By dechy on 02/03/06 12:22 PM (PST)
Vehicle
2004 Mazda MAZDA3 s 4dr Sedan (2.3L 4cyl 5M)
Review
I've had my Mazda3 for about a year and a half and have not had any problems as at all. The ride and handling are awesome. I test drove the Civic, Corolla, Ion and Focus and hands down, the Mazda 3 was an easy winner.
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By Gina on 01/23/06 09:19 AM (PST)
Vehicle
2004 Mazda MAZDA3 s 4dr Sedan (2.3L 4cyl 5M)
Review
Having owned Mazda's for years, I would not have dreamed of buying anything else. Had a 626 for 16 years and just purchased a 2004 one owner 3s in Strato Blue. I love this car! It is much more fun to drive than anything I've owned previously. It hugs corners and glides over bumps and for a 4 cylinder 2.3 engine it really has some power. The seats are beyond comfortable and with the sports and power package it turns heads everywhere I go. Although I have not yet needed an oil change (only had the car 3 weeks now), I am concerned with the thread I just read about poor design in the cartridge oil filter. Waiting to see if anyone else has similar problems with that.
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By George Bennett on 01/11/06 11:30 AM (PST)
Vehicle
2004 Mazda MAZDA3 s 4dr Sedan (2.3L 4cyl 5M)
Review
After driving a Protege for 10 years and 250,000 miles, the 3 S seemed like a great car until I used a Jiffy Lube and cracked the poorly designed oil cartridge housing on the car. Mazda says tough luck, but has issued a service bulletin, and I believe reverted back to the cannister versus the cartridge oil filter. It is sad to say that such a nice car can be ruined by poor design - but in my case (and from what I hear) the case of several other Mazda 3 s owners, that you will have to pay $60.00 at the dealership to make sure that your engine does not suffer major damages. I believe the 2005 model also has this type of filter so be prepared!
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By Gary on 01/07/06 09:12 AM (PST)
Vehicle
2004 Mazda MAZDA3 s 4dr Sedan (2.3L 4cyl 5M)
Review
I have had no problems with the car. The styling has been copied now and will be used partially in the design of the EVO 10. It is so much different than having a boring Ford.
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By Paul on 10/17/05 17:22 PM (PDT)
Vehicle
2004 Mazda MAZDA3 s 4dr Sedan (2.3L 4cyl 5M)
Review
I bought this car because it took my breath away. Overall style, class, ride and just looks. I have driven and looked at many other cars, they didn't come close. I looked at this car once, wanted it without driving it. Then I drove it. So I bought it. Since then, it has been lowered, I added exhaust, changed the badging to "Axela," the Japanese version. This car is 2 years old, and I still get looks. I love driving my car, and all my friends love it too. I went from a beat up Honda del Sol, to this. This car is truly best-in-class. I don't care what anyone says. Toyota's and Honda's last forever, but I don't see a Civic or Corolla that looks or drives like this.
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By Paul on 10/11/05 17:58 PM (PDT)
Vehicle
2004 Mazda MAZDA3 s 4dr Sedan (2.3L 4cyl 5M)
Review
I have had my 3S just over a month. I love it. It is the best sub-compact car I have looked at, priced, and driven. It handles like a BMW 3- series minus the rear drive. I see them all around town, but it never fails, people still stare at my car. It is very sexy, and great to drive.
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By Justin on 08/09/05 09:58 AM (PDT)
Vehicle
2004 Mazda MAZDA3 s 4dr Sedan (2.3L 4cyl 5M)
Review
I have had this car for a year now (24k miles) and have not had a single problem. The car handles great, has very good power (for the class), is very comfortable, and looks great! I have made a lot of long (8+ hour) trips in this car and it stayed very comfy all the way through. The car feels so tight and well built, very few squeaks and rattles. There are a few things I would change, but they are minor. I can't wait for the Mazdaspeed!
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By Joseph Roy on 07/23/05 09:01 AM (PDT)
Vehicle
2004 Mazda MAZDA3 s 4dr Sedan (2.3L 4cyl 5M)
Review
Aside from the excellent engine and nice features, the problems I have had outweigh the positives by a lot. In the winter when it was really cold, the heater only marginally works, now in the summer I find that the A/C is only mediocre as well. After bringing it to the dealership multiple times, they insist that it is fine and within the normal range. And after only 10,000 miles they had to replace the transmission. I had it in for two oil changes previous to this and they never realized that transmission fluid was low. When they took the transmission out the fluid was almost gone and it was burnt. Thank god for warranties.
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By DrShmerl on 07/20/05 16:15 PM (PDT)
Vehicle
2004 Mazda MAZDA3 s 4dr Sedan (2.3L 4cyl 5M)
Review
Bought my black 3s sedan after seeing one on the road,loving its looks compared to everything else in the price range. Decided on the stick for fun & added power, upgraded virtually everything I could. Car has proven to be a blast! Look forward to driving it whenever I can. Quick, confident handling & braking, quiet, comfortable, tons of room for its small size, stereo's great, stick is fast & easy. I would get the automatic next time 'cuz of the traffic I'm often in. Overall, can't recommend this car highly enough. Fit and finish were flawless.
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By Itsjustlife on 05/04/05 19:14 PM (PDT)
Vehicle
2004 Mazda MAZDA3 s 4dr Sedan (2.3L 4cyl 5M)
Review
I've never really been impressed by any new car under 20k and definitely never have had a huge desire to buy one. It was at little to no sacrifice. I cross shopped the Acura TSX and Volvo v40 (The mazda 3's cousin) Nothing really compares to the 3 for the money. I got the titanium gray w/ all the options, and the excellent NAV system although a little slow to program. The handling compares to most sports cars double the $ but double the fuel economy as well! It was my first 4cyl but that didn't let me down. I haven't had to bring it to the dealer once and the interior layout and quality is top notch. You can't go wrong with this car!
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