Used 2012 Mazda 3 Sedan Consumer Reviews
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best car for the $
sorento2006, 01/27/2013
2012 Mazda 3 i Touring 4dr Sedan w/SKYACTIV-G (2.0L 4cyl 6A)
11 of 15 people found this review helpful
i did a lot of research before deciding on this car,and everything i have read from road tests is almost true.i got my 4-door with fog lights,spoiler,bose/moonroof package.looks great in dark grey.
58K And Going Strong
Clifton J., 12/07/2016
2012 Mazda 3 i Touring 4dr Sedan w/SKYACTIV-G (2.0L 4cyl 6A)
7 of 9 people found this review helpful
I bought this car for my wife back on the Skyactiv-G motor's introduction back in 2012 to replace her aging (and ailing) Nissan Altima sedan. I knew I was taking a bit of a risk here with a newly introduced system that had no proven reliability - especially in one with a sky-high 12:1 compression ratio, low-friction pistons, direct injection, all mated to a tricky semi-conventional 6-speed automatic transmission. But we were both smitten with the car's perpetual smile - and the grins it produced behind the wheel. So, we bought it. Four years and nearly 58,000 miles later, the car still drives as if it were brand new, and I've not spent a dime in repairs. The car regularly gets 35 mpg on the worst of days, climbing to very nearly 45 mpg in cruising-right-at-70 conditions. It's not a "quick" or a "fast" car, but it's sprightly and eager, and the 155hp on tap gets the vehicle out of it's own way easily. With it's taut, Porsche-like steering feel and stiff handling, it's a very fun car to toss around back-roads in the "driving a slow car fast is more fun than driving a fast car slow" kind of philosophy. The 6-speed automatic is also a work of art, choosing, holding, and (rapidly) shifting gears with an almost psychic temperament - and in manual mode, it will even let the driver bounce off the rev limiter, providing even this hard-nosed manual-lover with some genuine driving thrills on a twisty country road or in a quick freeway pass. Zoom, zoom, indeed. However, there are trade-offs: This is an exceptionally stiffly-sprung vehicle, and navigating pothole-riddled city intersections can be a teeth-chattering experience. It's also a very small car with a curiously ADHD-diseased interior design motif - mine is two shades of tan, with no fewer than 3 separate monochrome LCD displays (all different colors), 18 (!!!) buttons on the steering wheel, and an unnecessary giant, third rotary knob for controlling audio system functions. Get past all this and you still have to contend with the front seats, which are a strangely special kind of uncomfortable - very supportive for the aforementioned driving dynamics, but hard and unpleasant for long drives (even short rides require taking my wallet out of my back pocket to avoid a totally-numb right cheek upon egress). Still, the fuel mileage, reliability, and overall fun factor of this car make it a long-term keeper. Should the direct injection system ever - expectedly - give me issues requiring a pricey repair/maintenance in the near future (60K-100K miles), I fully plan to pony up and keep on driving this car. It's been such a pleasure to own and drive that it is now my own, and has convinced me to upgrade to a contemporary CX-9 this year. Great value, great fun, I can't recommend this car enough.
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2012 Mazda 3 for sale near you
3 of 68 listings
- i Touring SedanMSRP: $5,99598 mi away
- i Touring Sedan w/SKYACTIV-GMSRP: $6,99523 mi away
- i Touring 4dr Hatchback w/SKYACTIV-GMSRP: $1,60068 mi away
See all 68 listings
Endurance Impressive
Chicago Commuter, 04/27/2021
updated 05/07/2025
2012 Mazda 3 i Touring 4dr Sedan w/SKYACTIV-G (2.0L 4cyl 6A)
5 of 6 people found this review helpful
I've had my Mazda 3 for 9 years now. 165,000 miles. I've not kept up with the maintenance as I should. I've only ever replaced the battery, tires, breaks, headlamps, and serpentine belt. Nothing else. I had a rock jam up a pully which snapped the belt, but I ran it for 2 days to/from work before I figured out that the battery charging wasn't the alternator but the belt was missing. And the car never overheated and I still drove 70 miles on a fully charged battery. I still get the same gas mileage I did when i bought it 42 hwy 35 local. I'm absolutely impressed by my first new and non American car. it stings to say it but facts are facts. 178,000 miles and still haven't replaced any non-consumable parts 5/5/2022 200,000 miles today 11/6/2023. I have my first failure of a part on the car, but it's not mechanical or power train. The switch to roll down the drivers side rear window only works downward, it no longer works upward. The window works, the switch on the rear door works, just the switch on the Drivers Panel for it doesn't work 100%. That's it, that's the extent of my cars problems after 11 years and 200,000 miles. Gas Mileage is still 42 hwy , 35 local. I'm not trading this thing in for anything. I feel as though it's got atleast 100,000 more miles in it. I couldn't recommend a better commuter car. I don't know if the newer models are as dependable but the 2012's are work horses for sure. 2025, 210,000 miles (worked from home for a year), first repair to solenoid for evap system.
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Love My Mazda
Amy, 04/06/2019
2012 Mazda 3 s Touring 4dr Sedan (2.5L 4cyl 5A)
3 of 3 people found this review helpful
I currently have 189,000 miles and it runs great. The only thing I have had to do other than genral maintenance is a clutch and master cylinder which is actually maintenance. Traded my 2006 for a 2012 and LOVE IT!
Fun on Four Wheels and a Budget
cleverjason, 08/20/2013
2012 Mazda 3 i Touring 4dr Sedan w/SKYACTIV-G (2.0L 4cyl 6M)
3 of 3 people found this review helpful
After driving the car a while, it's easy to forget how peppy this little compact really is. So, to remind myself, I let my friends take it out for a spin every now and then, and when they push the pedal down and let off the clutch, and when you watch the inevitable Zoom Zoom smile spread across their faces, you remember why you bought it. Make no mistake: The 3 is no sports car, and calling it sporty for its class is like calling a Mr. Coffee pot "gourmet." But the Mazda 3 feels like a sportier car than it is, and that's why most people love driving it. If you can get your hands on a SkyActiv with a manual like I did, you'll realize those modest 155 ponies pull more than their weight.