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Compact....??? I say it's a sport.
I’ve spent about 3 months looking for a compact. What I found? Good cars, reasonable prices, and a total lack of attention to the small segment of cars. Mazda certainly created another concept for compact cars. I bought an M 3i sedan with power package, ac, sport/auto transmission and it is worthy everything single penny I spent. It is incredible to drive; it has an amazing design (exterior and interior), and an engine that needs no comments. The car is unquestionably the best in its segment
Great affordable car
Just bought the mazda 3i today, and drove all over 100 miles for fun. Handles great, smooth ride, and suprise on the acceleration. Drives like a sports car, but only a compact. The 3s have more add ins, but the price of the 3i you cant beat.
- s SedanMSRP: $5,99948 mi away
- s 4dr HatchbackMSRP: $5,499158 mi away
- s 4dr HatchbackMSRP: $6,995375 mi away
A Bullet with a Smile!
Love at first sight was just the begining. Sunlight Silver, Black Leather Interior, MoonRoof! What more could I say. The car just purrs like a kitten and is so silky smooth when accelerating I just have to keep an eye on the tach. As for the Hugging around bends and corners, off/on ramps.... just blew me away. 17" wheels and this car were ment to be. Even at highway cruising speeds this car is such a pleasure and a dream to be a part of I just can't say more.
New econobox on the block
Our 93 Civic gave up the ghost after 224,000 miles(original clutch)& we needed another car quickly. Despite the temptation to go back to Honda I loved the 3 hatchback. However, we could not find one with ABS/SAC with a 5 speed in the time frame necessary. Can't say we settled as I think this is the best handling "economy car" i've owned since the 914, GTI or the Audi Coupe. Other marques didn't come close to the overall package in this price range. AWD for an additional 1 to 2000 dollars would make this car a world beater.
Nice car for the price
Thsi car is a fun car to drive, and it is great quality for under $20,000. It is made great but the only downside to this car i have noticed is limited interior space in the rear seats, but if you are a couple buying this car or have small children, it is perfect.
My Mazda 3
This car has the best reliability of any car I have ever seen or heard of. It is fantastic, and practically repairs itself. No problems. I sometimes drive it too hard, but it takes it amazingly well. My wife and I love this car and consider it a member of our family. Lief Johnson has always been an exceptional dealer for me, always going above and beyond. For me to say that is something, because I have walked out of several places, determined never to do business with them again.
Great Car for the Money
Would buy another one again in a heartbeat.
Love
I did about 5 months worth of research to find a car. That all stopped when I found my 3 :). It is a lot of fun to drive and looks great. I'm hoping the reliability holds up. I have confidence. I love my car!
Great Young Person Car!
I haven't even had mine a full week yet but I am in love. My boyfriend is actually jealous. I managed to talk the dealers into giving it to me for way less than what they wanted, so don't let them try to stick it to you for full price. Mine's fully loaded without navigation and was under 18K. Fun car to drive, and I get way more double takes from guys than I did driving my Accord.
Great bang for the buck
Just bought the 2004 S model This car performs much better then you would think for the price. Styling is perfect, inside and out. Corners great with its sport tuned suspension. Decent acceleration and very good brakes. Has the looks of an Audi or BMW, the price of a Mazda, what more could you ask for?
mazda3
one of the most fun cars i have ever driven.
Love it!
This is my first new car, I love everything about it except the gas tank openeing on the passenger side of the car. Guess I'm just used to Honda.
AC
this vehicle has everything that you want in a car.. but if you live in phoenix az where the weather is hot or went the summer comes by...you going to have lots of proble because the AC don't work like other vehicle...is justa cool air coming out your vent...went the weather is 80 degree ...if you got kid you won't be able ride on the back seat they will fry..
Been Waiting For This...
I fell in love with the M3 the moment I saw it. Picked it up yesterday and am having a wonderful time so far. It's got zip and style. I think the mileage could be a bit better, but it ain't that bad. I also think the music system could be better too.
