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Basic information of my car:

2021 Mazda 3 (Fourth generation) 1.5L Skyactiv G Sedan

Reasons why I bought this car

Although my old car was turning 11 years old last year, it didn't have any problems yet I was worried that a breakdown would happen anytime soon. As the SST exemption was going to end last year, I thought it was time to catch the last boat to get a new car. Although SUVs are popular nowadays, I prefer a sedan because it has a lower center of gravity and it has a larger boot space. I like to travel and I need a bigger boot to fit in my luggage and things that I bring back from a holiday.

Car Selection Process

I had a budget of: RM120-140k

Models that I’ve considered included : Honda Civic, Proton X70, Mazda CX-5

Basically I just need a car to get from point A to point B and any cars would be able to fulfill this need. However, every time I saw a new Mazda 3 passed by me, I couldn't keep my eyes off the car. It was tough to reason with myself why I should buy this car.

Many people tend to say that a Toyota or Honda would have a better resale value but I knew that I would still admire Mazda 3 even if I drive a Honda Civic. How the body panel reflects the light was just brilliant on Mazda 3 as it was crafted by hand.

10 years ago I had a brief encounter with second generation Mazda 3 when I carpooled with my colleagues. It felt like a Korean car as it had lots of gadgets. It came with free service including parts and labor so it was quite attractive. Few years later, Mazda launched the third generation with their 'KODO: Soul of Motion' design and it blew my mind. It looked like a leopard readily jump on a prey and with the soul red color, it had such strong personalities that brought out the thrills of driving this car. Sadly the CKD Mazda 3 didn't have this color and I hesitated for so long until the fourth generation was finally launched in 2019.

Back in 2017 it was just a concept car and many of these concept cars normally don't materialize due to costs or production issues. Yet, Mazda did it and the new Mazda 3 was previewed by the Kai Concept. For Malaysia market, it comes in two styles: sedan and liftback, each paired with 1.5L or 2.0L NA engine.

Now, the question is 1.5L or 2.0L engine? I did lots of research on social media, online forums and YouTube because I was afraid that the 1.5L engine would be under power. In fact, Mazda invited the media to test out the 1.5L Mazda 3 at Sepang circuit to clear the doubts of potential buyers. It was convincing so I decided to test it out myself.

Unfortunately, the sales advisor only allowed me for a short trip around a commercial area. I could only test the torsion beam suspension when crossing a bump - just a thud, that was all. Since the road tax for 2.0L sedan is a huge leap from RM90 for the mere difference of 0.5L, I decided to go for the 1.5L option.

User experience

• I have already done 10200km.
• My average fuel consumption is 0.08L/km

Being the lowest spec car of the three variants, the 1.5L version lacks a lot of features like blind spot monitor, smart brake support, lane departure warning system and so fourth. Yes, it's RM137k yet lots of safety features are absent. Nevertheless, the interior feels premium with soft leather along the door trim and dashboard. Mazda embraces the philosophy of “less is more", so they decluttered the center console and let you focus more on driving.

Most of the functions are available via Mazda Connect and mind you, it's not a touchscreen. Mazda said it's to reduce distraction while driving, so you must use the dial to toggle around the system and Apple Car Play. To my delight, the handbrake lever was replaced by electronic parking brake and it also has the Auto Hold feature, which is useful during stop-and-go traffic jam.

For a car weights around 1400kg, I’m surprised that the 1.5L engine is enough to live up the excitement. Overtaking is straight forward as the engine revs up happily and accelerates instantly. The gearbox is so responsive to any input on the gas pedal and it indeed brings the feel of “Jinba-Ittai” to the driver. The revs bring the exhilaration of “vroom-vroom” and the experience fits perfectly with their “zoom-zoom” tagline. With the punchy stereo system, it was truly a joy ride. Well, it does run out of breath when the speed exceeds 140km/h but I don’t drive at this speed often so it’s tolerable. NVH is excellent as the doors are lined with a stripe of sponge in addition to rubbers.

Yes, I did drive up Genting to test the car. As I’m not a professional driver, I dared not to push it too hard. I did feel that the car didn’t have enough strength to climb the hill especially the steep ones. However, at least I didn’t have to fix at third gear while climbing up. The gearbox calibrated smoothly with the driving condition of the road. Driving down the hill was smooth and with the GVC plus technology, getting in and out a corner was a breeze. When I was looking for the low gear, only I realized that it came with Manual Shift Mode.

Although the Fuel Efficiency Monitor shows around 16km/L for a city drive with no traffic jam, the dashboard returns an average of 12.4km/L on the fuel consumption. At the pump, I calculated manually and it was roughly 15km/L, which translates to 6.7L/100km. It differs from the official figure of 5.8L/100km but for a non-hybrid C-segment car, it's considered cheap to run.

Pros of my car:

• Perfect balance of science and art: it’s exhilarating to drive, yet how the body panels reflect the light changes the hue and the contour of the car is just dazzling.
• Lots of soft touches in the cabin instead of hard plastics. It brings up the feel of a premium interior.
• The cabin is quiet and there are no rattles like some CKD cars.
• The sound system is superb. No distortion even at high volume. Reposition of the speakers does augment how the sound reaches the listeners.
• The gear ratio was seamlessly tuned and it revs up instantly whenever I put down my foot on the accelerator.
• The torsion beam reduces the bouncy feel when it crosses over a bump or thick rumble strips.
• The SkyActiv chassis reduces the hollowness of typical Japanese cars. The structure pins the weight of the car to the wheels, which in turn it adds the grip of the car on the road.

Cons of my car:

• It lacks the low end torque of a turbocharged engine, so the acceleration may not be explosive but rather linear.
• Many would disagree with me to buy this basic car because at this price point, there are plenty of choices. Many features are absent so you can see some empty buttons on the steering and the panel.
• The cabin is small. However I’m not tall, so I can keep some legroom for the rear passengers. The roofline is rather low, my friends knocked their head when they climbed in the car.
• It doesn’t have rear aircond outlets. I felt bad for my rear passengers but they said it was ok for them.
• The daytime running light is the out dated halogen bulb. I couldn’t turn it off as the lowest I can set the knob is until “Auto”. It bounces back to “Auto” after I turn it to “Off”.

Ratings: 

Total Score: 4

Performance: 5

Quality & Features: 5

Space: 3

Ride Comfort: 4

Fuel Economy: 4

Price & Cost: 3

Summary :

With a 1.5L NA engine on a Mazda 3, it's sufficient for daily commutes. It couldn't beat cars with a turbocharged or higher displacement engine in terms of speed but you may show them up in the corners. It has the characteristics of a sports car, yet it looks more elegant than an executive saloon car. Mazda develops their own engines and gearbox just like how Apple protects their own pedigree and yes, they are moving up the premium segment. It's not everyone's car but if your heart calls out loud for it, follow your heart and you won't regret.

Last:

On one chilly morning, I started the car as usual. The aircond was blowing and ewwww…. I was shivering in the cold weather so I quickly turned it off. It started to get stuffy in the car after a while and I was struggling to turn on the aircond or not. Later only I realized it’s a CBU car, the A/C system must be able to blow hot air. Stumblingly I turned the thermostat to warm air and fired up the aircond. Ahhhhhhh…. How silly I was! I never thought that I would need to set the A/C system to warm air for Malaysia weather but on chilly mornings, it is a life-saver.

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