Used 2008 Mazda 3 Sedan Consumer Reviews
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I Love My Blue Baby!
Maxine1981, 05/16/2010
2008 Mazda 3 i Sport 4dr Sedan w/Prod. End 12/07 (2.0L 4cyl 4A)
3 of 3 people found this review helpful
Bought my Mazda3 used in July 09 with a little over 6K on the dash. As of this writing, it's a little over 15.5K. I enjoy driving this car! for a little 2.0, it moves just enough for me. (this is my first car ever--don't need it to be any faster ;-) ) I absolutely love the sporty look.. the xenon head/tail lights and spoiler are cool. Stereo has enough bass and treble for me. The A/C could be a wee bit cooler, beige interior is ok, just gotta be careful with stains.
Not bad. But its "sportiness" saps its usability.
CW46, 09/01/2022
2008 Mazda 3 i Sport 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl 5M)
3 of 3 people found this review helpful
While this car has a commendable interior-- robust, attractive, practical, easy to use-- the biggest downsides of the vehicle are its "sporty" demeaner and the infuriating cheapness/lunacy of Mazda engineers in designing some of its parts. Firstly: the steering is FAR TOO HEAVY. Makes this vehicle a chore to drive and an absolute nightmare to commute in for more than 5 minutes. Then, we have road noise (and some wind noise) that intrudes into the cabin with a cacophony that drowns out any hope one might have of listening to music or having a conversation. Next is the relatively dismal ride quality, that (while not the worst) is akin to driving a Conestoga wagon through a rock quarry (or pot-hole infested Midwestern roads). Lastly, the engineers at Mazda decided to stray from established car design logic that has prevailed for the past several decades to put cheap plastic hinges in the car door handles that readily break and require dismantling the door to fix, and H7 headlight bulbs in the headlight housing that will surely convince you to drop your Mazda3 at the junkyard rather than spend hrs wrestling to replace your headlights. On the positives side: the 2L engine is strong enough for most uses, interior is robust, and the exterior is handsome and still has a low enough trunk deck for you to still see out the back window. If Mazda had made handling and ride quality more on par with the Corolla, this would be a FAR better car than it actually is. But its sporty nature makes it hardly palatable for anything more than a 3 minute drive to the store or a friends house.
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2008 Mazda 3 for sale near you
Showing 3 of 112 listings
- i Touring SedanMSRP: $7,49516 mi away
- s Touring 4dr HatchbackMSRP: $9,999313 mi away
- i Touring SedanMSRP: $5,950320 mi away
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Fun, reliable and economical car
Jeff in MA, 07/15/2019
2008 Mazda 3 i Touring Value 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl 5M)
3 of 3 people found this review helpful
I LOVE my 3i Touring Value. Nearly 80k on it now and nothing but routine maintenance done. Mine has the 2.0 engine with 5 speed manual transmission. I change my oil/filter every 3k with high quality synthetic oil. Gearbox oil changed every 30k again with high quality synthetic. I broke the right front strut on a pothole and replaced the struts. Rear shocks getting weak at 70k so I replaced them. Just did the brakes for the first time and one set of tires. That's it. Once a year I drive to Ontario and on the highway get 34 MPG. Around town about 26-27. Comfortable, sporty, fun, reliable and economical, and a hoot on winding mountain roads. One of the best cars I've owned, and I've owned quite a few.
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Fun and Zippy Car at a Great Price Point
Sue S, 04/18/2018
2008 Mazda 3 s Sport 4dr Sedan (2.3L 4cyl 5M)
3 of 3 people found this review helpful
I purchased this car in 2007 after driving one as a rental (during car repair). I fell in love immediately! I have owned mine now for nearly 11 years, and it has been a blast. Zippy with quick pick up, handles well, breaks are sensitive and crisp. The interior is very basic, with a CD player and a place to plug in a phone or MP3 player. Air conditioning is strong and cools quickly. Instruments are well placed. No major repairs or surprises over 10+ years and it has been reliable and dependable. My only complaint is that over time, it has become more noisy with highway driving, and the driver's seat a bit more uncomfortable. That said, I would certainly buy this car again - it is a blast to drive, handles well and a great price point. Still going strong at nearly 78,000 miles!
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Zoom Zoom!
Melissa, 07/30/2009
2008 Mazda 3 i Sport 4dr Sedan w/Prod. End 12/07 (2.0L 4cyl 4A)
3 of 3 people found this review helpful
Have had my Mazda 3 for 1.5 years now. Great turning radius-so fun to drive on country roads. The car has a lot of pep even though on Highways when you really need the acceleration it can be lacking (it is only a 4 cylinder:)) I love the design of the car, especially the back end. I do not like the way the '10's look at all as they have tinkered with the unique exterior. Overall, the car handles great and is fun to drive around the city but good for longer trips too. I tried to save money and buy the base model which was a huge mistake (but not mazdas fault). No key fob, no power windows, no power locks, no cruise control, no bose etc etc... Next time!