Opinions on the Mazda 3

iamlowsound · #1 10-01-2009, 01:08 PM

I am helping my girlfriend find a new (to her) car and I keep finding the 2004-2006 Mazda 3s right in her price range with less than 80,000 km (less than 50,000 miles for the Americans here). Most of them are fully loaded and much better equipped than a similar car from either Honda or Toyota. Now, she is a musician and will need to cart her keyboard around from time to time, but I figure the back seats fold down so that isn't a problem and she is dead set on a sedan. So TBOT, what is your experience with these cars? Reliable? Fun to drive (hey, I will be driving it a lot)? Any major draw backs?

lowsound

TrooperFarva · #2 10-01-2009, 01:14 PM

My sister has an '05, and my friend has an '07, both sedans. My sister has the SP23 model, which I guess was a limited edition, my friend has a pretty good one, with a 5 speed. They're good little cars, I've driven both. They get good mileage, they look good, and the performance is pretty solid.

My only real gripes with the car are, for me, and my friend agrees , the pedals are too close together, and when I have the drivers seat in a comfortable spot for me, there's about 3 inches between the back of the seat and the front of the rear seat. I'm 6'2".

Both cars have the larger engine, so I can't really comment on how it compares to the smaller, although my friend did test drive one with the smaller engine, and said it was way too slow for him. Also, the sporty rims come with low profile run flat tires, which aren't cheap to replace.

VroomVroom · #3 10-01-2009, 02:13 PM

Reliable, fun to drive, great fuel economy...I wouldn't hesitate to recommend one. I love the wagon, and keep one eye on the used market. Now that the new generation models have been introduced, there are some even better values on the ones you're looking at. Good luck...

**Thor** · #4 10-01-2009, 02:23 PM

My keyboard player had one, fit the PA subs, mixer and 2 'boards no problem with room for more.

TheVoiceless · #5 10-01-2009, 02:30 PM

I have the 04' hatchback. I love mine. Yeah replacing tires is not cheap. And oil changes are a little more for some type of special seal. My car has almost 80,000 and has never let me down. I do drive a manual so that may also be a factor. Great for carrying gear. Roomier on the interior then other cars at that size.

I would recommend one.

bongomania · #6 10-01-2009, 02:47 PM

They got pretty good reviews on Consumer Reports. I almost bought one on that basis, and really the only reason I didn't end up with one was there weren't any good used ones in my area at the time I wanted to buy. I did test-drive one at a dealership, and in that test drive my only complaint was that the instrumentation panel was kind of hard to read in daylight.

two fingers · #7 10-01-2009, 02:49 PM

Drummer friend of mine has one. It's a BLAST to drive. He gets his whole kit in it just fine. Good gas milage. Looks cool. What's not to like?

iamlowsound · #8 10-01-2009, 03:14 PM

You guys have been echoing what I have heard from others. Now I just need to convince her of it. Too bad she isn't looking at buying for a while, but it give me time to find her a nice one.

lowsound

Chickencha · #9 10-01-2009, 03:42 PM

If there hasn't been enough praise already, I'll add to it. I have a 2007 Mazda 3 that I like a lot. It can fit my 410 cabinet, amp, and several basses without any problem.

Note that I'm not a car guy by any stretch. I really just wanted a car that will be reliable and get good gas mileage, and mine hasn't let me down yet. (Then again it's only two years old.)

mike_v_s · #10 10-01-2009, 04:02 PM

My brother loved his 2.3 wago right up until he upgraded. His only complaint was the suspension on rougher roads (hey, it's a trade off).

Mike

NJL · #11 10-01-2009, 04:35 PM

my only opinion on that car is that it's really cool looking.

warwick.hoy · #12 10-01-2009, 10:04 PM

They are cool cars no doubt. The singer/guitarist I play for has a 5 door and he can get his (acoustic) guitar,...two Mackie powered speakers, two suitcases full of cables,...FX,...merch and still have room for his wife. Even the Proteges that Mazda had out before the 3's are good little cars.

Just to throw another option out there,...how are the winters in London Ontario? If they are harsh; as I'm inclined to think they can be in the Great Lakes region, maybe consider an AWD Subaru. Soobies are sturdy cars; even the 90's Loyale wagons are worth a look. Gas mileage will be less than a Mazda 3, but the AWD; although not entirely needed, can be handy to have in winter driving conditions.

iamlowsound · #13 10-01-2009, 11:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by warwick.hoy

They are cool cars no doubt. The singer/guitarist I play for has a 5 door and he can get his (acoustic) guitar,...two Mackie powered speakers, two suitcases full of cables,...FX,...merch and still have room for his wife. Even the Proteges that Mazda had out before the 3's are good little cars.

Just to throw another option out there,...how are the winters in London Ontario? If they are harsh; as I'm inclined to think they can be in the Great Lakes region, maybe consider an AWD Subaru. Soobies are sturdy cars; even the 90's Loyale wagons are worth a look. Gas mileage will be less than a Mazda 3, but the AWD; although not entirely needed, can be handy to have in winter driving conditions.

The winters can get a little rough, but the roads never get bad because they are awesome about clearing them. The AWD would be nice, but not needed. Plus, she doesn't like the looks of Subaru's.

lowsound

**Eric Perry** · #14 10-02-2009, 09:21 AM

I can't comment on the 3, but I have a 6s hatchback, and it's the best car I've ever owned (and I've had a few high end cars) in terms of options (it's fully stocked), fun to drive factor, and reliability. My next car will most likely be another Mazda6 or a Mazda CX-7. I'll probably get the CX-7, as Mazda d/c'd the hatchback in the 6.

The hatch was great for transporting gear. Without putting the back seats down, I still easily fit my 410 cab, 8-space rack, pedalboard and two basses in gig bags.

PSPookie · #15 10-02-2009, 10:06 AM

I tend to agree with what's been posted already. I've been drivign my Mazda 3 5 door for about 5 1/2 years. Reliable, good gas mileage, fun to drive and you can fit tons of crap in it.

It's much bigger on the inside than it looks from the outside and roomier than other vehicles in it's class/price range.

We're shopping for a new car for my wife right now and I'm bummed that no one makes a larger hatchback or wagon anymore. Am I really going to have to buy an SUV? Dang you market forces!

Bob Lee (QSC) · #16 10-02-2009, 10:23 AM

I've been noticing the Mazda 3 hatchbacks in recent years, and one of my co-workers bought one about a year ago, too. If I were in the market for a new car, I think it would be on my short list. For musicians, a hatchback is a great kind of vehicle to have.

Ziltoid · #17 10-02-2009, 12:21 PM

My mom has a '05, had great reviews from everyone and everywhere back then, they still do. Great little car, good fuel consumption and yes they are fun to drive to.

LaklandBass · #18 10-02-2009, 12:33 PM

My friend test drove one 6 months ago. Drives like a cheap tin can compared to the other cars in its range. Nissan sentra, scion, tc or xb, toyota corolla, honda civic were all better feeling cars.

Nedmundo · #19 10-02-2009, 01:53 PM

They are fantastic cars for all the reasons stated above. We have the Mazda 5 mini-minivan, which is built on the same platform and uses the same 2.3 litre engine, and it's been perfect for three and a half years and 32,000 miles. It's the answer if you need a little more space than the 3, and it's even slightly fun to drive with the manual transmission.

You will not go wrong with a Mazda 3.