Used 2011 Mazda Mazdaspeed 3 Consumer Reviews
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Love me Love me not
I have had my Mazdaspeed 3 for 3 months and 3700 miles now and have noticed things I love and things that need improvement. The car handles very well, but may be a bit harsh for some. The interior is very nicely laid out (love the blue accent lighting). The exterior styling can take a bit getting used to. I bought mine in Black, so the "happy face" is not noticeable at all. I drive very conservatively so I have been averaging around 23-24 mpg with a 60-40 mix of city and highway driving. Overall a nice car and a great value, but Mazda needs to work on the clutch on these cars. My clutch is taking away from the fun of driving it, which is a big reason why people buy these cars.
Impressive for the $$$ spent
My 2011 MS3 is now 3 weeks old with roughly 1200 miles on it. Just about every review on this site is dead on with observations of handling and power. Mine is in Velocity Red and turns a few heads in my neighborhood as well. Styling is subjective but it's really hard to argue the price-to-performance ratio. Also, I read a lot of criticism about the small multi-function nav screen but I have found mine to be of high quality, great resolution, and it gets me where I want to go without fuss.
- Sport 4dr HatchbackMSRP: $10,397741 mi away
- Sport 4dr HatchbackMSRP: $9,788866 mi away
- Sport 4dr HatchbackMSRP: $7,995911 mi away
It Just Grows on Ya!
I have owned only Taurus SHO's for the past 17 years - all manuals. My last one just turned 190k as I went researching for a honorable replacement. It surely wouldn't be the new SHO as it was released w/o a stick and way too much $$$. As I went to different review and "best of" sites the MS3 was always ending up in the top two spots. Anyway ended up test driving the WRX (not as refined inside + more $) and the GTI (more $ and slower than the MS3). Since I have owned it (the MS3) I have to admit it just gets better every time I drive it - even with that goofy smile in the front. I did have to get used to a turbocharged car as far as shift points and turbo lag but all are quite manageable.
Extreme bang for your buck!
I've owned the car for about 3 weeks now and it is an absolute pleasure to drive. I was planning on waiting for the new STi, however I'm glad I decided on the MS3 for both practicality and affordability. Plenty fast for a mid-thirty year old, gas mileage is a solid 26 mpg (I do a lot of city driving), and it handles like it's on rails through the curves. Motor Trend just did a comparison between the MS3, the wrx, gti and ralliart, and out of all of them, this is the "point and shoot racer" that simply feels much more "dialed in". Believe me, they're spot on. I simply can't stop grinning.
Must Read for Speed3 Owners!
I noticed a black soot material on my tailpipes (which I've since learned is normal for turbocharged cars) but I heard that previous models had issues w/turbo smoking (smoke coming from tailpipe at idle/all engine speeds) & I thought this might be the onset. Videos are online if u Google. Mazda allegedly fixed this in 2010 but there's a "mystery" Tech Service Bulletin (TSB)for service depts to switch owners to 5W-40 synthetic vs. std 5W-30 (what the filler cap & manual says). TSB doesn't apply to 2010 models. My dealer couldn't even find the TSB in their system! Question service depts b/c Mazda N. America doesn't endorse synthetic oil or 5W- 40! Could void warranty b/c manual says 5w-30 oil.