2009 Mazda MAZDA3 Consumer Reviews

typical mazda, great for the $$

Written by: mike w on 09/21/2009

Vehicle

2009 Mazda MAZDA3 i Sport 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl 5M)

Review

Have owned a number of Mazdas over the yrs, all good except the American built 1999 626 - it was junk. Mazda 3 is recommended by me and i do lots of driving. problems ... rear view mirror set too low from dealership, almost wrote off car on third day due to blind spot ... hesitates on a damp mornings going up hills. dealership said knew nothing about it, until i gave them a list of 4 other mazda owners with same problem, and they admitted they all do it. I can live with it, but am careful to put in decent brand name gas, that helps. .... seats are a bit worn after 18 months and underside of glove box all scratched otherwise, its fantastic, too bad they changed the body style this yr

Favorite Features

fav features, decent stereo system, good gas mileage, people always comment that it looks great. fits the family, and i look good driving by myself. no blind spots and fun to drive. looks like its worth more than it it. really good car.

Suggested Improvements

fix the hesitation on the cold mornings going up inclines, you know they all do it, so fix it.

4 out 5 people found this review helpful

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a detailed look

Written by: Jimmy P on 08/11/2009

Vehicle

2009 Mazda MAZDA3 i Sport 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl 5M)

Review

I got the '09 M3i, 2.0 manual. I deliver pizza and do a lot of driving. I've driven nice cars; a porche, some bmw's and a few other nice cars so I'm trying to be completely objective with my review and will break down my scoring on the scale above. Performance: zippy, but not real fast, can't hang with the big boys but the handling is superb, which brought the score up to a 7/10. Comfort: I drive for HOURS! I'm never uncomfortable. 7/10. Fuel economy: I avg 27 mpg...depending on the use of AC and if i'm driving like a maniac which i sometimes do. 350-290 miles per tank.(usually around 320). 7/10. Fun to drive: that the handling is so surprisingly responsive combined

Favorite Features

with decent acceleration and power the whole seems greater than the sum of it's parts and is a joy to drive. 8/10. Interior design: handsome, well put together and steering wheel cd/radio controls make it feel better than what you payed for it. needs more though. 7/10. Exterior design

Suggested Improvements

that's subjective as everyone has their own tastes, but I find the front beautiful...the back is ok, kinda stubby but overall an attractive vehicle. 7/10. Build quality And Reliability: 9/10. I put 10,000 miles on it, drive it every day and drive it hard and have not had one single problem.

15 out 17 people found this review helpful

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Awesome car.

Written by: Devin on 08/10/2009

Vehicle

2009 Mazda MAZDA3 i Sport 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl 4A)

Review

This is my first car, and as such I am simply glad to have one, but I have fallen in love with pretty much every aspect of the car. It has very good handling and a fairly peppy engine, although it is not a Corvette by any means. The aesthetics are very high quality and good looking both inside and out. Mine came with a 4 speaker audio system, but for a 4 speaker, the sound output is very high quality with rumbling bass and clear trebles. The only gripe I have is that power windows/door locks are only available in higher trim levels costing almost $3000 more. I have also had to replace the gas cap, but apparently this has been redesigned and will not get stuck as my old one did.

Favorite Features

AUX audio input, steering wheel audio controls, gear speed indicator in speedometer

Suggested Improvements

Offer a "power package" for less than the price of a new trim level.

3 out 3 people found this review helpful

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So far so good.

Written by: Kevin B on 08/03/2009

Vehicle

2009 Mazda MAZDA3 i Touring Value 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl 5M)

Review

All of the features have been covered in other reviews but have two complaints. 1. Someone else mentioned the dirt/rocks issue....for some reason, on this vehicle, the rocks and dirt you pick up from the road rolls around in the wheel wells and is very audible..more so then any other vehicle I have had, even a Toyota Pick UP..so that can be somewhat annoying..I purposely avoid sandy parts of the road cuz I don't want to hear the rocks rattling around for the next 10 seconds.

Favorite Features

dashboard, exterior

Suggested Improvements

n/a

2 out 2 people found this review helpful

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Zoom Zoom

Written by: jumpback on 07/31/2009

Vehicle

2009 Mazda MAZDA3 s Touring 4dr Hatchback (2.3L 4cyl 5A)

Review

I test drove just about every small car available. None drove like the Mazda 3 Grand Tourer. This vehicle is just snick, snick great. The interior especially is upscale for a small car. If you are looking for value and a not just another boring econobox check this baby out.

Favorite Features

Handling. A/C is excellent. Bose system rocks. Seating positions. Quality. 8 cupholders! Dashboard at night.Enormous glove box.

Suggested Improvements

Arm rest is too short. Road noise.

2 out 4 people found this review helpful

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Love it!

