Got more than I paid for!

Let's start from the beginning. Actually, lets start before that. Maybe my reviews aren't welcome here b/c I don't include every bit of information there is to know about this car. I just want to type up my review and get back to work and hope that it at least helps you to know that this is a good car!

Now, onto the beginning I was referring to earlier. I'm a Mazda man. This is my 3rd Mazda that I've owned. I've had a Mazda 6s, still have a Tribute, and now own a Mazda 3i, 2.0 4-door sedan. I even was able to test drive the RX-8 for a weekend but ended up not getting it b/c I'm too poor and they couldn't get me the price I wanted. Anyway, back the Mazda 3i. This car has such a familiar feel to it. It's obviously not as powerful as the Mazda 6 with the V6, 220 hp engine but it feels like it's younger brother. Mazda's have the feel and look that I love!! I'm young, family man just getting out of college and I don't want to drive a boring car, yet I can't afford an expensive one. My wife usually gets the new car but I got tired of driving a broke down truck!! I had to get something for cheap so I decided to go to Mazda and see what they could do for me.

I called them up, told them I was coming over and I wanted the cheapest car on the lot. They knew who I was, I had test drove the car earlier and I decided it was time to get something new. I wanted the smallest engine, I wanted manual windows and locks, and just stripped down as much as possible. They're cheapest car was a Velocity Red, 3i. It had fog lights and a spoiler which was great to have a little appearance package. Manual transmission (5 speed), manual windows/locks, airbags around, abs around, volume control on the steering wheel, single cd player with 4 speakers that sounds great as long as you don't crank it up REAL loud, black interior, and that new car smell. Now the stereo sounds great at regular volumes. My last two Mazda's had the subwoofer that came along with the Premium sound package and it sounded real nice. The 3 though is just meant to be heard inside the car. So really, I got what I needed to get me around for cheap!! Exactly what I needed. The sticker price what $16,600. I ended up financing $14,600 after everything, all taxes and fees. We came up with this price in about 30 minutes. I probably could've got them down a little more but this was within $600 of what I wanted so I accepted.

Now onto how much I enjoy the car. This has plenty of pickup for a 4 cylinder. I can be going up hill, cruising at 45, the AC turned on full power, and still be able to chase down any average car on the street. I couldn't deal with a car where you turn on the AC and you feel the loss of power in the engine, so that's a good thing for me that the 3 does not do this. It still is able to pick up. It redlines at 6500 RPM's but you can get it up to 7000 RPM's and still be fine. I did read this on Consumer Reports before I tried it out myself. When you drive it like this you're getting everyone of your 150 horses!! If you're switching gears at 4000 RPM's you're getting your good gas mileage and a nice drive. You push it to 7000 RPM's, you feel like you're driving a little sports car. I can chirp the tires (get them to spin) going into 3rd gear. The car even wants to take off out from under you as you do this. It makes me happy to feel that!! I won't drive it this way unless I'm trying to show off to a passenger or something, but even that will go away after all my friends/family can see what it can do. I give all credit to how this car drives to Mazda. They want you to feel like you're in a sporty car and I feel that I am. It's no 350Z or RX8, but it does feel sporty. The little muffler they have on there even has a little sporty sound to it. It handles great!! It has a real tight feel in the stearing. You do have to be aware of you're driving if you're trying to get some performance out of it. You go directly where you're steering as you go through the corners at higher speeds. You'll find yourself going off the road if you let off of the steering even a little. Real touchy!! I guess that would be an appropriate term?? Point the car where you want to go and you're fine. And this is just for sharp corners at high speeds. I like that feel though. I want to go where I point the car. I want the reaction time to be immediate and it is.

The ride is fairly smooth. You feel the bumps a little, more than I did in my other Mazda's but this car is $10,000 - $13,000 cheaper. If the road is smooth, you're ride is smooth. If you hit a bump, you feel the bump. Nothing too bad but you can feel that you're driving in a less expensive car. I expected that. Perhaps I even expected it to be worse?? Not sure?? I hit a bump that I go over as I get on the highway everyday and it felt like my back tires came off the ground. Granted I was getting onto this on ramp going pretty fast but I did feel it much more than I have in my other cars. It's where asphault road hit the cement highway. Just something that I can go by to see how it compares to my other cars. It doesn't do as well over bumps like this. But as you go around corners, you don't feel like you're about to fall out the door. Not much lean to the car. A little, but not much. You can just go to town on those corners!! Very fun!!

Over all, the car is great!! It's more than I thought I was going to get!! I've had the car for about a week and everytime I get in I smile. I look forward to going to work because I get to go for a 20 minute drive. I look forward to the drive home. This will wear off I'm sure but for now I'm having fun. Something I don't like about this car is people say it's cute. It really is but I wish they chose another word. But at least it's not an ugly car!! Interior has a great look, exterior (accept for my stupid hubcaps!!) has a great look, and the car as a whole has a great look.

Few more odds and ends:
Trunk space looks pretty good but the opening to get things in is pretty small. If you're traveling, use duffle bags so you can squeeze stuff in there through the opening. You could fit a few in there. The paint has the metallic paint. Or pearl paint?? There have been complaints about the power of the AC as well. I don't notice b/c my truck had cold air but just didn't blow it out real strong. My wife even said the AC doesn't blow out as strong as her Tribute. I live in Georgia where the temp has been around 95 everyday. You depend on that AC!! It keeps me cool enough. It has a cool little area for all your gauges. 3 circle's pushed up against each other for your RPM's, MPH, Temp/Gas. Again, helps with that sporty look. The steering wheel looks sporty but a little cheap. The horn only helps for the Cute description this car fits into. Don't use it if someone cuts you off cause you'll only make them laugh at you!! The doors shutting have a good solid sound. No cheap sound there!! There are child locks, the back windows roll all the way down :), real cool looking interior lights. The ash try has that orangish glow to it when it's dark. You have cup holders in the console that can be covered. you have a cup holder in each door in the back. Won't fit any big gulps back there. 2 compartments in the console as well. You have the 2 level thing going on. You have the deep compartment for cd's or whatever else, then you have the one right on top of that where you can throw change or pieces of paper or something?? The seats wrap around your back. I'm 5'10", 200 lbs. I have a pretty wide back and the seats feel great!! My wife is pregnant and she loves the seats as well. Her back kills her in the Tribute but doesn't complain at all in the 3. My brother in law is 6'5" and he sat in the car just fine. He commented that his knees usually hit the steering wheel and there's no avoiding it. He was able to position the steering wheel and his seat to allow him to swing his knees freely. I sat behind him after he had everything situated and still had room for short drives. A kid could stay back there forever with no problem. The last thing is 28-35 MPG!! I'm at a 3/4 of tank right now and I'm at 110 miles. I hit 95 MPH on the way to work this morning trying to pass a few people. I'll get a little lower than the 35 but that's fine.

I really have no complaints with this car other than people say it's cute!! I got more than I expected. Cheap car payment and a real fun car to drive!! I smile everytime I go for a drive now!!