Anyone have a Mazda 3 5-door?

Triathlon Forum
1

I’ll be letting VW buy back my cheating Sportwagen TDI, and am looking for something to replace it. It’s really been close to the perfect bike-racing car, except for that little emissions issue. I can get 2 bikes and 8 wheels in back, with room for other stuff

I drove a Mazda 3 5-door, and like it, but it’s smaller in back. I plan to go to the dealer with bike gear and try to load it up. But am wondering first if anyone has some direct experience with it. Requirement would be to get 2 bikes – wheels off is OK – and spare wheels in back.

Another Sportwagen (gasoline) is also an option. Don’t want an SUV. And really want to keep driving a manual transmission.

2

That used to be the old Jelly Belly team car. It was fun, it worked but I would rather have a sportswagon or possibly the Subaru Crosstrek.

3

my wife loves her 3s, and is on her 3rd after the dealer keeps buying the old ones(low mileage) and selling her a new one.
i also have a 2011 tdi JSW and after racking up 105k on mine am torn between taking the buyback or just keeping it.
the 2015 3s we have gets 30-31mpg mixed, but the ride and seats are not as good as the 2012 we had previously.
i think the higher spec models have better suspension and interior. it looks like it’s possible to get close to 40mpg, but the ride is still too squishy for me.

with the back seats down, i can fit my p2sl with wheels on in the back no problem, same as the JSW.

my current plan is to let my son drive the JSW to college, while i drive possibly a ct200h or other hybrid.

4

That used to be the old Jelly Belly team car. It was fun, it worked but I would rather have a sportswagon or possibly the Subaru Crosstrek.

Subaru crosstrek looks perfect. I will be looking at one sooner than later.

5

I have a Mazda5 if I didn’t have kids the middle row folds flat and would be perfect for fork down bike transport. It does come in a standard transmission. They are somewhat common in Canada but from what I can see uncommon in the US. So much that Mazda is not bringing them into North America for 2017.

6

Might be too SUV-ish, but I recently got a Honda HR-V and I love it. Not as big as an SUV, but tons of space. I was able to fit my bike (wheels on), golf clubs, trainer and lots of bags comfortably in the back with plenty of space to see in my review mirror.

7

thanks. Will probably try a Subaru also.

8

I’d keep the TDI if they offered more than they are to keep. Hard to turn down the buyback offer. I drove the 2017 Mazda 3, and it didn’t feel squishy to me (coming from a 20 yr VW owner).

9

hmm … interesting. I just looked on their site, and it doesn’t seem that manual is an option on the CX-5 for 2017. Wonder how many hoops to jump through to buy one in Canada.

10

I’ll be letting VW buy back my cheating Sportwagen TDI, and am looking for something to replace it. It’s really been close to the perfect bike-racing car, except for that little emissions issue. I can get 2 bikes and 8 wheels in back, with room for other stuff

I drove a Mazda 3 5-door, and like it, but it’s smaller in back. I plan to go to the dealer with bike gear and try to load it up. But am wondering first if anyone has some direct experience with it. Requirement would be to get 2 bikes – wheels off is OK – and spare wheels in back.

Another Sportwagen (gasoline) is also an option. Don’t want an SUV. And really want to keep driving a manual transmission.
I do, but I only have one bike, so I’m not a fair comparison. You’d probably need to get a rack for multiple bikes.

11

That used to be the old Jelly Belly team car. It was fun, it worked but I would rather have a sportswagon or possibly the Subaru Crosstrek.

the 2.5 sportwagen and crosstrek will feel slow as molasses compared to a TDI. NA 4cyl engines feel lame.

12

We have a Mazda 3 hatchback and really like it, but I can’t imagine 2 bikes in the back, wheels off or no.

I have size large shiv, and I can lay it down in the back with no front wheel, but then nothing else goes in. When we drive somewhere with the bike, I have a hitch mounted bike rack that we use.

Ours is a 2009, and with the exception of an EGT O2 sensor needing replacement, it’s been flawless.

13

We have a Mazda 3 hatchback and really like it, but I can’t imagine 2 bikes in the back, wheels off or no.

thanks for that. I will do an experiment at the dealer, take a pic and post it :slight_smile:

14

Mazda 3 and Mazda 5.
I actually just got rid of the 3, but the nice thing about it is that you can either add a hitch or a roof rack without too much trouble. I did both. When I moved, I had 5 bikes on the car, 2 kids in the back, wheels and kid stuff in the “trunk.”

The Mazda 5 is mechanically identical to the 3, just a different body style.
Yes, it looks like a mini minivan, but damn there’s a ton of room in there.

In the 5, I gotten my bike (wheels off), luggage for 4, pack-n-play, and whatever else we needed for road trips.
Granted it’s tight, but doable.

15

Ive got the 2011 3-hatch. Great room for your requirements: Ive had 4 bikes in the back all wheels off or 2 quite easily with only front wheels off. Its a pretty fun car too, tight handling compared to the Honda and the especially dead feeling Toyota Matrix. No off schedule maintenance issues in 6 years.

16

You know, I thought about the 3 over my 6-year-old Fit and really cannot bring myself to make the change. I’m constantly looking to upgrade the fit, but never find a vehicle that even comes close to being able to fit as much as the Fit does even if it does do somethings better than the Fit. If the Fit is something you haven’t considered I’d check one out.

17

I have the 5 not the CX5. CX5 would be good too. You would have to buy the 5 used. With the CAD at 75 cents you might get a deal after importation.

18

What size bikes? my 58-62 road frames take up a lot of space(mainly because i hate fiddling with the seatpost).

19

In the same exact boat as you! My A3 is going back before the major timing belt maintenance job is due and the warranty on the fuel pump is up.

I have been searching for cars for awhile to replace it with. My bike must fit my bike and a car seat to be practical for me. After lugging my largest bike around for weeks I’m pretty close to a decision and just waiting till the end of the year to haggle the 10 dealerships for the best price. Mine did not fit with one of the seats up for the car seat because my saddle was too high is any of the Mazdas except the CX-5.

My largest bike the TT is a size 58 and is the least practical to fit in cars. Typically my road bike is lugged around the most frequent. With a car seat and one seat up I have successfully fit my bike in a Honda Fit and Honda Hr-v. The wife hates the fit, likes the HR-V. But it’s 5k more. I’d rather put that to bikes.
I’m sure she will win in the end.

20

I have been searching for cars for awhile to replace it with. My bike must fit my bike and a car seat to be practical for me. After lugging my largest bike around for weeks I’m pretty close to a decision and just waiting till the end of the year to haggle the 10 dealerships for the best price. Mine did not fit with one of the seats up for the car seat because my saddle was too high is any of the Mazdas except the CX-5.

My largest bike the TT is a size 58 and is the least practical to fit in cars. Typically my road bike is lugged around the most frequent. With a car seat and one seat up I have successfully fit my bike in a Honda Fit and Honda Hr-v. The wife hates the fit, likes the HR-V. But it’s 5k more. I’d rather put that to bikes.
I’m sure she will win in the end.

funny, so you’re going around to dealers and then sticking the bike in? I did that last time around too, and ruled out a couple. I remember them looking at me like I was a bit “off”. I’m just going to have to do that this time around too.