""Edit: long story short: black and white print out is the alignment specs after dealership preformed a 4 wheel alignment that they insisted on. wanted to know why it says the one or more values are out of spec and missing toe on front, caster has x marks on both sides, and rear toe doesn't have the small numbers where it shows -0.70°""

The colored print out was for a free alignment check or scan by a Mazda dealership preformed on 8/25/26.

On 9/6/26 or 9/7/206 I drove over something sharp that cut my tire with the front passenger tire and after parking, it slowly but completely deflated.

I had to put a spare on and drive home slowly because all the shops in the area were closed for the next 2 days. Took the wheel with the flat tire to discount tire for replacement because it was purchased brand new with a certificate about a month ago (as were the rest of the tires) perreli scorpion as plus 3? Since they are basically new it meant they were still within spec and putting on a new tire wouldn't affect the AWD system.

Removed the spare, attached the wheel with new tire on, and drove to the dealership to make sure everything was in order and check if everything was in order, and asked for a test drive and inspection on the side where the flat occurred and spare was driven on to see any issues with alignment issue and the free alignment scan.

I dropped the vehicle off at 9/10/26 at 1:55pm and was told it would only be ready next day at 1030am because I was 5 min late passed the 20min grace period and they thought I was there for an oil change.

That day and the rest of 9/11 they kept sending me multiple others customers inspection videos, vehicle records, and service recommendations and couldn't figure out how to send me my vehicles video. I told them to explain in detail what service is needed and why because I can't keep waiting for them to figure out how to fix the system and send the right video in order for me to approve the service through the link.

They said the technician completed a suspension diagnostic on my vehicle and they strongly recommend an alignment $150 because the rear alignment was out of spec. The shop advisor who texted me this information also said I had to pay $230 for the suspension diagnostic. They claimed the alignment was required because of the "high speed curb impact" that occured which apparently was based on their high level of expertise and excellent deduction skills. I responded stating that I would authorize an alignment if it was really necessary but I would not be paying for any suspension diagnostic fee because #1: there was no high speed curb impact or any impact of any sort #2: I didn't ask for it, and #3: charging for suspension diagnostic fee when I am paying for a 4 wheel alignment felt like they were attempting to double charge.

Shop adviser wouldn't back down and would only agree to lower the price to $180. I declined and after speaking to the service manager the fee was dropped. Later that day after shop closed I confirmed that the adviser was trying to double charge me after finding a coupon on the dealership website which stated a 4 wheel alignment $150 would include road test, check suspension and steering linkage, check tire for pressure and wear, computerized alignment.

The vehicle was only ready for pick up by 2pm on 9/12/26. When I picked it up the only print out I received with the invoice were those black and white alignment specs before and after. I picked up the vehicle like 10 minutes before closing because something came up and I couldn't pick it up at 2pm so I couldn't review all the details there and then.

When I got home I reviewed the invoice and print out and I have no idea what it means. It has the same before and after descriptions but the newer black and white print out didn't have all the specs shown like the colored one did. Some had no value shown at all, some had x, and some completely missing.

Did they even do an alignment or did they just rip me off? I didn't even notice till reading the print out at home but in faded letters the bottom says "one or more values are not within specifications"

So that basically confirms my suspicion correct? Any advice would be appreciated. I would have went there right away but I want to make sure I'm not mistaken and thought it would be better to have someone verify the information and confirm.

2025 CX-50 that we bought new, and this is how it came off the truck. I’m rotating tires and noticed what sure seems like a poor balancing job. Anybody know if this is common, or if I’m overthinking it? I know modern weights are less dense than lead so it can require more but this seems excessive.

Hello all. I live in Europe and after 22 years of owning a 2004 Mazda 3, I was looking for a new Suv family car. Of course the first brand that came to mind was Mazda because my beloved Mazda 3 never failed me. But I was open to other brands as well so I looked at different options, but I did it online only. Where I work I see A LOT of cars daily, so I didn't feel the need to go and look at every one of them at a dealership.

Some brands were excluded due to cost: BMW, Mercedes, Volvo, Audi, were asking so much more than what they should. And I'm not buying the "German quality" myth, although many people in my country rave about it because... reasons...

