Mazda 3H 6MT owner looking at Integra Aspec Tech 6MT (review)

[cammyfive]

Hello, all. I believe this is my first time posting on this particular forum but I was pretty active when I had my '20 Civic Si. A few months ago, when I was a Mazda employee, I leased a '24 3 Hatchback Premium 6MT. It was an impulse decision of sorts as I was considering one for a bit but when a Platinum Quartz Metallic manual hatch arrived I immediately started doing the paperwork. I now work for Acura (again) and as a long time Honda/Acura fan I'm looking at an Integra 6MT next year when I estimate I'll be able to break free from my Mazda lease. I've test driven 2 of our Integra 6MTs for a good bit (30 min or so each time) so I wanted to take a few moments to relay my thoughts on these 2 manual transmission cars. It seems everyone is always comparing the Integra to the 3 Hatch Turbo Premium Plus AWD auto, but this will be manual to manual.

1) Style. Well, beauty is in the eye of the beholder........ It took me a while (over a year) to really warm up to the looks of the 4th gen Mazda 3 Hatchback. Conversely, I think the more conservatively styled sedan is a killer when it comes to looks; in my view it is the best looking car in it's class by far. However, the sedan is automatic only so I wasn't as serious about owning it. I've always loved red exteriors and Soul Red in a Mazda is a beauty. In fact, most of the 4th gen 3 Hatchbacks I see are Soul Red. As I got more serious about leasing a new 3H I was waiting for Machine Gray Metallic over Red leather in a manual but none of that specific color combo was every allocated to us. As soon as I saw the Platinum Quartz Metallic on the 3H I was sold.

Having spent some time driving and looking at the Integras in person, I do think it is, to my eye, a better looking car. It is more conservatively styled but I think it looks better overall. The Mazda 3 Hatches have always been a little quirky looking and this gen is no different. If you are looking at something that says "different", the 3H wins that round.

2) Interior. This is where the Mazda 3 really really stepped up. The interior in the 4th gen 3H is the nicest/most premium feeling at its price point (high 20s to high 30s). Every surface above the beltline is soft-touch and padded. The actual leather seats (premium and up trims) have a two-tone look as the layer under the perforations is a medium brown color. The dash design is quite minimalist and neatly arranged. This is where Mazda really spent the money on this car - interior design, plushness, and refinement. The Integra is certainly nice but you can tell it had more humble origins. It is not bad for any reason, but compared to the Mazda it is a level down. It is nice to see that the Integra offers the ELS sounds system and it does sound good, but I don't feel it's notably better than the Bose in the Mazda. I will say that the touchscreen on the Integra is a blessing compared to the center console based rotary knob while using CarPlay on the Mazda. Acura is in the process of going back to touchscreens (the MDX is next) and Mazda seems to be going that way on their uplevel trims only when using CarPlay/Android Auto; then again, who is still listening to FM radio so you don't use the native built system that much.

3) Ride/Handling. This one is a split. The handling of the Integra is a step above the Mazda. The 4th gen 3 regressed to a torsion beam rear set up and it is noticeable in handling. The ride is tuned quite well in the Mazda and the structure is quite solid, except when you hit a severe road imperfection.....that's when it falls apart. So on smooth surfaces, they feel similar but the Integra is more sophisticated. The Integra is more eager to play on back roads whereas the Mazda just has you saying to yourself, "wow, this is so nice for $30k!", on longer trips. I will say that the Mazda 3H is the only car I've had in decades of driving bend a wheel and bubble a tire by hitting potholes. Yes they were bad but in the online Mazda 3 groups, everyone complains about blown tires and bent wheels on pavement imperfections. The Mazda 3H does win in the road noise department. It's quiet enough on the interstate that you notice the gentle hum of the engine at 2500rpms at 70mph instead of any tire/road noise. The first Integra I test-drove did surprise me with how noisy it was on the highway compared to the 3H.

4) Engine/Transmission. No contest - Integra wins, especially the shifter. What hasn't been said about the rifle bolt like shift pattern of Hondas/Acuras. It's about as good as it gets until you get to a Porsche GT3. The Mazda is fine, but sorta dull and quite rubbery. Still light years better than an automatic version of the car. The Mazda N/A 2.5L 4cylinder is a good engine and fairly quiet with a linear power band. It does have a slightly low redline on the manual (6k) so just when the fun starts, the rev limiter ruins the party. I did notice the Integra had the typical small 4-cylinder turbo character of great mid-range power while falling off around 5K rpms. Of course a simple Phearable tune will completely change the Integra.

5) Random. I will say that the Integra rear view camera is embarrassing. The Mazda 3H rear view camera is twice as crisp and on the higher trims you get a crisp 360 degree camera system. I also wonder how well the Integra Tech seats in the sythetic suede will hold up. The Mazda 3 leather seats look at feel great. Finally, I did notice that the Integra's HUD display on the windshield looks about two or three degrees crooked. On the Mazda 3 HUD you can actually adjust the angle to make up for that.

