Used 2021 Mazda 3 Sedan Consumer Reviews
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Very Nice Car for Enthusiasts That Commute
WSM456, 10/06/2021
2021 Mazda 3 2.5 Turbo Premium Plus 4dr Sedan AWD (2.5L 4cyl Turbo 6A)
34 of 34 people found this review helpful
First of all this is a great car, which is why I'm giving it 5 stars. I will outline some negative aspects of the, but it should be noted that these aspects weigh much less heavily on the total experience of the car than the positive aspects - if I outlined the minor positives like I will the minor negatives there would be way too many. I just want everyone to know the parts of this car I wish were better. The good: The interior; if you've been looking at this car you already know the interior is amazing. I know there are some complaints about the new infotainment center but I like it and agree with Mazda that a touchscreen is definitely not what you want to be messing with (or what you want the other people on the road messing with) while driving. The acceleration and AWD are a great...I really don't have more to say about it. My commute to work is mostly highway/interstate and on the highway I average around 35 MPG, surprisingly. Now to average that I do use the radar cruise control basically the whole way - you would be surprised to see the difference between gas mileage while using radar cruise vs your foot. Radar cruise is smooth and doesn't repeatedly accelerate too quickly to speed that is too fast and then have to slow down like when you drive with your foot (this cycle can be subtle depending on how you drive but, trust me, everyone does it). The comfort of the car is really great. The seats are very comfortable and have much more adjustability than my previous vehicles. They have 2 memory seating positions, which is nice, especially for people like me that can never get the seat back to that same spot after someone moves it. The ride is smooth and cabin noise is okay - my Audi A4 I had before was definitely quieter but it was also more of a cruising car than this car, which is a little more sport-oriented. Don't get in the turbo and expect the luxuries of a vehicle meant for a quiet smooth (boring) ride. That's not the point of this vehicle. The exterior design of this car is amazing in my opinion (and most other enthusiasts seeing as the 3 won 2020 world car design of the year at the WCAs).I have the Soul Red sedan with black wheels and a black lip on the spoiler. It looks great, the red is probably the best red on the market today and really highlights the curves on the car. The bose sound system is awesome. The tech is great. So many driver support and safety features make you feel comfortable driving. Love the heads up display, too. Gripes: The rear torsion beam instead of independent suspension. Mazda has done a really good job keeping the effects of this covered up (apparently they have something in the computer that does something to counter the negative effects of a torsion beam but I don't know the specifics) and 99% of the time you won't know but occasionally you'll hit a bump just the right way and the car takes a slightly funny bounce. It's not something that you have to correct, it just feels "off" in relation to the regular feel of the ride. Like I said driving 2+ hrs each day I don't experience this every day, maybe you won't even experience it every week, but it is something that happens. It beeps at you a lot. The parking sensors are mainly what I'm talking about. If you pull into a parking spot and get close enough to anything that the sensors alert you and you park there, when you get back in and start up it will immediately beep at you to let you know you're close, even though you're in park. The navigation is nice...if you don't live somewhere with constant traffic jams and road work. I'm sure this is the same for all manufacturer's navigation system but it doesn't have any real-time data. It doesn't know when there's a traffic jam, it doesn't know when there's road work that makes a route slower. This means you're just going to use google. The good news? It has wireless android auto and apple car play so it's still easy to use. It's just slightly annoying that you have a feature that doesn't work as well as you want it to and you end up using data on google maps. Like I said - this isn't necessarily a Mazda or Mazda3 problem but don't get this car with maps expecting to not use data anymore. Rear seats are a little tight on leg room (not the worst I've been in by a long shot), but the they are still very nice, comfortable seats - more so than other small cars I've been in. Overall, this is a fantastic vehicle. I have always wanted a WRX/STI, Civic Type R, Focus RS but I have lots of driving to do every day and...I'm not as young as I used to be and my taste has changed. I enjoy not having an extremely stiff ride, sub-par interiors/tech, and I like the more sedentary styling because I'm not 18 yrs old anymore. That being said this is a great middle ground between still wanting a sports car and a wanting a comfortable driver.
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Absolutely incredible car
Peter, 01/03/2021
2021 Mazda 3 2.5 Turbo 4dr Sedan AWD (2.5L 4cyl Turbo 6A)
72 of 76 people found this review helpful
I test drove and bought the turbo model with 4 doors without any hesitation. The driving experience is 10, not 8. The interior is also 10. Some journalists are wondering who will pay $31000/$34000 for this car. I will tell people don't even compare this car to Honda civic or VW Jetta or Subaru. Mazda built this thing to compete with Audi and BMW. If you think from that perspective, it is a steal. I drive to work that has a mix of highway and curvy roads that cut through several lakes. I cannot imagine there is a car that can outperform Mazda. This car is that good. The 6 speed transmission shifts and works better than any other car I've had before. You can read articles that explain why it is so. Or just drive it and you will know in 5 minutes. It has AWD for safety and better handling. Mazda says that premium gas makes a difference at above 4000 rpm. So since I am not racing in real life, I will be happy to use regular gas. This car is not for teenagers or those who want BMW. It is for adults who appreciate thoughtful engineering, innovation, and design at a reasonable price. Thank you Mazda for building incredible cars like this. It is just what we need in a world that has turned to CVT transmission and Tesla nonsense.
