From a GTD to a CX-3

New to the CX3 Forums? Introduce yourself here
User avatar
AndyRen
Posts: 660
Joined: Fri Mar 16, 2018 12:28 pm
Location: Down a bit, down a bit more, right a bit, down a bit.... Right there - Kent

Post by AndyRen »

Hi people, have been a stalker here for a few weeks gleaning information and knowledge of the CX-3 and once I decided I knew enough and had a rough idea of the pitfalls of buying/owning a CX-3. ie. Hard ride, noise at speed, rear leg room and condenser failures etc, I (we - as wifey has to have a major input and rightly so of course!) test drove a 16 plate Soul Red Sport Nav at our local Mazda dealer today and put a deposit on it there and then 8-)
As for the hard ride, well, having got used to the (10 plate) Golf GTD for the past seven years it is no worse - in fact on the test drive I feel it is rather more forgiving, time will tell.
Noise at speed - yes there is some but nowhere near what I was expecting having read reports here and elsewhere on-line, more wind noise than tyre I think? My GTD suffered from rear tyre wear that showed itself as a sawtooth pattern on tread edges and they howled like banshee's on certain surfaces - all due to incorrect geometry setup from the factory I have been lead to believe(!).... Also the VW supplied tyres (Bridgestone Potenzas) were dreadfully noisy anyway and I was more than glad to change them to something a tad softer/quieter.
Rear leg room - More than I had anticipated, but I rarely sit in the back whilst driving so no worries there.
I mentioned the condenser failures to the sales rep who insures me it's all been sorted now and any problems get back to them (they're bound to say that though eh?).

Reasons I chose the CX-3.... Hmmm.....
The Golf I feel will soon be costing more and more to keep running - I don't feel that one can run a diesel into the ground anymore like 'back in the day' due to all the tec' needed to keep emissions down (and *that's* another story! GRrrr!) at some point an EGR/DPF or some other three figure sum b*st*rd will fail causing me to dig deep into my very shallow barbed wire lined pockets.
My wife is finding it more and more awkward/difficult getting in and out of the Golf due to the 'Recaros', much easier in the CX-3.
All the reviews, everywhere I look rates the Mazda very highly for a small SUV... Even Top Gear *gasp*!
Finally...... The emissions scandal...... I can't say how my like, nay, love for VW over the years has been totally smashed - and if anyone thinks that the EA189 'fix' does anything good for the vehicles VW (and The AA!) apply to them, then think again, the fix is **JUST** to get the vehicle through the laboratory test without using the 'cheat' software - It has no good impact to day to day driving, in fact I know it destroys EGR's, forces DPF regens every 100-200 miles, causes all sorts of fuel induction problems/failures and VW refuse to accept the 'fix' is to blame!
I was a Facebook member (and still am) of 'The Volkswagen Diesel Customer Forum (Emissions Scandal)' I joined in Dec 2016 with 64 members, there's now over 7000 with most of them having suffered failures and or limp modes etc. Disgusting.................

Oh wow..... I didn't mean my introduction to turn into a VW flame, Ooops sorry guys :oops:

But if anyone here has an affected VW/Audi/Seat/Skoda and is banging their head against the wall I can perhaps help you along your way??

Andy.


Soul Red 16 plate Sport Nav (yet to pick up)
16 plate 2L Petrol, 120bhp Soul Red Sport Nav...

zoylander
Posts: 236
Joined: Wed Jun 28, 2017 2:10 pm
Location: Somerset

Post by zoylander »

As the member who has been most critical of the CX-3's ride, I agree that the tyres (Bridgestone Turanzas supplied on mine) must be at least partly to blame. I suspect that car manufacturers are more concerned about doing a good deal with tyre manufacturers than selecting the most suitable tyres for their cars.

I have read many positive reviews of Michelin Cross Climate tyres, which are said to increase comfort and reduce noise, so I will be giving them a try when the time comes. They are not cheap, but I cannot put a price on my back and my hearing, both of which have suffered.

The earliest CX-3's are now approaching three years old, and some may no longer be on their original tyres. It would be very helpful to hear owners experiences of different tyres as and when they change them.
CX-3 SE 2.0L 2WD Auto. 43.5mpg.
Greenman

Post by Greenman »

acknowledging that tolerance for noise levels is subjective, I’m happy with the Tokyo Proxies my CX3 came with.

