Great Car w/ room
Purchased this car as a fuel efficient commuter ride. I travel 30 miles of rural roads to and from work and from day one I have been getting 32 mpg. I am 6'4" and have taken the car on several day trips with my wife and three teen age kids. We fit snugly into the cabin, but everyone seems to have enough room to be comfortable. When alone with the seat back there is ample room and the seats are extremely comfortable. The 3 is very fun to drive, the fit and finish is a good as any car out there. The buying experience was the best I've experienced an would recommend this car to anyone looking for a cool ride with good fuel mileage.
6 months later!
I wrote a review about a month after I bought the car. I was overall happy with the car and still am. I just notice lots of engine noise. I inquired about Sirius radio and it's $715 to install and for parts that is insane. If they put the SAT button on my dash it should have already come installed and only needed activation. The paint chips ever so easily thankfully the touch up paint was only 8 bucks. I think it may be the alloys but when you hit a bump or pot whole the tire feels likes it about to fall off. I drove one with reg hubcaps and didnt feel that! I love everything else about the car and still dont regret trading my Cavalier...although sometimes I do miss her!
- s Touring 4dr HatchbackMSRP: $9,6402,586 mi away
Easy choice
The Mazda3 is hands down the best car to buy out of all the compacts if you're looking for value and maybe a little respect on the road. I test drove every car in this class trying to find a car that wouldn't bust my bank and was still fun to drive. Nothing compared to the Mazda 3 when it comes to the fun to drive factor and the amount of options for the price. If you like driving a manual transmission make sure you test drive this car. Nothing else compares when it comes to 5 speed manuals at this price. I've been nothing but impressed with my Mazda 3 so far. Mazda has done a great job of reinventing themselves.
The Yank Mk. 2 Ford Focus
The car has been a joy to own since new. No problems to date, just basic transportation the Mazda way - fantastic. Proper layout in the interior; Shifter placement is superb, and the tunnel nestles next to your right leg in perfect position as a rest spot on long journeys. Pedals light and user friendly. Exterior design is that of 'form equivalent function', meaning there is enough emotion but all of it is usable. Of course the chassis is up to snuff, ready to drive your any and every mood.
High Quality on a Budget
I just traded in my 2000 Eclipse GT V6 (loaded) for a brand new 2008 Mazda 3 Grand Touring (even more fully loaded). The dealership checked every box, including navigation, sunroof, and the Bose multi-changer cd. The fit and finish in this car is hard to beat in the class and price range. Everything about this car is high quality. So far, in my first 500 miles, I haven't found anything to dislike. I was worried about "trading down" from a sports car, but I think I've really come out on the winning end with performance, economy, and an upscale interior with all of the amenities one could want.