Used 3 for sale
I Love This 3
LA DRIVER, 06/12/2008
2005 Mazda 3 SP23 Special Edition 4dr Sedan (2.3L 4cyl 5M)
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
My wife and I bought this car back in 2005 when her Honda went out. Almost 3 years later I still love it. At about 300 miles per tank city/hwy driving can't complain. I just love the performance for such a compact car, leather seats, GPS, 6 disc CD, 5 speed man., when sitting inside it reminds me of my BMW at half the cost. Great power and lots of trunk space esp when rear seats are folded down. The 3 is truly a car in it's own, with aftermarket performance tires it handles as well as my BMW and is great to drive through corners and the straights. Over all this is a great car to drive in the city as well as the hwy. avg. of about 32 mpg hwy we make it from LA to San Jose in 1 tank. LOVE my 3.
Mazda3 fun
doc, 04/18/2005
2005 Mazda 3 i 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl 5M)
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
This is a well designed car which strikes a fine balance betwen the competing demands of an economy car. The performance is well above that expected and is equivalent to a 2 litre Alfa Romeo with better economy and reliablity. It looks like a little BMW at a fraction of the price and runing cost. Economy is excellent 45mpg on highway at 60 - 75 mph. Only the sound proofing could be better. Handling, brakes and active safety are excellent. I would however like a six-speed to lower the revs at cruising speeds.
2005 Mazda 3 for sale near you
Showing 3 of 31 listings
- s SedanMSRP: $3,950111 mi away
- s 4dr HatchbackMSRP: $3,999221 mi away
- s SedanMSRP: $3,995333 mi away
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Goodbye Focus, Hello Mazda
Jon, 12/09/2004
2005 Mazda 3 s 4dr Hatchback (2.3L 4cyl 5M)
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
I recently traded in my 2000 Ford Focus for a custom ordered Mazda 3. The difference is night & day. The 3 handles beautifully & the power is great. No problems merging on the freeway here in Los Angeles. The interior design & quality is what you would expect from a car costing twice as much. I especially love the blue backlight for the instrument cluster. Overall, this car turns heads & gives a satisfying feeling even when parked. Highly recommed it!
3 year 60000 mile test drive
mzdvr, 08/22/2008
2005 Mazda 3 s 4dr Sedan (2.3L 4cyl 5M)
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
Been driving this car for 3 yrs now and still think it's the best car under $25,000. I haven't had any mechanical problems. Had a brake job at 50,000 and new tires. I live in the city and get a combined 27 mpg. I have a gas gauge which commonly reports mpg in the middle to upper 30s on the highway. There is minimal wear on the car after 60k such as a small area of the stitching on the leather seat has come out, a few exterior issues due to things happening to it.
mazda3 by Katie
jeromy, 05/30/2005
2005 Mazda 3 i 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl 5M)
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
A totally great little car. Mine is a stick shift and it's my first car. Easy and fun to drive. The only thing that was a little weak was the horn. It was like a circus clowns car. My Dad changed it for an Air Horn like a Ferrari.
A Solid Decision (and lots of fun)
jpook730, 06/11/2005
2005 Mazda 3 s 4dr Hatchback (2.3L 4cyl 5M)
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
Great Drive: Handling is superb; steering exquisitely communicative and well weighted,; engine (2.3) sounds great, revs easily, and goes like a Jack Russell Terrier after drinking a bottle of Jolt. Great Practicality: 5 door hatchback is flexible, roomy and comfortable; the cloth seats are grippy, supportive, and firm; gas milage is great (25/32 with the 2.3). Great Future: Highly rated reliability; fantastic projected resale value (best selling fleet car in Europe for this reason); safe; well-built and stylish. Conclusion: An economical, practical family hauler with the soul of a much more expensive european sports sedan (or is that Zoom-Zoom?).
Mazda 3: $21,000 worth of fun
StukaFox, 04/17/2005
2005 Mazda 3 s 4dr Hatchback (2.3L 4cyl 5M)
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
Dropped $21,000 cash, not a BIT of regret: car is surprisingly peppy; suspension like a racecar; snaps to attention when right pedal is pressed. Expecting laggy and plastic, got a car out of a videogame. No bad habits on the road; does what it's told without complaint. Visibility like a F-16's cockpit. Interior is luxury-car roomy. Cargo space that would make some SUV's blush. Piled on leather, airbag package, and ABS, still only came to $21,000 out the door. Was never going to buy import, Mazda 3 totally changed my mind. Detroit, wake up: Japan is about to eat your lunch again!
Tough Car to Like
John Taylor, 07/17/2015
updated 07/18/2016
2005 Mazda 3 i 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl 5M)
10 of 19 people found this review helpful
I am a commuter but also a father with 2 smaller children and a wife. Therefore, I needed something reliable that would handle the challenges of our lives. With all the hoopla about this car, I expected to get almost 200,000 miles or 12 years of this vehicle, which I had purchased used at 30,000 miles for $12,000 almost 7 years ago (2008). While the first four years were non eventful, the following three were very painful. Specifically, the car would unexplainably turn off or, more commonly, just not start. I changed the battery, everything. I brought it to my mechanic; nothing. I needed reliability and this car was unreliable. I thought for a while that maybe this was a one shot experience. Perhaps. However, I found on the web similar stories of Mazda 3s from 2005 which suddenly don't start. This makes me wonder. At 143,000, I chose to give up. I am selling the car via a trade in to a dealer and getting a 2005 Prius with 112K miles.
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best one !
hamada, 10/08/2004
2005 Mazda 3 s 4dr Hatchback (2.3L 4cyl 5M)
6 of 12 people found this review helpful
very best compact car
VERY FUN CAR
Christopher Hester, 10/03/2017
2005 Mazda 3 i 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl 5M)
2 of 3 people found this review helpful
i bought this car from a buy here pay here lot not expecting much. during the test drive i noticed it likes to move! i drive this car daily and not a day goes by that im just not thrilled to jump in it and drive it to work! i took it on a road trip to see my mom about 500 miles away non stop driving and i couldn't have been happier with a car that has 180k miles on the clock. i took it to the race track by the house and for a cheap daily...it grips! i call it my green rocket. by far the best car ive ever owned! i will drive this car until the wheels fall off and then glue them back on and drive it some more =) wow! such a thrill to drive! p.s. i only paid $1900 usd for this car ;)
- Safety
- Technology
- Performance
- Interior
- Comfort
- Reliability
- Value