Long-Term Test Up-Date: 2005 Mazda3 S
Total mileage 19,546
/ By Neil G. Chirico
/ Photography by Brian Vance
/
Article provided by: Motor Trend Magazine
2005 Mazda3 S
• Average fuel econ 26.5 mpg
• Unresolved problems None
• Maintenance cost $26.50 (5K service);
$72.86 (10K service);
$44.28 (15K service)
• Normal-wear cost $172.98 for OEM replacement tire including mounting/balance |
Our last update complained about how the instrument-panel dimmer doesn't allow adjustment to the orange numbers on the gauge faces. Reader Eric Meyers wrote to let us know that there's hope. At the top of the instrument cluster are two buttons; the one on the left is the blackout button. Turn the car off, but leave the key in the on position. Then push the button once and the background goes to black; continue to push it, and it shows five levels of brightness for the orange lighting. Presto, change-o. Duh. Yeah. We knew that.