Being a Sport Nav, mine are the larger size.
st3v3cx-3
Posts: 708
Joined: Tue May 03, 2016 7:56 pm
Location: South East UK

Post by st3v3cx-3 »

AndyRen,

Congratulations on your impending move to Mazda from the "dark-side" (of VW). The DPF requirements now on diesel engined cars was enough to stop me going for a diesel engine from any manufacturer when I was considering my purchase 2 years ago now. Unfortunately, there is talk of DPF being required on petrol engines at some stage in the near future so there may not be any way of avoiding them soon unless one goes electric :(

Be prepared for potential air-con replacement items being required - whilst the sales rep might be correct to say it's been fixed now, that is only on cars made from around Sep 2016 onwards I think. Any prior to that could still require a condenser / evaporator / control unit replacement. Mine has had a replacement condenser last year and it looks like it will now need a replacement control unit :( Will find out when I take it in to the dealer on Monday.
Sport Nav Petrol Automatic FWD Arctic White plus options April 2016
User avatar
AndyRen
Posts: 660
Joined: Fri Mar 16, 2018 12:28 pm
Location: Down a bit, down a bit more, right a bit, down a bit.... Right there - Kent

Post by AndyRen »

Hi Skylander, I'm sorry to hear you have had health issues made worse (or caused) by driving your car - must be upsetting every time you have to use it?! I understand the 2018 'uplift' model has gone someway to increasing noise reduction and the electric driver's seat has lumber support - not much good for older model owners though!
I can only comment and compare with what I've had myself in the past, so my 'mileage may be different'
I agree with what you say regarding car manufactures getting a good deal with tyre makers - especially the Potenzas as they never seem to wear out! I would also like to hear from members views on tyre replacement - I think there's a choice of about 4 for the 18"??
Thanks for replying to my first post.
16 plate 2L Petrol, 120bhp Soul Red Sport Nav...
st3v3cx-3
Posts: 708
Joined: Tue May 03, 2016 7:56 pm
Location: South East UK

Post by st3v3cx-3 »

Greenman wrote: Fri Mar 16, 2018 5:54 pm acknowledging that tolerance for noise levels is subjective, I’m happy with the Tokyo Proxies my CX3 came with.

Being a Sport Nav, mine are the larger size.
In my eyes, the problem in choosing to go with alternative tyres is knowing they will definitely make a difference to the noise or handling in varying dry and wet road conditions etc. It is a bit late after spending £400 or so on a new set of tyres to find out they are actually worse! Ideally need some independant tyre test using the same model car fitted with a range of various tyres to get an accurate assessment - something which never happens with a small volume car like the Mazda CX-3 :(
Sport Nav Petrol Automatic FWD Arctic White plus options April 2016
User avatar
AndyRen
Posts: 660
Joined: Fri Mar 16, 2018 12:28 pm
Location: Down a bit, down a bit more, right a bit, down a bit.... Right there - Kent

Post by AndyRen »

Greenman - I had Toyo Proxies T1-R's on a Bora PD150 I once had, very grippy although quite soft so wore sooner than expected, I liked them though, even down to their 'aggressive' look when viewed on full lock.

St3v3cx-3 - fully understand the Aircon probs I may encounter as I think my cx-3 was first registered in May of 2016 and have yet to check any service records for it. Fingers crossed for your Monday dealer visit.

When I recently replaced my Golf's tyres at National Tyre Services - choosing on-line at their website all tyres had their dB levels quoted so one can make an informed decision.... I think other on-line tyre dealers also state noise levels - some with customer reviews.
16 plate 2L Petrol, 120bhp Soul Red Sport Nav...
User avatar
jtonline
Posts: 1473
Joined: Sun Nov 22, 2015 4:26 pm
Location: Herefordshire, U.K.
Contact:

Post by jtonline »

Welcome to the forums, Andy.
Julian.
Sept. 2015 CX-3 Sport Nav, Dynamic Blue Mica, 1.5 Diesel, AWD, Automatic
http://www.jtonline.info
Please add year of registration, model info., and location to your CX-3 Forums profile ~ See here for help: http://bit.ly/2fQzMfd
User avatar
AndyRen
Posts: 660
Joined: Fri Mar 16, 2018 12:28 pm
Location: Down a bit, down a bit more, right a bit, down a bit.... Right there - Kent

Post by AndyRen »

jtonline wrote: Sat Mar 17, 2018 12:19 am Welcome to the forums, Andy.
Thanks jtonline :)

Have downloaded a pdf owners handbook and blown away with the amount of options in there! I have no idea as to what my new acquisition has on-board and am expecting a very steep learning curve :?: :o :?:
16 plate 2L Petrol, 120bhp Soul Red Sport Nav...
st3v3cx-3
Posts: 708
Joined: Tue May 03, 2016 7:56 pm
Location: South East UK

Post by st3v3cx-3 »

AndyRen wrote: Sat Mar 17, 2018 9:33 pm
jtonline wrote: Sat Mar 17, 2018 12:19 am Welcome to the forums, Andy.
Thanks jtonline :)

Have downloaded a pdf owners handbook and blown away with the amount of options in there! I have no idea as to what my new acquisition has on-board and am expecting a very steep learning curve :?: :o :?:
Bear in mind a number of the options have a * mark against them, with narrative at the bottom of the page saying "* Some models" but really would be more relevant if it said "* Some countries" !
Sport Nav Petrol Automatic FWD Arctic White plus options April 2016
Post Reply