Mazda 3 Sport Skyactiv

[Espot]

Anyone driving the 2012 Mazda 3 Sport Skyactiv? Any problems or complaints so far? I'm a bit hesitant with the first gen Skyactiv vehicles. I'm not sure if they worked out all the bugs and kinks yet.

I'm not a fan of the smiley face front but for the price, practicality and fuel economy its pretty hard to beat. Mazda also has 0% financing for 60 months as well.

I've heard good things about Westcoast Mazda but are there other dealerships and sales rep you can recommend?

Thanks in advance!

[donjalapeno]

only downside is that it looks like ass...front and rear and interior but if you like it then thats your choice. Good car mechanically though.

[m3thods]

Originally Posted by Espot

Anyone driving the 2012 Mazda 3 Sport Skyactiv? Any problems or complaints so far? I'm a bit hesitant with the first gen Skyactiv vehicles. I'm not sure if they worked out all the bugs and kinks yet.

I'm not a fan of the smiley face front but for the price, practicality and fuel economy its pretty hard to beat. Mazda also has 0% financing for 60 months as well.

I've heard good things about Westcoast Mazda but are there other dealerships and sales rep you can recommend?

Thanks in advance!

I am (since March 2012).

Like wolf said, it's very good mechanically. Not as noisy as previous Mazdas inside while driving. I'm getting about 8L/100km mostly in the city (~600km per 55L tank). This might be a small thing, but all the lights are easy to replace. Coming from a 94 Sentra, it took a few tools to get to things like headlamps and taillights. In my mazda everything is accessible (pretty much) without tools. The only exception are the front amber turn signals, which look like they need a bumper removal.

Drive wise it was the best econocar I test drove (also drove civic, focus, corolla, elantra when shopping). tight handling, but not too quick off the line (as I expect from this segment). When driving the manual the clutch felt really light (almost too light to be honest), but I guess for city driving it's not as much of a chore to depress. The auto (which I bought) is probably the best autobox I've driven (again, coming from a history of econocars).


Things I don't like? The rear cargo space, for one. It looks like it should hold more from looking outside, but the rear space above the wheels (fenders?) is storage now. The interior is a bit drab, but does it's job effectively. The rear leg room is really bad (I feel bad for people behind me). Even the front passenger leg room is short- my 5'4 gf has to have the chair almost all the way back to stretch her legs.

Aside from all that, I drive alone >75% of the time, so most of that stuff doesn't affect me. Overall I'm still really impressed with the car, especially the fuel economy.

As for dealers, I dealt with Signature (richmond auto mall) since my family Mazda is from there, and as a returning customer I got the best deal. I also shopped at Destination (on boundary, SO BAD), and dealt with Morrey (North Van) who were awesome. Perusing the mz3 forums locally, it looks like the one to beat for new customers is Wolfe (in Langley). If you have no prior history with any Mazda dealers, just shop around, get your quotes, then choose the best deal you get.

If you haven't already, just test drive it. If you like the drive, then you don't have much to worry about regarding the car.

[mos_skeeto]

Girlfriend just got one. Drove it a few times. Nothing bad to say about it. Fun to drive, good on gas and pretty good on features. Highly recommend Metrotown Mazda. Super friendly staff compared to our experience at Richmond Mazda. They were quite happy to discount when asked. When driving I noticed a bit of pedal dead-zone which likes to keep you at cruising speed unless you press down more. Not sure if it's my imagination or it's a thing to save gas. The skyactive engines have high compression so I'm not sure what that does to long term reliability. The dealer mentioned that it was important to bring it in for service under the recommended service interval because it burns oil faster. Oh and oil changes cost a bit more because it uses more expensive oil. I think a new model is out in a year or two.

[k3mps]

My gf's 5'7 and she fits comfortably in the passenger seat. My 5'9 friend wasn't too happy about sitting behind her but he felt fine after a 30min drive.
Gas is great, I get 550km on 42L in 50/50 driving and sometimes even 575 if I drive more eco friendly. My current tank is at 450km and I'm at 1/4. This tank was 75% city though.
On a Seattle trip, I avged 6.2L/100km with a/c on and doing 120-130.
As for the pedal, The transmission is eco-friendly so it tries to keep the rpm's low. It likes to be in a high gear, so you have to step on it sometimes to get it to downshift.
The skyactiv uses 0W20. The dealers have factory oil for under $6 a L. If you tell them you can get Mobil1 synthetic for $25 down in the states, they might price match. Destination was going to PM for me but I already had 10L of it.
Try and pick up an oil filter + gasket early if you're going to do your own oil changes. When I got mine, the parts guy told me the filters got backordered

[S13SRiding]

Went to westcoast mazda with the intentions of getting one of these skyactives.. an 08 speed3 caught my eye, test drove it... now in my driveway haha. Impulses.. but ya i havent heard anything negative about them mechanically, and Mazda has a decent warranty program anyways.
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[Espot]

Car Cost Canada Report on the Mazda 3 for those who are interested.

