All-New 2019 Mazda3 Looks Sleek Inside And Out In Best Photos Yet

[12,000 RPM]

They couldn't call it an RX then

MX-9 would probably be it. I think there's room for a 9 sedan (or fastback) at the top of the range too.

[Eye of the Tiger]

Rotary is dead. They're working on them for range extenders for electric cars. But I'm calling it now, there will never be another RX-7 or 8.


Now if they want to make an I6 sports car I'd be all over that more then a 4 banger.

Rotary emissions and fuel efficiency are shit. They need to redesign it to centralize the intake mixture and combustion into more of a cylindrical shape. If only there was a way to do that without so much reciprocating mass.

[2o6]

"In a FWD platform" does not necessarily equal "FWD based AWD."

ST is FWD only, though the RS is FWD based.

WRX, Evo, and most Quattro Audis aren't FWD based - they have a center diff that distributes power to both axles.

Uh, I'm pretty sure the EVO is FWD biased

[2o6]

TBH I haven't looked into the gas-in-oil issue very closely, but I've seen some reports that it's not as common of an issue in the Civics as the CR-Vs for some reason. I don't recall the source of that info though, so it could be wrong.

The engines in the Civic and CR-V aren't the same. And namely the cooling system between the cars is different.

The oil dillusion issues are pretty much a non issue. Only really happens in cars with drivers who drive short distances and conservatively.

[HurricaneSteve]

https://www.wardsauto.com/engines/honda-15l-engine-suffers-cold-weather-oil-dilution-problem

Honda first identified the problem in '17-'18 model CR-Vs and last fall issued a product update service bulletin covering 25,000 vehicles in five cold-weather states: Maine, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin. No recall has been ordered because the problem isn't considered a safety issue.

Last December, the bulletin was expanded to cover CR-Vs in an additional 16 states – Alaska, Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Massachusetts, Michigan, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Vermont.

A second bulletin issued in December and updated in February adds '16-'18 model-year 1.5L turbo Civics in the same 21 states. Owners of affected vehicles are being notified by the manufacturer to bring vehicles to dealers for repairs.

The engines in the Civic and CR-V aren't the same. And namely the cooling system between the cars is different.

The oil dillusion issues are pretty much a non issue. Only really happens in cars with drivers who drive short distances and conservatively.

[Onslaught]

Rotary emissions and fuel efficiency are shit. They need to redesign it to centralize the intake mixture and combustion into more of a cylindrical shape. If only there was a way to do that without so much reciprocating mass.

I fucking love the rotary. Fucking love it. Almost as much as the buffalo trace I've been drinking for two hours now. But it's expensive and unreliable. I'd buy another one in a heartbeat. Most people however wouldn't. Mazda needs to admit they did the best they could and walk away. If they had Toyota or Honda money then they could say "fuck it, we're doing it anyway."  But they're too small to take the risk.

[HurricaneSteve]

The only rotary I've driven is the RX-8 and while this was back in 2006 I do remember it being quite good. I think at this point Mazda needs to continue building cars that are near or at the top of the reliability charts and unfortunately the rotary won't help them do that.

I fucking love the rotary. Fucking love it. Almost as much as the buffalo trace I've been drinking for two hours now. But it's expensive and unreliable. I'd buy another one in a heartbeat. Most people however wouldn't. Mazda needs to admit they did the best they could and walk away. If they had Toyota or Honda money then they could say "fuck it, we're doing it anyway."  But they're too small to take the risk.

[FoMoJo]

The engines in the Civic and CR-V aren't the same. And namely the cooling system between the cars is different.

The oil dillusion issues are pretty much a non issue. Only really happens in cars with drivers who drive short distances and conservatively.

Same engine with minor variations...Honda 1.5T L15B7/Si Turbo Engine Review.

[BimmerM3]

Uh, I'm pretty sure the EVO is FWD biased

"Based" not "biased" - i.e. how it's constructed, not where the power/torque goes. But I was basing that off of a quick Google search so maybe I misread something.

