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Beware of Plastic Parts and Oil Filters!
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!
Somewhat Satisfied
Overall a fun car to drive there are just some annoying things. The seats aren't too comfortable, the brakes squeal even after being replaced, the transmission shifts hard into second. Recently when slowing down, as the car is downshifting, it misses 2nd gear. When the trunk is popped it doesn't raise itself, and I think there is something wrong with the spring. Also, I have a 6 month old, and it is hard to get him in and out of the car. The doors don't open wide enough either.
- s 4dr HatchbackMSRP: $6,99573 mi away
- s SedanMSRP: $5,999450 mi away
- s 4dr HatchbackMSRP: $5,499457 mi away
It's a Canadian Lemon
By far the worst example of customer service I'e ever experienced. Car is 9 months old, had a hesitation problem from day 1. Been in the shop 6 times for 23 days, couldn't fix the problem then Mazda said it was normal. I requested a replacement and they refused. Went through arbitration, an independent test was ordered and confirmed my complaint that it doesn't run properly. Mazda Canada was ordered to buy back the car. I wanted to purchase another but Mazda Canada is refusing to lease me another because "they're all like that and I wouldn't be happy with another" Bull, I've driven 6 others and they were fine. Mazda won't refund the $450.00 extended warranty!
Well it's been 16 months & 7000 miles
Well it's been 16 months and 7000 miles since I bought my Mazda 3s and the car is just as firm and tight as the day I drove it home for the first time, no rattles and vibrations (which I hate in a car). The steering and handling is just as superb, the brakes are just as good, the 5 speed manual (would never think of buying this car in automatic) is just as precise and sweet. I have even come to love the Goodyear RSA Eagles that everyone hate so much; excellent feedback to the driver from these tires, excellent cornering and braking, just go light at the start of a rain or they will spin. This is one awesome car that Mazda should be proud of making. Excellent driving machine.
Fun Family Wagon
Bought new in July 2004. Very fun to drive, and it looks great for a 5 door wagon. Good amount of pep and corners flat with a lot of grip. Good cargo space, once fit an armchair in the back with the seats folded. Rear is a little tight with a rear facing child seat, but otherwise good for two adults. I'm 6'3" and fit very comfortably with only a little rubbing on the center console. MPG are a little less than expected, partly because it is so easy to drive fast. My 2004 only has a 4 speed auto so RPM are a little high on the freeway. Negatives include weak AC, high road noise, ride can be firm on broken pavement, only one intermittent wiper speed, tires are expensive to replace
Rally fun and sport comfort
I bought the Mazda 3s to drive to work, then retired early. Yes, I'm that old. It's been a great car, fun to drive and fairly grippy at speed on winding roads. We drive between Montana and California living in two rural communities. Fun driving at both ends. Not bad on long trips and adds FUN to the drive. Good mileage (between 25 and 30) and no repairs to date (about 30000 miles). I've owned a 325 BMW, TR-6, and still own and drive a 91 Corvette and this little 3 fits in nicely with the fun to drive group.
Mazda3 for me
In March I will have had this car for 4 years. To this date the only complaint I have is the cloth interior tends to fray with use. The carpet as well could be a little more durable. A driver's foot rest would be nice. Typically after 2 years I tend to get tired of a car. But after four years I am still in love with this car. Mazda has a winner with this car. In this time of high gas prices it is nice to find a car that looks great, fun to drive and gets great gas mileage. My 5 speed tends to get 38 to 40 mpg on the highway and 33 to 35 mpg in the city which is full of stops and goes.
200,000 miles of absolute hate
I bought this car with 100,000 miles on it. It was decent at the time. I hate it. It makes weird noises, the a/c is terrible even with all new equipment. The design of the front bumper is [non-permissible content removed] with the mounting being built into the bumper with plastic so when they break, you have to replace the bumper. The A/C compressor makes noise that make it seem like its going to die. The intake manifold ticks, the SRS system is so poorly designed you can cause your air bag warning light to come on just by adjusting the drivers seat. The A/C controlls are so crappy that sometimes I have to slap the hell out of the panel to get the a/c to click on. The brake system works atleast. The seats are not comfortable on long trips leaving the lumbar support as a non helpful adjustment.
