We have a limited number of reviews for the 2023 3, so we've included reviews for other years of the 3 since its last redesign.
4.5 stars. Fun car
Mary, 10/25/2024
2023 Mazda 3 Select 4dr Sedan (2.5L 4cyl 6A)
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
I've had my 2023 Mazda3 sedan for about a year. I bought it because I wanted a Japanese economy car and the Corolla was too expensive and the Civic was too ugly. I completely fell in love with the interior of this car. My old car was a Corolla and the Mazda is so much more fun to drive. It has better acceleration (and I don't have the turbo) and much better steering. It's a more engaging experience and after a year with it, I still get excited every single time I get in it. and have enjoyed driving it more than any other car I've driven in my 35 years on the road. I've read other complaining about not having a touch screen, but I love the manual controls. They enable the screen to be a a distance that works better for me (in part because I'm nearsighted, and a closer screen would be difficult for me to read without progressive glasses). I can manage most functions on the screen and Android Auto without looking at it or while only having to glance to see which icon is currently highlight. I was quickly able to memorize the number of turns and clicks to get to the functions I use most often. This car is my first automatic transmission in decades. I didn't want the hatchback, so I couldn't get a manual. What I've most hated about automatics is that they just never seem to shift when I want them to. This transmission is fantastic and does a great job of matching gear shifts to the current driving situation. It does especially well at "knowing" when to downshift. It does have a manual mode that I use when I'm in the mood, but I find the automatic is great. The gas mileage is worse than advertised. I get about 25 mpg combined city-highway. However, it does much better than advertised on long highway drives - I typically get 40-44 and as high as 48 on highway road trips. I'm ok with this given how fun the car is to drive. The safety features work well. the adaptive cruise works great and has been life-changing in stop-and-go traffic - especially compared to my manual Corolla. I've read some reviews complaining about it being too aggressive. I find it works best if I set it for just 10-20 miles over the current flow of traffic. If the traffic is going 20 and you set it to 60, it's going to accelerate too hard as soon as there's a little space and the have to brake aggressively. If you set it at 30 or 35, it's smooth. I bump up the speed as traffic speeds up. Rear cross traffic alert is very helpful, especially in a car this small surrounding by giant SUVs in parking lots! The lane keep assist doesn't work very well. Doesn't detect lines that are present and inaccurately detects patches on pavement as lane markers. The things I don't like are: cupholders - the ones in the center console are ok given the layout of the rest of the stuff, but I wish the ones in the door were bigger. I can't get a 32 oz bottle (disposable or reusable) to fit in any of the drinkholders. seating - the seats are comfortable but too low. I have the Select trim and the driver's seat has good manual adjustment, but the passenger side does not. Even my 20 yo daughter has trouble getting in and out of the car and put a 6-inch seat cushion on it rear leg-room - ridiculously inadequate. Fortunately I almost never have anyone back there.
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Worth way more than we paid
Old guy, 07/27/2024
updated 07/30/2025
2023 Mazda 3 Select 4dr Sedan (2.5L 4cyl 6A)
3 of 4 people found this review helpful
Every time I get behind the wheel of our Mazda 3 sedan select 2.5 I feel great about our buying decision. I love the way it looks,,, it looks not at all like a relatively inexpensive small car. The front seats are the most comfortable of any car I have owned and I bought my first car in 1965. The car has enough power to feel confident on Bay Area freeways and averages about 40mpg highway. The interior is widely praised for being above its price class and I couldn’t agree more. The safety tech is superb,,,, the trunk is fine and I don’t spend anytime in the back seat. All things considered I got more than I paid for
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2023 Mazda 3 for sale near you
Showing 3 of 62 listings
- Preferred 4dr HatchbackMSRP: $19,381In-stock online
- Preferred 4dr HatchbackMSRP: $19,499In-stock online
- Select SedanMSRP: $18,499In-stock online
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Rocking my new 3 S Hatchback with Select pkg
Mike K, 04/13/2023
2023 Mazda 3 2.5 S 4dr Hatchback (2.5L 4cyl 6A)
3 of 4 people found this review helpful
The interior looks and feels premium in every aspect. The ride on smooth roads is perfect. With the platinum quartz paint and piano black trim this car definitely stands out from the crowd. In 700 miles of mostly highway driving it averaged 38mpg. Love it!
