2023 Mazda 3 rental review - loved it.

[2015Corolla]

Nicest car I've ever owned. We'll see about reliability. The power and interior are something I've never had before, especially in this price range. My last car was a 2015 Corolla. It was rock solid. Very well built. It just lacked power.

Where I live, the closest dealership is 27 miles away. I feel like they could expand their customer base by building a dealership north of Nashville.

 

[baelzebeard]

I had my 2004 Mazda 3 2.3 HB for 15 years. It was a great car. Just basic maintenance items. Mine was made in Japan.

I wouldn't hesitate to recommend them.

 

[Kira]

1) We're up to 4 in our little circle: 2012 + 2016 Mazda3 hatch, 2016 Mazda CX-3 (hatch), 2019 Mazda CX-5 (hatch).
All are/were loved.

2) I hears Mazda sales jumped when Saab was terminated....because they handle so well.

3) A friend of mine's wife bought a Mazda and heard a noise. He disassembled the engine and found some "crankshaft end play limiting washer (shim) missing. He said he went to the dealership with the engine parts in a box demanding remedy. He also said they threw him out.
Now he swears he'll never buy Mazda again. I wasn't there for any of that though I wish I had been.

4) I like 'em.

5) Zoom-Zoom seems like a dopey sales line to me.....as dopey as Imbev's Dilly-Dilly.

 

[joekingcorvette]

I wouldn't hesitate to buy a Mazda 3 if the right deal came along. I seen a metallic candy apple red one the other day and the paint was beautiful. I would probably not buy the turbo with AWD with today's gas prices. The basic car would work fine for me but the turbo would be fun especially with a 6 speed manual.

 

[K-Man]

5) Zoom-Zoom seems like a dopey sales line to me.....as dopey as Imbev's Dilly-Dilly.

"Zoom zoom" is long gone. "Feel alive" took its place.

 

[PimTac]

3) A friend of mine's wife bought a Mazda and heard a noise. He disassembled the engine and found some "crankshaft end play limiting washer (shim) missing. He said he went to the dealership with the engine parts in a box demanding remedy. He also said they threw him out.
Now he swears he'll never buy Mazda again. I wasn't there for any of that though I wish I had been.

That’s quite the story.

 

[CharBaby]

I think that Mazda's are a great vehicle. Their driving dynamics are among the best.
They have vastly improved their ride quality while still maintaining good handling.
Their interior quietness is also improved quite a bit especially on the highway.
And hopefully the previous rust issues in the northeast winters has been taken care of.
As-well-as the aggressive negative camber & toe-in from the front suspension which wore out the tires.

But there is alway seem to be more than one thing holding me back from buying a new one when I am looking to buy a new vehicle. I always seem to come away with..."for the same/similar money, I'd rather have something else!"

 

[BMWTurboDzl]

We rented a ‘23 Mazda 3 with 8700 miles today in San Diego. What a wonderful car! I don’t know much about Mazdas except their owners seem to love ‘em. It rode and drove better than any Corolla/Civic or other small car that I am familiar with.
Can any owners speak to reliability, issues, whatever about the Mazda 3?
I appreciate your thoughts.

I've always been impressed with the constantly narrow panel gap all around. Never ridden in one though.

 

[vwmaniaman]

We have 2 Mazdas and we love them. Reliable and not overly thirsty and comfortable highway cruisers. All cars should be as reliable.

 

[vwmaniaman]

Our local Ford/Mazda dealer only stocks around 5-6 on his lot and most are gone in a week. Their service is pitiful though. Took our CX5 in for lube and tire rotation. Sounded noisey when I left to go to gas station. Found they had not put the top back on the air cleaner and TPS was going off and when I got home I checked the tire pressure. Three tires had 22 lbs and one had 35.5 lbs. Great service for $105 don't you think?

 

[Pew]

I only test drove the Mazda 3 hatchback and as much as I wanted to love the car I couldn't get past how cramped the interior felt; a focus fiesta felt twice the size inside. Other than that, the interior is typical Mazda, which is great.

 

[Marbles_Garage]

We rented a ‘23 Mazda 3 with 8700 miles today in San Diego. What a wonderful car! I don’t know much about Mazdas except their owners seem to love ‘em. It rode and drove better than any Corolla/Civic or other small car that I am familiar with.
Can any owners speak to reliability, issues, whatever about the Mazda 3?
I appreciate your thoughts.

We are on our 4th Mazda ('92 Miata, 2016 Mazda6, 2017 CX5, 2021 Mazda3 Hatch) and each of them have been fun to drive, inexpensive to operate and not overly complex to maintain. The current Mazda3 that we own is a Hatchback with a 6 speed manual. The car has 42k miles and feels as solid as it did when brand new and is a great commuter car and quiet, solid and comfortable on longer drives. It has a very premium interior and overall is definitely not a cookie-cutter design; it is a "mature" car that can still indulge the driver in spirited driving on backroads without any real penalty when just cruising leisurely.

 

[grampi]

Considering what I've seen from Toyota and Honda over the last decade, I'd have to put Mazda above both in terms of build quality...they make awesome vehicles...

 

[odie]

Considering what I've seen from Toyota and Honda over the last decade, I'd have to put Mazda above both in terms of build quality...they make awesome vehicles...

TOYOTA has worked with MAZDA for decades . A transmission specialist told me that the 3 speed auto of the '86 Chevrolet Nova ( Corolla ) 4 door liftback was supplied by MAZDA . The tranny went on well over 250,000+ miles of hard driving ( stop + go ) . Changed fluid around 33,000 mile intervals . Also used SLICK 50 ( w/ Teflon ) automatic transmission additive in vicinity of 65,000 mile intervals .

 

[grampi]

TOYOTA has worked with MAZDA for decades .

Then I'd say Mazda has taken what they've learned from Toyota and improved it...

 

[PimTac]

Then I'd say Mazda has taken what they've learned from Toyota and improved it...

For the last several years Toyota has taken what they have learned from Mazda after their new alliance.

 

[grampi]

For the last several years Toyota has taken what they have learned from Mazda after their new alliance.

It appears to be the other way around...

 

[PimTac]

It appears to be the other way around...

Part of the agreement was the sharing of technologies. Mazda got access to Toyotas battery and hybrid tech and Toyota got Mazda’s SkyActiv tech and engineering.

 

[riverblue]

I agree with Pew. If Mazda would work on their interior space efficiency, I'd consider their vehicles. As they are today, I feel much too enclosed in any driving position. Otherwise lovely cars, especially if the company comes to its senses and (re-)outfits the 3 with an IRS. It's a weird world when higher trims of the Corolla come with an IRS and the 3 doesn't.

 

[jstert]

after much research my engineer/pilot, older son decided on a low-mileage, ex-loaner, 2021, cpo, mazda 3 sedan in 2021. he relocated from n.e. to socal in 2022. the m3 is absolutely fine except that he notices its slightly lower mpg at socal gas prices. i drove it a bit in n.e., very sprightly, way better feel than that of a corolla. my only slight beef was a slightly cramped cockpit feel. my son has flown alot longer in more cramped aircraft cockpits, he said that the m3 is fine. my impression is that toyotas are for owners and mazdas are for drivers.