Used 2010 Mazda 3 s Sport 4dr Hatchback (2.5L 4cyl 5A) Consumer Reviews
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Tired of reviews from people who don't realize the full capability of the Mazda 3 S
mazda2go, Elizabethton, TN, 10/10/2011
Mazda 3 s Sport 4dr Hatchback (2.5L 4cyl 5A)
86 of 95 people found this review helpful
I had been researching new cars under $25 grand for two close friends for almost the past two years. I had owned four new Mazda products in my life and had enjoyed each and every one of them. I had traded in my last Mazda, a 2000 Protégé ES, for my dream car which was the new 2005 Ford Mustang. Running errands on a day off during the workweek, I ran across a local Mazda dealership rotating their inventory on their lot. Someone was pulling a Crystal White Pearl Mica 3 S hatchback out of the showroom onto the lot. It caught my eye due to already having had the windows tinted. After finishing my errands, I headed back to the dealership and was approached by the sales lady while texting and sending pictures of the vehicle and window sticker to my friends. It was equipped with the Moonroof/Bose package as well as the 5-speed Sport Automatic transmission and had the black cloth interior. She talked me into taking it for a test drive even though I was not purchasing , only looking for my friends. needless to say, the test drive lasted over thirty minutes and consisted of various types of roads as well as taking it up on the interstate. As much as I had coveted my Ford Mustang, I was thoroughly impressed with the 2010 Mazda 3 S hatchback. So much so, that I left the lot in my new Mazda 3 S on September 8th of 2010. I have had my Mazda for over a year and waited until now, October 10, 2011 to write an accurate review. I have read many mixed reviews with, in my honest opinion, inaccurate information that I do want to clear up. First off, this is a COMPACT car. You need to sit in it, front and back to see if it is right size for you. There is no logical reason to try to put 10 pounds of lard in a 5 pound jar or to put a 12 foot tree in a room with an 8 foot high ceiling. Enough said. Second, it's not going to break the speed barrier. It has a 2.5 liter 152 cubic inch front wheel drive motor that only produces 167 horsepower@ 6000rpm and 168 foot pounds of torque @ 4000 rpm. Its a peppy 4-cylinder motor without a turbo. It will do 0-60 mph in approximately 7.5 to 8.5 seconds depending on having the manual or automatic transmission. If you "need" something quicker the MAZDASPEED 3 is the version for what you want with a turbocharged 2.3 liter 263 hp @5500 rpm with a 6-speed manual. Mazda has this covered for you. Do you really need something quicker? My 2005 Mustang with the 4.0 liter V6 with cold air intake got 17 mpg to 25 mpg and it was running around 225 horsepower at a curb weight of 3300 lbs. On the interstate my Mustang could keep up with a new 2010 Shelby Mustang at twice the price to it's owners dislike. This isn't the Autobahn, so once you are at highway speed a quicker 0-60 and higher top end is irrelevant. It has more than enough power to merge with traffic both on and off the interstate. On an emergency trip to our local vet hospital, I was more than impressed with not only it's speed, but also it's stability and handling. Third, gas mileage is rated at 22 mpg city and 29 mpg highway for the automatic that I have. I only commute approximately 8 miles each way daily to work and the majority of the time I take the twisty back road where the trip is more "enjoyable". I average 25 mpg. I have gotten as high as 32 mpg on a trip with both interstate as well as bumper to bumper traffic to nearby Pigeon Forge in the Great Smoky Mountains. Curb weight for the Mazda 3 S hatchback with automatic is 3105 pounds. I am quite happy with my gas mileage with my Mazda. You can drive it like a miser or drive it like you stole it. Either way, I enjoy the ride. Fourth, complaints over the size of the NAVIGATION screen. Although mine does not have navigation, the Tom Tom as well as the Garmin have the same size screen. Mazda just places it in the dash for less glare. I can't see justifying the cost where it is included in a package. Fifth, speaking of electronic features in my Mazda 3 S and many car magazine editors reviews of those features, I just have to say this, you are totally unaware of just what all this car will do for you and you have too many cars to drive at one time. With the Bluetooth feature, it synced up perfectly and easily with my iPhone 3GS. Controls on the left side of the steering wheel will not only answer and disconnect the call for you, but it can initialize a call by voice commands by speaking the number or by programming in your favorite numbers to call. You can also increase or decrease the volume of calls as well as the audio system here. Criticisms over the USB being an extra cost option, with the iPhone it connects thru the stereo via the Bluetooth feature sounding as if it was hardwired into the stereo. There is also a button on the left side of the steering wheel to scroll thru your favorite channel settings next to the volume button. Sixth, winter traction in snow with the factory tires. I read so many negative reviews, I figured that someone, especially someone that worked for an automotive magazine would know how to effectively drive in the snow. Due to having 17 inch tires, snow tires in that size were not an option so I purchased a set of low profile tire chains for under $100. Needless to say, I did practice installing them so that I would be ready in case I needed them, which I do recommend. I did not have to use them when driving in 4 to 6 inches of snow. If you drive according to the weather and road conditions, you should have no problems getting to your destination in the Mazda 3.
