Skyactiv is
an interesting concept. It's a response to world governments who are putting
pressure on Auto Manufacturers to bring their fuel consumption averages down by
huge margins. Now for a thrifty person like me I'm all for better fuel economy
because I can save my money so one day I can afford a home... One day.
Of course
government's motives aren't just to save me money, they are also to get those carbon emission numbers down so they can brag at the next
summit.
But Mazda is
arguing this doesn't have to be so. And so with their clever Skyactiv
technologies they claim that you can get much of the fuel savings without any
of the drawbacks. A car that's more efficient and more fun? Well, their first Skyactiv car is out and I
thought I should see if their claims actually stood for something.
Their new
Skyactiv 2.0 Litre 4 Cylinder has good figures; 155 horsepower and 148 lb-ft of
torque. That's 7 more hp and 13 more lb-ft of torque than the standard 2.0
litre. But here's the kicker you get those increased figures sooner. Which
means it'll be much more responsive and much more fun.
There's also a
new automatic transmission in the car. It’s Mazda's 6-speed SKYACTIV-Drive.
The folks from Mazda said that they wanted the automatic not to feel like an
auto, instead keep the responsive characteristics of a manual - which doesn't get
torque converter lag - and quick shifts of a double clutch. Which means it'll
be much more responsive and much more fun.
Except it
isn't.
I spent an
entire week searching for the fun in the Skyactiv 3 and I couldn't find it. I
wasn't expecting it to be fast since the 0-60 mph time is around 9 seconds. But
I was expecting to feel some grunt. Grunt I have felt in older, less powerful
cars.
I don't want
to direct all the blame on the engine because I believe its abilities were
being wasted. I think the problem here is the transmission. It flat out refused
to downshift. I'd push the pedal down and expect a kick down of some sort only
to be disappointed.
All this is too
bad, because the Mazda 3 has a really nippy and responsive chassis. But the
powertrain just doesn't respond. All I want is a kick down.
“Now you
could have solved this by using the sport steptronic mode,” you might be
thinking. The issue here is that I was always moving the stick in the wrong
direction. Pushing up is to downshift, and pulling down is to upshift. I guess this makes more sense ergonomically; but logically it got my brain all twist tied. I'm sure you
could get used to it.
My advice to
you, get the manual. You're in control, and the new Skyactiv-MT is supposed to
have nice, sweet and light short throws, which should make it very fun. My
advice to Mazda, put a “Fun” or “Zoom” button on the dash that tells the car to
be on edge. Sport buttons are in most all cars now, and I think it could be a
creative solution to the reluctant transmission problem.
I'm sad to
report that I am disappointed with the Skyactiv 3. It had so much promise, and
I had so much hope in a car that's both more efficient and more fun.
Unfortunately neither is the case and what's left is just an average compact
sedan with a small rear leg room, silly smile, amazing glove box and
comfortable seats.
Mazda 3
GS-Skyactiv
Base price
(SKYACTIV inc. Freight and PDI): $20,890
Options: Moonroof $895, GS-L Package (Leather, Fog Lights, Power driver seat) $1,300
Options: Moonroof $895, GS-L Package (Leather, Fog Lights, Power driver seat) $1,300
As-tested:
$24,285
When it comes to manually shifting in the auto, think about it. You crack the throttle, you're pushed back into the seat, you pull back to upshift. You apply the brakes for a corner, g-forces throw your weight forward, you push forward to downshift. Watch video clips of race cars with sequential gearboxes and you'll find the same simple principles applied. Another go at it with proper user instructions may yield you better driving experience. Another thing I didn't understand is why you were disappointed about the economy-minded car not dropping gears easily when not in manual mode. Logic would say, "Well, duh, man.". If you're in D, likely driving normally, and going for fuel mileage, why would you be mashing the throttle and needing that auto downshift anyway? If you ask me, that's like getting mad at your freezer for freezing things too quickly. Given, the car isn't going to be for everyone, and I respect your opinions, but I just wanted to note those two points. I'm sorry you didn't enjoy it very much. I find it to be an excellent car, for what it is, that avoids compromise with all it's got. Cheers.
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