My Wife's New 2013 3 with the SkyActiv-G Engine

[goldstar]

BTW, I forgot to mention that, as you probably all know, the 3 is equipped with dynamic stability control (DSC) and traction control (TCS) since it's mandated in all new cars sold in America as of, I believe, from the 2012 MY. According to the Owner's Manual, "TCS enhances traction and safety by controlling engine torque and braking. When the TCS detects driving wheel slippage, it lowers engine torque and operates the brakes to prevent loss of traction. This means that on a slick surface, the engine adjusts automatically to provide optimum power to the drive wheels, limiting wheel spin and loss of traction." On the face of it, this seems like a good idea operating as kind of a LSD.

The manual goes on to state, "DSC automatically controls braking and engine torque in conjunction with systems such as ABS and TCS to help control side slip when driving on slippery surfaces, or during sudden or evasive maneuvering , enhancing vehicle safety."

The TCS/DCS system is defeatable and can be switched off via an instrument panel switch. When activated, the TCS/DCS indicator light flashes whenever the system is called upon to intervene.

Mazda recommends that TCS/DCS be left on for best vehicle stability, and since my wife will be using that feature, I left it on during my initial testing so I cannot say what the difference would be without it. That will be something for future testing to determine.

Also, I've decided to change the title of this thread to better reflect the nature of the content since so much technical material has been added. This will better enable any Forum members in search of a new 3 to find relevant data on which to base a buying decision.

Henceforth the title will be, "My Wife's New 2013 3 with the SkyActiv-G Engine."

Happy Motoring!

[DuRWooD]

My Jetta has traction control and stability control. I strongly dislike it when driving hard. I have forgotten about it a couple of times, and it really increases understeer, even though it won't let you spin the tires exiting a corner. It really slows the car down trying to take a corner fast. I do like it for rainy mornings on my way to work when I'm too tired to care about fun. I'm used to the traction of AWD, and the system has a tendency to kick in quite often.

[Jahan Kalif]

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[1Mazda323Fan]

I noticed it's been a while since you've posted this, goldstar, and I was wondering if I could pose a question or two. Now that I've (finally) done some more research into the SkyActiv-G technology, it would be nice to have some real-world feedback on its operation. Firstly, what kind of mileage are you actually seeing out of the car? I noticed a post you had a while back where you mentioned ~36 mpg on the highway; how about around town? Second, I am aware that Mazda seems convinced that the intake valve deposits that plague DI engines (see the DISI MZR in the 'Speed6) can be cured by keeping the valves ridiculously hot. Is there any recommended service from Mazda concerning a valve cleaning? I realise Mazda spent much money and time engineering the new engine to be as reliable as possible and to minimise the carbon buildup, but I, personally, am not wholly convinced keeping the temps up is going to be the ultimate fix. The FA20/4U-GSE seen in the Subaru BRZ/Scion FR-S twins, for instance, utilise both direct and port injection, ostensibly for performance and emissions reasons, but practically the port injector will also clean the valves. Even in DI-only mode, the valve crosses the injector's spray pattern, undoubtedly to keep it clean. Just wondering if your service manual/dealer has anything to say regarding the issue. Thirdly, just how does it compare to the 'Penultimate Driving Machine'? I'm sure you've taken the 3 for a proper flog now that it's well and broken in.

[goldstar]

Eric, I'd be happy to attempt to answer your questions to the best of my ability. In answer to your first question, We did see 36 mpg over the road under very spirited driving conditions. I believe in a more economical mode we would have obtained closer to 40 mpg. We have never recorded around town mileage on any of our cars as almost all of my driving and most of my wife's driving involves highway miles.

Turning to your second question, as you correctly point out, direct injection (DI) engines are often afflicted with intake valve deposits due to the lack of the washing action of the fuel provided by port injection. In fact, I think Mazda was having some trouble in this regard with its turbo 3s, at least in the 1st gen models. However, they must have solved the problem in the Sky since no valve-cleaning service is listed or recommended in the FSM nor are there any TSBs that I know of pertaining to this subject, at least not yet. Yes, I did buy the FSM for this car even though it cost US $245 at my local, friendly dealer. At least it covers all models of 3s: 2.0 L MZR; 2.0 L Sky, 2.5 L MZR and the 2.3 L turbo. Its a real giant requiring 4-large loose-leaf binders to contain.

Now, understanding that this is just a guess, recall that the engine has high pressure (2900 psi/200 bar) direct injection that can be pulsed twice per cycle, both at the bottom of the intake stroke and at the top of the compression stroke. The first injection pulse has an evaporative cooling effect and since the intake valves are still open at that point may also have a cleaning effect. As I said, just a guess, and of course I could be wrong.