Fun to drive
I have had this car for 3 months now and I still have a grin on my face everytime I drive it. I have a MZ3, cloth, TPMS, manual with navigation, and xenons. I recieved from my new car from parents and them being previous mazda owners (91' Mazda 626) of ten years and 400,000 miles I know it will last. The only downside is the power which it lacks, so get a manual it makes the drive more enjoyable. Performance parts are becoming steadly available so that can be fixed with a little tunning me being a teenager in all. The flip up navigation is nice also, not just for looks. To sum this up, this car is for the consumer that whats a budget vehicle with great looks and "moderate" power.
Fun to Drive
It's a fun car to drive, with good handling and excellent acceleration. The radio and cruise control controls in the steering wheel are great. The back seat is quite roomy for a car this size. Like the automatic door locks when the vehicle is started. Feel it's an excellent value for the money.
Fun! Fun! Fun!
Just bought Mazda3 S hatchback! Smooth ride, punchy engine, (who needs a 6 cylinder), saved a lot of money. Soft leather. Handles very well. Quiet engine. I love driving my car, and being able to get all friends in. So far, so good!
Good but not great
I really liked this car at first. It has the larger engine and is fun to drive. It has developed a small air leak noise on the right side. Sometimes it feels like the tires are pulling right or left at 25 mph. After only 10000 miles the front tires are worn badly and almost need to be replaced. It's not easy to find tires for the 17" wheels, and when you do they're very expensive! The console makes the driver's leg room cramped. Be very careful when you park facin a crub because the front is very low and is easily damaged. I would not buy another one until I know these and other problems have been corrected
Zoom, Zoom
I have had this car for about 2 weeks, and 1000 miles later, I can say I'm pretty happy with this purchase. It's been through Chicago's winter already, and It does alright in the snow.
Very nice car!
This car is awesome. I got a great deal on it when the car was still a fairly new car to the United States. This car is fast and responds well and gets great gas mileage. You just can't find a better car in this price range that looks as good as this one does!
Best compact around hands down
There is no competition for this car in the compact market. We are a two Mazda family and I enjoy driving this car as much as I enjoy driving our RX8. The handling is absolutely superb, the brakes are fantastic and the engine is very peppy for a 4 cylinder. We got a fairly loaded example (leather, auto, moonroof, 6 CD) and love it to death. Just did our first long haul, San Jose to LA, to Vegas, to San Jose and enjoyed it very much. The car is very comfortable and smooth, great long distance cruiser. Best part was we were moving at a good pace and still averaged 26 mpg for the trip.
Drives like a zoom out of Hades
Continue to be amazed by thoughtfulness of detail and quality of fit and finish. Drives like a go-cart and turns quite a few heads as I pass them. The dealer sold two more of them while I was buying mine. Another winner for Mazda.
Hot Car
The looks of this car are incredible! Mazda really put together a great car. The interior materials are top notch and it's put together nicely. The car in an all around beautiful car. It performs great and no other car comes close in it class. It begs to go for long fast drives, it loves corners and entrance ramps. Mazda is by far the hottest car company! The finished product is that of engineers who spent late nights and thinking outside conventional compact. Go Mazda!!!
Great new car to start with!
iT WAS SO FUN TO DRIVE. Taking turns was like a race car game. And best of all, I paid Invoice for it. Pickup is excellent, even uphill and the AT transmission switching to manual for pasing rocks.
Three months of the 3
I bought this car in early January and I am pleased with jumping into this new model as soon as I did. I got one with all the options. The car is quick, and has a smooth, quiet ride. The sport automatic is a nice compromise, for one who is used to a manual transmission. The exterior styling is very nice.
my Strato Blue baby
I brought my car home 12.14.2004. So far, I'm quite happy with my purchase. It has been 4 years since I've owned a vehicle and I promised myself that my first *New* car would be exactly what I wanted. I paid (in cash) $19k (after $500 college rebate- beware its taxable) $20,273 with TTL- for the following: Automatic, Strato Blue, Moonroof 6 CD with ABS/SAC/SAB pkg. My car also has the digital compass attached to the rear-view mirror (its extremely helpful) The driver's seat is quite comfortable. For a 4 cylinder engine- it has quite the pick- up! The gear shift is a little strange in its zig-zag design- but after a while you get used to it. Lots of space in hatch/trunk!