- Safety
- Technology
- Performance
- Interior
- Comfort
- Reliability
- Value
Worst car I've ever owned
Replaced the transmission. Twice. Motor "clicks," my mechanic thought it was going to throw a rod. Six months later, still clicking. Front end needed to be rebuilt at 102k. Roughest running four-cylinder I've ever seen. Dealer said that's a characteristic of the motor. Hunh.
best car out there
very Sporty, great looks and and awsome price
It's great!
The Mazda3's handling is tight without giving a punishing ride. The interior was nicely appointed and well laid out. Sure -- it doesn't have some of the fancy doo-dads that the luxury cars have, but I can turn on my headlights just fine all by myself, thank you. It's a comfortable little car that feels bigger than it is and has some nice bigger car features. (Many "stolen" from the upmarket Mazda6.) It's sensible without losing any of it's zippy fun factor.
Poor Man's Luxury Sedan
Hot little vehicle with a decent price tag.
Zoom zoom.....no rust.....rust....rust
A fun car to drive for the first four years. Rust started this winter and in a few short months has almost devoured the car. Not since my 71 Torino have I seen a vehicle rust so bad. I would never buy another
Love it - except the gas cap
It is a good little commuter car, fun to drive and good gas mileage. But I am a little dissapointed with the problems associated with gas cap and the vapor capture system. At less than 1000 miles, the check engine light came on. They said I did not tighten the gas cap enough. I had been warned by the salesman to tighten the gas cap. The light came on again same week I got it back. They kept it a week (with a free loaner car-but I wanted my new car back). They replace the gas cap. When that didn'twork, they replaced a valve (one they had never replaced before-that made me feel good). Just after 2000 miles, back again-need to tighten gas cap. This is very annoying.
ANOTHER SUCCESS STORY FROM MAZDA
The 2.3 liter engine gives this lightweight car a lot of Zoom Zoom. That said, you still feel like there is more real metal than plastic like in a lot of cars.
best
love this car. the best in its class
Zoom-Zoom to Putt-Putt
I got my Mazda 3 in March of 04, brand new, with only 4 miles on it. I shopped around for several months, and knowing I couldn't afford an Audi, I went with something as comparative and fun to drive. The first couple of years were great. It turned heads and drove like a cat. It had a few small annoying features, like no finger pace to open the trunk, poor cabin sound and a mediocre stereo. But then the transmission and clutch started having problems. It gave a little trouble at first, and then the third gear just went along with the warranty.
mazda3
one of the most fun cars i have ever driven.
Zoom Zoom x 3
Great new car from Mazda! The new 3 is leading the sub-compact class right up a notch or two. Dont wate money buying a base model compact. This car is very tight, good looking and well-priced. modern ergonomics and built in Japan makes it a winner. The car has been referred as a mix between a BMW, a Jetta and a Corolla... taking only the good from each of them... The Bimmer is great but too expensive; the Jetta feels realgood, but is poorly built; the Corolla has excellent reliability, but is bland and dull. The Mazda 3, particulalry the 3s or GT in Canada combines all the "wants" and drops the "bads". Nice car!
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.
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.....
Great car!!!
I traded in my 2001 Accord EX-V6 for a Mazda 3. I love this car. It is very fun to drive because it can handle excellent in the turns and it has some power.
Great Buy!!!
It is a great car to drive has great agility turns corners very tightly and awesome interior. And above all that it is very great buy for less than 21k. Comes stand with all the great features. Has a kicking sound system too. Also you can even throw in a Navi system if you can afford it.
The alternate to my Corvette
I love driving a Corvette on the weekend, but the Mazda 3 makes my 80 mile workday commute more than enjoyable. Over the years, I've also owned an RX-7 and a Protege, and this Mazda is another winner. My 5 speed wagon has leather, sunroof and 6 CD player, and no problems to report at 80K. Excellent car and looking to replace it with either the MX-5 or a Mazdaspeed 3.
More Room, Less Zoom Zoom
I gave up the car after 6800mi. I'm 5'10 & in good shape but I couldn't find a comfortable driving position. The two lane country road I tested it on proves what winner Mazda has-quick, nimble and loaded with features on much costlier cars. But the center stack flairs out at the bottom and the legroom under the dash was too crowded for me on my 45 min daily commute. No combination of seat/steering wheel adjustments yielded a good fit. I replaced a 626 with the 3s, maybe I should have gone for the Mazda6 but reliability concerns and the V6 kept me away. If you're used to the legroom of a midsized sedan be aware that the seating in the 3s takes some getting used to. I decided to give it up.
