Comments by "Stephen Hendricks" (@stephenhendricks103) on "" video.

  1. Worth noting that adding AWD to the Mazda3 also adds the weight equivalent to an NFL linebacker sitting in the back seat (almost 250 lbs.) If you're doing it to cope with challenging winter driving conditions, it's worth considering that an FWD vehicle with the weight of the engine over the front wheels and a good set of winter tires will do the same job as AWD about 95% of the time. Mazda maintains that their AWD system enables "G-Vectoring" that improves handling in all conditions but, again, adding 250 lbs to the weight of a small, light vehicle is a big penalty to compensate for.
    2
  2. Kudos for Mazda's improvement in their dated infotainment system. And the placement of the screen is an improvement over the typical placement of an iPad-like screen perched like an afterthought on the dash. Unfortunately, though, I'm skeptical that it's an ergonomic improvement. Taking a hand off the wheel to manipulate the rotary dial while tracking its selections on the screen is hardly an improvement over stabbing a more accessible screen with a finger. Moreover, the screen itself is simply very small compared to the competition. I realize this particular area of design is a challenge and manufacturers continue to struggle to design both appealing and functional solutions. But I don't think Mazda has gotten it right yet.
    1
  3.  @Varekai0723  I have no doubt that almost any control solution or location can become "second nature" if you own a vehicle and drive it on a daily basis. And it's also true that automotive journalists who drive a vehicle for a few hours or days sometimes complain about a unique feature simply because they don't have time to accustom themselves to it. But I design user interfaces for a living and I can assure you that in terms of speed and accuracy stabbing a selection on a screen is a better solution than manipulating a dial with one hand while tracking the effect on a screen mounted located away from one's hand movement. It's a well established ergonomic principle. In this case, I suspect that Mazda designers felt they had to come up with a control solution for the placement of a relatively small screen located beyond the driver's natural reach. Given the parameters they faced this was the solution they came up with. But it's not ideal by any means.
    1
  4.  @beefjones7546  3,071 to 3,248 lbs
    1
  5. You're correct. My error. The actual figures are FWD 3071 lbs and AWD 3248 lbs. Lets make it an NFL cornerback then.
    1