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    Default New 2016 Mazda3 GX - 6 spd manual trans.

    We just traded our 2006 mazda3 sedan for the above sedan. The older one had treated us well and we had no reason to change car makes.

    First impressions:

    - the new one definitely gets better gas mileage although I suspect driving it hard will have an impact.
    - the new one has everything we wanted (cruise, outside temp reading, etc. etc.) except for mags and a split fold down seat. Before delivery I obtained an almost new set of mags from a 2012 mazda3 and had them switched over within a few days. We can do without the split seat as we rarely needed it in the old model.
    - it seems a bit noisier inside than a comparable civic however it is better than the old car.
    - lots of power with the 2.0 litre motor - don't need more. I did find that the older car with the 2.0 litre had plenty of power also - just need to drive it intelligently.
    - 6 speed manual tran. is very slick and great to use.
    - I like the shift indicator although I'm not using it that much. Also like the gas mileage readout - the old car had it and I'd miss it. The full screen readout with the bar graph is a mystery to me right now - need to figure it out before disregarding it.
    - the backup camera is handy but I don't depend upon it that much.
    - seating in the front is very comfortable and holds one in place very well.

    The car is just that much more solid and substantial feeling - we are very happy with it so far.

    I will be checking the odometer to see how accurate it is along with checking the mileage readout for accuracy - likely in the next week.

    One question if someone knows offhand - what make, type and weight of motor oil is used in the car.

    Thanks,

    John.

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    Default Re: New 2016 Mazda3 GX - 6 spd manual trans.

    Interesting that the 2016 GX models have cruise and a back up camera. Nice! What other features does it have over your 2006?

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    Default Re: New 2016 Mazda3 GX - 6 spd manual trans.

    Quote Originally Posted by Jackal View Post
    Interesting that the 2016 GX models have cruise and a back up camera. Nice! What other features does it have over your 2006?
    I think backup cameras are mandatory in the US, so lots of base models here are coming with them.

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    Default Re: New 2016 Mazda3 GX - 6 spd manual trans.

    Quote Originally Posted by Aitch View Post
    I think backup cameras are mandatory in the US, so lots of base models here are coming with them.
    that takes effect with the 2017 Model Year i believe. May be 2018

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    Default Re: New 2016 Mazda3 GX - 6 spd manual trans.

    Quote Originally Posted by Aitch View Post
    I think backup cameras are mandatory in the US, so lots of base models here are coming with them.
    Quote Originally Posted by ryan2.3 View Post
    that takes effect with the 2017 Model Year i believe. May be 2018

    I've been told they will be mandatory in Canada soon also, along with brake assist/collision avoidance systems


    @jcs0001 congrats on the new car. seems like the 2015 GS (what we got) is now pretty much a 2016 GX
    Last edited by gabbygenier; 05-10-2016 at 09:05 AM.
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    Default Re: New 2016 Mazda3 GX - 6 spd manual trans.

    Quote Originally Posted by gabbygenier View Post
    I've been told they will be mandatory in Canada soon also, along with brake assist/collision avoidance systems


    @jcs0001 congrats on the new car. seems like the 2015 GS (what we got) is now pretty much a 2016 GX
    i got confirmation. 2018 is when backup camera's will be mandatory. Makes sense, we have some 17's here at work right now that don't have cameras

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    Default Re: New 2016 Mazda3 GX - 6 spd manual trans.

    Quote Originally Posted by ryan2.3 View Post
    that takes effect with the 2017 Model Year i believe. May be 2018
    You are correct. For some reason I thought it was in place already.

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    Default Re: New 2016 Mazda3 GX - 6 spd manual trans.

    An update. We have about 7000 km on the car now so are quite familiar with it. I bought a set of hercules new winter tires last summer and had them installed on the steel rims that came with the car. I put them on in late October and have found that they are quite quiet - more so than the stock all seasons that came with the car. They seem to handle well on snow and ice but I haven't really given them a workout so take that opinion with a few grains of salt.

    As mentioned earlier we had a problem with the computer crashing and taking down the sound, navigation etc. It would reboot and everything worked however it would do this about 3 times in a 10 km trip - generally when the outside temp. was below about -2C. I had a feeling that it was temperature related and that it might be some component of the computer that was located in the passenger compartment. I kept track of it for a month or so and we took it in for 3 recall notices and a service early this week. I gave the dealer the option of keeping over two days so that it would be cold in the mornings.

    The dealer discussed the problem with Mazda in Ontario and tried removing my usb stick (mp3's). That did not help (as I had earlier discovered). They replaced the navigation SD card and it appears that it is now fixed. We have driven it two mornings with the temperature at about -10C and have had no problems.

    So it appears that the car is up to date and running well - we are quite happy with it.

    John.

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    Default Re: New 2016 Mazda3 GX - 6 spd manual trans.

    Quote Originally Posted by Aitch View Post
    I think backup cameras are mandatory in the US, so lots of base models here are coming with them.
    There is a higher % of fatter and unfit Americans (vs Canadians) who can't turn their necks and heads far enough any more to back up properly, so the US mandatory cameras will be required there sooner.
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    Default Re: New 2016 Mazda3 GX - 6 spd manual trans.

