BRON http://www.roadandtrack.com/
Mazda RX3: First Drive
We tested Mazda's latest rotary-engine coupe and drove its station wagon equivalent, the world's first Wankel wagon
From the August 1972 issue of Road & Track
Mazda's latest rotary-engine model, the RX3, falls between the two models the Japanese company has been selling in the U.S., the R100 and the RX2. It's about 9 in. longer and 5 in. wider than the R100, 3 in. shorter and a hair wider than the RX2.
Its weight also falls between the other two and while its interior fittings are closer to the RX2's, its chassis more closely resembles the R100's. Mazda intends it to replace the R100 in its U.S. lineup so don't be confused by that one-digit higher number in its name: the RX2 is still the premium model.
![Image](https://myalbum.com/photo/7Yx7tTpraQMA/1k0.jpg)
Joe Rusz
The RX3 is available as a pillared coupe (which we tested), a 4-door sedan and a 4-door wagon. The wagon, which we also drove but didn't put through the track test paces, is the world's first production wagon with a Wankel engine and as such will have a unique appeal to those who need a small wagon but want something extra in the way of performance.
Following usual Mazda practice, the same cars are available with piston engines in the 808 line with Mazda's overhead-cam inline four of 1.6 liters. At home in Japan, the RX3 is called Savanna and comes with a new version of the R100's 982-cc 2-rotor Wankel, but for simplicity of emission certification and parts stocking, Mazda has fitted the U.S. RX3 with essentially the same 1146-cc unit as in the larger RX2.
![Image](https://myalbum.com/photo/ikt0nyINbul0/1k0.jpg)
Joe Rusz
In outward appearance the RX3 is all-new and shares no sheet metal with either of the other two models. In an apparent effort to create something distinctive in a compact sedan line. Mazda has given the line an aggressive-looking front end with a separate grille in the mode of the original production Mustang. Going rearward from there we find lines in the current vogue of kicked-up rear quarters and a tail end that hints at spoilery. At 160 in. the car is plenty short and its considerable width accentuates the shortness. Furthermore, the coupe is wildly over-ornamented—even more so than the RX2—so the net effect is not very pleasant. The 4-door sedan and wagon are cleaner in their details, however.
![Image](https://myalbum.com/photo/LgEKz8Kuf9iO/1k0.jpg)
Joe Rusz
The RX3's engine, detuned some 7 bhp from the nearly identical unit in the RX2 because of a smaller exhaust reactor and exhaust system, is a familiar and well liked quantity with strong performance, smooth and quiet running—and heavy fuel consumption. It's not so well sound-insulated in the RX3 as in the RX2 but is still far more refined than the typical 4-cyl unit of comparable output in its delivery of power. The detuning renders the RX3's engine somewhat more willing at low speeds and less so at high speeds than the RX2's; the test RX3 fell between two RX2s we have tested in performance.
The Wankel rotary-combustion engine, nice as it is when delivering torque, still has serious detractions and some were particularly noticeable in the two RX3s we drove. First there's the fuel consumption, a good 20% worse than comparable piston engines; the test coupe got a meager 18 mpg. Another is an engine shudder, felt as the engine decelerates the last 500 rpm down to idle speed. This has been noticeable in every emission-controlled Mazda rotary we have driven but was so bad in these two RX3s it shook the entire car. Backfires are another, which occur when the throttle foot is lifted after accelerating or pulling hard for a few seconds; in these cars they were so violent as to be frightening. And yet another is a great amount of exhaust noise, a sort of whooshing sound. This is well masked from passengers in the coupe with the windows rolled up but the station wagon, a body type that usually lets more rear-end noises come in. makes rear-seat passengers highly aware of it. In other words, the Wankel engine is remarkable in some ways, annoying in others; and in the RX3 it's considerably less impressive than in the more expensive, more insulated RX2. These cars had another problem we haven't found in our RX2 experience: poor running and a tendency to stall early in the warmup period. Speaking of warmup, by the way, there's an intriguing item on the car we haven't seen before: a device that squirts antifreeze into the intake manifold for cold starts below 0°F. Mazda says this is to melt any ice that may have formed there.
![Image](https://myalbum.com/photo/217QsN5rMqyo/1k0.jpg)
Joe Rusz
Mazda's gearbox, with slightly different ratios in this model and somewhat stiffer action than in the RX2, is still quite good, with positive action, strong synchronizing (except on 1st gear), and quiet gears. There was some clearly audible final-drive noise in the RX3s.
In handling and ride the RX3 is a clear departure from R100 and RX2. Both of these understeer strongly and ride rather softly but the RX3 coupe handles with virtually neutral response characteristics and rides bouncily. On a sweeping freeway off ramp one can even discover oversteer just by sharply cranking in a bit of extra lock—nothing dangerous or unpredictable, mind you, and something that makes normal driving maneuvers occur more responsively. The ride is less happy: it is so stiff that just a gently undulating freeway surface—quite commonly encountered—keeps the car hopping at 60-70 mph, whereas larger undulations at the same speed will bring out a distinct lack of damping from the shock absorbers in their rebound direction. In other words, the ride is an unfavorable combination of stiffness and softness. And crosswind stability is not good. It does not explain these characteristics, for they are more a function of spring rates and shock valving, but the RX3's suspension is different from the other two models. At front it has the purest form of MacPherson strut with the anti-roll bar assisting in location of the front wheels, which is a simplification of the arrangement used in the other two. At the rear its simple live axle-leaf spring setup is like the R100's, whereas the RX2 uses coil springs.
![Image](https://myalbum.com/photo/CkUcG6R7jXcU/1k0.jpg)
Joe Rusz
Brakes are straight from the R100 but with a light vacuum assist added. Light, we say, because you'd hardly know there's any assist; pedal effort is on the heavy side. But the disc/drum combination acquits itself well in the braking tests and at least drivers won't be locking up wheels inadvertently.
In construction quality and interior-equipment-detailing the RX3 is typically Mazda: outstanding. The body is rock-solid and you know it as soon as you encounter a rough road. Upholstery in typical Japanese vinyl with embossed "pleats" and emblems (but real stitching on the seats) is well assembled. The instrumentation is complete, readable and well arranged, and so are the controls even for a belted-in driver—a point so often missed. The belts themselves, employing the federally mandatory retractor/positioning reels, are a model of how this arrangement should work. Ventilation, another usual Mazda strong point, is excellent through dash-end vents and engine noise doesn't come through these as it does in the RX2, though daylight does.
![Image](https://myalbum.com/photo/OQBUmiQTyFS4/1k0.jpg)
Joe Rusz
At its $2945 POE price the RX3 coupe is exactly midway between the R100. now being dropped from the U.S. market, and the RX2 coupe, but surprisingly it's closer to the smaller car in overall quality than to the larger one. So, while it's a nice car, our enthusiasm for it is not unbounded. A mere $50 over the coupe price gets the wagon, which rides better even when it's not loaded though it's decidedly noisier; this may be a more attractive proposition on its particular merits than the coupe is on its own. The coupe, by the way, like Mazda's other coupes, is very short on rear-seat headroom—either the sedan or wagon does better in this respect.
In conclusion, we consider the larger RX2 a better buy than the new RX3—unless one happens to need a rotary station wagon.
BRON http://www.roadandtrack.com/
ARTIKEL BIJ DE BRON http://www.roadandtrack.com/car-culture ... mazda-rx3/