Thinking of buying a Mazda 3, help appreciated?

[tj5450]

Does anyone have experience with a Mazda3? My question is about comfort & reliability, etc. I am considering purchasing this car either in the "Speed3" or just "3", Grand Touring trim level.

If I get the Speed3 version, (2.3 liter, 263 horsepower, 20 city/28 highway mpg), it is probably a mid life crisis. If I get the standard model, (2.3 liter, 156 horsepower, 25 city/31 highway mpg), I guess I am just an old fuddy dutty.

Help and thanks.

 

[Benzadmiral]

Depends how you drive it. You can have just as much fun with the 156-hp version, and with gas edging over $3/gallon, the better fuel economy is *important*.

I drove a regular Mazda 3 as a rental about three weeks ago. It was solid and quick enough, but the red lighting (instruments and ringing every single control) made me feel I was facing a core meltdown in the Springfield nuclear plant. Don't know if that would bother you, though.

 

[CharBaby]

I recently drove a base Mazda 3 with and auto tranny and 15" wheels with a 2.0 liter motor and thought it was one of the nicest cars that I've ever driven. I own 4 cars(Accord, Altima, TransAm, RX-300). I couldn't beleive the quality of the construction and the solid but not harsh road feel. The handling was crisp and the interior was quiet. Very comfy with a great driving position. I loved this car and wish that I baught it instead of my Altima. Just recently rented a Ford Focus with about the same setup and there was no comparison even though they're supposed to share the same platform and drivetrain. My neice owns a Mazda 3 with the 2.3 motor and 17" wheels with an auto tranny and just loves it. I can see why!

 

[CBDFrontier06]

I owned a 2004 Mazda 3i and it was a great little car. If you have any sporting intentions at all, make sure to get the 5-speed. I'm driving a rental 3 at the moment, and the automatic drags it down considerably.

It's a great-handling car, especially if you upgrade the tires and wheels. I put some 7.5" wide wheels on and added 225 series tires and it cornered like a autocross champ....looked better too. The car is a great value, looks and drives way better than anything in its class and was very dependable.

The Speed 3 is a different animal (I own a Speed 6 - same engine with a few more ponies) and it will haul bootie. I'm not a fan of big horsepower hooked to FWD, but I keep hearing that they really have the torque steer under control. Lack of traction would be my biggest gripe, sending 280 ft/lbs through the front tires can only lead to mindless wheelspin. But once it hooks up, apparently it's quite a ride. My biggest complaint about the Speed 3 is that it's only available in a hatchback (wagon) ..not my favorite body style. Personally I think they would have done better to have made the Speed 3 an AWD sedan...I'd have surely bought one if that had been the case.

 

[badtlc]

I would highly recommend getting the 2.0L and not the 2.3L if you decide not to get the speed3. The 2.0L with an MTX will put down more HP to the ground than the 2.3L with an ATX and you'll get closer to 37-40mpg on highway use.

Also, the 3 is made in Japan and has an excellent reliability record just like all mazdas.

 

[tripleM]

I have a 3s 2.3 2006 hatch & it's a very fun, agile, & quick car around the city & hwy.

It's best below 80mph. With gas prices the way they are, it's a good compromise between frugality & fun. It fits me perfectly as a daily commuter & weekend errand runner. I can't comment on the Speed3 because I have a sports car already & didn't need another. But it's is obviously spec'ed nicely & priced very competitively.

I average 28-30mpg 50/50 mix driving.

I agree that if you want to save money on gas, then the 2.0 is one of the best fuel economy cars out there & still fun to drive. Though you would lose some utilitarian uses with just the sedan body style.

The only issues I have had with my 3 hatch is: brakes are a little soft esp the rear; rear brake dust is worse than BMW's; & rear leg room is a little on the short side.

Overall, you get a big bang for the buck in all three vintages and I can't recommend these car enough.

 

[philipsearcy]

My wife and I just bought a 2007 Mazda 5, which is based off of the Mazda 3. The Mazda 5 is a micro-van with sliding doors, seats six, 2.3 150 hp engine, 4 speed auto. This was a very economical purchase, and she is happy with it. The best thing about the new 2.3 engine, it has a timing chain. No more belts to change out every 100K. I was supprised to find the oil filter is of canister design with the lid on the bottom. This style seems outdated to me, makes more of a mess when changing, and takes longer to do, but I enjoy my time out in the barn so I won't complain too loudly. Remember, you can use Ford's X plan when purchasing Mazda vehicles. Philip.

 

[tripleM]

Quote:

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was supprised to find the oil filter is of canister design with the lid on the bottom. This style seems outdated to me, makes more of a mess when changing, and takes longer to do, but I enjoy my time out in the barn so I won't complain too loudly.

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Is there also a under panel covering the filter also on the 5? If so, I just cut a hole under there & it's no fuss no muss.

 

[m2200b]

You can get an adapter to use spin on filters on a mazda 4 motor.

 

[Pablo]

You guys just make look at more and more cars.......I like the sporty Mazda Speed3 even if the wife says I'm going through the change......and she says these small cars are girlie mobiles....

PS I still want a diesel!!

