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Hatchbacks Mazda3 Thinking about buying a Mazda 3, need advice!
16 messages, Last post on Jun 12, 2008 at 10:07 AM
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Hello all, I am thinking about buying a new Mazda3 s Touring hatchback with 5 speed manual transmission. I want to buy this car only because I like its body style and the interior, but other than pictures, I have no idea about this car and none of my friends drive this car. Can anyone tell me how this car feels like? How the power compare to CIVIC? I know Mazda3 has a better HP and torque than CIVIC, but when you drive it, do you feel a lot better or barely can feel the difference? I want a car can be fast and relatively good acceleration (I am tired of my old camry right now), so I want to get one is powerful in this class. I also would like to know if this car is reliable, going to dealer for repair every other week is painful...the clutch problem on this forum really scares me... Thank you very much for any suggestion~
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Replying to: vitaminc (Apr 20, 2007 7:57 pm) I seriously considered getting the Civic for the gas mileage alone but my heart was with the 3 and i had wanted one for so long that i thought i would regret it if i didn't follow through and finally get one.. To equip the Civic the way i wanted it [Sun roof , alloy wheels, side sills , stock body kit etc etc basically looking like the SI] it would have cost me quite a bit more than it would've to get the 3 the way i wanted it. So anyway.. I went with the 3 and i love it so far. There aren't a ton of 3's where i live and the ones i do see are usually "I" models.... there aren't many S-tourings or Grand Tourings that i see often. There are TONS of Civics everywhere. I can tell you that my car turns alot more heads than it would had i been driving a new Civic which is nice looking... but common. People around here don't recognize the 3 immediately... but they like it and they always comment or ask about it. The moment where all doubt was erased from my mind about if i chose the right car was the other night when i went to pick up some things from Wal-Mart. I intentionally parked beside a silver Civic so i could look at both cars side by side. The 3 smoked it in my opinion. I took a picture. [Not completely fair because the front of the civic is obscured but here it is Overall , i think the 3 is a better car , especially in the looks dept. The only thing the civic has on the 3 is the awesome gas mileage . I have two extra doors and my car still looks better than the Civic coupe. =) Mazda 3 has more low end torque, vs. the civic. The dash on the civic is ugly and it doesn't look good. Mazda, much better. Keep in mind that Mazda is a much better ride than that of the civic. 
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Replying to: vitaminc (Apr 20, 2007 7:57 pm) If you do decide on the 3, I don't think you will be disappointed! To me its the overall pkg. Good luck & let us know what you decided on! |
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Have owned a 2006 Honda Civic EX sedan in an automatic, a 2004 Mazda 3i 5 speed, and a 2006 Mazda 3s 5 speed so I can speak to your question from real world ownership knowledge. As for reliability, the advantage lies with the Honda though there was a little transmission shudder at around 1500 rpms in the newly designed 2006. That problem should have been addressed and corrected in the 2007 model year. Was not able to reach the 40 mpg highway rating for the Civic in 16,000 miles of driving though others did as well as 42 mpg. Never got more than 33 mpg highway. On previous Civics I always got the EPA mileage figures. So I traded the car for an Accord. The 2004 Mazda 3i and the 2006 3s both had excessive brake dust build up on the alloy wheels - a common problem on the 3. On the 2006, which I factory ordered, the throttle stuck open episodically under acceleration. There was a TSB (technical service bulletin) on this problem and the dealer fixed the problem to my satisfaction. As for engine performance ... both the 2.0 liter 148 hp in the 3i and the 2.3 liter 160 hp in the 3s outperformed the 1.8 liter 140 hp Civic. The torquey 2.3 liter is really fun to drive in a manual. Horsepower has now dropped to 156 as Mazda tweaked it to get a little better fuel mileage (33 mpg highway in a manual). The shifter and the clutch perform like a dream. Mazda lauds them as the best in the world and I prefer the clutch and shift action on the 3 to any car I've driven - even Civics with their short, direct throws. The driving experience in the Mazda 3 is truly superior. A truly great handling car. Like the Mazda 6 the 3 is a true sports sedan with a very high fun to drive factor. If you truly want the rush of power, buy a Mazda3speed with a 263 hp turbo-charged engine mated to the torquey 2.3 liter. Just out this year, it comes only in the wagon version you're after. The Civic has a 200 hp performance version, the Si, in sedan and coupe body styles. For the excitement and performance you're after the Mazda 3 is the car. As to reliability, the Honda gets the nod. Hope this helped.
