Tons of features, short of the leaders
Slow, very unresponsive engine below 4K. The 2.0 liter in my RSX Type S feels much stronger than the 2.3 in this. Handling is good when driven at 7 tenths, but gets sloppy when pushed to the limits. Very long list of features, but quality is extremely disappointing:driver's seat squeaks badly (driver is 100 lbs), dash rattles horribly, driver's side window slams into frame when rolling up and rear left door vibrates badly when opened and is extremely hard to shut. I now know why Mazda offers so many things on this car; it's b/c they cannot match Honda and/or Toyota in terms of quality and refinement.
Jan's Mazda3
I love this car. It is a small car on the outside and a luxury car on the inside. Everything in it is comfortable. I got features that I thought only came in luxury models.
- i Touring SedanMSRP: $3,9951,089 mi away
- i Touring SedanMSRP: $4,9952,529 mi away
Great Fun
A very nice car, and a great value for the money. It has excellent acceleration and handling, and the shifter is a blast through the gears. I tried the Civic, Elantra, and Sentra, but the Mazda3 was just more fun. I also like the black interior with red gauges. It makes the driver's seat look like a fighter cockpit. There's enough room for four in a pinch, and the trunk is big enough to fit all of my stuff, too. My gas mileage has been about 26 mpg in mostly city driving, which is so-so compared to cars like the Civic, but good enough for me. If I wanted to save the planet I would have bought a Prius.
Zoom-Zoom
Mazda has earned its reputation. This is a fun to drive "pocket rocket". The 2.3L engine has the get-up & go of a sports car, and the car handles to match it. I typically drive it at 80 mph on the highway every day, and get 28 - 30 mpg depending on how much I drive it in town. When I had to make a 2000 mile trip recently, I easily chose this to drive rather than my SUV, and did not regret it.
"Almost" Perfect
I purchased this car 5 weeks ago and I am very happy overall. It's fun to drive, has plenty of extras for the price, handles/rides like a dream, and looks sexy. For almost a year, I had been searching for something in the small car class that wasn't just gonna blend into the crowd. While at the same time, offering near best in class quality, performance, and handling. I believe I've found that car in the Mazda3s Grand Touring 5-door. Mazda deserves accolades for pushing the bar higher in a segment that usually inspires boredom. Keep up the good work Mazda.