There's a lot to like about our Mazdaspeed 3, but I'm stuck on the touchy clutch. It's been noted before, but I thought I'd give you a more graphical (but not at all scientific) representation.
In this animation, you'll see where I place the friction zone in the travel of the clutch pedal. Before the plates begin to grab, there's a bit too much travel and effort for my tastes. I liken it to a pistol trigger with a heavy spring and lots of freeplay - a double-action revolver, for those who have done any plinking.
Here is the clutch action in one of the cars I think got it right - a Lotus Elise. Yes, I know, I'm biased, but several professional drivers have commented on how this particular clutch just seems perfect. There's not as much travel before the initial bite, and the friction zone is much wider.
Does anyone out there prefer the setup in the Mazdaspeed 3 over the typical clutch profiles?
Mark Takahashi, Associate Editor @ 8,720 miles
carguy622 says:
01:49 PM, 03/ 9/10
Having never driven the Mazdaspeed3 or the Lotus (unfortunately) I can only say that based on your illustration the Lotus would be the better set-up. Sometimes you just can't snap off the shifts perfectly, and the more leeway your clutch gives you the better.
notabigdeal says:
02:00 PM, 03/ 9/10
based on what you said...I have no idea....I've been driving manuel for like 6 years and the only diff i can make out is the strength required to push the clutch in. So I'm either a really bad unintelligent driver or I'm just not that anal.... I like softer clutches.
arm51 says:
02:05 PM, 03/ 9/10
I've driven a Mazdaspeed3 and have to say that the clutch engagement is extremely touchy. Compared to my 328i and my Dad's Boxster, it is painfully abrupt. So much so that it is difficult for even a seasoned manual trans. driver to be smooth. I've heard tell that you can adjust the engagement zone; but never having owned a Mazdaspeed3, I've never had the incentive to look for a fix.
jeepsrt says:
02:08 PM, 03/ 9/10
I prefer a low engagement, just what I am use too on my car.
eidolways says:
02:10 PM, 03/ 9/10
I actually noticed this in a test drive of a MazdaSpeed6 as well. The clutch was very abrupt. Combined with the rather high gearing courtesy of the large turbo, it made shifting the car less pleasurable than I'd hoped.
skimmilk99 says:
02:19 PM, 03/ 9/10
I found my WRX had what I suspect is the same kind of abrupt pickup combined with fatiguing clutch pressure. I hated it... made my morning commute a battle just to not lug the engine or burn the clutch up. My left leg is like 20% stronger at the leg press than my right because of it.
roadburner says:
02:20 PM, 03/ 9/10
That's a major flaw in my 2007 MS3 as well. The clutch take-up in my 1995 3er is much smoother and progressive, and my Wrangler's clutch isn't all that bad either. You can adapt to the MS3's clutch action, but you shouldn't have to.
kurt_ says:
04:51 PM, 03/ 9/10
Having driven the exact same car (literally) I'll chime in on this too.
I'll agree that this car's clutch has a relatively small friction zone but it didn't feel different enough to me to warrant anything more than a quick adjustment to my footwork. Our long-departed STI's clutch was far worse concerning feel and enjoyment as well as our 2002 M3 and our old Infiniti G35.
I was able to jump from the Mazdaspeed 3 right into another car without flubbing the clutch uptake.
speed6er says:
06:45 PM, 03/ 9/10
My mazdaspeed 6 also has a "touchy" clutch at first. But after two days of owning it, it felt completely natural. I think it's hard to say a clutch is bad if you only jump in and out of a car and can't have adequate time to get used to it.
skyggge says:
07:08 PM, 03/ 9/10
I'm gonna agree with the "abrupt, but nothing you can't get used to" camp. Maybe the stage 2 aftermarket clutch in my old 300ZX just got me used very abrupt takeup, but it really doesn't seem that bad. I might be in the minority, but I kind of like that most people can't just jump in my car and drive it perfectly smoothly.
joefrompa says:
04:07 AM, 03/10/10
I've test driven a 2008 MS3, and I found the clutch takeup to be wonderful. It was stiff and the friction zone was short, but it was very natural feeling. My test drive was very smooth, from the first take off in the dealership parking lot to some aggressive shifts to just lazing about from 3rd to 4th.
I came away impressed. I think it was because despite the shortness, I could "feel" the friction occuring. Between the stiff pedal and the way it was setup, there was tremendous clutch feel.
On the other side, my first drive in a 1998 bmw z3 2.8 led me to not like that clutch at all. Long pedal travel, good pressure but the clutch never seemed to engage as expected. I couldn't get a sense of how it wanted to operate, even after 20 minutes of driving it. I was either jerking it from stops or burning the clutch.
sgude says:
05:05 AM, 03/10/10
Even though I think my 325i's clutch/shifter interaction is great, I still flub it every now and then -- and I've been driving manuals for almost 30 years. While abrupt, my sister's Mazda3 turned out to be very easy to get used to. It has the same abrupt feel of the Mazdaspeed3 I test drove a while back. A fun little wagon, if a little raw.
yellowmiata says:
06:00 AM, 03/10/10
My 370Z has a difficult setup too with a short friction zone. Slow release and more slipping tends to result in a grabby rather than smooth uptake. However when making a spirited pull away from a light, its a very smooth uptake and pull through the gears.
Maybe the same is with the MS3?
dougtheeng says:
06:49 AM, 03/10/10
"I've driven a Mazdaspeed3 and have to say that the clutch engagement is extremely touchy. "
I've had the same experience.
soareyes says:
05:56 AM, 03/15/10
I test drove a Mazdaspeed 3, VW GTI, and Mini Cooper S back-to-back last weekend. All three were manuals. The clutches in the GTI and Cooper were second nature, I didn't have to think about them. However, I don't think I ever got a perfect shift in the Mazda in the 15 minute test drive. I imagine I would eventually get use to the weird engagement but it is off my list of cars to consider.
charlesb says:
09:06 AM, 03/19/10
I'm just glad that somebody still offers a freaking manual with a clutch, period, that I'm not going to whine about notchy (or rubbery, or vague) sticks and grabby (or touchy, or weird) clutches. I find that when I own a car I quickly adapt to the idiosyncrasies that it happens to have and get on quite well. I'd bet that if you drove the Mazdasport 3 exclusively for a month that you'd get used to it.