    Jackal:

    The 2006 had:
    alloy rims
    gas mileage readout, ave. Speed etc.
    Outside temperature readout
    Split folding rear seats
    key fob entry
    cd player and controls on steering wheel (but no cruise)
    auto lights and wipers

    I installed factory cruise after I bought it – bought a steering wheel with the controls on it on ebay.

    It did not have power windows.


    The 2016 has:
    steel wheels
    key fob entry with start button
    navigation system with 7 in. Screen – also on this is the audio controls, car software adjustments, backup camera and a gas mileage screen (haven't figured this one out yet). It is controlled from a “joy stick” behind the shifter.
    Cruise, outside temp, digital (small) tach.
    Power windows and locks
    car alarm
    single fold down rear seat
    no auto lights/wipers – we won't miss them

    I may have missed a few things but that's the gist of it. We test drove a 2014 and 2015 mazda3 (gx models) and found that they were missing one or more of cruise, outside temp., and tach.

    I do find that mazda has rather strange basic option packages but we are quite happy with those in the new car and the old car served us well.

    We need to have winter tires in our province so I will put them on the steel rims that came with the car.

    John.

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    Default Re: New 2016 Mazda3 GX - 6 spd manual trans.

    Congrats @jcs0001 😊 When I read "mags" I immediately presumed you are a Quebecois....am I correct? Lol

    I find the single fold down rear seat to be perplexing...I had no idea that they came that way. Is this a sedan feature?
    My Parents bought me more Hot Wheels than Barbies when I was little...

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    Default Re: New 2016 Mazda3 GX - 6 spd manual trans.

    natspriceless:

    re: "Mags"

    No I'm from BC but likely it's a factor of age - mags are now "alloy wheels" - not when I was young

    I don't know what features the hatchback has or if the lower models have split seats but the 2016 gx definitely has the solid seat back. I could recall only one time when we had three in the car and had to fold the seat back - told my buddy and we agreed that if it happened with the new car he would walk.

    Interesting that backup cameras will be required soon in the US - I imagine it won't be long before we require them also. It is quite handy in close quarters.

    A couple of other things the new car has are traction control and abs brakes - the old car didn't have them.

    gabbygenier - you are correct. It looks like Mazda takes features from the gs and puts some of them in the next year's gx model - as I said I find their option packages a bit perplexing.

    John.

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    Default Re: New 2016 Mazda3 GX - 6 spd manual trans.

    Quote Originally Posted by jcs0001 View Post
    natspriceless:

    re: "Mags"

    No I'm from BC but likely it's a factor of age - mags are now "alloy wheels" - not when I was young

    I don't know what features the hatchback has or if the lower models have split seats but the 2016 gx definitely has the solid seat back. I could recall only one time when we had three in the car and had to fold the seat back - told my buddy and we agreed that if it happened with the new car he would walk.

    Interesting that backup cameras will be required soon in the US - I imagine it won't be long before we require them also. It is quite handy in close quarters.

    A couple of other things the new car has are traction control and abs brakes - the old car didn't have them.

    gabbygenier - you are correct. It looks like Mazda takes features from the gs and puts some of them in the next year's gx model - as I said I find their option packages a bit perplexing.

    John.
    Lol! I hear you buddy...I call things by names that make some of my younger friends roll their eyes I still see/hear the use of the term "mags" from my Quebec friends & family

    The more new purchase threads I read, the more I must admit that I really didn't look at models other than the GT (just basically said to myself: replace old GT with new GT and be done with the deal) so I'm facinated by learning about your seats and the differences between sedans and hatches altogether.

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    Default Re: New 2016 Mazda3 GX - 6 spd manual trans.

    @jcs0001 0W20 synthetic oil. we get it in bulk from Petro Canada

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    Default Re: New 2016 Mazda3 GX - 6 spd manual trans.

    Quote Originally Posted by CarLadyLisa View Post
    @jcs0001 0W20 synthetic oil. we get it in bulk from Petro Canada
    Do you know if it's actually made in Canada or just bottled by Petro Canada ? Is there a difference between the bulk oil and the quarts ?
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    Default Re: New 2016 Mazda3 GX - 6 spd manual trans.

    CarLadyLisa - thanks for the info on the oil.

    I will be calibrating the odometer/speedo and mpg readout but have yet to figure out how the navigation system in the car will allow me to tally km driven between points. If I put an address into the navigation it will give me a total however if I go off route I'm not sure it will update the distance. Anyway I found a couple of apps on my android tablet (it has gps) that will do what I want so next time I go on a jaunt that's more than a few km I'll take it with me and check things out. The speedo seems to be quite close - if I use the posted speed on the navigation system the road sign turns yellow at the proper point on the speedo (ie just as the car exceeds the posted speed).

    John.

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    Default Re: New 2016 Mazda3 GX - 6 spd manual trans.

    Everything


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    Default Re: New 2016 Mazda3 GX - 6 spd manual trans.

