The Mazda 3

[fidlerre]

http://us.autos1.yimg.com/img.autos.yahoo.com/ag/mazda_mazda3_s4door_2005_exterior_2_346x270.jpg
Mazda 3 - 4 Door

So my fiancee is in the market for a new car. The lease on her Jetta is about up and she's not looking to get a new Jetta due to some of the problems we've had with the car the past few years. She's set on the 4-door version of the Mazda 3.

Anyone know anything about this car? Given that it's a fairly new model of car there isn't a lot of background history on it, and I've never owned a Mazda so I don't know the first thing about their service. Any help or first-hand experience with this car would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

[Foosinho]

I know this isn't helpful, but... when I decided to ditch my Audi (those German cars are expensive to maintain), I looked at the Asian import market. I settled on my Civic, and am very happy with it (good fuel economy, inexpensive, etc), but I still wish from time to time I had test driven a Mazda 3. They look sharp.

[Quango]

I got one at the end of November. It is probably the most expensive of the economy sedans, but I thought it was easily the nicest. Mazda definitely made it sporty. The interior options are the best in its class (i.e. not cheap looking). The S model's engine is great too.

We were looking at cars, and I stopped to check this out. After my first test drive, I wanted this car.

Problems I've had:
1. It was a b**** to get. We picked all the options we wanted, and special ordered it, mostly because Colorado didn't have much selection last year. It was delayed on every part of the trip from Japan. Also, the dealers are convinced it is the hottest car in the world, so don't expect to get a great deal.

2. Had a problem with brakes squeaking in the early morning cold. It was a known problem and covered under warranty, not a safety hazard, but annoying.

Good things:
1. It's winning lots of awards, and was ranked highly by Consumer Reports.

2. It is a new model, but it is the successor of the Protege. I believe they have a decent record as far as repairs.

3. Get the leather seats. They are awesome.

This is my first new car, so I'm pretty up on it. Let me know if you have any other q's.

[Quango]

http://us.autos1.yimg.com/img.autos.yahoo.com/ag/mazda_mazda3_s4door_2005_exterior_2_346x270.jpg
Mazda 3 - 4 Door

She's set on the 4-door version of the Mazda 3.


This is the exact color and model of my car, by the way. My fiancee was also set on the 4-door. I kind of liked the 5-door, but I have no complaints.

[fidlerre]

(those German cars are expensive to maintain), I looked at the Asian import market.
Tell us about it, we both have Jetta's right now.
I settled on my Civic, and am very happy with it (good fuel economy, inexpensive, etc), but I still wish from time to time I had test driven a Mazda 3. They look sharp.
Yea, she not too fond of the way the Civic looks and I agree the body-style right now isn't to my liking.
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Excellent. Thanks for all your notes, very helpful.

[Own Goal Hat-Trick]

i would stay stick with jettas, but if you insist that theyre a maintneance hassle (never had a problem with a german car)....

[Quango]

Yea, she not too fond of the way the Civic looks and I agree the body-style right now isn't to my liking.


When I test-drove the Civic, it felt like an "economy" car. The Mazda 3 feels like a "sports" car.

i would stay stick with jettas, but if you insist that theyre a maintneance hassle (never had a problem with a german car)....

Consumer Reports ranked VWs with some of the worst repair histories. I know they aren't the final word on anything, but it seems like a good idea to go Japanese for a long-term car investment. Q

[Alex_1]

I'm from the old school o' Mazda. We used to have an RX-4 back in the day. :D The thing lasted forever and ever and ever. I love German cars too... I just parted with an XR4Ti that ran like a dream. Parts were a pain but it was a great, great car and worth it.

Mazda's are pretty good cars IMO and now's a good time for Mazda since Ford is *close* to giving them back a unique identity. They feel sportier - 1000x so long as you opt for the standard. Which reminds me... selecting a standard will probably save you some serious cash too. Then again it should feel down-right quick compared to the Jetta which is IMO a toilet with four wheels. They drive pretty well too and you have some space for cargo... which reminds me, it depends on what you plan to do and what you plan to lug around.