Written by: chickie on 07/13/2009

Vehicle

2009 Mazda MAZDA3 i Sport 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl 4A)

Review

I owned a 95 Mazda Protege for 13 years before getting my Mazda 3. I am really enjoying this new car. Looks nice and I receive many compliments on it. Rides wonderful and handles wonderful....sporty feel. My hubby remarked how comfortable the front passenger seat is, and he's a big guy. Love the stereo system. Only thing it needs improvement on is gas mileage. Could also use a little more room in back seat. Don't know what the reliability will turn out to be, but gave it a high score based on my 95 Protege. Test drove 5 cars in its class, and this one, by far, was the best. Some felt junky, cheap interiors, handled lousy, or too expensive. This one is best value for the money.

Favorite Features

comfort, sporty handling, CD system, style, nice interior...not cheap like other cars in its class.

Suggested Improvements

improve on gas mileage; little more room in back seat; add the seat height adjustment even on base model.

7 out 8 people found this review helpful

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Okay Car, Not Built as well as Protege.

Written by: John on 07/08/2009

Vehicle

2009 Mazda MAZDA3 i Touring Value 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl 4A)

Review

Owned previous vehicle(Oldsmobile)7 years, owned this vehicle only 6 months. Purchased because we were very happy with our 2003 Mazda Protege. Interior quality lacking relative to Protege. Plastic scuffs easily and rear seat fabric fraying after only 2,000 miles and 3 months. Fuel tank holds 14.5 gallons. Reads 3/4 full after 2 gallons used and 1/2 full after 5 gallons used. Road noise evident. Extremely small trunk relative to competition and other Mazda. As a conservative driver highway mpg is great at 35 mpg, but local mpg at times in low 20's. Audio system subpar relative to other Mazda. A/C does not blow very cold compared to older Mazda. Dealer service was terrible on issues.

Favorite Features

Fun to drive. Sharp to look at.

Suggested Improvements

Very small trunk. Increase size relative to competition. Not good for family travel. Road noise, you hear any grit and dirt on road. Audio system subpar. Rear speakers should be placed near rear window instead of on rear doors for better sound. Interior material quality lacking. Air conditioning.

8 out 8 people found this review helpful

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poor miles per gallon

Written by: girvin on 06/22/2009

Vehicle

2009 Mazda MAZDA3 i Touring Value 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl 4A)

Review

just got a 09 mazda3 for my wife i love the design and the dash lights are cool the only thing that i really dont like is the miles per gallon it gets it only has 1100 miles on it not sure if these have a break in period or not other than that its a great car

Favorite Features

the back lights for the guages the headlights and taillights are awsome

Suggested Improvements

better miles per gallon need a restyled grille for 2010 it looks a little silly

3 out 4 people found this review helpful

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My New Mazda 3 Sport 5 Door

Written by: Andy on 06/04/2009

Vehicle

2009 Mazda MAZDA3 s Sport 4dr Hatchback (2.3L 4cyl 5M)

Review

I recently purchased a Mazda 3 5 Door Sport after leasing a Honda Accord for the past three years. This car is GREAT! I had a couple friends recommend it and after the test drive I knew it was the car for me. It's got great styling, good fuel economy, and is fun to drive. The Sport version is loaded with a ton of standard features that were upgrades on other cars I looked at. The 2.3L engine has plenty of power both off the line as well as to get up and go on the highway. I went for the automatic (for my wife) but the manual shift option performs very similar to a manual transmission, giving you a little more control. All-in-all I am fully satisfied and would recommend this car!!

Favorite Features

Tons of storage with fold down seats, 17" Allow Wheels, iPod jack, sporty styling, sport tuned suspension, good fuel economy, great interior styling, FUN TO DRIVE.

Suggested Improvements

Even thought the fuel economy is good, it could use a slightly larger gas tank. I average 325-350 and got just over 400 in my Accord. No other complaints ;)

10 out 12 people found this review helpful

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2 thumbs up

Written by: Mike on 05/29/2009

Vehicle

2009 Mazda MAZDA3 i Touring Value 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl 4A)

Review

Great car overall. Have both a 06 mazda 6 and this 09 mazda 3. although the interior is a bit inferior of that of the 6, the 3 is very well built and has seamless lines. The 2.0 litre is very peppy and I imagine the 2.3 would only be better, as my 6 has a 2.3. This 3 has very tight steering and has been successful to living up to mazdas' zoom zoom motto. Excellent exterior as well, much better at turning heads than a civic and corolla in my opinion. Mileage is decent, although the civic may get a few more miles/ gallon (possibly 5 or so). Overall a great car for people who like to drive. Definitely recommended!!!

Favorite Features

Exterior, peppy engine, fun to drive.

Suggested Improvements

Softer materials in the interior.

2 out 2 people found this review helpful

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