As an Acura employee now, I will be compensated a nice amount towards the lease payment of a new Acura so I see a manual Integra (not a Type S unfortunately, no employee program on those) in my future in a year or so. However, the Mazda 3H is a great budget alternative if you are looking for a super refined manual hatchback.

 

[pomegranate]

I have a Mazda 3 Hatch as well except FWD NA. I like the Acura's exterior styling and liftback definitely, but I can't say that it's an upgrade as all for exactly the same reasons you do

Interior: Mazda gets a lot of praise, but it's still not enough. The interior here looks WAY better than anything you find at this price point. The attention to detail, layout, and just the quality of all the touch points from the dial, windows up and down switches, sport mode selector, e-brake switch, turn signal stalk simply feel better. The windshield wipers noticeably don't feel, sound, or look as cheap as the ones I see in the Integra/Civic. I didn't think I'd care, but I do and it hurts to feel like I'm basically getting a downgrade if I switch.

Feel: The Mazda isn't as "sporty" as it used to be of course, but I grew to like the heavy steering. I just feel like it's more premium and pronounced, but that's just me. I also don't notice the torsion beam even if I'm pushing it through a corner, but again that's just me. Finally, the car is just surprisingly smooth and quiet especially compared to any Toyota we used to have. One thing I've noticed is that the Integra is just noisier which probably wouldn't have bothered me before, but probably will now. I've seen some owners add more sound deadening aftermarket though.

Reliability: Personally, I've had 0 issues with my Mazda and I don't see any issues on the forums. The 2.5L NA is tried and tested, although not fun to rev, but I don't like the 1.5t L15 on the Civic and especially having to use premium on such a small little engine. I wish they had kept the 8DCT with the K24 even for the torque hit. On top of that, Honda and the Integra has been facing many issues from build quality, sticky steering that has left many owners with loaners for months and caused a few accidents, and another recall on the steering rack for being falsely installed. I feel like that's not something I want to jump into.

Of course, if you're here on this forums then you probably only really care about the 6MT which is fair. The biggest downsides for me about the Mazda is the fuel economy which is mid and the lack of cargo space. If Acura made an Integra hybrid (using the Civic Hybrid's powertrain), I'd set the interior concerns up for the liftback + fuel economy + handsome sedan look. I'd give up the Mazda too for a cheaper used Integra Type S, but that'll be a few years at least.

 

[Padre Dave]

Funny is that I am reading this in the customer lounge of our local and wonderful Mazda dealership In Mesa, AZ. I have driven Mazda’s for 20+ years until the RDX came out. My wife drives a 2023 CX-5 which suits her great. When the Integra came out with a 6MT I had to drive it, having passed on the Mazda 3 hatch when I read of the refocus from performance to luxury. I drove a wonderful but noisy Mazdaspeed 3 before the RDX, which I sold to a 20 year old young man. The performance of the Integra (now that I have a K-Tuner) makes it the best choice for me. I am 70 years old and this is my last-hurrah with a stick shift most likely. I am enjoying it immensely.

 

[Nedschneebly330]

This was a great post to read - thank you to the OP. I was in a process that boiled down to the manual 3 hatch or the a-spec tech manual. Ended up taking home the a-spec tech on saturday, and happy with the choice so far. What tipped it over for me:

- adaptive features and drive modes (never had that or wanted it in a car before, but test driving the integra showed me it's a nice to have feature). The acura's comfort setting on the suspension is something I'd miss with the mazda.
- more practicality and space (my previous car was a golf sportwagen)
- better mpg (commute 90-100 miles per day)
- (hopefully) better dealership experience with the more "premium" brand
- wireless android auto

The exterior looks and the interior feel, plus the $ savings, kept me going back to the 3 as a consideration. So far, though, so good with the integra.

 

[nawfoo]

trust me, no one compares a mazda 3 to a integra

 

[i64X]

trust me, no one compares a mazda 3 to a integra

I absolutely did. The only reason I got the ITS over the Mazda 3 AWD Turbo hatchback is because I couldn't get the Mazda in a manual.

 

[doug_or]

trust me, no one compares a mazda 3 to a integra

Why wouldn't they? One's a little sportier, one's a little nicer. They're different, but pretty close. Especially if you're looking at a CVT Integra you'd be crazy not to check out the Mazda.

 

[egxflash]

I absolutely did. The only reason I got the ITS over the Mazda 3 AWD Turbo hatchback is because I couldn't get the Mazda in a manual.

Same here though I wouldn't say that's the only reason.

I had a Mazda 3 before and loved that wagon. Now, if they brought back the Mazdaspeed3 with AWD and a manual, that would be a very strong contender for the ITS/Type R at least for me personally.