to the Mazda it's another one with 3 year airfilters (strangely the cabin filter gets changed every 2 years). Not looking forward to next year's service as it has a variety of things that get changed, some annually, some bi-annually and the odd thing at 3,4,5 or 6 years. Next year is year 6 as a result all of those things fall on the same service except gearbox oil...they quote 350 quid, so just south of 400 with an mot test if nothing is broken.

Oh well for that I'll get oil, oil filter, air filter, cabin filter, spark plugs (iridium so it's still running factory ones). Brake fluid, coolant, air con service...for that money it better be a new car. Though in truth I don't begrudge the garage bill if it remains truly an annual occurrence, if it broke between services it would sting but as it is you have one bill once a year and it just works otherwise.

Well after 700 miles of motorway schlepping the whole front now looks like this


Also it spent a fortnight on Southampton docks...so it's utterly manky everywhere else...

However it performed faultlessly trips both ways passed quickly without aches and pains while it returned 43 to the gallon. Also despite the consensus on the 3 forum being the batteries on these last 5 years it started 1st time on the key with no ill effects from the layover.

Still going with no issues..*touches nice solid wooden floor board"

How's the Mazda going??? I've got rid of the Focus now. Best car I've ever owned. 62k miles of faultless economical motoring, great car to drive.

This was my hire car on holiday....



500X Multiair 1.4 turbo - ride quality was harsh, steered and handled okay though, and felt surprisingly solid inside compared to my old GP.

JimbbobW1977 said:

How's the Mazda going??? I've got rid of the Focus now. Best car I've ever owned. 62k miles of faultless economical motoring, great car to drive.

This was my hire car on holiday....

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500X Multiair 1.4 turbo - ride quality was harsh, steered and handled okay though, and felt surprisingly solid inside compared to my old GP.

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It's fine, just keeps on keeping on. At the moment plan is to keep it until it's 8-10 and buy one of the later models.

I had a look at the Mazda 6 estate lovely car, however settled on the Mondeo 2.0 180 power shift estate. Had it a week now.

Cool very capable cars if a little on the American scale for my parking situation. A lot of car for the money second hand.

StevenRB45 said:

Cool very capable cars if a little on the American scale for my parking situation. A lot of car for the money second hand.

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Tremendous amount of money for the amount of kit it's got, and even better is that despite having 19" alloys on lowered suspension the ride is the best of any car I've driven.

It does have American traits though will little things here and their.

I just hope it's as reliable, that's the reason I stuck with a Ford

JimbbobW1977 said:

Tremendous amount of money for the amount of kit it's got, and even better is that despite having 19" alloys on lowered suspension the ride is the best of any car I've driven.

It does have American traits though will little things here and their.

I just hope it's as reliable, that's the reason I stuck with a Ford

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When I say American scale it's more the size I was thinking of, the mk1 mondeo actually has the same overall length as the 3. I Imagine your estate is as near to 5 metres long as makes no difference, my daily routine involves turning my car through 90 degrees in its own length then reverse parallel parking with a house on one side and next doors Porsche on the other. I had sleepless nights about getting the Mazda through there when I was waiting for delivery, but with the mirrors folded and two wheels on the kerb it just fits.

Hence why I do tend to get concerned about these things.

Yes it is long, apparently bigger than a Ford Scorpio