Mazda Forum - Mazda Enthusiast Forums - Considering Mazda 3 Turbo Hatch

Hi everyone, I currently have a 2018 accord sport 2.0 T which I absolutely love. later this year I do plan on trading it in to get in to get a new car since the used car market is so hot! I was looking at the Hyundai sonata n-line, but I read a lot of reviews and car and driver and on Reddit that at low speed, eight speed with dual clutch transmission is very clunky. I was also looking at a 2023 Mazda three turbo hatch premium plus. I’m a huge gearhead, my wife has a CX-5 turbo, same engine. I love the fact that it’s a 2.5 L I four turbo and I 93 octane makes 320 lbs feet of torque! And 260 hp which is very respectable my questions for everyone is:

1. for the steering rack/ratio, If you move the steering wheel just a little bit is it steering very responsive? In my sport 2.0T, if I move the steering wheel, this little bit, the front wheels respond and turn in quickly.

2. realistically, how is it on gas? I know it’s at a 2 gallon smaller fuel tank. Right now with my sport accord I’m filling up about every week and a half. I mean, obviously if I keep it in sport mode and I drive like an animal, then I’ll get worse gas mileage that’s obvious and that’s how I am now with my sporty, but I’m just curious in general. Thanks.

3. I have an 8 1/2 month old baby girl. How are the backseats for a car seat? I ask this because I know the car is a little bit shorter than my sport accord.

4. I live in New Jersey and we haven’t gone snow so far this winter (

) however, how is all wheel drive system in the snow? I’ve tried to find reviews of it on YouTube in the snow, but haven’t been really successful. This would be my first all-wheel-drive car, which I’m excited about - hot hatch: fast turbo engine, all wheel drive, and a hatchback. Sounds great!

The only thing I’ll admit that I don’t like about the car and Mazda in general is that for the infotainment system control you got a rotary dial versus a touchscreen, but I guess I’d have to get used to it.

Honestly, even though my sport accord has a 10 speed automatic transmission when I sitting with the paddles (I do that constantly I am used to manual transmission) I’m only using six speeds anyway

.

Thanks a bunch for any help you can give me!