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2 Month/800 Mile review - '14 sGT sedan.

9K views 46 replies 20 participants last post by  swerv0428 
#1 ·
2014 Mazda 3 sGT sedan
2.5/6AT
Purchased 11/3/13
815 miles

Pros:

+Powertrain - the Sky engine and auto are INCREDIBLE, although still some appearance of fuel economy programming.
+ Steering/Handling - blows the 2nd gen out of the water.
+ Arguably the best interior in the class.

Cons:

- 18" wheels - watch the potholes. 19 days to destroy my first Dunlop.
- Horrific mileage on commute more suited towards electric car. 18 MPG average.
- No memory seats - come on Mazda. Steerable headlights, city safety, radar cruise but memory seats are bank busting?
- Infotainment is a piece of buggy garbage.

Mazda has truly outdone themselves with the 3rd gen 3. I absolutely love this car and the pile of crap mounted to the dash is easily overlooked by the drive/handling/steering and the upscale interior of the sGT.

The power from the 2.5/6AT is beyond impressive and incredibly smooth. I can honestly say the Sky auto shifts is exactly how Mazda describes it on their website. Sometimes you can feel the CVT like feel when the torque converter locks up in 2nd and pretty much stays locked, then the high speed upshifts/downshifts that rival and possibly beat some DSG in shift speed. Have done a few sport mode runs to redline and this thing is a runner.

Handling, steering and ride are absolutely top notch. As expected it can get a bit rough on urban city streets with the 18" wheels. This thing feels like a RWD car and has far less body roll than my 2nd gen '10 GT. DSC is just as loose as previous gens when it comes to nanny intervention, you have to pretty much start smoking a tire before it steps in (imagine inside tire on a hard acceleration turn and wet roads). Dunlop SP Sport5000 tires are absolute garbage.

Infotainment is about 30-40% there. Problems, problems, problems with the software. Now my screen is bouncing/fuzzing in cold weather, picture reality horror picture screen fuzzing. BT audio connection is still crap, imagine bad Netflix streaming. The system is crap, Mazda must have paid tons of $$$$ to keep journalist quiet on this POS.

Still incredibly pleased with my '14 sGT. My opinion at the top of the compact heap right now.
 
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#2 ·
I think they disabled most functions or just said the software was still beta when showing the infotainment system to the press... of course they still shipped the beta software with the car when it went into production. This is why we need just a dumb terminal in cars where peoples phones can plug in and all the display is passed through. Cell phone companies do a much better job at these types of things and updates come much quicker.. that said at least Mazda is working on updates, just hope they keep them coming and coming out quick!
 
#4 ·
Wow two months and only 800'ish miles? Do you do a lot of short drives or in traffic? Maybe that's why your mpg is so bad. I've had mine for almost 3 months now and over 3000 miles. 22mpg was the worst I got so far and that was when I was having fun with sport mode a lot.

But yeah, I agree, the auto transmission is one of the best I've driven. The shift feels more like a manual car when driving more aggressively.
 
#5 ·
Interesting to hear. Your commute must be a lot like mine. Couple miles of city streets to work each day. The wheels I guess is all about what you're used to. At a 45 for an 18" the tires are still pretty high profile for an 18. Smaller sportier cars typically use a 40 profile in an 18, 45 in the 17. I guess I'm just used to dodging potholes on lower profile tires.

Thanks for the review.
 
#6 ·
While I agree with much of your review, the Infotainment system for me has not had any hiccups since the upgrade and factory reset. I always do a factory reset after an upgrade. And I have not found the Dunlops to be that bad -- they're certainly not the best and I will not replace them with Dunlops, but if you don't street race the car, they're serviceable and not that noisy unless you overinflate them. Memory seats would be nice and so would a power passenger's seat as well as power side mirrors as they have in the U.K. The leather is stiffer than you find in high end cars, but that's to be expected on a compact.
 
#7 ·
Been torn between the MZ3 and 2014 Kia Forte5 SX, and your review actually has me back to leaning towards the KIA. You see, I could not stand a buggy POS infotainment system, as you describe. It would drive me crazy! I use mine constantly, and nearly exclusively with BT Audio as well. Worse still, Mazda's is not swappable for anything else. I've learned that hoping upon hope for a manufacturer to drastically improve their existing system is a very risky bet.

