2010 Mazda 3i Touring Edition
Mazda3 sedan satisfies small-dog families
Tue, Jun 2nd 2009
| VEHICLE SPECIFICATIONS | |
|---|---|
| type | 4 door, other, 2wd |
| msrp | $18,350 |
| trans | manual |
| gas mi. | 24mpg/33mpg |
| rating |  |
When the Mazda 3i was delivered to my doorstep, I was excited to be trying it out. I’ve heard plenty of great things about its sporty handling. It was a disappointment, though, to realize that I had the sedan, not the hatchback. But no matter. With our small dogs, we can make do with a greater variety of cars than people with big dogs.
The 3 swooshed us up to Los Angeles for a visit to Bella’s cardiologist. Her medium-size crate just barely fit behind the driver’s seat. We had to open the passenger door wide and do a little finagling with the front seat position to squeeze it in. It sat slightly tilted because of the angle of the seat, but Bella didn’t seem to mind and snoozed during the hour-long ride.
The rear seats do fold down, allowing access to the trunk, but that wouldn’t have helped with the positioning of the crate. Using one of our dog car seats might have been a better choice, but it’s good to know that a medium-size crate will fit if necessary.
Our next trip, with a guest dog as tester, was a bit more crowded. We took the 3 to our friend Gregg’s house for a hiking excursion with him, his friend Kathy, and her 42-pound shepherd mix, Tyla. Four people and one medium-size dog is a bit of a tight squeeze in the 3. There wasn’t room for Tyla on the seat, so she rode sitting on the floor. She didn’t appear to be very comfortable, and of course it wasn’t especially safe, either.
On the plus side, the compact 3 is fun to drive and easy to park. A medium-size or large dog could ride comfortably in the back seat, safely restrained with a seat belt or cross tie. It gets good mileage, with an expected range of 24/33 miles per gallon. The 11.8-cubic-foot trunk is probably capable of holding a small grooming table, for those who might be driving the 3 to a dog show.
As equipped — 5-speed sport automatic transmission, cloth seats, am/fm/cd with mp3 jack, steering wheel with audio, bluetooth and cruise controls, and two 12V power outlets — it runs $21,045. The price is expected to start at $16,000, going up to approximately $22,000.
-- Kim Campbell Thornton
Carguy Comments: Totally redesigned for 2010, the Mazda 3 is available in "i" and "S" configurations, each with three styles. The "i" comes in a SV, Sport and Touring package while the "S" features Sport, Grand Touring and Sport editions. Each package comes in either four- or five-door styles. Passenger volume for the Mazda 3i Touring is 94.1 cubic feet. Total cargo volume with rear seats folded down has not been released by Mazda.
--Keith Turner, The Family Car. Watch the Mazda3 video here.
Barking Lot Banter: Best for a maximum of two people and one or two small or medium-size dogs. Additional human passengers need not apply.
Comments
I’ve had my Mazda3 for almost 5 years and it’s been an OK dog car. We had (RIP) a 30lb terrier mix who was comfortable in the back seat (free to roam) She did however manage to pull the fabric off of the back doors just by putting her paws up on the handrests to get higher to get her nose out the window. It’s taken a beating interior wise and has a really large trunk which is good. I know it’s a dog forum but I have to tell you that my transmission blew at 39k miles and having trouble again at 48k. Won’t buy a Mazda again unfortunately but it has transported many a shelter dog to events etc. No crate will fit in the back seat so seatbelts are a must.
2009-07-14 13:27:12
I don’t see the point of testing the sedan… if you have a dog, you need the hatchback.
My Mazda 3 hatch has been great. The hatch area behind the rear seats is sized exactly to the dimensions of my standard extra-large dog bed. The rear window curves outward for dog headroom. There’s a little recess in the right rear, perfect for holding a soft-sided water bowl in place between the bed and the side panel.
On the new 2010 model, if you spring for the top of the line Grand Touring, you can get a leather interior to match your black or yellow lab. My 3 own has black cloth seats, which is a pain with a yellow dog, but at least rather than Velcro-like mouse-fur, Mazda uses a high-tech fabric that brushes and wipes off pretty easily. The carpet does show wear in the face of constant vigorous vacuuming for dog hair.
Reliability has been good. Fuel economy is decent and miles better than an SUV with comparable cargo room.
The 3 is a driver’s car—the best-handling car in its class, with reserves of acceleration and braking beyond expectations for an affordable car. As an overachiever in its class, its only real competitor is the VW Golf, which trades the Mazda’s eager vigor for staid civility.
2010-06-02 23:22:42