Somebody pinch me
This car reads my mind and accelerates. Trust me, it is that quick! Build quality is first rate. My wife an I really enjoy this car.
Good Alternative for Compact
I felt that this car was overall better than the Civic & Corolla. It came w/ more standard features and the quality of material was supurb. As for the Protege's success, I had no doubt in purchasing it.
Best Buy For The Money
Fast, fun, and cheap!! Mazda came out with a great compact that feels like a sports car. The 3i engine with 148hp is fast enough and you can upgrade to an 3s with 160hp for an affordable price. The features and design is great. The dash has an awesome design. The sound system is good too.
Fun to drive, great price!
This car handles like a dream. Exterior looks great. I tell people the price and they just about fall over. A little cramped on the inside, but I am also 6'4", what could I expect. Carpet is cheap as is ceiling fabric. They had to cut costs somewhere. I would buy again if given the choice. Braking is great. Powerful engine, fun and easy shifting manual transmission.
1st Time Mazda Owner
I bought this car used and it had 15k miles on it. I've owned it now for about 3 weeks and have enjoyed diving it each and every day. My last car was a Volvo that was killing me with repair cost, so I'm hoping the Mazda treats me better. I've had a couple of small issues so far, the worst of which is tire noise. I know they're performance tires, but I certainly hope I don't have to replace them every 15k miles just to avoid the obnoxious sound I'm getting now. Other than that, the car handles great, has great acceleration and looks the bomb! I love the automatic transmission which is smooth and responsive - and I just click over to Tiptronic if I need to drop a gear and pass some grandpa.
Got it Loaded with everything
Okay, I have to say I like the power of the 5-Speed. I think for the money you cant beat it.
Great fun car
This car has been great. I have had it now for 3 months and I just love it. It is my first car that I actually bought and I can't be happier. I don't have a whole lot of money right now so this smaller sized car is great for someone who just got out of college and needed a new car. It gets great gas mileage and is sporty looking and fun to drive. The 4-cylinder on this baby isn't even noticeable, accelerates like a champ.
2004 Mazda 3 S
You can't go wrong with this vehicle. Good mileage, responsive speed, acceleration is great. One of the best interior design I've ever seen. Don't go with Honda or Toyota their interior design just can't compare to this one. You don't want to drive a car that everyone has do you? This car has very good horsepower and torque. It can take civics and Corolla with ease.
Slick tires on water/snow
My husband and I have owned our manual Mazda3 for only a few months, and it is a joy to drive in ideal conditions. Pure driving enjoyment! If it is wet or snowy, however, we fear for our lives. The car spins to start at a light, slides a lot at a stop, and often fishtails in the snow. The factory installed Eagles are like skis and after 2 near-misses and one collision due to snow, we are getting the tires/rims replaced before we get hurt or hurt someone else.
Ticket Getter
Purhased after reading reviews. Being a "motorhead", I had a pretty good idea what was out there, and without the bump to 160-horses, I probably wouldn't have considered the 3. Also drove left over Proteges, which has entirely different feel. Whereas the Protege is flingable, the 3 feels more substantial. Bought for less than $500 over dealer's invoice. The January issue of Car & Driver magazine provides a good review on this model. More comparable to the discontinued Prelude than the Civic or Matrix in it's class and pulls as hard a a 330 Bimmer 0-60.
