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My manual has great “zoom zoom zoom”
R Dub, 09/03/2018
updated 09/07/2021
2012 Mazda 3 i Touring 4dr Hatchback w/SKYACTIV-G (2.0L 4cyl 6A)
14 of 14 people found this review helpful
2018- First off, mine’s a manual. I have excellent get-up-and-go (yes, with AC on) unlike some other reviews I saw on here, & I’m guessing it’s because I’m selecting the gear for acceleration. I’ve had this car for 5 years now. I get 32 mpg- some city, but mainly half mountain pass commuting and half So Cal stop-and-go traffic fwy commuting, with my average weekly commute currently at about 300 miles. To me, with rough mileage like that, 32mpg is excellent. I love scooting on up the mountain in this car, it’s always a pleasure to drive. It’s got great zip & has excellent handling. My husband says the road noise is higher than average but it has never bothered me since I put non-factory tires on it- it’s amazing what a good tire can do. Other cars I’ve driven on these same roads are a manual 2002 Nissan Altima, a manual 2001 hyundai tiburon, and an automatic 2013 Jeep Wrangler Sport Unlimited. They’ve all had good pep (thankfully the Jeep was post 2012 with the beefier engine!). The Altima performed very well, but my Mazda3 has performed the best on the mountian with the steep incline and some tight turns. No mechanical problems thus far. The dash glue can’t handle So Cal summers apparently, and a couple of years ago, the dash material separated by about an inch from the top middle instrument panel. The fake chrome paint stuff on my steering wheel emblem and the regular paint on my steering wheel buttons is starting to show quite a bit of wear this year which is annoying for a 6 yo car. I plan to drive it into the ground, so reselling this won’t be a problem & if all the markings go, I know what the buttons do, so not as big of a problem for me. Mine’s a hatchback & with the back seats laid down, i can fit four of those big rubbermaid bins in there plus extra room for smaller items on top. I think that’s excellent gargo capacity. I’m having a baby soon & I tried out the carseat in the back in all 3 seats and it fits well & is easy to lean in to maneuver and adjust straps. The depth is a little short in the back which has never been a problem with adult passengers, but with the bigger car seats you do have to make sure the front seats aren’t positioned all the way back. I’m 5’6” & my husband is 6” & we both feel comfortable in it. It takes full synthetic for oil, so an oil change is $45 on the cheap end on up to $90 depending on who does it, but keep in mind it’s synthetic and you get more miles between changes- 7000-8000 With synthetic instead of 3000-5000 with regular oil, so it’s comparable since oil change frequency is half. UPDATE-2021- it’s been another 3 years. The wear on the steering wheel emblem and buttons has gotten a little worse and the paint on the “spoiler” on the hatchback is sun damaged. The paint on the rest of the car still looks great. Still zippin’ along. No mechanical problems. Gas mileage is between 27 & 30mpg - no more mountain driving, now I do city and freeway. One infant or all-in-one carseat is fine, but the second one will limit the driver’s space. When we have another kiddo, I may need to get a different car just because of that.
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excellent car....wife "loves her zoom zoom"!
ajax13, 04/13/2012
2012 Mazda 3 i Grand Touring 4dr Sedan w/SKYACTIV-G (2.0L 4cyl 6A)
21 of 22 people found this review helpful
First car review I have ever written, at 59 yo too. But this car warrants the review!! We have had this car since the end of Nov., & 3500 miles on it now. Is my wife's car & her choice after driving the Hyundai Elantra, Ford Focus, VW Jetta...this was her choice hands down, & mine too! This is the first car my wife says, "she loves, & loves to drive", that she has ever had! She calls it her "ZZ"=zoomzoom-lol. When reading the original reviews of this car before buying it, I noted that the word "love" was used by most reviewers in the 1st paragragh=now I/we know why-it is plain fun to drive! Excellent car in all ways, as my ideal owned past car was a 1990 Nissan 300ZX, & this car matches it!!
2012 Mazda 3 for sale near you
3 of 145 listings
- i Touring Sedan w/SKYACTIV-GMSRP: $6,995146 mi away
- i Sport SedanMSRP: $7,690374 mi away
- i Grand Touring 4dr Hatchback w/SKYACTIV-GMSRP: $6,895323 mi away
See all 145 listings
The new Skyactiv engine has some flaws
DanaE, 11/01/2016
2012 Mazda 3 i Touring 4dr Hatchback w/SKYACTIV-G (2.0L 4cyl 6A)
45 of 49 people found this review helpful
This new Skyactiv engine (as of 2012) has some drawbacks that new buyers should be aware of. It is a peppy little motor that squeezes a lot of miles out of a gallon of gas, but because it is a direct injection system, you are going to get carbon build-up on your intake valves in less than 80-100k miles. That means taking it to the shop and plunking down 800-1000 bucks to get the carbon removed. You'll know when your check engine light comes on. It happened to me. That same month, another check engine light revealed that a had a bad fuel injector, also costing me lots of $$$. And all of this happened before 80,000 miles. I bought this car new as a work commuter vehicle and I put about 50 miles per day on it (all highway). All of the money that I thought I was saving on gas was spent on maintaining the engine, and making the dealer rich. The car handles stiffly, which I like. Not the most comfortable or refined car. Not very reliable, considering I bought it thinking I would have zero problems until after 100k miles.
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My Mazda is a Rocket Ship
jennypenny575, 02/20/2013
2012 Mazda 3 i Touring 4dr Hatchback w/SKYACTIV-G (2.0L 4cyl 6A)
20 of 21 people found this review helpful
I've been driving a 2000 Ford Focus SE Sedan before this car, so you can imagine that most cars would be a vast improvement. Not so, my Focus was a great car, it had great pickup, decent gas mileage(23 mixed) and a rather comfortable ride. But my Mazda is a rocketship. I had wanted a Mazda3 back in 2008 when I was originally car shopping. I ended up with a 7 year old focus because the Mazda was out of my price range. So the fact that I have it now is even sweeter. After test driving the Versa, the Focus, the Fit, and the Elantra, it was pretty much a runaway with the Mazda. I knew it was the car for me 5 minutes into the test drive. Smooth driving, fun to shift, everything is great.
25,000 MILE UPDATE
hoveringfalcon, 04/26/2013
2012 Mazda 3 i Touring 4dr Sedan w/SKYACTIV-G (2.0L 4cyl 6A)
19 of 20 people found this review helpful
I've had my 3 for just over a year, and have put 25,000 miles on it. I still think it's a fantastic car. It's not perfect, and I will soon explain why, but it provides a superb combination of sportiness and fuel efficiency that is unmatched in its class. If you love driving but need something that sips gas, look no further. However if you prioritize comfort and luxury options above all else, you might want to cross shop before you buy.