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Replying to: stallionre (Apr 21, 2007 3:31 pm)  both are great cars; but know this...despite many peoples problem with getting high mileage on the civic, it really does make a difference. I may be trading in my rabbit within a year, and i would still like a hatch, and unless i move up to a crv or element, the only hatch that is doable is the 3. (would love a gti, but i want to save some gas money, and it only takes premium, despite the huge added performance over all the cars being mentioned.) I used to average 38 mpg on the highway with my civic and anywhere from 26-28 in the city (which is right on par with the NEW epa numbers, so whenever you hear anyone complain about not getting 40 miles to the gallon with thier civic, now you know why.) I wont mention the 2.0 in the 3, since you want the hatch and that only comes with the 2.3. The new mileage figures for the 3 barely break 30mpg on the highway(manual) and very low 20's in the city, which for me, kinda sucks since getting out of my rabbit would hope to see better mpg, but in the three it would only offer me a mild increase. Both cars handle great...the 3 having the advantage. Most of the 3's handling advantage is its sport tuned suspension...if you put 17's on the civic with some decent tires, much of the handling characteristics are balanced out. although both cars are rated very well reliability wise (with the civic having the advantage) the 3 seems to have more issues than the civic, although both have been prone to bugs. Remember though that the 3 has been around for awhile, the new civic just came out at the end of 05, so some bugs are to be expected, although i doubt its still an issue. I think there are advantages and disadvantages to both cars (hatch versatility, peformance vs great fuel economy and reliability, most radical looking commuter car out there.), but its not a sort of 'x car sucks, the x car is so much better'. it depends on your needs!
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Replying to: eldaino (May 13, 2007 3:10 am) Nice post, I agree with you. I posted the same info for three diferent people in three different areas, where I saw fit to answer their questions. I would of gotten the civic, but I can't stand the LCD Speedometer read out that is in your view of the windsheild. Have you driven this car at night? I felt like I was going to crash, because I was distracted by how the civic placed their read out's and controls for the car. It was simply aweful. Like back to the future. Don't get me wrong, I do love the Honda line, but I wanted more of a sport's car feel and look. The civic looks like an average car. However, the 3 looks like between a sports car and the average car. I love the LED rear lights and the front head lights. I own a Honda CRV and love the Honda cars, but the civic was not my style. On the dash everyone can see how fast you are going. That is not how I want to get a ticket, when a cop pulls me over to tell me that he saw my dash speedometer. I think the 3's will have less problems than the civic for the simple fact that the 3's have been out longer and in the '07's, I feel that most of the bugs are out. No car manufactuerer can get all the bugs out of every single car. I mostly drive the freeway, so I get 30MPG. My work is 24 miles one way,so I am doing well with my 3. I recently bought the MBI (Mechanical breakdown Insurance) from Geico. So I am covered for 7 years at 100,000 miles for everything in the car. It like an extended warranty but much better. Check it out online at Geico.com
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Replying to: stallionre (May 13, 2007 7:26 am) as far as driving at night goes, i owned the car for a year and my fiance lived 3 hours away,...so for almost a year a slogged home around midnight every weekend. It wasn't distracting to me...it was cool looking. I like the whole starwars/back to the future thing...(now to just install the flux capacitor...  ) I think that the 3 does look sporty, but i hardly think the civic looks average; its the most dramatically styled car in its segment and even though it is seen often, that doesn't change the nature of its styling. I had no bugs with mine, and no cop ever saw my speedometer. I think thats kinda impossible, they have to go by THEIR instruments. If anyone else sees how fast i'm going, i just tell them its part of driving with me. i averaged 28 in the city and 38 on the highway.
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Replying to: eldaino (May 14, 2007 7:11 am) When I am driving on the freeway and the other car that is 4 lanes over have a civic, I can see how fast they were going through the window. My friend has the civic and he said that he got a ticket because the cop saw how fast he was going through his driver's side window. Hey great gas mileage. I think that the civic's do get better mileage than the 3's. 
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 i'm thinking about buying a mazda 3 sedan or a lancer 08, wich one do you recomend? When the Mazda 3 sedan is going to change for a new line? thanks
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