» 2012 Mazda3 Skyactiv

The Mazda3 is the very first vehicle in the Mazda lineup to get their new Skyactiv technology. What is Skyactiv and how will it save money on fuel?

Previous Article    |    Back to Articles List    |    Next Article

2012 Mazda3 Skyactiv By Zack Spencer     November 17, 2011 The Scoop Kiyoshi Fujiwara is the executive officer in charge of Mazda program management. He told his design and engineering team to come up with a way to improve fuel economy by thirty percent over the next three years but not to do it at the expense of Mazda's fun to drive attitude. He called this project, and suite of innovations, Skyactiv; or as he told his team, ''the sky is the limit''. We have all been told at one time or another to think outside the box, but the technology that Mazda has developed is truly upside-down, inside out the box kind of thinking. Mazda has thrown out conventional design when it comes to gasoline and diesel engines, plus developed manufacturing processes to reduce weight. This technology will be implemented over the coming years, with the first vehicle to get the entire Skyactiv treatment being the new CX-5, next year. As taste of things to come, the 2012 Mazda3 is the first car to receive Mazda's new engine technology. The Skin The Mazda3 is far and away the best selling Mazda product with an ability to deliver functionality, value and above average driving dynamics. This 2012 model is relatively unchanged except for a refreshed front grille opening and a Skyactiv badge on the back, letting others know that the engine is special. As Mazda moves forward with their new models they have to improve fuel efficiency through engine development but also shed weight in order to hit the much stricter 2016 fuel standards. What drivers will not see are the updates happening under each new model. Mazda's goal is to share a common platform under each vehicle, whether it is a compact car or crossover, saving costs but also dropping 100kg in the process. As mentioned, the first vehicle to get the entire engine, platform update will be the CX-5 next year. 1 | 2 | 3 | Next Page

11 Comments and 0 Reply

Showing 1 to 5 on page # 1

Report Abuse »

John Kim
5:25 PM on December 31, 2012
Hi Mr. Spencer, My name is John. I have a 2011 Mazda 3. My question pertains to the battery. On a few occasions I've tried to start the car but it failed. After a couple more tries, the car started. This has only been over past 3 months when it's been cooler in temperature. I also tend to drive it only in the city, so rarely go for drives longer than an hour. Most driving is between 10-30minutes. My Mazda service person said that it's because I don't drive it for long periods of time and because of the cooler weather. And in fact, the battery barely failed the servicing test - but the service person did not want to replace it yet. I'm surprised by this answer because I expected my car batter to last longer than that, plus I thought Mazda3 was a city car. The other possible influencing factor is that my stereo links with my iphone via bluetooth. I'd really like to hear your opinion and know if this is a faulty problem with my vehicle and how best to talk to Mazda if it is faulty equipment. Thank you for your time and expertise. John

Motormouth.ca says: 6:42 PM on January 8, 2013 I've had this same problem in BMW. We went through three batteries in about 1 1/2 years. This problem is caused by a drain on the battery from somewhere. Where it is, can take a lot of troubleshooting. The dealer isn't telling you the whole truth about the problem being the amount you drive. I've driven two cars since our BMW in exactly the same way and they don't run flat the way the BMW did. BTW our family car only gets about 6000km a year and after four years our current car runs like a champ. Something in the car is ''staying awake'' or draining the car while it is sitting, so keep taking it back or to another dealer for a second opinion. Also, contact Mazda and open a case and ask them to get a tech specialist to have a look at the car. In the meantime, if you have the car parked in the garage, get a cigarette lighter trickle charger and plug it in at night. I do this with my sportscar that I rarely drive.

Report Abuse »

Kim Seward
11:24 AM on September 23, 2012
I have received a letter from Mazda called Official Vehicle Upgrade Notification indicating that they'd like to buy back my 2011 Mazda 3 hatchback at Above Market Value even if I owe morethan its appraised value. In exchange, I have the opportunity to get any new 2012/2013 Maza or certified pre-owned vehicle. They are offering 0% APR on all 2012 Mazdas and up to 84 months on select models. I am suspicious of this offer in that if it sounds too good to be true it usually is. Can you give me any insight - is this really a good deal? Do I lose the 15 months of payments that I've made on my current car?

