2018 had a bad batch of 2.5L engines and this includes the turbo models.

You need to call Honda USA and tell them what the dealership said. They are going to get into horrible trouble.

Also if the dealership can’t provide you with a loaner car then they should be paying for a rental car that you can drive.

+1 for the 2014+ Mazda3. I’d suggest looking at a 2017/2018 though as the sound deadaning and infotainment is better. 2019+ is good too but pricier and more luxury/comfort than the sporty 2014-2018.

They punch well above its class for the price you are paying.

I believe if you fit the wire on the A-pillar closest to the windshield it wont obstruct the airbag since the A-Pillar opens the opposite way for the airbag deployment away from the windshield. You can also use clips to push into the A-Pillar to keep the wires out of the pillar.

You can get a OBD2 device that disables iStop. It works for the CX-50, CX-30, Mazda 3 and more but I’m not sure about the CX-90. Personally I would like to be able to turn that feature off but my Mazda3 is year/trim where they didn’t use iStop.

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.

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.

Cool but I can’t afford either so what’s the point?

323s are nice vehicles for the era but the only caveat would be to find parts if you ever need a repair.

Mazda K8-DE 1.8L V6 engine. Revving that little V6 to 9000rpms is like music to my ears but otherwise its not that special of an engine.

Id say 2017/2018 Mazda3 > 2017+ CX-5 > 2019+ Mazda3 > CX-30

The sportier suspension on the 2017/2018 Mazda3 and the CX-5 is so much better than the 2019+ Mazda3 and CX-30.

I want to feel the road through the vehicle. If I wanted something comfy I would have bought a Lexus.

Have a look at this post: https://www.reddit.com/r/MazdaCX9/comments/wlrm07/18_cx9_touring_cracked_cylinder_head_repair/

The poster was able to talk the dealership down from $8000 to $2000.

If this dealership sold you the vehicle, don’t be worried about dragging their reputation through the mud.

Still the last place I would ever get a non-warranty repair on my car would be the dealership.