Mazda 3 s5
Bought the Mazda3 s5 to replace a 98 Jetta GLX. Like the versatility of the 5 door and the performance of the 2.3 engine. My wife liked it so much she traded her 2000 Jetta in on a 3i!
Great ride
Having owned an Audi A4 for several years, Mazda's 3 feels very similar. A solid drive...doesn't feel like I'm driving a compact. Plenty of muscle and a beautifully designed interior/exterior. Mazda really outdid themselves with this one. For the money, I can't imagine more in a vehicle.
sporty
fun car to drive
Great Little Car
This car smokes the competition (Corolla, Civic). It's tight as a drum and performs very well by any standard especially for an econobox. It is built to a standard you typically find in more expensive cars.
Brand new Mazda 3 -- had it for 2 weeks
I test drove the Civic, Corolla, Sentra, Golf, Jetta and 2003 Protege. This was the best package I found for the price. The ride is very nice, and not jelly-like (see Honda Civic base model).
Awsome
Love this car, didn't mention Build Quality or Reliability because I've only had it a few days.
Mazda3
Good Performance/Handling. Quiet engine. Solid structure. Excellent design inside and out. Don't know about reliability yet.
Bang for the Buck!
Purchased used with about 24k miles. Titanium Gray, black leather, 5-speed, ABS/airbag package, 6 CD/moonroof package, TPMS/Xenon package. Previous car was '89 Ford Probe GT, which was a Mazda clone. I really miss the low rpm torque from the Probe's turbo (Mazdaspeed3 will be awesome!), but overall, I can't be happier. I could have purchased a new '05 Ford Focus ST (5-speed, same 2.3L Mazda motor) for about the same money, but the Focus interior and features STINK compared to the Mazda3. Also test drove several Dodge SRT-4's (TURBO!), but again, the interiors were not livable compared to the 3 (not to mention the race car open exhaust).
Just a test drive......
The test drive was very nice. The dealer was a little pushy. I have just begun to search for a new car and this one might be it. The Mazda Symbol on the front and rear of the car is absolutly huge, tone it down Mazda. Radio was kind of weak, the shift were not as crisp as in the 6 but the clutchs pick up position was better. The handling was sweet tight but not quite as good as the out going protege. It better than the protege in someways, more of the same in others.
My Little Mazda
I bought my Mazda3 in Nebraska and drove it back to Vegas. That's 1255 miles. I got an average of 24-26mpg the whole way. Not bad, but definitely could be better. This includes the driving in Colorado. If anybody has driven through there, you know what I mean. I got about 24 in that area. Your auto-stick really comes in handy up those hills. I was in 3rd gear up most of them. While in Nebraska, it was really cold. For some reason it didn't want to start early in the morning at 0 degrees. Not sure. After it was started, everything was fine. Took a couple times, but it did start. I tried putting heet in the gas tank, but didn't seem to do anything. The tail end likes to slide in the snow. A+
my zoom
I have not had any problems with this car. I currently have just about 25,000 miles on it. Fun to drive.
too fast too furious
awsome ride. awesome speed. out of the box performance that rivials all of the tricked out street racers. it's got big rims, low profile tires, a fast engine and tons of features.
Zippy 3
I love my new car. It has all the features of a luxury car, yet it comes in a small package (easy to park)and at a reasonable price. The navigation is great, and the utility of the hatchback comes in handy.
Best Economy Car
The '04 Mazda 3s is by far the best economy car around. I recently purchases an '04 Neon SXT and an '03 Civic LX and the Mazda 3s out-does them easily. I just got this car for my 17 yr old and he loves it. The car has the great engine with 160hp. It has superb handling, smooth ride, quiet cabin, outstanding interior and exterior styling, high quality interior. The 1 flaw in this car is that the trunk is small. I got an auto Mazda 3s with navigation and leather for only 17,650. This car is like a mini Altima or Accord.