While not quote as refined a driver as the MZ3, and with worse fuel-economy, the Kia Forte5 SX is nevertheless pretty much universally pronounced "none too shabby" or a rather close runner-up by the auto journalists, and more to the point, Kia's infotainment system is considered one of the BEST in the industry. It seems to be everything Mazda's is not. I know this to be so, because my Veloster's system is very, very similar and it truly is excellent, reliable, easily to use, and non-"nanny".

The Kia Forte5 SX also has [ventilated] memory seats as standard. :-D. While perhaps not as nice as the MZ3's interior (not even sure that's so), it did win "Best Interior" (along with the MZ6) from Wards this year, so again, not a bad place to spend time.


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#8 ·
I think the Forte also has heated steering wheel option too. I had that on my maxima and missed it. Also looks like it'll have a more powerful engine but doubt it'll drive as well as the 3.

Oh yeah, you can add me to the list of people, along with rvoll, that has not had any issues with the infotainment system. At least Mazda is on top of this making updates available so quickly. Mine's been fine before and after the update.
 
#9 ·
In the month I've had mine, the screen has blanked 3 times. Each time it reset when the car was restarted.
 
#10 ·
Glad to hear if it isn't a typical experience. So, not sluggish, not crash-prone, and stable? Good!

Yes, I believe that the MZ3 is the best driver. However, the Forte is probably the smarter buy, in terms of packaging, depending on what you priorities are. I know that the manual on the Forte (just like on my Veloster), is quite excellent - similar to the MZ6 2.5MT I tested in feel.

For $25K: leather, power seats w/memory that are heated/"cooled", heated steering wheel, auto-climate, NAAv/Back-up Camera, power-folding mirrors, HIDs, etc. Not the worst "compromise".

Having said that, it will be a couple of weeks before I, or anyone else, can test-drive one. So, Mazda had better get their 2.5MT models here soon! ;-)

Who knows? I may yet hate how the Forte5 SX drives.


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#11 · (Edited)
just FYI, I traded in a 2012 Kia Rio SX with 99% of the options you mentioned and only 19K Kms with this Mazda 3 Sport GS with convenience and moon roof package. Please follow the link below to make up your own mind

Time to say good bye.... - Kia Forum

There is a day and night difference in the quality of the product as well as performance between KIA & Mazda

Will never ever buy or recommend KIA to anyone::no:
 
#16 ·
It's basically the Veloster Turbo drive train in a slightly bigger car, which can be blamed for the only so-so mileage. It's in a tough spot, mileage wise. Its comps (other than the Veloster Turbo) are the Civic Si, the VW GTI and arguably the 3 S. The Kia's a little under the mileage figures from the other two, but neither one sips gas. The 3S is down slightly on power, but the mileage is going to be better enough to notice.

Also judging just on mileage, something in the 21/29 ball-park is on the verge of the next performance class... The Focus ST gets better mileage and the Mazdaspeed 3 and 2013 WRX slightly worse... but other than running the car on Premium for those 3, they all get "decent" real world mileage for their respective performance.

I dunno, I haven't been happy with the choices Hyundai has made for that segment really. Going with their 1.8l and turbocharging that (more displacement, possibly higher compression but lower boost) would have made a more flexible and economical choice vs. the 1.6l. They may get it dialed in a little better, but that is a trend-- tiny engines with big turbos in classes that used to be dominated with big 4s or medium 4s with moderate turbocharging.

In the Kia's favor though, they try very hard to give the buyer a LOT of standard equipment for the class, and have some options that none of their competitors offer-- rear A/C was one I noted when shopping around. "Some" of the Japanese competition isn't as inclined throw features around to differentiate.
 
#13 ·
In regards to the infotainment issues that some have/some don't, I understand there are software updates that have been fixing the issues along the way, but what happens after the 3year warranty is up? Are you on your own if/when the system crashes? That doesn't seem right. Kind of scary. I have NEVER felt the need to buy an extended warranty and certainly hope this new technology in autos is not going to start causing us to need an extended warranty.
 
#14 ·
Honestly, I'd be more wary of things that are known to require maintenance late in a vehicle's life than infotainment: Turbos, hybrid systems, etc. Anything *can* break, but infotainment and backup cameras are pretty well understood systems and about as reliable tech-wise as a tablet.

The Mazda system is dialed in pretty well except for the Nanny features, I don't want it to try to do too much, since technology will march on.

But in terms of it no longer being able to do what it's supposed to? There are a lot of components I'd be just as concerned about. Certainly I'm *not* willing to give up infotainment and informatics at this point.
 
