Car Tech - 2014 Mazda3

The first rule of producing small affordable cars is don't make them look like small affordable cars. Does the new Mazda3 succeed?

[yoitsrami]

I have this car and I completely love it! Everything about it is amazing, the look, the interior and especially the mpg. I highly recommend this car!

[toonieb]

I really respect this guy -- he gives awesome reviews and I respect his honesty.  

[StarHammersmith]

I got a 2015 S GT Hatchback with the new 6-speed manual. I wouldn't call it a sports sedan, but I do find myself regularly surprised at the surge of acceleration you can get with a fast clutch and liberal application of throttle. Fuel economy i'm getting on average has been consistently better than EPA estimates. 30 mpg average with a lead foot, 32-33 average if you're more gentle.

It's also a lot smoother over bumps and around corners than I expected given what some reviews have said about suspension. The Leather is very high quality with good perforations, and the cabin feels spacious in both the front AND the back. Not to mention the exterior is sexy as hell. Great lines, and good use of LED accents without being overstated.

Cons? It's loud in there. Quite loud. CDs, Pandora, and MP3's have to be cranked pretty high to be audible, although radio comes through consistently louder. If you're driving over a rough surface, though, it's positively cacophonous in there. Still, for the price-point, I'm not sure there's a better, more well-balanced car for performance, functionality, styling, build quality and refinement.

[JustRicky]

If you didn't know Cooley you would think he gave Mazda3 a bad review....

[milopichu]

The fact that he's comparing the navigation and the infotainment to the BMW Audi or Mercedes is in itself impressive. Like cmon shouldnt you be comparing the lack of an internet-based navigation to the ones on Toyota Honda or Nissan?

[mrblackbond]

I own this car. Bought it new 3 months ago. It's my third Mazda 3 (I've owned two generation Speed3's before this). I dig the car a lot but I have some gripes (mostly with the tech). Regarding what Brian said in his review about the head up display (Active Display) screen -- I recently had a problem w/ the visibility until I took it to the dealership and they basically disconnected the battery and plugged it back up...the system automatically re-calibrated and now visibility is perfect and right down my line of sight.

Top Three Things I Love:
1) Design (both interior and exterior are in a WHOLE other class compared to what Mazda is traditionally known for). The fit and finish is perfect. No rattle, vibrations, harshness...I've gotten compliments on the exterior design as well (I chose the Soul Red color - same as the one in this video)
2) MPG. Though, Mazda claims you'll get nearly 31 combined AVG MPG...I drive 18 miles to work and that includes both hwy and city travel...I never seem to get anywhere CLOSE to 31 MPG..I think on average I've seen consistent numbers closer to 23-25 MPG which is WAY more desirable than my previous Speed3 that I was getting 19 in the city. I still love how it only cost me $17-19 to fill my tank up. The fuel efficiency is great for sure.
3) Never judge numbers on paper: Coming from a very turned Speed3 with over 300 WHP, This car can still move (In Sport Mode). I bought the auto and with Sport Mode, it definitely behaves almost like a V6 (and mostly due to the low weight). I used to think something around 185HP/185TQ would not be fun to drive. I was wrong. Bravo Mazda.

Things I hate:

1) No light in the glovebox (no way of knowing what you're reaching for at night). Also no lock on the glovebox AND you can't even put an 8.5x11" paper in there without folding it into oragami. Seriously, the storage compartments are terrible in this generation. No cubby holes in the doors either.
2) The handsfree bluetooth is absolutely terrible and inconsistent in this year model compared to the outgoing 2010-2013 3's. My last speed3 had impeccable constant connection to my iPhone
3) The infotainment is cool, but needs work. It's slow on 'start-up' (especially when paired with a phone), and also the "apps" ... it's a joke. There are no apps you can download for the car and the ones that come integrated are useless. You get a traffic alert, but it's not integrated w/ nav like Brian said.

Overall awesome car. I love mine. Only 8500 miles so far (yes I drive a lot).

[AndrewSmithWeddings]

I just got a manual/2.5L Mazda3 S Grand Touring 4-Door yesterday and absolutely love it!! You definitely feel like you're in and driving a premium car for a great price. Mine is fully loaded though without the i-ELOOP and safety package and came in at around $25K!

[ManWithHats]

To me it's the best looking and best feeling car in its segment. Interior looks very refined and so does the exterior.

[TheAdventureAuto]

I bought my 2.5 in july of 2014 and absolutely love it. I agree with Brian in the fact that it feels underpowered when just cruising in non-sport mode, but it still accelerates smoothly. When I want more power i put it in sport mode and the torque is immediately there when i want it. It feels more like a turbo car with the low end torque. This is honestly the way it should be if you care at all about MPGs, which I do. Such a great car...not one squeak or rattle after 19, 000 miles. tons of power and averaging 35.5mpgs.

[JericTamayo]

For the ADD feature (the part that pops up showing that reflection of info in front of his view), he can adjust it with the settings. And also because it doesn't feel as powerful as it says on paper, is because Mazda3 is standardized to be fuel economic. So if he wanted to have more torque; more power, he just has to press the "sport" button close to the shifter to show him what the difference is between the 2.0L vs. the 2.5L.

[azizbassman]

Hay Cooley your back PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE don't stop doing the car tech stuff you are and always will be the BEST at it what ever your paid you deserve more every video you do is so watchable love the hummer TOP class as usual ...

[theNick]

Isn't that screen also a touchscreen? Cooley mentions it nowhere in the video.

[sreelist]

The mazda connect is build on HTML5 and JavaScript. the system is essentially a modified browser running on linux. This makes it easy to implement new features and user interactions. Also easy to fix any issues and release upgrades.

The entire IT industry moved to web but the car manufactures are still stuck with propitiatory systems.

[noeapantoja]

AHH YEESS!! FELLOW BROTHERS REJOICE! COOLEY IS BACK! FEEL THE LOVE! 

[Vaioleto]

The complaint Brian had regarding the car hunting unbearably higher gears I've found can be easily remedied by going into the sport mode. Press the sport mode and I find this is one of the few cars on the market where the "sport" mode actually does something. Instantly the car holds higher gears and the throttle response ad torque delivery becomes instantaneous, that button turns it into a sporty car!

[gucciaddict]

The reviewer does an amazing job at covering all aspects of the car in such a short time. WOW! I would love to know what is his top pic of a car. I'm gonna have to go through all these vids. You just got a new subscriber.

[toocool]

So glad cooley is back. he's the man

[PantherP]

I just bought a 2014 3 i Sport with a stick, and love it!  Best car I can find for under $19k.

[yoitsrami]

As far as the volume knob goes, it is not hard to operate at all. In fact the entire car is very user friendly

[mrsanchezmath]

Any particular reason Brian is shown with a left-side steering wheel when going over the car but shown driving on the right side of the vehicle?