I guess it depends on what you plan to spend. Nissan Sentra, Mitsubishi Lancer, Toyota Corolla, Ford Focus, Saturn, Chevy Cobalt are all rival models or close to rival models, I think. But I have general Ford and Nissan horror stories that would give Freddie Krueger nightmares.

[Own Goal Hat-Trick]

Consumer Reports ranked VWs with some of the worst repair histories. I know they aren't the final word on anything, but it seems like a good idea to go Japanese for a long-term car investment. Q

i dunno. i always viewed it as, more expensive parts, but fewer breakdowns or serious problems, so you spend less in the long run (at least vs an american car)

i drove the pants off my GTI and never had a single issue with it. my friends that had VWs were all the same way, as well.



im starting to think, though, that car problems are pretty random. *knocks on wood* ive put tons of miles on my cars, and driven them hard, and have never had an issue with any of my vehicles, whatsoever.

(edit: exception was an old '87 trans am that i bought used that had 150k miles on it. it sucked)

[Quango]

They feel sportier - 1000x so long as you opt for the standard. Which reminds me... selecting a standard will probably save you some serious cash too.

$900 for the Sport AT. My fiancee can't drive a standard, and I'm not good at it, so we opted for automatic. Most of the 3's packages run about $900.

ABS/Side Air Bags
Moonroof/6CD changer
Leather/Sport Exterior (4-door)
Sport Auto Transmission (Has minimal manual control)

I think there is also a Headlight/Tire Pressure package as well.

Adding these nice features ups the price considerably.

Also to note, the 4-door comes in 2 models, i & s. The S has a bigger engine and all of the power amenities and A/C.

One thing I didn't note earlier, the factory tires are not great on snow. Q

[Mad_Bishop]

When I was looking at the end of the summer, I was torn between a GTi, mazda3 5dr and a scion tC. I didn't end up with anything as my wife was given her grandfather's buick and there wasn't a real reason to get a new car, but I loved the tC. The major problem I had with the Mazda was that I never even got a chance to drive one. It was next to impossible to find one here, without driving 2+ hours to StL or KC. And even at the bigcity lots, the pickings were slim.

[Quango]

When I was looking at the end of the summer, I was torn between a GTi, mazda3 5dr and a scion tC. I didn't end up with anything as my wife was given her grandfather's buick and there wasn't a real reason to get a new car, but I loved the tC. The major problem I had with the Mazda was that I never even got a chance to drive one. It was next to impossible to find one here, without driving 2+ hours to StL or KC. And even at the bigcity lots, the pickings were slim.

This is a huge problem if you need the car immediately. We ordered the one we wanted, but with the multiple delays, we were scrambling to find another 3 with the same options/color. I think there was 1 in the western US, and it might have not been exactly the same. I was a more than a little panicked.

Mazda is making 3's to order, so there isn't any surplus of them. I think the 4-door "S" model is even harder to find. Here in Colorado, the only thing there were plenty of were white and titanium gray 3's. Ugh.

Now that we have the car that we wanted, though, we would say it was worth the wait and frustration. Q

[kopiteinkc]

2. Had a problem with brakes squeaking in the early morning cold. It was a known problem and covered under warranty, not a safety hazard, but annoying.



2. It is a new model, but it is the successor of the Protege. I believe they have a decent record as far as repairs.



I have a protege and it has 150,000 miles on it and I have never had a problem with it.

Funnily enough I get that brakes squeaking in the early morning cold too :(

[Motterman]

I have a Mazda 6 and it rocks. I was ready to move up a level after driving a 1994 Honda Civic EX for 10 years... haven't looked back.

[ElJefe]

i dunno. i always viewed it as, more expensive parts, but fewer breakdowns or serious problems, so you spend less in the long run (at least vs an american car)
According to Consumer Reports' latest car issue (which by chance I happen to have right here in my hands), there are on average more problems numerically with European cars than with American ones. In other words, it's a double whammy: You have more problems and they cost more to fix.

