Just ordered a 3 Skyactiv X Sport GT Technology

[WhisperingWillow]

The newest Skyactiv X 2.0 180ps automobiles are set to visit dealerships this week. This morning, I went for a test drive at my local dealer.
Absolutely happy with my 30 minutes driving the vehicle!. After being mildly disappointed with the "G hybrid" engine I test drove in May, this engine is just what it required. The SCCI technology is essentially faultless in operation. You really don't feel anything different than driving a regular petrol engine vehicle, and the power boost from the G's 122ps to the X's 180ps puts it on pace with my current 3rd gen 165ps sport nav.

The engine is quiet, with a minor "raspy" noise when pushed hard, which I assume is caused by the modest supercharger. If you're looking for "push you back in your seat" acceleration, you'll be disappointed since, with the exception of the classic rotary RX7, almost all standard Mazdas just don't provide it. However, in terms of a vehicle that has all of the current conveniences, is pleasant to drive, and can return high fuel efficiency, this car checks all of my boxes. I'd say it's a little more responsive than a Gen 3 but, to be honest, I think the biggest appeal of the car to me is how Mazda has improved the quality and feel of the interior compared to the previous generation and how much more has been done to reduce road noise levels, which was especially noticeable on the brief motorway run I took it on during the test drive.

As a middle-aged driver, comfort is considerably more important to me than 0-60 acceleration. However, you want and need the confidence that the torque is there when you drive out to overtake on the open road, and I feel the "X" engine delivers on this better than the "G" engine.           

So, at the end of the drive, and after doing my research on Carwow, I sat down with the salesman at my local dealer and got myself what I consider a fair and mutually agreeable deal, and so I pulled the trigger there and then, placing my order for a hatchback 3 Skyctiv X Mhev Sport GT Tech in Soul Red Crystal.

Delivery is scheduled for the end of December, which is just great with me; I'm looking forward to picking up what will be my first brand new car.:)       

[ElectricEclipse]

On Sunday, I visited the Oldham Mazda store and admired the saloon model, which looked stunning despite its £28k screen price. While the 122ps model I test drove was enjoyable, I've settled on the Skyactiv X engine for my future Mazda 3, albeit one that is still a few years away. I pray that yours is successful. 
 

[WhisperingWillow]

1 minute ago, ElectricEclipse said:

On Sunday, I visited the Oldham Mazda store and admired the saloon model, which looked stunning despite its £28k screen price. While the 122ps model I test drove was enjoyable, I've settled on the Skyactiv X engine for my future Mazda 3, albeit one that is still a few years away. I pray that yours is successful. 
 

Thank you, and yes, I would not have been able to afford it at that price. If you are willing to negotiate, you may be able to get a reasonable bargain; for me, with the premium paint option of Soul Red, the price is not significantly higher than what I had anticipated paying for the 122ps in May. OK, so it's still a lot of money to pay for a car, but I've been saving for this moment for the past four years, and I'm hoping this car will last me well into the next decade, after which I think we'll all be driving something electric. 

[DreamCatcher88]

Good choice of vehicle, but did you select (or were you aware of ordering?) the burgundy seat colour option, which costs $200 and includes a two-tone dash? looks fantastic with your choice of red paint.

[WhisperingWillow]

1 minute ago, DreamCatcher88 said:

Good choice of vehicle, but did you select (or were you aware of ordering?) the burgundy seat colour option, which costs $200 and includes a two-tone dash? looks fantastic with your choice of red paint.

Yes, my heart is with the burgundy interior option, but without actually seeing this combination against the red exterior in the flesh, I've gone with standard black leather, as both the salesman and my wife pointed out that putting burgundy against the vivid red could very well be a hideous clash, especially when you opened the doors exposing the two non matching red colours against each other. If it had been a brighter shade of red on black, it would have maybe worked, but not with burgundy.

Any other exterior hue would go nicely with the two tone interior, but it's tough to develop an informed assessment without seeing the soul red versus burgundy combo in person. I didn't want to be the test subject because if it looks completely out of place, there's nothing you can do about it and you're stuck with it! So an all-black interior is the safest option.  Unless you've seen one in that combo, have photographs, or know where to look for one?       

[NAVITEL]

The gunmetal grey exterior and burgundy interior of the saloon I saw at Oldham Mazda on Sunday looked great together. The May test vehicle I rode featured a black leather upholstery, but the cabin seemed dim. This, I believe, was due to the dark grey hue of the headliner; why Mazda chose this shade is beyond me.   

[DreamCatcher88]

The combination is shown on the Mazda configurator.

[WhisperingWillow]

Just now, DreamCatcher88 said:

The combination is shown on the Mazda configurator.

I thought you might say that, but actually if you pay attention to detail with the Mazda site configurator when you select Soul Red and then change the interior to the two tone burgundy/black they actually render this with a white exterior colour as you can see the white door mirrors and bonnet reflection. They have been quite crafty in not actually giving you a proper comparison of contrast between a chosen exterior colour against the interior.

Also the you tube adverts and review clips which have been Mazda edited are often featuring the exterior shots of a  3 Skyactiv X in Soul red where you can quite clearly see the headrests of a black interior but when they switch this to all interior clips with the Burgundy interior you can quite clearly again see from the door mirrors and door shuts they have taken these views from a Grey painted car!. So you are never getting a true picture of what the red against burgundy will look like.

I've tried a few renderings in photoshop myself and to be honest it doesn't look right to the eye in this combo and makes the burgundy look like a horrible clash against any of the red exterior. I think for the red car they should have considered using perhaps a tan or even a sportier matching red dye on the leather?

I'd agree though that in all black the interior does look somewhat gloomy and is accentuated by the dark headlining which is a departure from the earlier generation Mazda 3's. One thing I noticed on the demonstrator Skyactiv X I drove last week is the black seat squabs and seat back are accented with small bright red stitching so it lifts the tone of the seats a little from being just pure black.

The exterior colour of the car especially buying new trumps the interior colour and for me in the current Mazda range Red is the only one I wish to own. ( and I don't get this current fad with batteleship grey painted cars? To me they just look like clearcoated grey primer!)  So while that burgundy interior is indeed gorgeous. I wasn't prepared to compromise going for a different exterior colour and as I alluded to previously without having any real life look at or images to view of the Burgundy against red combo its gambling with a lot of money on the 50/50 chance that it either looks OK or looks hideous. So playing it safe with the black interior.       

[Gianni682]

9 minutes ago, ElectricEclipse said:

On Sunday, I visited the Oldham Mazda store and admired the saloon model, which looked stunning despite its £28k screen price. While the 122ps model I test drove was enjoyable, I've settled on the Skyactiv X engine for my future Mazda 3, albeit one that is still a few years away. I pray that yours is successful. 
 

Mine will be collected on Thursday (April 22, 2021). The only distinction is that mine is the gt sport in the same colour, while yours is the new e skyactiv x. I trust everything went well with yours since you've had it for some time.