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Used 2012 Mazda 3 Sedan Consumer Reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
63 reviews

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5 out of 5 stars

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!!

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4.38 out of 5 stars

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.

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3.88 out of 5 stars

35 MPG Combined Thus Far

sn04, 02/28/2012
2012 Mazda 3 i Touring 4dr Sedan w/SKYACTIV-G (2.0L 4cyl 6A)
10 of 10 people found this review helpful

I have had the vehicle for about 2,000 miles now, and am extremely pleased with the gas mileage. The 35 MPG average came from my own log of gas price/quantity/mileage driven. That being said, there are a few areas that need improvement. The seats are very uncomfortable (you'll feel it after about an hour on the road). The car does rev itself on start-up, and remains that way for a good 20 to 30 seconds before calming down. I haven't seen anything adverse to this, but I don't like to drive until it's calmed down. The center consol has a whirring sound - almost like an A/C fan is on, but it's low pitched and usually doesn't bother me. I have a creak in the back during low speeds.

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5 out of 5 stars

Easy to drive. Easy to live with. Worth a look

D del Rosario, 07/18/2015
2012 Mazda 3 i Touring 4dr Sedan w/Prod. End 09/11 (2.0L 4cyl 5A)
10 of 10 people found this review helpful

It's been a terrific car with no problems whatsoever. It's funner to drive than your typical civic or Corolla and gets as good if not better fuel economy. I think the design interior and exterior wasn't the most impressive - goofy front end, dash layout while functional not very appealing. But that's easy to live with given the other attributes of the car. Back seat is pretty tight, ride firmer than others but not uncomfortable and quite a bit of road noise. Steering is as good as it gets, impressive for this class. Handles well despite not having the grippiest of tires. Gas mileage is great, acceleration on par with others- patience is a virtue here as I've never driven a car in this class that pushes you into the seat save for a wrx or golf gti among others. I'd certainly consider getting another one of these in the future again and would recommend others to consider.

Safety
5 out of 5 stars
Technology
5 out of 5 stars
Performance
4 out of 5 stars
Interior
4 out of 5 stars
Comfort
4 out of 5 stars
Reliability
5 out of 5 stars
Value
5 out of 5 stars
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3.5 out of 5 stars

Smooth engine and transmission

durval20120m3, 08/24/2012
2012 Mazda 3 i Touring 4dr Sedan w/SKYACTIV-G (2.0L 4cyl 6A)
9 of 9 people found this review helpful

In shopping for a new car, I evaluated the following Mazda 3 i Touring Chevy Cruse LT Hyundai Elantra GLS Honda Civic EX Ford Focus SE Kia Forte EX I chose the Mazda 3. Pros for the Mazda 3 Fun to drive. Smooth engine and transmission. Nice interior. 5K miles later, I am averaging 37 MPG in mixed driving. Cons for the Mazda 3 More rattles than I am used to in a new car. Not as stable on highway on-ramps as I am used to. This is probably due to the tire choice, they are high pressure and don't seem to offer the best grip. Of course this is probably part of the reason I am getting 37 MPG. The Cruze and the Elantra were also pretty good, but the engine in the Mazda won me over.

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