Picked up a new Mazda 3

We have paid cash, taken out loans, and used leased. All can be done intelligently or recklessly. Each have their place in financial planning.

My 2024 Tacoma is a lease. I trade trucks so often, it made sense to have a slightly better truck than if I financed something. Whoever gets my truck will get a pretty nice maintained truck, with low miles. I still maintain it like it's something I "owned". Heck, it's even undercoated.
 
My 2024 Tacoma is a lease. I trade trucks so often, it made sense to have a slightly better truck than if I financed something. Whoever gets my truck will get a pretty nice maintained truck, with low miles. I still maintain it like it's something I "owned". Heck, it's even undercoated.
The Malibu is used for work so it’s more advantageous to lease. The Sienna has a note but we can pay it off anytime. Rather keep the cash on hand though. And the CR-V and Elantra were purchased for our older kids cash.

We could write a check for the lease and loan today and it would not impact our savings significantly. Hardly the worst financial decision ever I’d say.
 
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Do M models have good lease incentives? Often the sport and performance packages don't lease well being they know how the vehicles were driven and don't want them back. I looked at WRX' in the past they never had a good lease program but a basic Impreza as long as you had a pulse they'd lease these all day long.

I’m unaware of any lease deals.

It’s a BMW so drive it for 2-3 years and get rid of it.
 
Pretty car. My wife leased once and it worked out well. The lease return was June on 2020, the height of covid. New cars were scarce and the auto market was in uncharted territory. The dealership gave us more $$ on the lease trade than the original paperwork stated because they desperately wanted the car for re-sale. With a lease, your obligated to return the car to the manufacturer not the dealership. So you can shop around at different dealerships when turning in the lease.
 
I don’t lease or buy new cars and I still have financial problems. 🤣 I like to spend my money on hoarding a massive pile of Amazon boxes.

Mazda3 is a great car. My dad had a Protege5 back in the day. It was an awesome car and motivated me to buy my first car, a Mazda Miata.

Had the Miata for 10 years then sold it after moving to Michigan, which had the worst and straightest roads in the country, hence why I sold it.
 
Yes the Mazda brand still continues to impress very solid quiet ride and strong braking. Impressive this has a torsion beam rear suspension you’d never know it as a daily maybe thrown around then yes.
If anyone follows the Brian Makse (the e is silent) there is a brand new review on youtube . He loved the Mazda 3. very good review. He is a race car driver.

Enjoy your new car, Congrats!
 
If anyone follows the Brian Makse (the e is silent) there is a brand new review on youtube . He loved the Mazda 3. very good review. He is a race car driver.

Enjoy your new car, Congrats!
Thank you
 
Make sure you change the transmission fluid every 30k-60k and the rear diff at 10k and then every 30k. This gen of 3/CX-30 is known to eat rear diffs (mine failed at 35k), and it holds very little oil. My transmission went at 40k. The oil was black like diesel oil, and every other one I've seen changed is very very dark at around 50k when working correctly. Mazda says it never needs changed (they also say the rear diff only needs changed if it gets water in it), but as we all know here, lifetime means until it fails.
 
Sounds like you got a pretty decent deal going the lease route assuming your usage fits in the mileage limits. I’m sure it will serve you well for the 36 months you have it. Mazda builds a solid vehicle and deserves more accolades IMO.
 
Make sure you change the transmission fluid every 30k-60k and the rear diff at 10k and then every 30k. This gen of 3/CX-30 is known to eat rear diffs (mine failed at 35k), and it holds very little oil. My transmission went at 40k. The oil was black like diesel oil, and every other one I've seen changed is very very dark at around 50k when working correctly. Mazda says it never needs changed (they also say the rear diff only needs changed if it gets water in it), but as we all know here, lifetime means until it fails.
it is a lease with 10,000 a year allowed for 3 years so any issue would be under warranty.
 
I owned a 2012 Mazda3 with the 2.0L Skyactiv and the six speed manual. I had it for a little over three years and 35k miles. I can say it was the most fun to drive vehicle I’ve owned, other than maybe a 73 Super Beetle for purely nostalgic reasons. I drove it far more aggressively than I should have and it was a blast.

I traded it on my 2016 Mazda6 only because I hit a deer with it and decided I didn’t want to own a vehicle long-term that would probably have paint issues in a few years. The only reason I went with a 6 instead of another 3 was because by then all the 3’s being imported were from Mexico while the 6’s were still Japanese.
 
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