Motormouth.ca says: 8:59 PM on September 23, 2012 What you need to do is find out the trade-in value of your car. Go to www.canadianblackbook.com to get an up to date trade in value and it will also give you an idea if the retail market value. You then need to see if this is close to the number Mazda is offering you? If the Mazda value is higher than Canadian Black Book value they will be giving you a good deal. Typically, car dealers and companies do not pay more for a car than it is worth. What this sounds to me, is they will give you more for your trade but charge you fill retail value for the new car, not giving you a discount. They have to make their money somewhere...

Report Abuse »

Grant Talbot
3:29 PM on September 2, 2012
Hi Zack After listening to your show this morning .. and hearing about your upcoming visit discussions / visit with Mazda .. tried to get into show discussion was not successful .. however .. my wife & I have had 5 previous Mazdas as well as a new 1 ( 2012 ) and have recently had and now sold ( privately ) a 2008 Mazda Protege. All service work was done a Richmond Mazda .. and after giving that to her daughter on the island, service ( all service .. even oil changes ) was down by Mazda dealer in Campbell river .. recently ( prior to selling it ) car was taken into dealer to get scheduled Mazda maintainence .. according to a specila that they had .. we got phone call that advised that we had to replace the water pump ( again 3rd time ) and that the total bill would be $ 2300 ++ .. a ;little shocking .. considering that we expected $ 150 to $ 200.. 2 yrs ago .. Richmond Mazda replaced water pump .. under warranty for the second time ... Davis Mazda in Cambell River offered a $ 1000.00 discount ( from list pric ) on purchase of a new Mazda .. and other than that told us that this was all they could do .. I contacted Mazda Canada customer service and was told that there was nothing that they could do, and really felt from comment made by rep that they would like me to take a long walk off a short pier .. even though we now currently have 3 Mazda's and have owned 5 in the past 5 yrs .. Additionally 4 other people that work for me also have Mazda's .. and we are questioning the viability of keeping them .. considering that certified Mazda replacement items are seemingly not very reliable and Mazda canada does not seem to want to keep .. LONG TERM , LOYAL .. customers .. We are considering getting rid of / selling the new Mazda and going to another brand and definetly will NOT be purchasing a Mazda van , which was almost a done deal. Any response that U may get from Mazda would be greatly appreciated. I can be contacted via emasl .. granttalbot@shaw.ca .. or by phone .. 5604-275-3604. Really enjoy your show Thanks & regards Grant Talbot

Motormouth.ca says: 4:23 PM on September 2, 2012 I'll pass this on to the people at Mazda and see what they can do...

Report Abuse »

Bob Davies
1:42 PM on July 31, 2012
Hi Zack, I'm in sales but quite frankly I'd sooner buy a new house than deal with a car dealer. My daughter is starting her first full time job & unfortunately it is in Vanc (we live in Surrey) And it is shift work, 3AM - 11AM, so not transit. So I need to buy or lease her a new or used vehicle. It obviously has to be fuel efficient & I don't want to spend a lot, as I believe she will likely move to Vanc within a year & will likely no longer need the vehicle as she moves closer to work. My primary concern is reliability (due to her work hours). My last 2 cars have been a leased Mazda 6 & I bought a 2010 Mazda 3. Both have had minor glitches but overall been happy. My preference is buying new just to avoid the repair issue the first 3 years but then you have to deal with the extra cost. Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Thanks

Motormouth.ca says: 5:05 PM on August 2, 2012 If you are happy with the Mazda3, go and get another one, new used or on lease, it really is a great car.

Mary-Anne Plunkett
4:33 PM on July 19, 2012
I am interested in buying the model shown here, but am having problems getting a good deal from the dealer. They seem to want $25,500.00 for the car and don't want to give much of a discount - maybe $300.00. Is there a fair price for this hatchback? I would appreciate hearing from you. Thanks Mary-Anne

	1  2  3

Post Your Comment

Submit your comment on 2012 Mazda3 Skyactiv

* required

If you would like to send us your general inquiry or feedback that is not particularly about the above article, please use our Contact Us form instead.

Your Name:
Your Email:	* If you would like a response, please double-check that your email address is correct. We do NOT publish your email on our website.
Subject:
Comments:	*
	Your city/town: Your province/state: Select here Alberta British Columbia Manitoba New Brunswick Newfoundland Nova Scotia Northwest Territories Nunavut Ontario Prince Edward Island Quebec Saskatchewan Yukon Territory Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware District of Columbia Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming Not Applicable
Security Code:		* Please enter here the security code you see on the left in order to send your message to us. What Is It?