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Used 2005 Mazda 3 SP23 Special Edition 4dr Sedan (2.3L 4cyl 5M) Consumer Reviews

4.9 out of 5 stars
17 reviews

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4.88 out of 5 stars

Mazda 3 SP23 Manual

landj6, Leicester, NC, 09/15/2011
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, Dayton, OH, 02/12/2018
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
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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4.63 out of 5 stars

my wifes other man

KING OF NY IN VEGAS, 02/11/2009
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

I Love This 3

LA DRIVER, 06/12/2008
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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