To get a Mazda 3. Id rather not spend an arm and a leg but what years are good with a MT?
14-16 is more traditional zoom zoom mazda, steering feel will be a little heavier than 17+ and they are more fun to drive/engaging in my opinion. 2017+ mazda started going for the premium feel so while its the same car, it is actually drives differently. Steering feel is lighter and more isolated, engine is tuned to have a bit more “linear” power. Depends what you want.
I love my Mazda 6 2016, It was the right choice two years later and I got a 99 NB miata fully hooked.
Wow. Spot on.
I don’t agree with you on the 2017-2018 facelift. The only change to the handling on the 3rd Gen facelift is adding torque vectoring which isn’t notible until your taking corners hard and it doesn’t make the steering feel heavy but the exact opposite.
This is coming from someone who has driven a 2015, 2017 and 2019. 2015 and 2017 are identical on how the steering feels and the 4th gen 2019 only feels slightly harder at low speeds.
I noticed a huge difference. Maybe u have driven but have you owned/driven them for a long time? My previous 2016 would transmit more of the road feel through the seat and steering wheel. In my 2018 you basically cannot feel the road at all through your seat and steering whee, its more isolated and lighter, in my experience. The other thing that isn’t talked about is how the engine is tuned to be “more linear.” Unfortunately its a lot less fun to drive in sport mode for me. Mazdas new premium/luxury approach is taking away from their regular cars sportiness. It’s too refined for me. My 2016 revved faster and felt so much faster on the low end.
2016 and the 2017 is basically the same car. Mazda just added more sound deading material in the car but the steering feel is spot on. 2019 with the redesign change the steering feel. I know I still have my 2017 mazda 6 GT
MT? Sounds like a miata bug to me. The most infective kind of bug.
Ineffective?
2014-2018 is better, but 14-16 is best.
Of course I’m a little biased, but Gen3 in general will handle better than gen4. It has actual independent rear suspension as opposed to cargo van torsion beam in the gen4. 14-16 has a manual handbrake, and 17+ has an electronic parking brake.
2017 also introduced a sort of torque vectoring as well. Not really ideal if you want to track the car since it takes away a tiny bit of control from the driver but it’s less intrusive than it sounds. For commuting I’d say it’s beneficial.
It’s actually super solid in the 2017 I noticed not having it with my Sonata and I miss it.
Miata.
Funny you say that. Found one locally that’s a 2003, very sharp, they want $6800 but has 160k miles…oof.
That’s low mileage… bought mine at 250k!
People actually drive them. Test drive one and you’ll be hooked too.
Always the answer. I really enjoyed my Mazdaspeed3 but my ND2 Miata is a whole new level of love.
2016 beastmode mazda, but no turbos :(
There was a remodel in 2018. Can’t say I’ve compared them but I test drove a '21 manual and thought it felt great. Might be a little too soon to know re durability.
2015-2016
Second this
I went from a 2015 GT to a 2021 GT. First I thought the driving dynamics were not as good, then I started driving a windy road to work and back and realized it is just as good, you just don’t realize it due to the isolation being so good. Now I’m absolutely loving it!