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Used 2005 Mazda 3 Sedan Consumer Reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars
189 reviews

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5 out of 5 stars

Over 320,000 miles still going

Lori, 10/21/2015
updated 10/25/2016
2005 Mazda 3 s 4dr Sedan (2.3L 4cyl 5M)
57 of 58 people found this review helpful

I love my Mazda 3, I have over 320,000 miles on the engine still going strong. I wouldn't own another car! 2005 model 2.3

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
5 out of 5 stars
Reliability
5 out of 5 stars
Value
5 out of 5 stars
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4.75 out of 5 stars

A Sad Day

Mike C, 11/28/2009
2005 Mazda 3 i 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl 5M)
41 of 43 people found this review helpful

This is my 3rd review here for this car and my last. I just traded it in last week with 184,000 miles. I couldn't have asked any more of this gem. Here is my list of maintenance and repairs over the last 4 years: 47 oil changes, 2 sets of spark plugs, 4 air filters, 2 sets of rubber, 1 radiator flush, 1 transmission flush, 1 set of brake pads, 2 head lights bulbs and 1 battery. All but the transmission flush was done myself. Unexpected repairs: Zero

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4.75 out of 5 stars

Not Bad!

flow_motion, 01/17/2011
2005 Mazda 3 i 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl 5M)
29 of 31 people found this review helpful

I bought a used automatic Mazda 3 Sedan January of last year. It had about 103,000 KM. One year later, it's now at 123,000 KMS +... This car rocks! It's been very reliable, has caused me no trouble. The dealership have been extremely curtious, and polite. I'll definitely buy another Mazda! I agree with one person though, the accessories at the dealership are way over priced. Nonetheless, this car definitely packs in the "zoom zoom". The auto transmission should've been 5 speed rather then 4. Gas mileage in the city isn't good for a 4 cyl engine. Those are the negs... The pos outweigh the negs 10 fold! Love the red interior lights!

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4.88 out of 5 stars

Mazda 3 SP23 Manual

landj6, 09/15/2011
2005 Mazda 3 SP23 Special Edition 4dr Sedan (2.3L 4cyl 5M)
19 of 20 people found this review helpful

I bought my car in 2005 new with 33 miles on it. I love my car!! Today it has 191,000 and not a single problem with it! I have kept up with the oil changes and have done some work, changed belts, plugs, ect. just as a preventative. I put gas in it, change the oil, change the tires and drive the crap out of it! I'm not easy on cars, as you can tell from the 191,000 miles on it in 6 years! I recently have been thinking about trading it in for an SUV, but just can't part with my awesome car yet!

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4 out of 5 stars

Super fun little car!

Sam, 02/12/2018
2005 Mazda 3 SP23 Special Edition 4dr Sedan (2.3L 4cyl 5M)
16 of 17 people found this review helpful

This car is super cute and so fun to drive. It has no problem getting up to speed, and at 201,000 miles it still has no issue. It gets a little louder at 90mph. I love going fast in it which may or may not be a good thing haha. It takes corners so well, and shifts super smoothly with the manual 5 speed. I bought it with 160,000 miles on it, and it was in nearly perfect condition then. I've repaired the normal parts like brakes, water pump, serpentine belt, and some front end stuff. The only bad thing I can say about it is I have almost put as much into it in repairs as I bought it for. Granted it is over 200,000 miles now, but none of the repairs have been major. I also have had an issue with headlights going out constantly. The plastic covers are very foggy too, so it is difficult to see at night. Besides those two things, I would drive my Mazda forever if I could! It gets decent gas mileage at 26 mpg, which I love! The seat warmers are amazing, bose speakers never let me down, and the 6 CD player is great. At this point, I just want to see how many miles it can go! I commute about an hour round trip per day, so the miles are accumulating quickly. I have faith in it :)

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

All in the details

Ben MazdaSP, 11/18/2009
2005 Mazda 3 SP23 Special Edition 4dr Sedan (2.3L 4cyl 5M)
7 of 7 people found this review helpful

I got my Mazda SP after spending months researching and test driving sport sedans from EVERY other manufacturer. I was very meticulous and demanding. I then knew exactly what I wanted: a charcoal Mazda3 S manual. It took me weeks to find and was floored when I did. Great car! Transmission is superior to all others that I drove. The interior is designed very well; you can tell a great deal of thought went into every detail on this car. This car feels as though it should be 2-3 times more expensive than it is. I don't ever feel that I have to drive somewhere, I GET to drive somewhere! I've had it for awhile and still love it.It's done great both in the hot summer and on snowy mountain passes.

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4.88 out of 5 stars

Work of Beauty!

Victor, 03/19/2010
2005 Mazda 3 s 4dr Sedan (2.3L 4cyl 5M)
6 of 6 people found this review helpful

The Mazda3 is just a fun drive. It doesn't just get you from point A to point B, it makes you want to go to point B. while some might see that as a problem, i think the worst part about this car is that you just want to keep driving. A lot of the reviews you read online say that they don't like the engine noise when your accelerating. But i see this as a plus, since it only gets loud when your trying to go fast. The Mazda3 makes 120mph feel like 40 and handles like it to. Great car great buy, I'd recommend it to anyone.

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4.63 out of 5 stars

my wifes other man

KING OF NY IN VEGAS, 02/11/2009
2005 Mazda 3 SP23 Special Edition 4dr Sedan (2.3L 4cyl 5M)
3 of 3 people found this review helpful

My wife and I purchased our metalic red 3 new .Granted her commute to work is 7 miles round trip , this car has performed flawlessly.no squeaks or weird noises at all.All I've ever done to it was change the oil and rotate the tires .Thats's all it ever needed. Maintenance is very inexpensive. It's a little cramped for me at 6'4 305 lbs butit drives very well . It's quiet but very sporty. The handling in off the chain!The tranny has been reliable but needs another gear,the engine needs another 20-30 hp. MY wife picked it over the coblt because of it's cheezy interior,it has better styling cues than the civic which to her is a me too car.I highly recommend this car to anyone, its that good.

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5 out of 5 stars

You'll never want to buy another car!

hmarie23, 11/10/2012
2005 Mazda 3 i 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl 5M)
10 of 16 people found this review helpful

I owned my 2005 Mazda3i for just over a year before it was totaled. I'm still mourning the loss of this car & with any luck will purchase another soon. I bought my mazdda3 used with 100,000 miles and drove it for 22,000 more. This car is extremely reliable, never had any problems with it (which is great since it had been in 2 minor accidents before I got it). Gas mileage was excellent -mostly highway driving usually got around 30 mpg which is great for a college student's budget! My only complaint (aside from the lack of any real space needed when I was moving) was that around 110,000 miles it began to shake when it idled, before that it was smooth sailing. You can't go wrong buying this car

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4 out of 5 stars

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.

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