2012 Mazda Mazda3 4dr HB Sport Man GS-SKY

Manufacturers Code: D5SK62
4-door Compact Passenger Car

Manufacture warranty
Basic: 3 Years/80,000 km Drivetrain: 5 Years/100,000 km Corrosion: 5 Years/Unlimited km Roadside Assistance: 3 Years/80,000 km

Fuel economy
EnerGuide Estimate - City (L/100 km): 7.7
EnerGuide Estimate - Hwy (L/100 km): 5.0

Retail Price * Wholesale Price**
Base $20,345.00 $19,081.00
Freight $1,695.00 $1,695.00
Optional equipment selected
- FEDERAL AIR CONDITIONING EXCISE TAX (-EXTAX) $100.00 $100.00
- GS-L PKG W/MOONROOF -inc: fog lights, leather seat trim, 8-way pwr driver seat, leather-like console lid, vinyl side door trim, pwr tilt/sliding moonroof (AC00) $2,195.00 $2,059.00
Totals including all items above $24,335.00 $22,935.00

*Retail Price - Also referred to as the M.S.R.P. or Manufacturer Suggested Retail Price or Retail Factory Price. The price the dealer wants you to pay.

** Wholesale Price - Also referred to as the Dealer Invoice Price, Dealer Factory Price or Dealer Cost. The price the dealer pays for the car, before adjusting for any applicable Factory Incentives. To start your negotiations, take this number, add a fair dealer markup/profit (3%-6% on most cars) and deduct any applicable factory incentive below.
Current Factory Incentive Programs.
Incentive Type Value Term Expiry
Cash Incentives
Mazda Mobility Program/Factory to Customer Rebate - Please see General Comments $750.00 August 31, 2012
Grad Award/Factory to Consumer Rebate - Please see General Comments $400.00 August 31, 2012
Security Deposit Waiver - Please see General Comments $0.00 August 31, 2012
Finance Program
Scotiabank APR Retail Finance 0.00% 24 August 31, 2012
Scotiabank APR Retail Finance 0.00% 36 August 31, 2012
Scotiabank APR Retail Finance 0.00% 48 August 31, 2012
Scotiabank APR Retail Finance 0.00% 60 August 31, 2012
Scotiabank APR Retail Finance - 60 months term/84 months amortization - excluding Quebec 2.99% 60/84 August 31, 2012
Scotiabank APR Retail Finance 0.99% 72 August 31, 2012
Scotiabank APR Retail Finance 2.99% 84 August 31, 2012
Lease Program
Lease Rate 1.99% 36 August 31, 2012
Lease Rate 2.99% 48 August 31, 2012
General Comments and Additional Factory Incentive Program Details
There is NO SECURITY DEPOSIT required on any subvented Mazda lease.
THE OWNER RENEWAL DISCOUNT of 1.0% APR Finance Rate is available to all customers who previously financed a 2000 model year or newer Mazda vehicle. Please consult your dealer for further details.
THE GRAD AWARD/FACTORY TO CONSUMER REBATE can be combined with any other available factory incentive. Please check with the dealer regarding eligibility and further details. This program is to be applied to the after tax amount.
The OWNER RENEWAL DISCOUNT of 1.0% Lease Rate is available to all customers who previously leased a 2000 model year or newer Mazda vehicle. Please consult your dealer for further details.
The MAZDA MOBILITY PROGRAM/FACTORY TO CUSTOMER REBATE applies to deliveries between August 1,

[hungryRR]

My gf just picked up a 2012 Mazda3 Sport Skyactive aswell.
Her first gas tank lasted her 465 km mostly city driven.

When I drove it I too noticed a dead pedal zone as someone had mentioned earlier.

We went to several dealerships Richmond Mazda, Destination (Boundary), Morrey, and in the end, we ended up buying it from Westcoast Mazda.

It beats my gas mileage by far. I get 350km on my tank but its 90% city driven (04 Mazda3 GT)

PM me if you'd like more info.

[thumper]

my dad is considering a CX5 and is wondering about the direct injection setup with the skyactiv engines. does anyone know if it has carbon deposit issues? i'm very gunshy of DI tech because of my bad experience with my old GTi which had a DI FSI engine that plugged up all the valves (among other things)... i don't want to have to resort to some sort of catch can setup that i have to keep dumping out.

[m3thods]

It's pretty hard to say considering the model is 2 model-years in. I haven't read anything suggesting there are currently problems with carbon deposits, but likely that's a question worth asking a few years from now.

[Timpo]

carbon deposit? just use Seafoam.

[Timpo]

oh, and I think Skyactiv is great if you're looking for great gas mileage.

Also they have high-revving diesel too...although i don't know if they're available in canada

[thumper]

Originally Posted by Timpo

carbon deposit? just use Seafoam.

only if you like fogging the neighborhood in white smoke. and yes i've tried it and no it did not work. you have to pull everything apart and use a screwdriver or chisel to get it off. the dealer charged over $800+ out of warranty to clean it up.

i'm not saying all direct injection engines have this issue. the cadillac CTS for example dosen't have any problems at all. has something to do with the ignition timing where the valves are just open enough as the spark plug ignites it will burn away anything trapped on the valves.