Highly rigid body
The basic development concept for the body shell of the all-new Mazda 3 was to improve the overall balance of the body's rigidity and ensure it firmly absorbs the reaction force of the dampers. To this end, particular attention went to reinforcing the area around the front and rear suspension mounts and the joint sections in each corner, which are subject to greater stress. Structural adhesive was used to strengthen the joints for the front and rear suspension towers, and spot welding was added to reinforce the joints of the door openings. The result is a substantial improvement in rigidity and body hysteresis (the degree of car body deformation due to repeated applications of torsional load).
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Cargo & Towing
If it's not carrying six occupants, the Mazda5's measly cargo area can be
expanded to 44 cubic feet by folding the third-row seat down. Fold the second-
and third-row seats and there's 70.9 cubic ...
Driving Impressions
The easy-to-drive Mazda3 handles more adeptly than most rivals. The automatic
transmission delivers quick, smooth responses. Performance with the larger
engine falls short of some sporty compacts, ...
Interior
The Tribute has seating for five, and there's about 99 cubic feet of
passenger space, which is less than the RAV4 and CR-V but more than the Vue. The
Tribute has a 60/40-split folding rear seat. W ...