Automatic transmission sluggish 1st gear AZ3

[patrickb]

Hello all,

First post here. My sister has recently bought a Mazda Autozam Az3 1.5 engine. I am however worried by the fact that the 1st gear is rather sluggish. When driving from a complete stop, with the accelerator pressed to the floor, the car seems as almost it's starting from 2nd gear. It takes quite a long time for the first up-shift to happen. The shifts are smooth throughout. Is that normal or does the automatic transmission need attention? I'd appreciate if you could share your experience on this. Thanks!
Patrick
UK