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Used 2017 Mazda 3 Hatchback Consumer Reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
37 reviews

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5 out of 5 stars

From Kansas City MO to Crested Butte CO and back.

Tom T, 09/24/2017
2017 Mazda 3 Grand Touring 4dr Hatchback (2.5L 4cyl 6M)
9 of 10 people found this review helpful

I've had two Mazda 3 GTs. Both hatchbacks, both identical except the transmission. The 2015 was an automatic and the 2017 is a manual. Mazda has addressed my single complaint that made the 2015 virtually undriveable on the highway. Noise. The 2017 while still kind of loud, it is at least liveable and after 11,500 miles is turning out to be a really good choice. The car is quick, beautiful, comfortable and efficient and, while I don't care at all about fuel economy my average in city/highway driving is 31.2 mpg. But it's the handling and the interior design and execution that really blows my mind. Build quality is excellent too. I passed up a BMW 135 and the GTi specifically because of the interior in this car. My trip to and from Crested Butte consisted of several 2 hour long 85-90 mph stretches on US24 and I-70, (thanks to a BEL radar detector) and, over Monarch Pass the car was a paragon of stability and steering excellence. Look, before you default to the hideous looking Civic please just take a Sunday and drive to a Mazda store and look inside a Mazda 3 GT. See if you find ANY other car for less than $40,000 that looks this nice. Then rent a Mazda 3, any Mazda 3, and drive it for a few hours. Drive to Costco and lay the seats flat, then load the car full of stuff and see how fast you can drive home. You'll find out how comfortable and efficent these cars are.One other thing to point out is how easy it is to parallel park this car. I love that! And if you can find a GT hatch with a manual transmission like mine you should buy it. (The automatic is faster and drives almost as well)

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

Overall a great ride!

Dave, 05/11/2017
updated 11/15/2019
2017 Mazda 3 Touring 2.5 4dr Hatchback (2.5L 4cyl 6A)
15 of 18 people found this review helpful

Cons: Fuel economy continues to be poor compared to competition. Climate control sometimes has a mind of it's own when starting the car. Can't seem to find a sweet spot for the power seats. Original tires are wearing out quickly with only 23,000 miles. Yoga positioning needed to get in and out of the car if you don't want to bump your head. Poor rear seating accommodations. Pros: Still fun to drive. Has some punch with the 184 hp engine. Great cornering and handling. Timelessly beautiful styling inside and out. No service issues.

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

Zoom, Zoom!

mcm0455, 05/08/2017
2017 Mazda 3 Grand Touring 4dr Hatchback (2.5L 4cyl 6M)
5 of 5 people found this review helpful

After not have a manual transmission for the past 5 years, I really wanted to shift again. I was looking for a fun and inexpensive car that would meet my needs. Previous to purchasing this car, I owned a 15 Subaru Forester XT. While it met most of my needs, there were a few issues that popped up that made me weary to keep it much longer(I have posted my final impressions on this website of my 15 Forester). At any rate, I am so happy that I took a chance and downsized to this Mazda 3. For 22k($2000 cash back) this car is so well sorted. The leather seats provide excellent support, I have plenty of legroom(I'm 6ft2 200lbs) and headroom, the steering is surgically precise, and the clutch and shifter are buttery smooth. I was worried that going from a 250hp turbo to a 184hp engine was going to be a major bummer. Not so, the engine pulls strong throughout the rev range and has plenty of power for my needs. I recently drove it up a local canyon that starts at 4500 feet and ends and 8200 feet. It was the most fun I have ever had driving! The Bose stereo is very impressive and the back up camera has a nice, clean picture. The command knob takes about 30 seconds to figure out. This is a vehicle that has so many positive attributes, it is no wonder why Car and Driver has praised it so often. Gas mileage with less than 200 miles on it is still in the upper 20's in a mix of driving. There are a few downsides, but I knew of them before the purchase. Cargo capacity is on the small size though I was able to put (5) 5 gallons water jugs in the cargo with room to spare this morning. Rearward visibility in the rear corners is a bit limited, but with the backup camera and correct side mirror adjustments take away the blind spots for the most part. I can sit in the back seat where the drivers seat is adjusted fairly comfortably with more than enough headroom. I plan on keeping this car for several years, it is the first time in many years that I actually look forward to driving. Great car Mazda!

Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Interior
5 out of 5 stars
Comfort
5 out of 5 stars
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5 out of 5 stars

A Cheap Man's SUV

Chad Pearling, 01/10/2018
2017 Mazda 3 Sport 4dr Hatchback (2.0L 4cyl 6A)
4 of 4 people found this review helpful

My two previous cars were both Mazda Proteges, a 1994 1.8-liter and 1998 1.5-liter. This 2017 model gets significantly better gas mileage, has a lot more power, handles well and is quieter. My only complaints are minor (I have only had the car for seven weeks): 1) Some buttons seem backward to me, like the key fob where you press the top button to lock the door and vice versa to unlock the door. 2) I have found it difficult to get the seat high enough to see over the sloping hood without having the top of the steering wheel partially block the speedometer. 3) The stubs that keep the floor mats in place can be an annoying to foot placement. 4) Large posts somewhat restrict outward visibility, perhaps due to the extra reinforcement needed for a hatchback. After only seven weeks I can't speak to the long-term issues like reliability and maintenance. I waited until the 2018 models were out before buying this car (2017 Mazda3 Hatchback) and with a lot of research and patience felt I made a great deal getting the base model (Sport) for $17,600 which included tax, title and license (out-the-door price). The only add-ons were tinted windows (put on by the local dealer in the Phoenix, AZ area) and door bumper guards. I considered and test drove several other hatchbacks in the same class (Honda Civic, Chevy Cruze, Kia Forte) but as prices dropped and models disappeared the Mazda rose to the top as the best-for-the-buck I could get, and so far I'm as happy as could be.

Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Value
5 out of 5 stars
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4 out of 5 stars

Great Except for Touch Screen

Joe, 12/29/2016
updated 01/08/2018
2017 Mazda 3 Touring 4dr Hatchback (2.0L 4cyl 6A)
22 of 30 people found this review helpful

Love our Mazda 3 overall with only one big exception -- more to follow on that. My wife and I bought the Mazda 3 for a commuting car. Love the peppy little 2.0 engine -- it routinely gets 40mph back and forth to work, it handles very well and it is very fun to drive. The road noise for a small car is low, which is quite amazing and the seats are very comfortable. The only issue I CANNOT STAND is the disabling of the touch screen while driving. I have a RAM 1500 truck that has a great touch screen that works during driving and is very easy to use. Mazda, in the name of safety, disables the touch screen while in motion and makes you use a terrible interface that makes dialing a phone or plugging an address into the NAV system a huge chore. My wife is usually with me during commutes but this system is not smart enough to know someone is in the passenger seat so they can use the touch screen. The interface is TERRIBLE and it takes a lot more concentration than just using a touch screen because you have to use a dial to "type in" an address or phone number. Reminds me of the old rotary phones from the 1950's. HORRIBLE interface and I wish they would fix it (easy software fix). I may not have purchased this car if I knew how much this would annoy me.

Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Interior
5 out of 5 stars
Comfort
5 out of 5 stars
Reliability
5 out of 5 stars
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