#18 ·
I don't want to give the wrong impression. I *love* the new 3 (hatch), inside and out, and there's a very good chance I may get it to replace my Veloster. I just get disgusted when I cannot get the features I want, either for a price or in some cases not at all. I am finding that the Forte5 SX seems to come a lot closer to giving me all that I want, with fewer compromises.

I'm trying hard to think with my head, and not my heart. I want to have zero regrets here [cough! *Nissan Juke*... cough!] this time.

I still like my Veloster a lot. I like it a lot more than most people can believe. Great seats, great manual transmission, great fuel-economy, great ergonomics, very reliable, great build quality, etc...

I want all that I have now, but with additional features that I currently lack.

This is turning out not to be the "no-brainer" that I expected it would be.




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#19 ·
I don't want to give the wrong impression. I *love* the new 3 (hatch), inside and out, and there's a very good chance I may get it to replace my Veloster. I just get disgusted when I cannot get the features I want, either for a price or in some cases not at all. I am finding that the Forte5 SX seems to come a lot closer to giving me all that I want, with fewer compromises.

I'm trying hard to think with my head, and not my heart. I want to have zero regrets here [cough! *Nissan Juke*... cough!] this time.

I still like my Veloster a lot. I like it a lot more than most people can believe. Great seats, great manual transmission, great fuel-economy, great ergonomics, very reliable, great build quality, etc...

I want all that I have now, but with additional features that I currently lack.

This is turning out not to be the "no-brainer" that I expected it would be.

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I know what you mean. It seems like a constant frustration with looking at cars for me as well, the fact that options are not a la carte but rather sold in bundles.

I don't particularly care about performance, so I don't care about the 2.5 engine. Nor do I care about a moonroof. In fact, I'd prefer to not have one, for the extra head room. I love leather seats, though, and pretty much all electronic goodies. So I have to give on something, or pay for things I don't want. Annoying, absolutely, no matter how much I love the car.

Such is the way of car buying, though. Keeping options bundled together has to keep production costs lower, maybe make things a bit more simple for people, and sure, pad profits a bit with people paying for options they don't want but are forced to take in pricier packages. For all of the options offered, there really is remarkably little choice in the end, though.
 
#20 ·
I'm confused. People in this thread are talking about Hyundai and Kia like they're the same thing, or "almost" the same thing. Aren't they two different companies? Wouldn't that be like saying, "my Mitsubishi Lancer is really good, so this Mazda will be just as good?"

Anyway, I totally agree about the seat memory. I have really long legs and sit pretty far back. Every time I take it to get something done, the seat is in the steering wheel, and I have to move it back. Other than that, I loooooooove this car! I've put almost 2000 miles on it and it's a lot of fun.
 
#21 ·
I'm confused. People in this thread are talking about Hyundai and Kia like they're the same thing, or "almost" the same thing. Aren't they two different companies? Wouldn't that be like saying, "my Mitsubishi Lancer is really good, so this Mazda will be just as good?"
Hyundai owns about 1/3 of Kia after they originally purchased 51% -- or a controlling interest -- in Kia. Many of Kia's cars are produced on Hyundai's lines and many of the parts are interchangeable. Kia's quality has improved since the takeover and in some lines they offer more features. I think that eventually, Hyundai will be like "Buick" and Kia will be like "Chevrolet". We own a 2013 Hyundai, and the build quality is quite good -- the ride is slightly better than the Mazda 3 -- and it is slightly quieter. That said, it doesn't handle nearly as well, doesn't get as good mileage, is less comfortable to sit in, and doesn't have the power. But it does cost significantly less.
 
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#25 ·
Very good explanations of Hyundai/Kia Rvoll & Ovrsteer!

One reason why the Forte5 SX intrigues me, is because I believe it's essentially a re-skinned 2014 Kia Pro_Cee'd GT, save for the multi-link rear suspension (shame on Kia America!). Unlike most other car brands, excluding BMW-MINI perhaps, this car is not stripped of very many creature comforts vis-à-vis its European equivalent, and that's always appreciated. Correct me if I'm wrong.


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#26 ·
I was also interested in the Forte 5. However, the build quality is still not up to par, and from what I read in the reviews, steering is mushy. The interior looks nowhere as good as the MZ3. And the technology is rather old like the Hyundai which means more weight and lower mpg. It sure looks a lot better than it's sister the Hyundai Elantra GT and is slightly less expensive than the Mazda. It does have heated and cooled front seats and heated rear seats and 10 way power seats, but that is no big deal. In a few years, when they take their next step up in technology, it will be a real contender.
 