In regard to your final question, all the stock Mazda's I have driven at length, my '02 Protégé, my wife's '06 3 2.0 L, and her '13 Sky have been very good handling cars right out of the box, IMHO. Probably due to the extra-stiff, and somewhat lighter chassis of the Sky, compared with the Protégé and the conventional 2.0L MZR, it seems the best of the lot by a fair margin. Even with the DSC flipped off, it feels very stable and secure in the twisties. However, good as it is, it does not equal the handling ability of my Protégé with the complete MSP suspension. Nor would I expect it to.

With 155 BHP compared with the 145 BHP of the '06 3 and the 130 BHP of the Protégé it's a peppy car and in conjunction with the 6-speed M/T it's a lot of fun to drive. Sixth gear is definitely an overdrive but the transmission has closer ratios than the 5-speed of course, which aids in acceleration and boy racer fun.

My wife loves the car and is very happy with it as it stands. We both agree it's an excellent economy car that's also great fun to drive. She consequently has no interest in modifying it. If it were mine though I wouldn't leave it alone.

Since I've been driving the SKY I've learned much about the car and what's available to modify it which I will share with anyone who's interested, shortly.

Happy Motoring!

[1Mazda323Fan]

Thanks for the reply, Mike. I'm often asked 'what's a good car to buy these days?', and I always try to give as complete an answer as I can, so talking to owners with real experience is very beneficial. Motor Trend only goes so far. My main concern was with the carbon build-up, as several companies have had problems with this in the early days of GDI. Some Googlilng for the SkyActiv specifically netted no horror stories, save for one or two baseless claims that the engines are just as bad as the old VW/Audi, MZR, etc. engines. Granted, a large majority of the engines in use right now are still fairly low mileage, but time will tell, and from what I can gather, even around 20-30,000 miles, when a valve cleaning was needed in the older aforementioned engines, the new SkyActiv seems to be problem-free. Admittedly, no one has torn one down yet (there is that warranty to think about), but it seems that it really isn't much of an issue anymore. From what I have gathered, the problem was mainly with the EGR systems in the other engines. What Mazda did with the EGR in the SkyActiv I couldn't find, or missed. Also, as you mentioned with the dual pulse from the injectors, after looking at a cutaway of the combustion chamber again, the injector is aimed more or less directly at the intake valves. It does seem the first pulse (at the bottom of the intake stroke) is indeed dual purpose, not only to reduce cylinder temps, but also to provide a cleaning wash for the valves. Combined with the higher temps Mazda is keeping the valves at, it seems they may have solved the problem, or at least minimised it to the point that the effect is no worse than what is seen in port injection engines. This is speculation on my part as well, but it does look like the evidence checks out. I may have to drop by a few Mazda service departments and bend some of the techs' ears and see if I can't get some information from the guys (and gals) who actually work on them. It would also be appreciated if you would update us on anything you hear from Mazda on this, if you do.

Glad to hear you and your wife are enjoying the car. The mileage is certainly impressive; even though you have no around town figures, I've no doubt they are as impressive as the highway figures. In my area (D.C. metro) the city figure is more important, as the traffic is tends to range from frustrating to hellish. It's also refreshing to see the mileage Mazda claims is accurate. I have noticed some of the new Fords are getting nowhere near their EPA numbers, and Hyundai/Kia were recently outed for falsifying their mpg figures. It is nice to see Mazda is still in top form, especially after their split from Ford. They have always been one of the more innovative companies on the market, and this just seems to reinforce that fact.

I know I am interested to know what sort of modifications you have found available for the car. I checked Corksport, and it seems limited to an intake and cat-back exhaust, which is about all I expected, honestly. After looking at the technology involved in the engine, it seems that there would be very little to be gained in terms of power without negating all of the gains achieved by Mazda. It seems these engines are going to be extremely hard to modify, if not impossible, short of the most basic of bolt-ons. It will be interesting to see what the aftermarket can come up with.

Slightly off topic: I recently attended the Washington, D.C. Auto Show, which featured the latest and upcoming models from virtually every major manufacturer. Also in the show this year was a section dubbed the Advanced Technology Superhighway, which showcased the most innovative technologies from every facet of the automotive industry, from fuel economy to in-car entertainment. Along with the expected array of higher-end luxury vehicles and hybrid vehicles, I was surprised to see a 2014 Mazda3 SkyActiv. It seems the experts in the industry are extremely impressed with Mazda's new technology suite. Unfortunately, I don't recall what the blurb said that was accompanying the car, but I do know they were praised for their advancements in fuel economy and performance while eschewing the modern trends of hybridisation and downsizing/turbocharging, all the while keeping the cars affordable and fun to drive, as only Mazda seems to know how to do. (I may have taken a bit of creative license with that)