The engines in the Civic and CR-V aren't the same. And namely the cooling system between the cars is different.

Wikipedia says they're both "L15B7 VTC Turbo" - the Si's turbo just generates more boost. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honda_L_engine

[r0tor]

EVO, Focus RS and Golf R don't suck. People who actually bought the R preferred it to the GTI (obviously).

More importantly the idea that the typical luxury buyer gives a shit about AWD power bias is hilarity. And you yourself demonstrate that the right engine (i.e. the B58 in a 3 pedal 340i) is not enough to sway even the most hardcore cloverleaf carvers when it's time to sign on the dotted line. So what makes you think it would sway cloverleaf civilians? You're projecting your fantasy desires as some kind of demonstrated market preference. Show me all these people clamoring for RWD based AWD please.

Evo was not fwd biased.  Ford RS bragged all over the place it sends more power to the rear.  Yes, the Golf R has always been labeled as an understeering snoozer - you guess it because of the fwd biased haldex.

Stop projecting your fear of tossing another RWD car into a wall and trying to convince the world fwd is OK

[r0tor]

Uh, I'm pretty sure the EVO is FWD biased

Tell that to the center diff

[r0tor]

I fucking love the rotary. Fucking love it. Almost as much as the buffalo trace I've been drinking for two hours now. But it's expensive and unreliable. I'd buy another one in a heartbeat.

Yes

[Onslaught]

Yes

Nothing like it is there? Sooo fucking smooth

[HurricaneSteve]

 

Evo was not fwd biased.  Ford RS bragged all over the place it sends more power to the rear.  Yes, the Golf R has always been labeled as an understeering snoozer - you guess it because of the fwd biased haldex.

Stop projecting your fear of tossing another RWD car into a wall and trying to convince the world fwd is OK

[Eye of the Tiger]

Lol?

[2o6]

"Based" not "biased" - i.e. how it's constructed, not where the power/torque goes. But I was basing that off of a quick Google search so maybe I misread something.

Wikipedia says they're both "L15B7 VTC Turbo" - the Si's turbo just generates more boost. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honda_L_engine

Honda tech friend said the head a few features between the two engines aren't quite the same; but I can't find the data that backs him up (I swear I saw that confirmed that)

Either way, it doesn't seem to be that big of a deal. If *that* much fuel is slipping past the rings and into the crank case I feel like we'd have some really bad compression issues.

https://www.wardsauto.com/engines/honda-15l-engine-suffers-cold-weather-oil-dilution-problem

I mean, it's a service bulletin. It may have a problem, but I haven't seen anything from anyone including my Honda tech friends that say this engine has real problems with oil dillusion.

I mean, my Sonic has loads of service bulletins out for it

[2o6]

Also, I'm not sure why Honda just doesn't do what Toyota has been doing for years to get the car up to operating temp; don't engage any overdrive gears.


Any Toyota til like 2010 will scream it's head off in 3rd until it gets warm.

[Laconian]

Also, I'm not sure why Honda just doesn't do what Toyota has been doing for years to get the car up to operating temp; don't engage any overdrive gears.


Any Toyota til like 2010 will scream it's head off in 3rd until it gets warm.

Hey, now that you mention it, my '90 Camry did that!

[FoMoJo]

Honda tech friend said the head a few features between the two engines aren't quite the same; but I can't find the data that backs him up (I swear I saw that confirmed that)

Either way, it doesn't seem to be that big of a deal. If *that* much fuel is slipping past the rings and into the crank case I feel like we'd have some really bad compression issues.


I mean, it's a service bulletin. It may have a problem, but I haven't seen anything from anyone including my Honda tech friends that say this engine has real problems with oil dillusion.

I mean, my Sonic has loads of service bulletins out for it

Have you been reading what Morris Minor has been saying about his CR-V?

[2o6]

Have you been reading what Morris Minor has been saying about his CR-V?

I have four friends with Civics. No issues.

