Used 2018 Mazda 3 Hatchback Consumer Reviews
Adept at all things: The 2018 Mazda 3
John, 11/15/2020
2018 Mazda 3 Touring 4dr Hatchback (2.5L 4cyl 6M)
9 of 10 people found this review helpful
After owning this car for a year I have found that it is a spunky car with adequate power, comfortable seats, a decent ride and really agile handling. This is a driver’s car and if you cannot appreciate steering feel, controlled body motions and lively acceleration, this car is not for you. This car feels tied down in everyday driving and upon pushing the car to its limits handles flawlessly, with direct steering and predictable amounts of rear end rotation. The powertrain is weak when compared with hot hatches like the VW GTI but in normal driving, especially with a stick shift, power is readily available. Keeping up with traffic is easy as the engine produces most of its power around 3,500 rpm which means unlike a Honda, you don't have to reach into the upper level of the power band to survive a daily commute. The interior seating is comfortable, although the back seat is tight and headroom is lacking. The trunk is small, especially in hatchback form but with the backseats folded this car can carry a lot of cargo. The fuel economy is a bit low for the class especially when comparing a manual transmission version to an automatic transmission in a rival car, however the power delivery and handling competence make it worth it, for an engaged driver. 45mpg on the highway is attainable at 55mph and 38 is attainable at 65mph which is less impressive than some other competitors, but still very high. The ride is sporty and therefore does not shield bumps as well as one may expect but this car is not harsh by any means. The infotainment system is aggravating even with Apple Carplay, and requires a lot of scrolling around to get to different choices, which is something that will only bother you when you are stuck in rush hour traffic and getting frustrated anyway. This car is also loud on the highway, especially because the final drive ratio on the 6 speed manual is high, which means at 75mph the engine is turning at 3,000 rpm. While this low final drive ratio makes the car have lots of passing power it also makes the car loud, which makes for an annoying combination when driving in the rain as the radio volume must be raised substantially. Overall if you are looking for a car that is an appliance and just drives in traffic well and is a good commuter, this is not the car: get a Corolla, Elantra or Civic. This car makes entrance ramps thrilling, opens roads adventurous and surprises a couple people in VW GTIs when they have to wind the piss out of their engine to overtake you when lanes merge.
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Made the right decision!
B. Rogers, 03/09/2018
2018 Mazda 3 Touring 4dr Hatchback (2.5L 4cyl 6A)
5 of 5 people found this review helpful
I can't believe I got a vehicle of this quality at this price point. The interior is luxury and super comfortable. The infotainment isn't 100% seamless but doesn't have any problems at all. Driving it is great and after the couple of weeks I've had it, I'm only more confident that I made the right decision.
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2018 Mazda 3 for sale near you
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- Sport SedanMSRP: $11,9886 mi away
- Touring SedanMSRP: $10,98012 mi away
- Grand Touring 4dr HatchbackMSRP: $18,98143 mi away
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My Mazda 3
Ron, 01/15/2019
updated 01/23/2025
2018 Mazda 3 Grand Touring 4dr Hatchback (2.5L 4cyl 6M)
5 of 5 people found this review helpful
It's an outstanding car. I like the way it drives and the features. However, there is a problem with the back up camera switch when the car is in reverse. Sometimes there's no image, other times it's distorted and sometimes functions correctly. Mazda issued a recall notice for the switch that controls it, but has never come up with a fix. Also, the GPS system stopped working after five plus years. Mazda says it requires an update that a dealer can perform. It can be done over the air. Meanwhile, the car is completely dependable and I plan to keep it indefinitely (I am a low mileage driver.) Fuel mileage has been 36 mpg since purchase.
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Adept at all things: The 2018 Mazda 3
John, 11/15/2020
2018 Mazda 3 Touring 4dr Hatchback (2.5L 4cyl 6M)
4 of 4 people found this review helpful
After owning this car for a year I have found that it is a spunky car with adequate power, comfortable seats, a decent ride and really agile handling. This is a driver’s car and if you cannot appreciate steering feel, controlled body motions and lively acceleration, this car is not for you. This car feels tied down in everyday driving and upon pushing the car to its limits handles flawlessly, with direct steering and predictable amounts of rear end rotation. The powertrain is weak when compared with hot hatches like the VW GTI but in normal driving, especially with a stick shift, power is readily available. Keeping up with traffic is easy as the engine produces most of its power around 3,500 rpm which means unlike a Honda, you don't have to reach into the upper level of the power band to survive a daily commute. The interior seating is comfortable, although the back seat is tight and headroom is lacking. The trunk is small, especially in hatchback form but with the backseats folded this car can carry a lot of cargo. The fuel economy is a bit low for the class especially when comparing a manual transmission version to an automatic transmission in a rival car, however the power delivery and handling competence make it worth it, for an engaged driver. 45mpg on the highway is attainable at 55mph and 38 is attainable at 65mph which is less impressive than some other competitors, but still very high. The ride is sporty and therefore does not shield bumps as well as one may expect but this car is not harsh by any means. The infotainment system is aggravating even with Apple Carplay, and requires a lot of scrolling around to get to different choices, which is something that will only bother you when you are stuck in rush hour traffic and getting frustrated anyway. This car is also loud on the highway, especially because the final drive ratio on the 6 speed manual is high, which means at 75mph the engine is turning at 3,000 rpm. While this low final drive ratio makes the car have lots of passing power it also makes the car loud, which makes for an annoying combination when driving in the rain as the radio volume must be raised substantially. Overall if you are looking for a car that is an appliance and just drives in traffic well and is a good commuter, this is not the car: get a Corolla, Elantra or Civic. This car makes entrance ramps thrilling, opens roads adventurous and surprises a couple people in VW GTIs when they have to wind the piss out of their engine to overtake you when lanes merge.
I l o v e my new baby
Jamie, 05/14/2018
2018 Mazda 3 Grand Touring 4dr Hatchback (2.5L 4cyl 6M)
6 of 7 people found this review helpful
Don't even think about it, just buy it. You won't regret it. I've had my car for a little over a month and there are still features the car has that I'm just now noticing. If I had to complain about one thing, it would be the power. I looked at and test drove a lot of hatchbacks and this one felt the most spacious, luxurious and smooth out of them all... but was also just about the slowest. Mazda could have done better. It would have been nice to have the option for a turbo engine, which would make it more comparable to the other companies hatchbacks. It's a bummer that the Mazda6 got the turbo engine and is only offered in a sedan with a automatic transmission. Besides that, the car is amazing, beautiful, has awesome features and is a really smooth ride. I get a lot of compliments. I sold a 2010 Mazda3 for a 2018 Mazda3 and I'm sure my next car will be another Mazda
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- Performance
- Interior
- Comfort
- Reliability
- Value