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Sleek Sporty Style
Dawn Rivero, 01/30/2021
2021 Mazda 3 Preferred 4dr Sedan AWD (2.5L 4cyl 6A)
14 of 15 people found this review helpful
Love the new interior design changes from the 2017 model. A bit more spacious than the 2017 as well.
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Greatest value on EARTH!
Simpsonite1216 , 04/19/2021
2021 Mazda 3 Premium 4dr Sedan (2.5L 4cyl 6A)
8 of 8 people found this review helpful
Youre getting luxury trim features at budget car pricing! You won't believe and you cant comprehend the value! Just go look at one, you can always walk away!
Fun to drive
Steve, 05/08/2021
2021 Mazda 3 Select 4dr Sedan (2.5L 4cyl 6A)
22 of 27 people found this review helpful
This car has more standard features than the other competition in its class like Toyota, Honda, Kia etc..most feature that I love is the extra horsepower even with a natural aspirated engine.
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Superb in white
Jorge in Forest Hills, 08/17/2021
2021 Mazda 3 Select 4dr Sedan AWD (2.5L 4cyl 6A)
5 of 5 people found this review helpful
Luxury is affordable. This car is has a gorgeous dashboard that belies its price. The 6 speed automatic transmission combined with a great Skyactive G engine makes driving fun. We enjoy driving the car in manual mode since we currently own a 2011 Mazda 3 with five speed manual. Mazda is a small company that works hard at making great cars. Love our new 2021 Mazda 3 model. We test drove other cars with the CVT transmission like Honda and Subaru but we just could not be happy with the boring gear shifts and overall lack of roar.
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Defective Airbag
JB, 09/19/2021
updated 12/20/2022
2021 Mazda 3 Select 4dr Sedan (2.5L 4cyl 6A)
17 of 21 people found this review helpful
Nice car. Purchased new but two weeks later a sensor said the airbag system was malfunctioning. I thought it was a bad sensor but when I brought it back to the dealer they said it needed a new driver side airbag. Yikes. They offered me a loaner but I wanted my car and I thought it would only be a couple of days. Three weeks later and no word on when they might be able to fix it. Have looked online and it seems to be a common problem. Update: Airbag was eventually replaced after waiting 5 weeks. About 6 weeks later the defective air bag sensor came on again. Pretty frustrating on a new car.
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2021 Mazda 3 Turbo Premium Plus - Amazing!
MazdaMan, 08/26/2021
2021 Mazda 3 2.5 Turbo Premium Plus 4dr Sedan AWD (2.5L 4cyl Turbo 6A)
7 of 8 people found this review helpful
I have had this vehicle for 1 week and absolutely love it. One might be surprised to find that I switched from a 2019 BMW 330i x-drive (retail $49,000) to this 2021 Mazda 3 Turbo PP with no regrets at all. This car interior is more refined, it's faster, and it rides better due to NO run-flat tires (i.e. BMW). You will NOT miss the 8-speed, since the torque is available at EVERY gear. You will fall in love with 3rd and 4th gears during acceleration runs. And when you want to relax, this car acts like a kitten, smooth as silk. For $34,000 retail it cannot be beat when you consider the entire package. I have driven the car with 87 and 92 octane so far...highly recommend the 92. I am still looking for 93 octane to see what the full 250hp and 320 torque can do, but I would assume it is minimal. And did I mention the AWD and all the safety features...it's a great package. Take it for a test drive, you will not regret it.
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Hugs the road
einstein, 02/12/2021
2021 Mazda 3 Select 4dr Sedan (2.5L 4cyl 6A)
5 of 7 people found this review helpful
Best driving experience ever!
I don’t get it. Cramped cabin. Base lacks torque.
Rick, 05/22/2022
2021 Mazda 3 2.0 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl 6A)
22 of 39 people found this review helpful
I was so expected to go test drive and buy this car. I test drove the base and wow was I underwhelmed. The engine was base and lacked acceleration/torque. Sure turbo might be nice but it’s quite a price jump. The cabin is super cramped. The rear cabin was super narrow and could barely fit car seat. The front seat felt super cramped, like I was driving a Miata without the run.
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