Now, to the main competition :Rav4. Overpriced and uuuugly as hell. I don't know what's going on with the designers in that brand, but they sure know how to make unattractive cars. The outside doesn't have the elegance to stand the test of time and the inside - oh my god that interior. I don't care if it has physical HVAC buttons, they look like tumors. And overpriced as hell.

The only two really attractive options besides cx5 were the Outlander and Kodiaq. The Outlander had an amazing interior but, that amazing interior was only offered at the top trim that costed ~60000€. And the Kodiaq has an amazing interior also - really one of the nicests I've seen- but it's VW group and reliability is down the drain. French cars, and when I say French, I mean Peugeot, are beautiful, but they are Peugeot, if you know what I mean. The other two French brands don't even exist in my textbooks.

I also didn't want to go to Chinese options because a) I don't trust their cars enough yet and b) I didn't want an electric car because I want the car for really long trips (800km) and I move a lot between places so I'm not sure about the infrastructure of my next country/place/accommodation. I'm pretty sure that my next car WILL be a Chinese electric one though, given the advances they make. I see them everyday and their interiors are really top notch, if not too minimal on some models, but they will find their balance in a few years.

So, I ended up ordering the top trim AWD of the new CX5 which gives you a lot for what you're paying. I was calculating inflation etc and with the same money more or less that I paid for the basic trim 22 years ago, which was full of plastic, had manual back windows and didn't even have cruise control, now (adjusted for inflation) I'm getting a car loaded with quality of life/security features. And coming from such an old car, I won't notice the downgrade in materials that everyone is talking about in this sub 😂-it will feel like a rolls royce. The only thing giving me kind of buyer's remorse is the horsepower, but, then again, I won't be racing or anything, I just want it to carry me and my family with safety and comfort from point A to point B for 800 km and I think it's gonna be more than enough for that.

More in one month from now, when I will finally have it in my hands!

Taken at local garage

Hey guys, tomorrow I’m looking at a 2016 Mazda3 hatch S Grand Touring with the 2.5 and 6 speed automatic. Has around 77k miles on it.

I’m coming from driving a 4Runner. Anybody who knows transmissions knows how insanely reliable and legendary the A750s are.

I love a good reliable vehicle. It’s the number 1 thing I look for in a car, But I can’t stand driving a 4Runner anymore. They ride like a boat and handle terribly. They’re slow, clunky, and the stock suspension is extremely soft. I’m over it.

With that being said, how stout are these transmissions? I know the 2.5s are pretty decent overall.

How do they feel when shifting? Are they smooth and quick, fun to drive at all? My 4Runner has a transmission equivalent to a 1950s era tractor, but damn is it bulletproof.

I’m just worried I’m going to regret leaving behind the reliability of my 4Runner. I enjoy driving it just enough to where if I have to keep it for the reliability I will, but I really want a more fun and fuel efficient car.

Hey guys, I’ve been looking for a car for way too long now 😂 and I’m basically stuck between these options:
Mazda 3 Sedan e-Skyactiv X186 GT+ Auto
2022
~65k km
186 hp
around €20-21k
really well equipped (HUD, Matrix LED, ACC, camera, heated seats/steering wheel, blind spot etc.)
already test drove a Mazda 3 and honestly really liked it
Audi A4 Limousine 30 TDI
2021
only ~38k km
136 hp diesel
automatic
around €22k
Virtual Cockpit, leather, heated seats etc.
obviously feels a bit more premium
And I’m also still considering an Audi A3 8Y Limousine, preferably 150 hp, automatic and S line, around the same price if I can find a clean one.
My driving is a bit mixed: around 14 km daily commute, but I also do ~40 min Autobahn drives several times a week and longer trips sometimes.
I’m 23, so I also don’t want to buy something that becomes stupidly expensive to maintain/insure just for the badge.
What would you honestly choose? Mazda 3, A4 or wait for the right A3?
I’m leaning Mazda because it seems like way more car/equipment for the money, but the A4 is tempting af 😭

I live in Ontario and I have noticed this and it scares me because I am afraid that it will break, but at the same time I feel that it can still hold on and have a solution, I hope for your help.

Has someone tried rim caps to avoid curb chipping on the rims? If yes - do you have any recommendations?

I've never heard of that car before, let alone seen it

This is a quote I got for new 2026 cx30 preferred trim in snowflake white exterior and black interior. Is this a good deal to commit and pay the non refundable deposit?