One Great car for the money
A few months back i walked in to Lithia Mazda of Fresno, California and purchased a 2004 Mazda 3s. Since then it has been that greatest car i have ever purchased. I love the way it looks inside and out. It reminds me very much or my old BMW 325i. I also cant seem to stop driving it. I love this car a would rate this car a 10.0
I love my Mazda 3!!
I love the looks and lines of this car. It is sporty and sassy and drives just that way. The handling is great with very little body role as you power through turns. The interior is well thought out with everything at your fingertips. I didn't think I would like the auto-shift feature, but it is growing on me, in fact I have it in that mode most often. It seems to increase the engine power and maneuverability of the car. The fact that I can get a car with such grat drivability that's fully loaded with all the extras at such a great price is exciting. I love driving it - I am very pleased with this car.
Very capable
This car has a solid feel, crisp handling and good seat comfort. I feel confident behind the wheel and there's plenty of back seat and hatchback utility in this fun package. I paid full boat retail and don't regret it. Our other car is a Miata and it's hard to compare these two but it is sporty enough that I don't jones to get back in the sports car. It's really great.
AXELA
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.
Euro build style.. without the price tag
I used to own a VW Jetta VR6, and find a lot of similarities between the Jetta and the Mazda3. I was impressed on the first drive the pickup the 2.3l had. Its been awhile since I owned a 4cyl. Overall, the last 199 miles have been a pleasure. Its comfortable, sharp and nibble handling make quite a package. Driving is believing.
Powerful, Good Looking, and Economical!
I drove the Civic LX, and Corolla LE. Neither of them shifted smoothly, were underpowered, and weren't fun to drive or look at. Also drove the Subaru WRX, and I actually prefered driving the Mazda 3. The Mazda 3 is the most fun car that I've driven in years! It also happens to get great mileage and the base model comes loaded with more stuff than the Civic or Coirolla, and at 160 hp, it has plenty of power. It's also rock solid on the road, and handles great. I drove the Protege also, and this is a totally different car, much improved. Too early to judge reliability yet, but with the same engine and trans. as the Mazda 6, I'm expecting it to be good.
Love this car!
Factory ordered Jan04; picked Strato Blue out of the book. What a looker! Will never find another paint this beautiful; even Mazda changed it after 2004, probably because it scratches so easily. Still turning heads after 75,000 miles though. Absolute fun to drive on tight back roads, but really tough on tires. Easy to spin even from a stop sign. Gas mileage with aftermarket roof rack is around 23-25 mpg mixed, but 30-33 mpg on long trips using cruise control. Good reliability; only three unscheduled trips to dealer that was the car's fault...dash cracked, CD player fried, and transmission programming issue. Most difficult is thinking of trading it off! Might just have to buy another one!
Best car ever!
I bought this car brand new 8 years ago and I can honestly say it has been the best car I've ever owned! Thus far the only things we've had to change on it have been the brakes and of course the tires. Anyway, great first time car for anyone! I will be trading up soon for a small SUV.
GREAT CAR!
This car has it all. Its not expensive at all and has all the best features. The interior is absolutely beautiful. The exterior is flawless and sporty looking and performance is all I ask for. I got the automatic but the dealership didnt have manual yet. GO GET ONE!
The Class-Leader
I bought a 2.3 litre model with 4-Speed Sport AT automatic early this month and so far the car is excellent. The engine has great performance in low rpm range and you get greatly rewarded when traveling into the upper rpm range. The interior design and execution is almost perfect. The gauges are great to look at and easy to read. The dash is simple and offers unique immulating features. The only complaint is cheapish plastics scattered throughout the cabin, but for this price, who cares? The exterior looks are fabulous and the 17-inch wheel s and tyres make the car handle just like our BMW. Its a great car. Without a doubt, the class leader.
Zoom-Zoom-Zoom
Just like the commercials say this new Mazda 3 goes zoom zoom zoom. I Love my car. I test drove both engine types and found out that the 2.0L has a little drag so I decided to go with the 2.3L and was very pleased. The car has great suspension and great turning. The driver side has plenty of room but if youre tall like me (6'0ft) then it's difficult for a passenger to sit behind you. The interior is hi-tech and flashy. Overall the car is great and fun to drive. Expect to pay close to sticker price because this car is selling quicker then Starbucks coffee. Enjoy!