Best I have ever had
I just bought my Mazda and I completely fell in love with it after the test drive. It is stylish and affordable. The gas mileage is excellent! I would recommend this car to anyone.
great car , bad stereo
Bought the hatchback with sunroof and ABS. Have not broken it in yet..Opted for the auto since I felt the performance was close to the manual, also better in traffic:) Handling is exceptional, highway driving is smooth..was doing 80mph and did not even feel like I was going fast. Brakes are excellent. Engine could be a little more responsive but for a 4 cylinder is excellent..I am coming from the maxima engine, so I am a little spoiled. Plus my wife has Toyota Matrix XRS, which I feel has a more fun to drive engine...but Mazda 3 beats the XRS in build quality.
3 Series?
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!
AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1
This is a great car at a great price. When i saw the features and the styling of this car i almost over looked it thinking it whould be in the mid to high 20's i took a look at the sticker price, drove it, bought all in one night... AWESOME VEHICLE.....
Love this car
this vehicle was supposed to be for my wife that is 9 months pregnant. We chose the mazda "s" for the four-door capabilities. I'm having more fun driving this car than my Dodge Hemi!
Mazda 3
excellent car for the money. definitely worth a look
WOW!!!
I was very unfamiliar with Mazda autos until I was recently given a Mazda 3 sedan as a rental from Hertz. My interest and curiousity was immediately piqued by just the base model rental. I decided to research the car on the internet and read good things. I then decided to visit the dealership in the Thousand Oaks Auto Mall in Thousand Oaks, CA where I got my first close up view of the S3 2.3 Litre Hatchback. I loved it at first sight. Then I drove one. WOW! So...without further delay...I BOUGHT IT RIGHT THERE...AND I LOVE IT!!! Dude, this ride comes with EVERYTHING for under $23,000.00 and punks any Lexis in its class both in performance and price!
ZOOOOOOMM ZOOOOOOM
After being greatly disappointed by the Matrix XR, my wife and I went to try the next car on our list, the 3s Hatchback. No comparison. The 3s blows away the Matrix on HP and standard equipment. We got the Titanium Gray color with 4 speed auto. The dealer had a labor day sale going on, and we got it for $17,109. I love the getup and go this car has, and the tranny shifts smoothly. It reminds me of the 1989 Honda Civic si that I had because it is just fun to drive. The controls were hard to get used to, but, are very easy to use after a little bit of practice. I had a 1975 Mazda GLC, and got about 240K out of it. I have nothing bad to say about this car at all.
Fun, practical, looks good, zoom zoom
I had an Acura Integra which I liked, finally made a change and couldn't be happier. Fun to drive, looks nice inside and out, plenty of room and power in a small package, good mileage. Winning Blue looks great!
NO good
I purchased a Mazda3 Jan. 2004 to commute to school and work. I am very displeased with it. The worst problem is that, in automatic, when the vehicle shifts from 1st to 2nd gear, at around 2500 RPM, there is a great jolt. The car jerks a lot, sometimes more than others. I called the dealership and they told me that it was the "nature of the beast." They had gotten similar complaints, but there was nothing they could do about it. The car is also loud (belts and fans) and noisy inside while driving. I want to get rid of it.
1st New Car
After having researched this car I found that it was the best in its class. After having drove it, I found that it's the best on the road. This car looks good, feels great, and is priced even better. I bought this car with all of the options available and I am very pleased with the results of each of them. I have no regrets about my purchase, and recommened this vehicle to anyone.
The most rockin' car out there!
This car lives up to its potential. I've had a blast driving it so far. I mainly use it for school, but now and then, my friends and I go for a spin. Just an overall good car!
2.3L mazda3s sedan - great car!
You can't really find this kind of compact car elsewhere - its for people who want more than the low powered corollas and civics and don't want to pay mega bucks for the bmw/audis. I find it great to drive, everything I expected and more. I wanted something a little more powered and a little bigger than my old corolla, and this fits the bill exactly! Found out that my tire pressure monitoring system works - 3wks old and a flat tire =( I get about 25-26mpg and its about 50/50% city/highway driving. Insignificant minor flaws, super features. Brake dust is an issue, but thats only because the open spoked hubcaps make it visible - cleaning it can be a pain.
mazda3
this is a great car to start out with, the design is great, fun to drive