Has anyone have any reviews about putting a cold air intake on their Mazda 3? I have a 2004 MZ3 hatch with the 2.3L. I am wondering if buying an intake that cost around $300.00 would be worth the horsepower gain.... any suggestions or experience stories? Hollah!!!

 

You might get a few horsepower, but if you do it will only be up around red-line while at wide open throttle; the flip side is that there is usually a commensurate reduction in mid-range torque. If you spend most of your time driving with your engine wound up to max RPM, then you might find it worth it to add a CAI; that said, if you prize the drivability of your car in "normal" driving environments, then you're probably best off leaving well enough alone and sticking with the factory intake.

 

I have a CAI on my '04 and basically agree with the above post.
I notice no real gain in real world driving in either fuel mileage or power availability.
If I hadn't gotten a deal on it and didn't like the way it cleaned up my engine compartment, it certainly wouldn't have been worth it.
Think of it this way, how much fuel could you buy for $300 and how long would it take to recoup that money from the mod?