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Used 2005 Mazda 3 Sedan Consumer Reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars
189 reviews

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Pros
Cons
5 out of 5 stars

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.

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5 out of 5 stars

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.

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4.88 out of 5 stars

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.

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2 out of 5 stars

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.

Safety
4 out of 5 stars
Technology
2 out of 5 stars
Performance
2 out of 5 stars
Interior
4 out of 5 stars
Comfort
2 out of 5 stars
Reliability
1 out of 5 stars
Value
4 out of 5 stars
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5 out of 5 stars

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
5 out of 5 stars
Technology
5 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Interior
5 out of 5 stars
Comfort
4 out of 5 stars
Reliability
5 out of 5 stars
Value
5 out of 5 stars
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