Ok, so I am a soon to be Mazda 3 owner. I am also a current Ohio resident, but soon to be San Diego resident. So the question is, can I buy my 3 here in ohio, and actually have it pass California emissions tests? The dealer said yes! I think he is misleading me. Or should I wait to buy my 3 until I live in Cali? Basically the dealer was saying the different emissions package is just for newly sold cars out there, but that the actual testing standards for a given model year are lower than the new car sales standards.

(I did a search of the forums and wasnt able to find this info, also I asked Mazda's website, and they gave me an ambiguous [nearly a "good luck finding out" type] answer).

Any input here would be very helpful....

Thanks!

 

I can't imagine a stock mazda3 from ANY state failing California emissions. I would assume all US cars are the same across the board.

 

i would think it would pass just fine, cars today can usually pass a sniffer even without cats and such. I know for a fact that some states are actually starting to phase out emission testing all together most because its pointless any more, takes more time than its worth and 9 times out of 10 people fail for bs like gas caps. Colorados program end at the end of this year I know for sure.

If you are worried about it I would just wait to buy it in Cali, then you dont have to worry about driving it all the way there, you can just pick it up at the dealership.

 

That isn't true in the Mazda3's case. In CA, NY, MA, ME, and VT all Mazda3s sold include extra emissions equipment. On the sticker it's listed as the "PZEV Package." You'll see them fairly often in surrounding states (especially NJ and CT), and every now and then further out due to dealer trades. They don't charge any more for it, but the horsepower is slightly decreased (~7hp for the 2.3). People who have driven them back to back can't tell the difference, though. On the upside your emmissions warrenty is increased to something insane (15 years, IIRC), which can save you a lot of trouble down the line.

Andrew Beard