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I've owned two predecessors of the Mazda3, an early Protege and a late 323, and my wife owned a late-model Protege (right before it switched to the 3) before we got married. Each was a superb little package for its model year, and each was better than the last. The late-model Protege was a very good compact by today's standards, so it's hard to imagine the 3 being anything less than top-notch for its market segment.
I own a 2006 Mazda 3s Touring Sedan. I love this car. The rave reviews are very much warranted. Well put together, handles great, and peppy. I honestly have nothing but positive things to say about this car. If you get one, I think you will be extremely happy with it.
I own a 2006 Mazda 3s Touring Sedan. I love this car. The rave reviews are very much warranted. Well put together, handles great, and peppy. I honestly have nothing but positive things to say about this car. If you get one, I think you will be extremely happy with it.
Location: Lived Large in Parsippany NJ - Lived Larger in Livingston, NJ -- Now Living Huge in Bethlehem PA
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I own a mazdaspeed 3 hatch with the supped up engine, my cousin drove it a few times -- loved it and went to buy herself the Mazda 3 sedan with the 2.3L engine.
Yeah I would say the accolades are accurate but one thing that would have really made this little wonder the greatest out there will be traction control on every model or maybe AWD....if these two are not a deal breaker for you then the Mazda 3 is worth taking a good look at...!!!
The seats IMO are fine way better than average because during my 130 mile roundtrip commute twice a week -- I hardly feel any pain or discomfort but I guess you will have to test drive one to check the comfort level out yourself...other than that it is a great car.
I have 40K miles on mine now and its still good on gas....all I have done are regular oil changes - I intend to do a trans flush when I hit 45K miles...car still feels and drives new like when I got it from the dealer.
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Originally Posted by GreenMachine
I've heard rave reviews about this car. Does anyone own one? What do you think -- are the accolades accurate???
Overall, I think that Mazda 3 owners are pleased with their cars. I know of only one person that had numerous issues with her 2005 or 06 model, but I think that most of it was in her head. At least in the beginning. Something about a mystery noise in her clutch and it escalated from there. She might have been expecting too much perfection from that car when it was brand new.
I have a 2006 wagon (hatchback, 5-door, whatever you want to call it). It handles great, is comfortable, and is fun to drive. Lots of cargo space; my only complaint is there's no keyhole for the liftback. The glove box is freakin' huge!
I'm a little disappointed with the in-town gas mileage (I get about 18 to 19 mpg) but highway mileage is superb. Acceleration with the AC on is weak in low gears. Took me forever to get used to the clutch, but the transmission otherwise is perfect.
I got in early with a 2004 Mazda3 3.2L manual 5-speed hatchback. Get the gray color. It NEVER shows dirt.
Positives:
The interior is roomy, and can hold 2 people and a lot of luggage or 5 people and a little luggage. With the rear seats folded down, you can fit a couple of mountain bikes and/or shortboards, skiis, snowboards, etc inside, but you need to be creative with your space management. You can also sleep two people in the back with your gear stowed up front if they like each other.
Seats are comfortable. Engine is sufficient with good enough kick for normal driving. The front-wheel drive is good enough for ice mountain roads when chained up.
Mileage is okay. I usually get 30+ highway and 28-29 mixed. Never less than 25mpg even with horrible SoCal traffic and the AC going full blast.
No maintenance problems yet. I'm not real good about wash/oil/maintenance and I haven't had any problems in ~40K miles.
Nice styling. A classy looking vehicle. I like the old wheel style, the new wheels look bad, IMO.
Negatives:
This is really an urban vehicle, and not meant for an outdoorsman. The interior is carpeted and mine has about 80lbs of sand, dirt, and stones in the carpets. Cargo capacity is inflexible because there is no rear window hatch so you need roof racks for a longboard or other oversized cargo. Roof racks make it look butt-ugly.
Ground clearance is poor. I just recently broke off the plastic under-engine splash plate, so I need to order a new one. Hopefully that won't be too much $$$. No off-road capability, limited rough/gravel/dirt/snow capability. If it's snowing, follow a plow, or you might get stuck. Always chain up.
I should've gotten an SUV, like interior-rinseable Element, but I wanted to do the environmentally responsible thing, and there weren't any ute hybrids in '04. Plus, the 3 looks good pulling up to the club.
A/C is underpowered. Wear light clothing and maybe sit on a towel in the summer if it's hot where you live.
Lastly: tires are hard to find for the 17" wheels. I didn't pay attention and accidentally wore mine down to the belts and had to drive around shedding chunks of rubber for a day out in BFE while I looked for a place that carried my tire type.
Overall:
Great car for sub/urban environments. Versatile enough for most anything.
Oh, I have to add my complaints to the lack of keyholes. The only keyhole is on the driver's side, and the electric keychain lock isn't waterproof.
Try standing on the traffic-side of PCH in your dripping wetsuit, fumbling to get your key in the lock with stupid-numb fingers, in 35-degree air, with 18-wheelers barreling by inches away at 60 mph. Scary!
No car is perfect, but this car sounds decent. I like the gas mileage and good handling.
Greenie
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