And they don't age very well:
By age five, the average problem rate is 79 per 100. Asian make have 44 problems per 100; US makes, 88 problems; European makes, 105. But overall averages mask a very wide range. The best five-year-old cars, the 2000 Lexus LS400 and Honda CR-V, have a trouble rate of 18 problems per 100. They hold up as well as the average 2004 US car. The worst five-year-olds were the VW Golf and Jetta V6, at 158 problems per 100.
The trend in the past several years has been that American makers have been improving reliability, while European makers have gotten worse.
i drove the pants off my GTI and never had a single issue with it. my friends that had VWs were all the same way, as well.
My first car (in 1988) was an 1983 Rabbit GTI and I loved it. I doubt, however, if I would buy a more recent vintage VW. They're just too unreliable and it's not as if nobody else is making small sports sedans.
im starting to think, though, that car problems are pretty random. *knocks on wood* ive put tons of miles on my cars, and driven them hard, and have never had an issue with any of my vehicles, whatsoever.
They might be pretty random, but you start seeing trends with certain automakers. With Toyota, you don't see those random problems nearly as often as you do with VW, for example.

BTW, fidlerre, here's what CR had to say on the Mazda3, which they recommend and rated second in their "small cars with automatic transmissions" class and first in their "small cars with manual transmissions" class:

Reliability: Best (on a scale of "worst," "below average," "average," "above average," "best.")
Satisfaction: Best
Depreciation: NA

"The very pleasant Mazda3 is the successor to the Protege and a major upgrade. It comes in sedan and hatchback form and shares its underpinnings with the new Volvo S40. The standard 2.0-liter engine is relatively quick, refined, and sparing with fuel. The 2.3-liter engine is punchy. The slick manual transmission augments the sporty character. The 3 also has precise, responsive handling and a firm, relative comfortable ride, though road noise is pronounced. Interior quality is very good. The rear-seat room is competitive in this class, but the trunk is a bit small."

They did a full review in August 2004, if you're interested. Maybe your local library carries CR.

[Kryptonite]

Tell us about it, we both have Jetta's right now.

As do I. It comes out of the shop and about 2 weeks later, some other light is on.

The alarm was randomly going off when I locked it, so I took it in and the guy by-passed the alarm system. Would have been about $600 for the new sensors. Less than 2 weeks later, the back window started rolling down randomly. Got it back from that fix about 2 weeks ago, and now the check engine light is on.

This is a 96 model which has been kept in excellent shape. Previous owners lived in a brick driveway community near Muirfield and kept all the maintenance papers for it since they bought it. Past maintenance isn't a problem, but I buy it and wait about 5 months and everything starts going to hell.


But as for Mazdas, my neighbor has driven them for the past 15 years or so and swears by them.

[fidlerre]

They did a full review in August 2004, if you're interested. Maybe your local library carries CR.
Excellent. I am going to have to check out the local library this weekend. Thanks.

[Frieslander]

amazing, this is the thread I was going to start.

my 1990 Honda Civic DX got rear ended last week. Totalled. Everything I read about the Mazda 3 sounds so good that I'm having trouble thinking of another car to look at. Any suggestions? I'm trying to keep it under $20,000.

[DuffFutureofIreland]

Just buy a toyota starlet.

My one has done`188,900 miles or so and it's still running beautifully, and i drive the $hite out of it.....

[fidlerre]

Well we finally looked and they are not "dealing" with price at all on these things.

Add in the fact that I don't buy a car without leather seats and to get it in the Mazda 3 you have to spent at least $22,000 and all of the sudden what seemed like a nice car doesn't anymore. Cloth seats just annoy me to no end, and add in the fact that the cloth in these Mazda's are rediculous looking with their blue and red dots.

So we're still looking around, but if I am going to spend $22,000 on a Mazda I would rather toss in a few more grand in the pot <just $20-40 bucks a month on a finance deal> and get a year-old low-mileage extended warranty Audi for like $25,000.