#27 ·
I think your review was spot on. But I do like the screen location. The tires for me are noisey and not very good in the rain. My MPG is up to 32.8 with the 2.5. I hope this gets much better. I get rental cars on long trips and always exceed EPA gas miliage in every car i rent even in a Hyudai. If this car continues to suck gas i do see a class action lawsuit starting soon.
 
#29 ·
Complaining about gas mileage but you bought the 2.5? lol

It is rated 32-33 combined gas mileage so it sounds like it is exactly right. If you're saying you only get 32.8 mpg on the highway, slow down to 65 and see what you get.

I haven't heard anyone else complain about this (and certainly my skyactiv 2.0 2nd gen gets what it is rated), so you might be looking at a one man class action lawsuit haha.
 
#35 ·
We get the same mileage with our Accent... almost exactly...
 
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#33 ·
I just used hyundai for a comparison. I got the EPA milage on a long HWY trip in the summer"Hyundai rental car". Hyundai was one of the cars lowering there EPA estimates after complaint were made.

I'm surpised that my extreme frugal driving style has not yielded me better gas miliage in my Mazda.
 
#36 ·
I'm not sure any of us get much better. That said, I drive the Mazda a bit more aggressively than the Hyundai, but not that much. My Hyundai took about 500 miles before the mileage finally inched up to the current level. It started 2-3 mpg lower.
 
#39 ·
The difference a driver makes.

Trip to Orlando Florida from Louisville Ky. first tank of gas I got 41 MPG in a Hyundai sedan this one had an EPA of 40 at the time. Same trip tank 2 my sister drove 35 MPG. On the return trip I drove first and got 41 MPG again my sister got 35 MPG on the 2ND tank of gas. The car was loaded with 3 people and luggage on both directions.

When I say I got 32.8 that's Ducked up becouse I typical do much better than average.
I will wait and hope warm weather will make some big differences. I never broke in a new motor in the winter, maybe it creates problems don't know.
 
#41 ·
No kidding. I borrowed my brothers Tib V6, drove 300 mile round trip and got 34 or 36mpg I forget, but when he drove it about the same miles he was getting 26 tops.

I have always got better MPG than EPA states, I constantly get 5-6 mpg more than EPA on my 96 protégé and its almost got 300kkk miles :D

That is interesting. I have never broke in a new motor in the winter either (well, I have never broken in a new motor period) any one here seasoned enough to notice any long term differences between summer/winter break in's?
 
#44 ·
The day after I purchased my car we had an ICE storm and then it's been cold every day I drove it. I'm thinking the computer has yet to have time to learn. The car had 2 miles on the OD when i purchased it and may have only had one day above 40 outside. My commute this week is mixed CITY/HWY so I can not compare that to my long road trips during Christmas.

From what i understand, A new car needs data from high and low temps and high and low elevations to complete there tune.
 
#45 ·
Holy crap this thread just ditched itself in a few days.. :)

Ok my crap mileage is a full result of my commute. 2.7 miles to work with about 17 stoplights (~25% red) and 3.0 miles from with about 13 stoplights (~25% red). I never went above 18 in my '10 3 GT/6MT or the rental '12 Elantra 1.8/6AT that I had for a week while my '10 was in the body shop.

I have seen some spectacular freeway driving MPG with my '14, I imagine 36 MPG would be achievable at a steady 75 MPH over light terrain. 184HP/185 lb/ft ready to go under my right foot with arguably one of the best auto transmissions in the class.

I am starting to think my infotainment is just defective. After V25 the complaints here seemed less frequent while mine have gotten worse.

Its a lease that will be under warranty the entire time I hold the keys, not too entirely worried about it. I bought this car because it is one of the best compact drivers car in the class, for me the infotainment is a small slice of the pie. :thumbup 1:
 
#46 ·
I have had mine for about 3000 km (1800 miles) now. My experience has been good so far, I also have had some hiccups in the infotainment system (I am going in for the update tomorrow) but just some small things, ie. delayed screen turning on, delayed infotainment turning on, heads up display not flipping up/ flipping up part way (fixed on restart), forgot my favourites, just little things like that.

My gas millage though has been much better, in the 2 months I have owned the car there has been many very cold days, -25*c (-13*f) and below so there have been quite a few days where I have left the car to warm up for a while before driving and I have averaged 7.95 l/100km (29.6 MPG) and that is still with the factory break in oil in the car.

Only other small dislike that I have found is that coming from a RWD car the backend of the MZ3 feels quite "loose" to me, but that should be able to be tightened up with a RSB.

Overall I am very happy with the car!
 
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