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Honda Civic vs Mazda3

1338 messages,  Last post on Jun 09, 2010 at 8:42 PM

You are in the Mazda3 Forum.

What is this discussion about? Honda Civic, Mazda MAZDA3, Sedan

Messages Page 133 of 134

#1319 of 1338 Re: $2200 for bad A/C [willyty] by mrblonde49

Jan 18, 2008 (8:11 am)

Replying to: willyty (Jan 17, 2008 9:50 pm)
I'm sure the Mazda 3 is a winner but it can't come close to the Civic in economy and cost of ownership. That's why I bought mine and was pleasantly surprised at the overall performance out of that 1.8 and the exceptional 5 spd auto. Your test was bogus. "
 
Bogus? They're the 2 distinct leaders of the class, simlar in size, amenities, in the exact price range.
 
You trade off a little power/handling for econony, and vice versa. Both are great choices.
 
FYI - I get 27 MPG in my 2.3 in a lot of traffic each day and not "being careful" about mileage. I'm very happy with that

#1320 of 1338 Re: $2200 for bad A/C [mrblonde49] by mongoose65

Jan 18, 2008 (8:39 am)

Replying to: mrblonde49 (Jan 18, 2008 8:11 am)
Wow, Mr Blonde, you said it perfectly. When purchasing, I thought each car would be a fine choice, but the Mazda drove like a sports car and the Honda felt kind of flat and mushy to me. Simple as that. I traded a small amount of economy for the driving fun (which I appreciate everytime I go to merge onto the Lond Island Expressway) and the hatch/wagon of the 3s solved some of my issues of downsizing from an SUV.
 
I am pleasantly surprised to be getting about 26mpg in heavy highway/city (I commute to Manhattan) mixed driving.
 
Both great cars, but I got a better deal on the mazda, it had Sirius as opposed to XM, had a wagon version and drives better (to me). I've put on 34k miles in 1 1/2 years with just oil changes so knock wood, reliability seems to be a positive too.
 
In all honesty, with gas at $3.25/gal, I'm wishing I got a Prius but all in all I'm happy with my Mazda3s and I'm rarely happy about anything! LOL

#1321 of 1338 Re: $2200 for bad A/C [mongoose65] by mrblonde49

Jan 18, 2008 (12:16 pm)

Replying to: mongoose65 (Jan 18, 2008 8:39 am)
Both great cars, but I got a better deal on the mazda, it had Sirius as opposed to XM, had a wagon version and drives better (to me). I've put on 34k miles in 1 1/2 years with just oil changes so knock wood, reliability seems to be a positive too. "
 
I just hit 40 K last week (got it in Oct 05). Besides being hit twice, which isn't the car's fault (once from behind stopped in traffic, one parked in a lot), the only thing besides oil/rotation I have had to do was get the rear rotors done a few months ago (front pads haven't even needed to be done yet - the weird rear brake wearing bias in this car). Even the supposedly quick wearing goodyears lasted 35K miles.
 
What a refreshing change coming from an 03 Saab 9-3 - who's nightmarish maintenance history forced me to seel before I was out of warranty
 
Sirius over XM is a huge deal for me, too. Hopefull the merger goes thru and in 2 years none of that will matter

#1322 of 1338 Re: $2200 for bad A/C [willyty] by aviboy97

Jan 19, 2008 (7:29 am)

Replying to: willyty (Jan 17, 2008 9:50 pm)
I'm sure the Mazda 3 is a winner but it can't come close to the Civic in economy and cost of ownership
 
I think you hit a nerve with Mazda fans and owners here. To say that Mazda3 can't come close to Civic in economy and cost of ownership is a bit inacurate. Will the Civic get better fuel economy. Yes, but not by much. According to CR (February 2008), Honda Civic gets 31 mpg overall, and the Mazda3 i gets 30 mpg overall. If you opt for the bigger 2.3 Mazda, you get added performance.
 
Repair records show the Mazda3 has been very reliable. Do you have any data that shows the the Mazda3 "can't come close" to the Civic in terms of "true cost of ownership"?
 
I have a Mazda6, with the 2.3L motor, and I have 40K with no visits to the shop except for routine maintenance
 
 bought my 07 Civic EX with the intention of taking advantage of the economy, headroom (I'm 6'5"), resale value, reliability and overall "fun".
 
It seems as if you made the right choice for you. Can't blame you for that. However, if you are to keep your Civic past 100K ,150Kmiles, how much is it really worth? Not much. Would it be worth thousands more then the Mazda3? Highly doubt it. If you try to sell it with that type of mileage, you usually get the scum of the earth looking to buy it, since thats all they can afford.

#1323 of 1338 civic vs the 3 and more by dgecho1

Jan 19, 2008 (8:06 am)

Last tank was 43.8 mpg in 08 civic lx at nearly perfect epa conditions near orlando fl......55 mph and now get to work in almost record time with less stress..so, I don't think I will change anytime soon...08 is a bit better than the 03 civvic lx I had which was a very very good car.....btw, doubt the mileage?? I had a prius 02 in which I consistently got 55 mpg plus at or close to speed limit...so it can be done.....
 
Mazda not as quiet or good economy..BUT....excellent quality..japanese made.....
can not fault the choice!!
 
haiti, indonesia, brazil,afghanistan....personal experience and in the news.....nissan ,toyota and jeep 4wd are about all you see in the roughest conditions in the world..or in TRUE wilderness and not suburbia.....

#1324 of 1338 08 Mazda3 vs. 09 Lancer GTS by azr4el

May 09, 2008 (9:23 pm)

Granted both of these cars are not up to par with the reliabilities of the Civic or Corolla but I feel like getting a car that will stand out (although i might regret it in the long run when my wallet gets hit hard with gas prices). I think I can get either car for about the same price with similar options. Any thoughts ?

#1325 of 1338 Re: 08 Mazda3 vs. 09 Lancer GTS [azr4el] by bamacar

Jun 05, 2008 (8:16 pm)

Replying to: azr4el (May 09, 2008 9:23 pm)
Not sure about the Mitsubishi as they haven't had excellent reliability in a while, but Consumer Reports puts the Mazda 3 in the best reliability category which should be very comparable to a Civic or Corolla. CR doesn't have enough data to rate the reliability of the Lancer yet.
 
People seem to just blindly assume other manufacturers can't have a car equal in reliability to a Honda or Toyota.

#1326 of 1338 Re: 08 Mazda3 vs. 09 Lancer GTS [bamacar] by backy

Jun 06, 2008 (7:26 am)

Replying to: bamacar (Jun 05, 2008 8:16 pm)
CR doesn't have enough data to rate the Corolla for reliability, either. In their July issue they declined to put "Recommended" on the Corolla, since it's a new design. I think CR learned something from their experience with the 2007 Camry V6.

#1327 of 1338 Re: 08 Mazda3 vs. 09 Lancer GTS [backy] by thegraduate

Jun 06, 2008 (7:30 am)

Replying to: backy (Jun 06, 2008 7:26 am)
The Corolla is a new design?
 
 

#1328 of 1338 Re: 08 Mazda3 vs. 09 Lancer GTS [thegraduate] by backy

Jun 06, 2008 (7:35 am)

Replying to: thegraduate (Jun 06, 2008 7:30 am)
For 2009, yes. New exterior, interior, suspension, and 1.8L engine--all different from the 2003-8 Corolla.

Messages Page 133 of 134

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