 

[cousincletus]

You can have the same (if not better) fuel mileage in a larger car like the Malibu or Impala. I made the mistake of getting a Cobalt with the 2.2 automatic just assuming it would get superior mileage because it was small. Guess what! The 3.4 Impala that I traded it for gets the same mileage on the highway. Only 2-5 mpg difference in the city, and overall gas mileage difference is 3mpg at the very most. Check out www.fueleconomy.gov before you make your decision. I see already that the larger Malibu gets better gas mileage than the Mazda 3 2.3L.

 

[kkreit01]

^ But who would pick a Malibu over a 3?!

I too do not like the red interior lighting, but I could probably live with it.

 

[cousincletus]

^^^I would. Bigger, more comfortable car w/better gas mileage to boot. Just a suggestion anyway. Buy what you want, your money.

 

[rpn453]

I've had my Mazda3 for 3 years now. I recently did another round of test drives with a friend and, if I were to buy a new car today, it would be another Mazda3. The 2.3L has more power than I need and is fun to take to 7000 rpm with a stick. I wouldn't pay the extra for the Speed3. I would maybe even get the 2.0L if it were available in the hatchback (but it isn't). Obviously, I've become a 28-year-old fuddy duddy. As long as the suspension, handling, and comfort are there and there's enough power, I'd prefer fuel economy to unnecessary (but certainly enjoyable!) power.

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Just recently rented a Ford Focus with about the same setup and there was no comparison even though they're supposed to share the same platform and drivetrain.

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The N.A. Focus doesn't get the Mazda3 platform, which is used in the European Focus and the little Volvos, until 2008. It's on a different, smaller platform right now.

 

[BGK]

Quote:

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You can have the same (if not better) fuel mileage in a larger car like the Malibu or Impala. I made the mistake of getting a Cobalt with the 2.2 automatic just assuming it would get superior mileage because it was small. Guess what! The 3.4 Impala that I traded it for gets the same mileage on the highway. Only 2-5 mpg difference in the city, and overall gas mileage difference is 3mpg at the very most. Check out www.fueleconomy.gov before you make your decision. I see already that the larger Malibu gets better gas mileage than the Mazda 3 2.3L.

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The problem with most domestics like the Malibu and the Cobalt is horrendous resale value. Unless you plan to keep a car until it's junk, you would be far better off financially getting a car like the Mazda 3.

 

[unDummy]

MPG isn't the sole reason for buying a car. Plus, when I drive those GM FWD v6's, I need to baby it to get the MPG that some quote. I beat the snot out my 4-cyl Nissans, Toyotas, Mazdas, and always got acceptable MPG. When I torture rental GM cars, I'm lucky to see mid-teens for MPG. With the amount of city driving and traffic that I see, I wouldn't even consider a V6 anymore. Only those that dry on long traffic-free highway runs will benefit from those awesome torquey GM v6's and ultra tall overdrive gearing.

By all means, buy the Mspeed turbo 3. You'll enjoy the power blast every time you step on it. Throw on a 8" coffee-can exhaust and you'll feel like you just got your license all over again. A little Rogaine, Propecia, and Grecian formula will help too!

I drove a friends 2.0 equipped 3. Its plenty good and cheap to run for an economy car. And, even though Mazda dealers suck, Mazda seems to be doing a good job backing their vehicles up under warranty without service-writer hassles. The 2.3/manual is also an excellent choice.

IMO, Mazda hit a home run with the MZR-engine and with the 3, 5, M5, 6, 7, 8, and 9. What a great car lineup! Now all we need is the '2'.

 

[01rangerxl]

My sister has one and loves it. The price was more reasonable than most of the competition, but the car is more fun and just as content-rich. The car is great in town and on the highway. It has been taken on a few day trips with three adults and comfort has never been a problem.

There have been a couple of minor problems with the car. One has been the clock. Sometimes it will randomly reset itself to 12:00. This does not happen very often. Another problem was the one time when it stalled. While pulling out of a gas station, the car just cut off. It started right up though and has never done it again, so my sister has passed it off as being a one time fluke.

 

[badtlc]

Quote:

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^^^I would. Bigger, more comfortable car w/better gas mileage to boot. Just a suggestion anyway. Buy what you want, your money.

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You can get 37-40mpg in a malibu?

 

[ThirdeYe]

My mom's Malibu's horrible

I wouldn't recommend those at all, based on everyone i've ever known that's had one, has hated it and had troubles with it (3 people, all dislike it and have trouble with them). The MPG actually isn't too bad though, even on the V6, so i'll give them that. I took it on a road trip down to ohio on only a half tank of gas.

 

[Mazda06]

Well, you've pulled me out of the woodwork to make my first post! We own 2 "3"s, a 2004 2.3 S automatic, and a 2006 2.3 S five speed. They are probably the best cars we've owned! No problems with either, the auto gets 29-30 mpg; the 5 speed gets 32+ mpg. These are fun-to-drive and economical sport compacts. You can get something that will get better mileage (i.e. Corolla, etc) but you won't have nearly as much fun driving. I don't think you can go wrong with either the 2.0 or the 2.3.