    Are we talking Mazda's, specifically Mazda 3 ?

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    Default Re: New 2016 Mazda3 GX - 6 spd manual trans.

    I work at GM with future cars

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    Default Re: New 2016 Mazda3 GX - 6 spd manual trans.

    Ah I see, thanks

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    Default Re: New 2016 Mazda3 GX - 6 spd manual trans.

    Also because their oversized SUVs are filled to the brim with fat kids and chicken buckets, making the rear windows useless.

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    Default Re: New 2016 Mazda3 GX - 6 spd manual trans.

    Quote Originally Posted by jcs0001 View Post
    We just traded our 2006 mazda3 sedan for the above sedan. The older one had treated us well and we had no reason to change car makes.

    First impressions:

    - the new one definitely gets better gas mileage although I suspect driving it hard will have an impact.
    - the new one has everything we wanted (cruise, outside temp reading, etc. etc.) except for mags and a split fold down seat. Before delivery I obtained an almost new set of mags from a 2012 mazda3 and had them switched over within a few days. We can do without the split seat as we rarely needed it in the old model.
    - it seems a bit noisier inside than a comparable civic however it is better than the old car.
    - lots of power with the 2.0 litre motor - don't need more. I did find that the older car with the 2.0 litre had plenty of power also - just need to drive it intelligently.
    - 6 speed manual tran. is very slick and great to use.
    - I like the shift indicator although I'm not using it that much. Also like the gas mileage readout - the old car had it and I'd miss it. The full screen readout with the bar graph is a mystery to me right now - need to figure it out before disregarding it.
    - the backup camera is handy but I don't depend upon it that much.
    - seating in the front is very comfortable and holds one in place very well.

    The car is just that much more solid and substantial feeling - we are very happy with it so far.

    I will be checking the odometer to see how accurate it is along with checking the mileage readout for accuracy - likely in the next week.

    One question if someone knows offhand - what make, type and weight of motor oil is used in the car.

    Thanks,

    John.
    Thanks for your sharing! ^^

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    Default Re: New 2016 Mazda3 GX - 6 spd manual trans.

    An update on the 2016 Mazda 3 gx 6 spd standard:

    We now have about 2500 km on the car - most of it in city traffic. I drive conservatively but not really slowly. The car has plenty of power and we find it quite comfortable and enjoyable to use.

    I've put about 5, 1/2 tanks through the car filling it each time and have found that it is using between 5.066 and 6.769 l/100 km. (imp 55.7 to 41.7 mpg). That is actual calculated mileage vs. the instrumentation. I find the instrumentation is usually a bit optimistic however it has read less than the actual mileage on occasion. The high reading was for a tank that was mainly on the highway at around 90 to 100 km per hour. It appears that the current tank is a bit lower (7.0 l per 100 km per the instrumentation) and that makes sense as it is all in town in mostly heavy traffic and some a/c.

    John.

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    Default Re: New 2016 Mazda3 GX - 6 spd manual trans.

    Quote Originally Posted by jcs0001 View Post
    An update on the 2016 Mazda 3 gx 6 spd standard:

    We now have about 2500 km on the car - most of it in city traffic. I drive conservatively but not really slowly. The car has plenty of power and we find it quite comfortable and enjoyable to use.

    I've put about 5, 1/2 tanks through the car filling it each time and have found that it is using between 5.066 and 6.769 l/100 km. (imp 55.7 to 41.7 mpg). That is actual calculated mileage vs. the instrumentation. I find the instrumentation is usually a bit optimistic however it has read less than the actual mileage on occasion. The high reading was for a tank that was mainly on the highway at around 90 to 100 km per hour. It appears that the current tank is a bit lower (7.0 l per 100 km per the instrumentation) and that makes sense as it is all in town in mostly heavy traffic and some a/c.

    John.
    Would you say that the older 2.0L engine is just as peppy as this one? Or is the new one substantially quicker?

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    Default Re: New 2016 Mazda3 GX - 6 spd manual trans.

    Ante

    I think the new one is somewhat more peppy than the old. Hard to tell but that's my impression. It seems to have a bit more lower end torque than the other.

    We have now gone through the first service with the car. No problems at all except one.

    When we bought it I found a set of alloy wheels and put the new tires (that came with the car) on those and bought new winters for the steel wheels that came with the car. I had that done at a tire shop so last week I decided to change the all seasons to the winter tires. I usually do this myself in the driveway, using the jack that comes with the car.

    When I tried to get the jack out of it's mounting in the car I found that both the bolt that holds it in place and the jack itself, were so tight that they wouldn't budge. I'm not weak and I couldn't move them. With the help of some tools I was able to get it loose but stripped several threads on the bolt. Fortunately it did not harm the threads on the female (car) bracket. I chased them with a tap but they were ok. The dealer replaced the bolt when I asked so no big deal.

    Just a heads up to check to make sure that the jack is able to be removed by hand, without tools.

    I haven't calculated the fuel mileage lately but according to the readout it seems to be consistent with the first few tanks. I have the details just haven't got around to making the calculations.

    John.

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