I've just come back from Israel on business and was given a MAzda 3 by the rental co. I think it was a 1.6 with a four speed tiptronic auto.

Overall impressions were good. smart shape, good sized boot (if a little awkward to access), reasonably spacious inside (three grown men in for two out of three days). The ride was certainly acceptable on steel wheels and performance was fine, although it was a little breathless on the steep climb up to Jerusalem, when HGVs struggle to more than 5 or 10 mph. I did 500 miles and put in two tanks of fuel. That was a combination of high speed highway, very low speed city traffic and those hills near Jerusalem which really knock the economy. Alos it was 30 degrees C and the air con was on full. It had four one-shot windows, which is very good.

What didn't I like. The dashboard is too fussy, the dials are buried deep in tunnels and are not all visible with a quick sweep of the eyes across the dash, unlike my Subaru or SWMBO Hyundai. The radio seems to be very good, but as I had no manual , it was also complicated. Its the first time I have driven a Tiptronic except a Merc. I can't quiet explain, but I prefer the Merc system of flicking left to right when in D, rather than a separate manual shift section.

However, there was something appealling about the car, and I would have one of they did a 2.0 auto with a full on spec which included leather, air, cruise, sat nav (in other words a mini luxury car, one size below the Lexus IS220), as it has the external design to justify that idea.



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Hi,

Have a Mazda 323 1.6 (2001 model range).

When starting-up the engine after it's been standing for several hours there's a loud tapping noise. It lasts about 30 seconds then suddenly stops.

I guess, although I'm not sure, it's a valve and it's starved of lubrication immediately after a cold start.

I'm not too worried about it but it sounds like a set of castanets!

Any recommendations of having an engine flush when the oil is next changed? Would an engine flush sort these kind of issues?

Otherwise, I guess it's down to the local Mazda dealer one morning, leave it there all day and return in the afternoon and fire it up. Read more

No it's not men in black but the motor insurers bureau. I've just read the front page article in this weeks Insurance Times which is about off road vehicles having to be insured. I know this subject has been discussed before but reading the article has made me wonder if there have been some changes as I find some of it hard to believe. A few quotes as follows to give the jist of the story:

"Off the road vehicles are currently exempt from insurance, but this will change when the road safety bill is passed creating a new offence of 'keeping a vehicle without insurance'"

"What the new law will mean is that if you have a registered vehicle then it has to be insured"

"The MIB is looking to dramatically cut the estimated £500m a year uninsured driving costs, which equates to an extra £30 on each motoring policy"


First point - Obviously any car being used on the road should be insured. But if I decide to put my into the garage for a year or two why should I have to insure it? Even if the premium was low I would see it as giving the insurance company money for nothing? Whole thing sounds like a con to me, whats wrong with using the ANPR cameras to catch those on the road? Another excuse to be sending out automated fines. How many un-insured drivers actually have the car registered in their name?

Second point - they always bang on about the 'it costs £30 per policy' etc. Do people really believe that they would reduce everyones premium by £30 - I don't think so! - more like £500m extra profit for the insurers!
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I have a 2.0 DTI Vectra Hatch, T Reg, Early facelift version with 82k on the clock.

My journey to work is about 30 miles, the first 20 are on country roads/through built up areas. After this I get onto motorways.
I notice that immediately after the first bit of 'hard' acceleration the car starts to experience what I can only describe as similar symptoms to fuel starvation. As you try to accelerate it jumps and jerks, starting to accelerate then 'dies' for a fraction of a second (not enough to cut out), then picks up for 2/3 second before dying again. If I slow right down to less than 50 mph and keep the revs low it seems to be OK. If I stop, turn it off and wait a while, it is OK until I accelerate hard again.
The car is serviced every 10,000 miles and it was doing this periodically both before and since the last service (Fuel filter has been changed every service since I have had it).

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I´m currently on a job in Bad Wildbad, but yesterday had cause to go across to Strasbourg for the morning.
As the motorways were busy I went the back route through Baden Baden and across the Black Forest....
......and what a drive. Billiard smooth, winding forest roads, pretty empty, picturesque villages, no speed cameras out of the villages, little traffic.
The sun was out, the top on the Barchetta was down, the music was on (loud) and life was very very good. Suddenly the decision to fit a short spring set and 17" wheels made sense. The car was absolutely glued to the road.
Just wanted to share that. Regards all,
Barchettaman Read more