Used 2014 Mazda 3 Sedan Consumer Reviews
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Fun but Issue Prone
I bought the 2014 Mazda 3 iSV brand new. Either i have the jynxed version or this car isn't designed to survive Boston. My inner fenders and engine cover came undone even in nice weather. Both front brakes and rear breaks had to be changed within the first year of driving. Also randomly turned off on me once in the highway and lit up like a Christmas tree. This car does however handle well and is a fun car to drive. Great on gas. Car is great for a commuter.
Best car in its class
I got my 2014 Mazda 3 GS a couple of months ago, after extensive research of the compact car market. My conclusion was that Mazda 3 is simply the best non-luxury compact car money can buy in 2014. The car: excellent handling, exceptional fuel economy, lively engine that lets you have some fun, great chassis and body. The features: obviously, there are a lots of differences with all the trims and options, but my GS has everything I could ever possibly need; I especially appreciate the back-up camera, navigation system, heated seats and automatic headlights & wipers. The not so great: manual control of the A/C and road noise at highway speeds.
the good, the bad, and the ugly...
The good: Sharp looking car. Looks more expensive than it actually is. Seats are so comfortable I wish I could install them in my office. The (Potentially) Bad: 1) Car slides all over the place in the snow (my guess is because the back end is so light), so if you live in a place that gets winter weather, you should probably budget for a set of snow tires. (My prior 2005 Mazda3, did fine with all season tires in the same location. With snow tires, the 2014 handles fine.) 2) The navigation system looks like a cheap aftermarket add on; it is easy to see where it is located, but it doesn’t look integrated into the car. The Ugly: I’ve had repeated problems with my car. The infotainment system crashed multiple times, ultimately requiring a complete replacement. An ABS wiring module failed, and the car couldn’t be put into gear and had to be towed; it was out of service for over a week. Now my push button start has failed; the car can only be started using the emergency procedure and the doors won't lock. The key fobs are good; the problem is with the car. Overall, I'm disappointed with the number of electrical problems I've experienced with my car, particularly as two of them have resulted in major safety concerns. **Updating for February 2020** I've now had my Mazda3 for 5.5 years, and I have about 61K miles on it. After the initial problems, it has been a solid car, although I had to replace both front and rear brakes at 39K miles even though I drive 85-15 highway/city driving which seemed premature. It also seems to eat through keyfob batteries; I have to replace them every 9-12 months.
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Good but Flawed
The M3 has nice, soft-touch interior materials and a sleek exterior design that helps it stand out from the crowd. MPG is good, but not quite as good as advertised; I usually average 32 while commuting with a roughly 60-40 split between city and highway driving. Roof/head space can be a bit tight if you sit close to the wheel like I do, but otherwise room and space in the M3 seem fine. Although I find it tolerable, many have said the radio is ugly. Headrests are uncomfortably angled. My biggest gripe though is that the A-frame pillars create blind spots towards the front of the car that I find very noticeable when turning/pulling out at intersections.
Upbeat Mazda 3
Mazda has done something weird and wonderful with their Skyactiv technology. This car drives like a diesel: lots of torque, changes gears quickly, and sports spectacular fuel consumption. I get why it was nominated for car of the year. I felt the Corolla was like driving something front another era, another world compared to the Mazda-3.
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