The one that isn't a Citroën...

[StevenRB45]

The other half getting a DS3 meant my long sufferering Suzuki had to go, bless it, with it's grands worth of I.C.E. in the boot and 3 doors, it was not Ideal for family duties or tip runs which had formally been done by the other car. So I went shopping for either a DS4, a C4 or an FN shape Honda Civic.

I came back with:



As you can see as I was being sensible I chose a nice low maintenance colour.

The inside looks like this:


Except at night..when apparently Mazda thought it just wasn't japanese enough so they did this:


Underneath it's Focus 2 chassis with a Mazda engine and gearbox and a more handling biased setup.

[Gazski66]

I like that, nice car

[Kat]

Looks good! I was considering looking at them before I got my DS3, because my old boss raved about his - he had two MPSs and now has a Mazda 3 Sport! Nice cars

[lfcrule1972]

Love the look of Blackpool about the interior display at night

Nice looking car though

[BeefMasta]

I quite like the look of that, although someone appears to have stolen your number plates

[StevenRB45]

Looks good! I was considering looking at them before I got my DS3, because my old boss raved about his - he had two MPSs and now has a Mazda 3 Sport! Nice cars

I'd never looked at them, set off to go see a C4, that wasn't there, went to another dealer to see a Civic which I was unimpressed by, was about to leave and saw this parked up, I'd never seen a white one with the sport kit on. If it had been grey I'd probably have walked straight past it. As it was test drove it, it was very nice to drive so ended up buying it the day after. I'd love an MPS if the fuel bills weren't so ruinous.

Love the look of Blackpool about the interior display at night

Nice looking car though

The photo doesn't do the full effect justice, the whole centre console is lit by a blue led in the ceiling as well as the door handles having blue leds behind them, oh and the blue bar on the stereo pulses as well as do the climate controls if you make a change. . It's one of those where the first time you see it at night you have to take a moment to take it all in!

I quite like the look of that, although someone appears to have stolen your number plates

Colour co-ordinated, keeps the look smooth and the police confused.

[Soran]

And the award for the most amount of buttons you can fit on a steering wheel goes to ...

Always quite liked the Mazda's and considered a 6 before getting the DS3.

[THP]

Liking the dials. Really good looking car, much more interesting than a Focus.

[StevenRB45]

And the award for the most amount of buttons you can fit on a steering wheel goes to ...

Always quite liked the Mazda's and considered a 6 before getting the DS3.

Thankfully there is a nice logic to them, left spoke, telephone and stereo, right spoke trip computer/MFD, either side of the horn = cruise.

Liking the dials. Really good looking car, much more interesting than a Focus.

They are black out dials...you sit in the car and they are just black circles with no markings, they then fade into existence...just er because.
I aiming at more interesting than a Focus/Golf/Astra..this is occasionally just plain odd, 1st time I opened the bonnet...I discovered a second dipstick, for the screenwash.

[mk2k41]

I quite like that, I was looking at one of those as well before deciding on the DS3. That dash is seriously trippy though, very Japanese!

[StevenRB45]

It's amazing how quickly you get used to it, if I get to drive it in daylight I'm always slightly disappointed at how normal it looks.

Always fun giving someone a lift for the 1st time, most people like the outside, then they sit down, the screen in the middle flicks into life displaying "welcome" and the heating controls flash and the door handles glow blue...you then turn the key, the dials fade into existence, it makes a noise like the noise a pc makes when you log in through the speakers. It then displays zoom zoom on the centre screen...as the engine starts the interior lighting fades down being replaced by the blue LED ambient lighting and the dash lights fading up. At which point your passenger is either looking at the dash with a slightly bemused/disgusted look or thinks it's the coolest thing fitted to a car ever...also everyone plays with the shadows on the transmission tunnel possibly wondering why their hand is glowing blue with no obvious light source. At least it's not the dull green illumination and total lack fun of my dads focus 2.

[TomTom]

Mazda own

[StevenRB45]

It was looking a bit sorry for itself after winter (I'll admit all the photos in post one are the day I picked it up), even though it was washed every week white is a mare.

However 3 hours with wash mitt, drying cloth and the polish later, TADA!



The compulsory reflection shot:



Also love this colour, even if 95% of the time it looks like flat white:



Then I thought i'd have a look at the DS3:



Thought f**k that she can wash it for the 1st time since it arrived...

[StevenRB45]

Spot the difference