A Very Fun ride at a great price
hatcher3, Portland, OR, 12/31/2013
Mazda 3 s Sport 4dr Hatchback (2.5L 4cyl 5A)
9 of 9 people found this review helpful
I leased my 2010 Mazda 3 Hatchback 2.5s with Moons and Tunes package in Oct 2010. It has been three awesome years of fun ride. Good: Excellent handling in curves (here in Portland) and really grips well to the road. Very good torque and performance. Overall very good styling in the exterior and the interior. One amazing ride for the price Not so good: Bluetooth could handle adding contacts better. Gas Mileage for a car of this size is not great. I averaged 23/24 over 3 years. High Road Noise which bugged be a bit. The Bose sound helped tune it out, but still it was louder than some other cars I have owners. Not engine noise, but mostly road noise, esp from Tires. Overall- Thumbs Up
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Continue to love my car
DJ, Bradenton, FL, 05/04/2016
updated 06/03/2020
Mazda 3 s Sport 4dr Hatchback (2.5L 4cyl 5A)
24 of 28 people found this review helpful
I am the original and only owner of this car, which I bought in the summer of 2010. I wanted a car that was somewhat "pimped out" (reference to the MTV show, Pimp My Ride) from the factory and was fun to drive without being priced higher than the middle $20K. After looking at and test driving various sporty (and affordable) cars, the Mazda's interior, handling, reliability record, and it being fun to drive won me over. I use the car mostly to commute to and from work and it makes the commute much more enjoyable than when I was driving my previous car (Honda Civic). My Mazda handles well; has a tight turning radius that makes it easy to park (or do a U-turn); can more than handle two bags of golf clubs, two backpacks, and two large suitcases (when a rear seat is down); has really comfortable seats and reliable bluetooth; and gives me good feedback regarding my average miles per gallon. My maintenance costs have been great. I am shorter than average and the driver's seat easily adjusts for me as well as my husband who is average height.
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Great reliable car
Nikkkk, Mesa, AZ, 03/14/2020
Mazda 3 s Sport 4dr Hatchback (2.5L 4cyl 5A)
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
Been impressed with my 2010 Hatchback A good reliable car with some good pep
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Excellent but a little small when you have a kid
samantha20, Westcliffe, CO, 07/06/2015
updated 01/14/2020
Mazda 3 s Sport 4dr Hatchback (2.5L 4cyl 5A)
4 of 8 people found this review helpful
i just got this car a few days ago and its amazing!! i had a 2012 ford focus that i traded in because I've had nothing but problems with it and was tired of dealing with the dumb people at Phil long here in Colorado. So i drove 1 hour and 14 minutes away to this Mazda dealership and got this car. Its great no problems so far when I hit the gas it goes no hesitation. I Love this car so much!! I'd like to add this car is sorta smallish os you have a child. I just think if I would have gotten in an accident it wouldn't be good since it's on the smaller side. I finally got a new car and no longer own this car. The 4 years I had this car it treated me great. I never had issues with it. Never had to have major work or anything. Just normal breaks needing to be changed, and oil changes. I LOVED this car. I'm sad I had to part ways because I needed something a little bigger with my child and we move a lot since my husbands in the service. Other than that amazing car and I'd totally recommend it. Nice little car for road trips. I drove it from CO to WA, WA to TN, and TN to AL.
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