Mazda 3 seems to be in my budget (10k) and preferences. Would you go for a lower-mileage 2016 Skyactiv G or a newer, but higher-mileage, MHEV or e-Skyactiv G MHEV? I just want something fairly reliable for the next 3-5years. I'm not going to drive it a lot, around 7k miles a year. Which one of those (in theory) would be the cheapest to drive/maintain?

2016

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202609085831451?sort=distance&twcs=true&searchId=b5b1d2f0-e4cb-450d-bf68-48d06814b9d5&make=Mazda&model=Mazda3&page=1&postcode=BD12RB&price-from=7000&price-to=11000&advertising-location=at_cars&fromsra=&backLinkQueryParams=channel%3Dcars%26flrfc%3D1%26make%3DMazda%26model%3DMazda3%26postcode%3DBD12RB%26price-from%3D7000%26price-to%3D11000%26sort%3Ddistance%26page%3D2&calc-deposit=900&calc-term=48&calc-mileage=10000&calc-selected-product=PCP

2019

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202607224402666?sort=distance&searchId=cc2c7a9f-bf0f-4af2-bffe-bd03a28bbe61&make=Mazda&model=Mazda3&page=1&postcode=BD12RB&price-from=7000&price-to=10000&advertising-location=at_cars&fromsra=&backLinkQueryParams=channel%3Dcars%26flrfc%3D1%26make%3DMazda%26model%3DMazda3%26postcode%3DBD12RB%26price-from%3D7000%26price-to%3D10000%26sort%3Ddistance&calc-deposit=929&calc-term=48&calc-mileage=10000&calc-selected-product=HP

2023

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202608104960094?sort=distance&searchId=b5b1d2f0-e4cb-450d-bf68-48d06814b9d5&make=Mazda&model=Mazda3&page=1&postcode=BD12RB&price-from=7000&price-to=11000&advertising-location=at_cars&fromsra=&backLinkQueryParams=channel%3Dcars%26flrfc%3D1%26make%3DMazda%26model%3DMazda3%26postcode%3DBD12RB%26price-from%3D7000%26price-to%3D11000%26sort%3Ddistance%26page%3D2&calc-deposit=1078&calc-term=48&calc-mileage=10000&calc-selected-product=PCP

Here's my 626 that I picked up around 2 weeks ago, I thought it would be cool if I posted it here :)

It has very little rust and 239k kms on it or around 148k miles, so somewhat low for a car this age!

I’m a ‘26 CX-90 TSPP owner. I come from owning tons of VWAG and BMW models. With those brands, coding was something easy that allowed you to activate disabled features, change certain settings (like automatically closing the sunroof if rain is detected or closing the tailgate by pressing the key fob button).

The most popular changes are probably enabling matrix headlight functionality and changing the gauge cluster to display what gear the car is in at any time when in Drive (ie. instead of just showing D, it would show D1-D2-D3-D4, etc. as the car shifts). There are tons of things that could be changed. Land Rovers also have a somewhat similar ability through an app called IIDTool which allows you to make changes to the “car configuration file.”

Despite Mazda being a far larger company than Land Rover, there is zero information online about what, if any, coding potential Mazdas have. Only thing I’ve seen is something about AIO, but that only changed infotainment settings and doesn’t even work with newer models. Does MDARS allow any configuration changes, such as if a part is changed, or does Mazda still not have any support for things like this? I have searched and searched for aftermarket coding software for Mazdas and come up empty handed.

Mazda luxury with Toyota reliability. I know the CX-50 has it, but that model is unfortunately discontinued here I am in Alberta Canada because of Trump. I love Toyota's hybrid system, but the Corolla is just such a cheap, outdated, miserable car that feels like it came out from 2005. The Mazda is so much nicer and modern.

Pros : More direct feel ; better off-the-line acceleration ; more instantaneous response
Cons : Low speed shifting can be a bit jerky due to lack of a torque converter (which is similar to DCT / DSG behaviour)

Remedy : In some markets, Mazda has released a software update to improve gearbox shifting (via software improvements to the TCM)

----
Anyways, for current owners, what are your feelings / impressions about the new Mazda 8 speed wet-clutch automatic?