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Sedans Honda Civic Honda Civic vs Mazda3
1333 messages, Last post on Jun 06, 2008 at 5:37 PM
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There are some rattles that the dealer just can't locate which is a bit irritating. They had to re-swap out the rear pads and now that bad brake dust is back, worse than before. The car just feels old before its time and the wife doesn't really push it that much. She even said this will be our last Mazda. We just hit 30k on Tuesday and if we wouldn't take such a big hit on the trade and what's left of our prepaid maintainance(?), the car would be gone. Maybe it's just our particular car, it's just not aging well. But since we owe nothing on it, we'll just keep it until something really major goes wrong. This is by no means a slam on Mazda products...it's just that our experience has not been as good as we had hoped. Buy what you really like, that's the bottom line. I really think most folks do love their Mazda 3's. Just wanted to give another point of view to keep in mind. But honestly, any car can have many little problems that just ruin the owner experience. Good luck with whatever you choose and please let us know. I'd be very curious on what you end up with. The Sandman 
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Replying to: sandman46 (Jun 14, 2007 5:12 pm)
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Replying to: eldaino (Jun 15, 2007 6:46 am) Why do you think you'd take a hit on the trade? The resale value is very strong. As an example, my 2006 3s Touring (stick) with 28K miles has a Kbb trade in value of $13,235 for good and $14,175 for Excellent (mine is probably in between). Edmunds is a little lower. I paid $16,700 in October of 05. I think that's very good I understand the prepaid maintenance being an issue, though |
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Considering both the Civic EX manual coupe and the Mazda 3s GT hatch manual. I drive about 25,000 miles/year and I am looking for a fun car that is economical. I expect to own the one I buy about 5 years. Here's my feedback after test driving both on several occassions. Civic EX coupe manual -handling is fun -acceleration is good -reliability is likely better than M3 -resale will probably be better -interior is nice for the money except seats look cheap but comfortable -better tires based on forum discussion -better trunk configuration (can easily drop to golf bags in) Mazda3s GT manual -handling is more fun -did not feel a big difference in acceleration -interior is much nicer than civic (leather, Bose, etc) -did not find the pedals too close although they are close enough that I know what everyone is talking about -exterior is better looking -stability and traction control is a big plus (NH resident) -two sets of clubs requires the back seat in down position Other things I am wondering about: interior noise in the M3 hatch vs sedan do not like reading some of the things in the Mazda discussion like tranny problems, lousy tires, etc. Maybe someone can put me at ease. I would appreciate any feedback since I am very close to puchasing. Thx. |
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Replying to: ecofun (Jun 25, 2007 8:18 am) The biggest upside for the Honda is that it's a Honda, so you have a bit of an edge with reliability. Gas mileage is also going to be a bit better in the Civic. The upside for the Mazda3 is the features that come with the GT. There are definitely more toys (especially for the money compared to the Civic EX) on the GT like the leather and Bose that you stated, but also the auto xenon headlights, foglights, rain-sensing wipers, auto climate control, and sportier 17" wheels (just my opinion, though). The only complaint we have is that the A/C isn't all that strong, which is more noticeable since we're in FL. I would imagine that downside weighs very little on your decision since you're not battling 90 degree weather on a regular basis in NH. I know how hard this decision is because there isn't a clear-cut winner. My wife has an '06 Mazda3 GT automatic with the sunroof/bose package and I have an Accord, so I'm a fan of both Honda and Mazda. We looked at the same two cars for my wife that you're looking at, and we made the choice for the Mazda3 based on the reasons I mentioned. The reliability has been excellent so far after 20K miles (knock on wood). We also had a friend who hooked us up with the employee pricing so the deal we got on it made a difference; although, I think we could have received the same deal without the employee plan. As you may have already assumed, my vote is slightly in favor of the Mazda3, but either car would have made us happy.
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Replying to: dairyshick (Jun 25, 2007 12:40 pm)
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Replying to: ecofun (Jun 25, 2007 1:19 pm) So far, there really has not been any major problems with the Mazda3, small stuff, sure, like every vehicle. Even the new Civic has had a bunch of little issues. Just look at the 2006-present Civic problem board... As for resale, I seem to laugh every time I see that mentioned. It is very hard to sell one privately!! Even if you own the vehicle out right. If you have a lien on it, forget it! Who is going to pay you thousands for a car if you don't even own it! If you own it long enough to buy it out right, and sell it when you have 70-80K on the clock, you are talking maybe a dollar difference in the 100's. Not thousands. So, would the extra hundreds in savings over 5,6,7 years of ownership be enough to sway your decision? Maybe. Maybe not. That;s for you to decide. Every publication recommends the Mazda3, as well as the Civic. You will be fine, reliability wise, with either. From a dealer's prospective, both are worth about the same from 2004-present, if you were to trade. One cannot go by KBB or Edmunds. No dealer in my neck of the woods (North East) uses them. |
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Go with the Civic! The Sandman 
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Replying to: sandman46 (Jun 25, 2007 4:32 pm) |
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Replying to: ecofun (Jun 25, 2007 1:19 pm) Not sure why you are under the impression tha tthere will be a major problem. Most issues have been ironed out. Teh A/C is not the strongest, but it gets the job done for me and it can get very hot here in NJ. The reason I have Mazda 3 is that my Saab 9-3 was brought in roughly a dozen times in 2 1/2 years, the final straw being a completely blown auto tranny at 37K miles. Thank God it was warrantied until 50, but I had to sell before I was out of warranty. I bought the Mazda and have had zero issues besides oil changes with it in 30K miles (aside from getting rear ended). My tires have held up, too and only now are looking at replacement One other thing I noticed in your comparison. If fitting golf bags with the seat up is an issue, why wouldn't you consider the sedan for both? |
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