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Very good choice
Chris D, 11/26/2023
2022 Mazda 3 Premium 4dr Hatchback (2.5L 4cyl 6A)
3 of 4 people found this review helpful
I bought a red Mazda3 hatchback over a year ago and it’s been a very good car. Highlights are a fantastic driving experience, premium interior, excellent Bose sound system, likable engine, and beautiful styling. I’ve had minor issues with the electronics, like adaptive cruise control cutting out on the highway and wired CarPlay crashing or not connecting for a few weeks. One major flaw: lane keep assist is awful and overcorrects to a concerning level, and I usually turn it off immediately after startup. The car had an interior rattle that the dealer couldn’t figure out after two tries, so I had to fix it myself. Yes, the back seat is cramped and rear visibility is poor, but those have not been issues for me. Despite all that I have no regrets buying this car as I think it excels in so many areas over other compacts. It’s good in the little things, like having an awesome steering wheel, HUD, and floor-mounted gas pedal. Fuel economy has been 32 mpg in mixed driving, beating its EPA rating, and I have had no mechanical issues with 10,000 miles on the odometer.
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Fun to drive.
Ronald, 02/24/2025
2022 Mazda 3 Select 4dr Sedan (2.5L 4cyl 6A)
3 of 4 people found this review helpful
I purchased new in 2022 and have owned for 3 years and 20,000 miles. Went with the naturally aspirated vs. turbocharged motor desiring long term reliability mated with the six-speed automatic transmission. Maintenance has been inexpensive, and it is a joy to drive. The stock Toyo tires provide a cushier ride and improved fuel economy, but they are also puncture prone. I switched the tires out with some Firestone Firehawk AS V2, the fuel economy went down but remains as advertised vs. slightly better with the Toyo. The performance and handling are much improved, on par with certain European luxury sedans as to the overall experience. I love the Mazda Connect Services App where I can remotely crank the car, send the destination to the Mazda Navigation system. In combination with the built-in Pandora services, I have no interest in using the Android or Apple Car Play. Mazda Navigation maps are easier to read albeit not as feature rich as Google Maps. The seats are very comfortable, the sound system is a cut above and like that I can set it up to cater to the driver's perspective. The trunk will hold two sets of golf clubs. I put a small hitch on the back to haul a bike. Added some all-weather mats, door visors, a few other items to make it my own. I'm 5'10" and have no trouble riding with sufficient space in the back seat. So long as the driver isn't 6' 2". If you're thinking about getting one and interested in longevity, suggest going with 5000-mile oil changes, running top-tier gas. Running a fuel system cleaner through ahead of each oil change and flushing the brake fluid every 3 years. Perhaps, even a periodic injector cleaning. These motors are solid but they're carbon build up prone due to the high compression. Steps suggested are to help keep the carbon build up down and help avoid more expensive repairs down the road. Being able to change the speedometer display is also very nice, it's not difficult to find a perfect driving position. I enjoy the driving dynamics as much as the 2013 Subaru BRZ, which had the lowest center of gravity as any production car in history, only this Mazda 3 has more torque. If you are single, it's perfect, if you have a small family with younger children it'll work. Some might prefer more space in the back seats, but to me there's plenty of room. It's amazing what I've been able to haul and pick up, no need for an SUV. Only negative I can think of, it's true, the paint will chip if you just look at it, so keep it waxed and clear the bird poo asap. My greatest concern is finding a comparable replacement down the road. Overall, I just love it, like getting a little luxury feel, reliability and Zoom! Zoom!, at a great bang for the buck price!
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