Used 2004 Mazda 3 Sedan Consumer Reviews
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!
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.
- s 4dr HatchbackMSRP: $7,998407 mi away
- s SedanMSRP: $4,999440 mi away
- s 4dr HatchbackMSRP: $6,995577 mi away
What a lemon!!!
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.
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.
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.