southpaw's new 3

[southpawboston]

well i traded the elantra for a new mazda 3 "S" wagon, touring package. some of you may not have known about all the problems i was having with the elantra, and the dealers couldn't seem to fix them after repeated tries, so i decided to unload it before the warranty ran out. i also wanted something safer for my growing family (two little ones now) without buying a minivan. plus i have been a long-time mazda owner and fan (owned three mazdas), and it's nice to be a mazda person again.

this car is everything the elantra couldn't be, while being very similar in overall shape and size. plus it's got safety features out the wazoo, for my precious cargo. aftermarket support is fantastic, although with my growing family i won't have the time to do too many mods.

performance in stock form is in a different class altogether than the elantra, but to be perfectly objective, the 3 also lacks some refined touches and details that the elantra had, and i will miss those. the elantra was a great car for what it was, but unfortunately mine was plagued with some recurring mechanical problems that the dealer techs were too inept to correct. i won't badmouth hyundais as cars, but i do have a lot of criticism about their dealer support network.

here's me new ride:

http://homepage.mac.com/tutter/mazda3/mazda3-delivery.jpg


and my very first passenger, who has recently learned how to say "zoom zoom":

http://homepage.mac.com/tutter/mazda3/mazda3-delivery-maggie.jpg


i have a few things left over from the elantra that i will post in the marketplace section for anyone who can use them. i'll also try not to be a stranger and pop in every once in a while. people can also feel free to email me with electrical questions and i will try my best to help out.

--spb

[SuperGLS]

Good stuff.

Aftermarket support is fantastic? I've looked over the Mazda forums here and there to gain ideas for mods and for website design/addtions and it seemed to be it's about the same as it is for XD owners. I too expected to see much more support, but perhaps I wasn't looking in the right spots. When test driving a 3 with my friend the salesperson (a college aged kid) didn't really seem to have any grasp of the aftermarket either.

Congrats! Two things I really like are the wheels and the the seats (even if not leather).

[BlackElantraGT]

Is that your old Elantra in the background? Anyway, congrats on the new car. If I had to find something to replace the Elantra, I probably would have gotten the same thing. At least the Mazda forum is gaining an audio/security guru. Good luck with everything man!

[southpawboston]

i guess i meant mazda performance parts support more than i meant true aftermarket support. mazdaspeed's line of performance items includes everything from eibach-made springs, struts, sway bars, strut braces, and turbo kits. and yes, there are a lot of turboed 3's out there. mazda will be offering an official turboed mazdaspeed 3 in 2007 that will put out 250hp. interestingy, each year only one mazda model gets a mazdaspeed version. this year is the 6, next year is the 3, etc. it keeps the numbers small and the price high, lol.

as for online support, the community is a small one like that for the XD, but slightly larger. nothing like for scion or honda, but then again maybe a bit more mature ;)

only select dealers are authorized to support mazdaspeed-modded cars. those are the ones that tend to have more knowledgable tech staff.

Is that your old Elantra in the background?

yep, that's her. she's sitting before an auction block somewhere about now. :(

[WytchDctr]

Ive got the larger version of that car and I like it. When the mazdaspeed3 comes out it might be time for me to leave exd myself.

[QuickSilverGT]

Thats a nice car. If I'm not mistaken the 3's came out the year after I got my XD so I definitely woulda gone for something like that had the timing been right.

[southpawboston]

Ive got the larger version of that car and I like it.

do you mean the "5"? i test drove a 5 and it wan't bad. definitely the sportiest "van" out there. we had a hard time deciding between the 5 and the 3. in the end, we chose the 3 because, as my wife put it, "i feel boring driving this thing" (referring to when she drove the 5 immediately after a 3). but if we ever need anything bigger as teh kids get bigger, i think the 5 will be the way to go!

Thats a nice car. If I'm not mistaken the 3's came out the year after I got my XD so I definitely woulda gone for something like that had the timing been right.

the first "3" arrived in my area dealer showrooms a week after i bought my EGT. if i had waited to buy my EGT, i might have been swayed to get a 3 instead. however, at the time, i was on a strict budget. life has gotten better since then :)

[WytchDctr]

Yeah we have the 5, but I also have one more kid than you. Needed the extra seats.

[ghrpdx]

ZOOM! ZOOM!

First off, your little darling is growing FAST and is still cute as a bug's ear! What a sweetie!

Very nice family truckster, Southpaw! I'm sure you will have many joyful miles in the little beast. I have looked and looked at the different compacts on the market and so far it's looking like the Mazda 3s sedan is near the top of the list. We'll see what's out there when I finally wear out my Elantra.

Other considerations are (don't kill me) a new Honda Civic Si, Acura RSX (but they are being discontinued this year), Mini Cooper S, and Maybe a VW Rabbit or even a Camry Solara. There are SO MANY CHOICES!

I suspect my Elantra will be part of the family for approximately the next four years so everything on the market will be new and improved again ... and much more expensive, I'm sure.

[yahoo1z]

its hot, i always like the 3, nice choice.

[robs02elantra]

Congrats! Two things I really like are the wheels and the the seats (even if not leather).

Leather wheels James?? Come on now, you know automakers as well as I do. They will never offer something as cool as that.

Just jokes.

Congrats on the new car! I was in a Protege 5 a week and a half ago for 4 days...it was a very solid car. I would assume that the Mazda 3 would be pretty similar, but a little nicer. Hope you really enjoy the car!

[only1db]

not a big fan of the 3 but its nice car for the money...what about the cx-7?? its more than the 3 though....but the 2.3 turbo is sick...

good luck with everything!!

i feel ya about people who work on cars are morons..(most of anyway) hence why i am going myself...i sick of incompent people attempting to fix things....and yeah the dealership support really does suck...