[BimmerM3]

Honda tech friend said the head a few features between the two engines aren't quite the same; but I can't find the data that backs him up (I swear I saw that confirmed that)

Well, apparently Honda marketing has gotten several things wrong about their current lineup, so I guess anything's possible.

They said the Civic Si had a single mass flywheel. It has a dual mass flywheel.
They said the Civic Si would have rain-sensing wipers. It doesn't.
They said the Civic Si would have remote start. It doesn't.
They said the Civic Si would have a CD player. It doesn't.
They say the Civic Si develops up to 20.3 PSI of boost pressure. Nobody has seen that.
They say the Civic Si has a TD03 turbocharger. It has a TD025 turbocharger.
They say a spare tire kit is available for the Civic Si. The part number still says "not for sale".
They said the new Accord would use an Isuzu turbocharger. It uses a Mitsubishi turbocharger.
They said lower 2017 Ridgeline trims had walk-away auto locking on the window sticker. They didn't. Honda compensated owners with gift cards.
They said the 2016 CR-V EX-L without navigation had HD Radio on the window sticker. It didn't. Honda compensated owners with gift cards.
They show the HR-V's climate control panel on the Ridgeline's webpage. It remains uncorrected over a year and a half later.

https://www.civicx.com/threads/this-isnt-a-td03.19923/page-2#post-335320

[2o6]

I feel like Honda has always had shitty piston rings since the beginning of time tho. My friend worked at Honda North America (it's 45 mins from me) and he was testing the current gen Fit and Vezel (JDM HR-V with the L15 instead of the R18) and he told me the higher mileage test cars had issues with oil consumption and oil burning.

I mean, the K-series engines are known for burning oil. And the B18/B20 from the old integra and CR-V.....

[Onslaught]

Anyone find it funny that Toyota said it had to use BMW's inline 6 because it cost too much to develop one and build it. But little old Mazda is doing it?

[HurricaneSteve]

To be fair, Toyota has V-6's and V-8's in their portfolio so there probably wouldn't have been any other vehicles that would have used the I-6 and as a result making it unprofitable whereas Mazda currently has no 6 cylinders so developing one to put into multiple (larger) vehicle applications made more sense. I could see the CX-9 switching to a RWD platform as well as a future CX-7.

Anyone find it funny that Toyota said it had to use BMW's inline 6 because it cost too much to develop one and build it. But little old Mazda is doing it?

[Eye of the Tiger]

They should use existing inline-sixes, like the one in the Suzuki (Daewoo) Verona.

[12,000 RPM]

Evo was not fwd biased.  Ford RS bragged all over the place it sends more power to the rear.  Yes, the Golf R has always been labeled as an understeering snoozer - you guess it because of the fwd biased haldex.

Stop projecting your fear of tossing another RWD car into a wall and trying to convince the world fwd is OK

No need to get in your feelings, though I know you can't help yourself. Point remains, 99% of luxury buyers don't give a shit about AWD power bias, near-limit dynamics or cylinder count. It's all about the badges (often including the performance models). So Mazda bringing the fight to the Germans in 1995 would be a huge waste of money and time.

[giant_mtb]

Also, I'm not sure why Honda just doesn't do what Toyota has been doing for years to get the car up to operating temp; don't engage any overdrive gears.


Any Toyota til like 2010 will scream it's head off in 3rd until it gets warm.

Taco does like to hold gears a bit longer when it's cold.  I always kind of assumed most cars did that, whether through programming or natural instincts.

[Laconian]

They should use existing inline-sixes, like the one in the Suzuki (Daewoo) Verona.

Which made an amazing 155hp. Didn't they say it was Porsche-developed or something ridiculous like that?

[Eye of the Tiger]

Which made an amazing 155hp. Didn't they say it was Porsche-developed or something ridiculous like that?

Yup, it was Porsche developed. A real piece of work.

[Laconian]

Yup, it was Porsche developed. A real piece of work.

If it works for Porsche, it will certainly work for Mazda.