When operating correctly it was enjayable to drive, comfortable, and had a nice package of safety features for a reasonable price.

I fear its mechanical problems may land me in a situation where I am killed.

The car is great to drive, when operating correctly. Several times it has died in the middle of the road while I was driving it, and will not allow a restart for several minutes. The fuel economy fluctuates from 34 to 15 mpg with no change in fuel brand/grade or in driving habits/conditions. Recently it has developed a very rough idle, reminding me of the violent shaking of a John Deere 9400 tractor when choked to kill the engine. The Mazda technician at the dealership stated that several Mazda 3 owners have reported similar problems, but no determination as to the cause has been made. Until the cause is found it can't be fixed, until it's fixed I feel it is too unsafe to drive. The Mazda 3 is essentially a very expensive paperweight.

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none

I am still doing it

It's a car I have been using since I knew how to drive. Very nice car !

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I don't know

Everything

Exaust could be dual or a louder pipe Subwoofer touch screen nav

I was in the market for a new car I had owned many 4x4's and it was time to go back to having fun when you drive. I was looking at the volvo s40 and found that it was to over priced for the base model and it just did not seem fun to drive. Next was the Subaru legacy GT now that was fun to drive but the price was too much and subaru did't even think it would sell. Makes you think about how well the car was made doen't it? Then when I was about to give up and go back to a 4x4 I figured why not try a mazda again. I had a mazda mx-6 V6 engine that was fun to drive but it needed 92 octane fuel and the gas prices were just on the rise. I test drove the mazda 3 sedan, it was fun but something was missing, the I looked at all the options and noticed that if I stayed in the sedan I would be spending alot more money then i wanted to. Then I took out eh Hatchback WOW with the 17" rims and goodyear eagle tires it was something else. along with the tires and rims,NAV, Moonroof, Xeon head light I had to bump up the Kalvins from 3700 to 6400 and what a diffrence that makes. You could fimd a contact on the ground with these lights. For all of you out there that are saying there is too much red accent have you pressed the button above the tack to turn it BLUE? It looks alot better and much easier on the eyes at night. I live in Minnesota where it snows and gets cold so it will be interesting how the car handles.

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Mazda MX-6

Great stock features--6 cup holders, good sound, steering wheel radio controls, huge glove box and center console Fast without the high gas mileage Smooth ride very good visibility

Engine can be loud when increase speed too quickly

I bought the 2005 Mazda3i 3 months ago and it was the best purchase I have ever made! The handling is incredible and it priced out the same as the Hyundai Sonata--and its much better looking. Although it is a compact car, the seats fit a woman perfectly. The best feature inside the car is the cruisecontrol/radio control on the steering wheel. I bought the automatic transmission, and though leary a little as I have always had a manual, it has been a major stress relief in our Seattle traffic. The engine can get a little loud when you floor it though. The automatic transmission has the option to change to manual--which is great for getting out of snow and mud areas. I used to hate driving, now I love it. I have had no problems with my car and would recommend it to anyone.

Smooth Engine Excellent handling Midsize feeling interior space Fit and Finish High Value Lots of storage Well proportioned wheel to wheel well opening Best Hi beam Headlights I have ever used. Attactive interior

Needs lower RPM torque strength No remote trunk release Needs an extra cigeratte lighter port Needs heated seats/rearview mirror option Needs subwoofer option for stereo

Excellent style/value/refinement. My comparison list was narrowed down to a Mini (too choppy, trendy), RSX (more $, not as refined), Cobalt (not as athletic, weak center console), and the new Mustang (live rear axle, NVH). I ended up with the S, 6 CD changer, Sunroof, safety and sport package, leather. Listed at $19.9K, gained advantage with supplier discount and end of model year $1K rebate. The quality of touches (high quality head and tail lights, best in class 17" rims, interior materials, and fit and finish are immediate notice). The car looks like it should cost $5K more, especially when it sits next to a Corolla, Cobalt, Civic. Expect higher resale than Chevy, slightly lower than Toyota. The handling is unbelievable and the Noise, vibration, harshness is world class for a compact car. The brakes are almost too sensistive as they will grab and stop quickly. I was glad to see it shods Goodyear Eagle RS. I had these on my Z-24 that had over 60k miles on them with still 1/2 the tread left. I have driven in snow with it and it handles well. Check Mazda parts websights and you can add Mazda part upgrades cheaply. I purchased a Mazda spoiler for $300 vs the $390 at the dealership. The spoiler comes with a template for easy location of where to mount, and new hinge struts to compensate for the added weight on the trunk. I also added the Mazda auto dimming mirror with compass and thermometer for $200 vs $270. Best picture illustrated instruction I have ever seen. While the stereo is very clean sounding, it has zero bass. I added a 100 watt 8" bazooka subroofer in the trunk ($300 at local audio store - installed), set your control head bass at zero, and you will be amazed at the total sound quality you will get. The car should have had the subwoofer as either an option, or standard (check out the Cobalt for best in class in this one). The seat is firm and supportive, yet the front thighs need more support. The dual console storage is nice, and you can fit a shoe box in the glove compartment! I wish Mazda put a top dash hatch like the Mazda 6 if the Navigation system is not ordered. The cigeratte lighter is hooked up via the ignition switch, a frustration if you use the port to charge your cell phone overnight. The manuel gear shift has a solid, short throw with the easist clutch I have ever driven. If you do not know how to drive a manuel, learn, as you are missing the heart and sole of the car with the manual, besides you will save $700. I have purchased over 20 new cars, and this is my first foreign vehicle. The engine does not feel as torquey as a GM/Ford type, but the smoothness is excellent. You have to keep the RPM's in the higher end to appreciate the strength of the engine. I have almost 3k of hi-way driving, and am only getting 24 mpg average. Cold weather and new engine may be a factor on this. Mazda should have used sequential port injection instead of throttle port, as they would have gotten better fuel milage, higher torque, and about 15 more hp. A major complaint is the decision to use a cable trunk release instead of a solenoid electrical release. I thought that technology went out in the 80's. As a result, there is no way to have remote keyless entry on the trunk. The trunk is also hard to open at the initial, and extra precaution has to be taken to avoid scraping the top of the bumper as you put items in or out. The headlights are excellent with the longest throw on the Hi beams. Save your money on the $700 zenon pakage. Note that it cost $240 to replace a burned out bulb!

Excellent handling Engine use to be strong gas mileage is good for a 5 door that can seat 5 6' people trunk room is nice Very beautiful car 17" rims options

Brake problems engine problems lack of non-dealer parts short warranty mazda service shops

I test drove this car and instantly fell in love with it. It handles almost as well as my 92 240sx and had about the same acceleration but the 3 had higher gas mileage running on regular instead of premium. Beautiful car that gets attention and the stock sound system is excellent, i personally got the mp3 head for 300 dollars more and i put it to heavy use and the 6k oil change is a blessing... Unfortunately this car has ended up being more of a hassle than anything else, im currently working as a couriour and due to engine problems of my other car i have been forced to drive my 3 for work. In a couple months i have put on 30k miles and about a constant headache from it... I have the 5 speed hatch (2.3 liter) and when i first got it gas mileage averaged about 30 mpg (almost all highway driving) well now 30k miles later i get about 23 driving as fuel efficient as i can. And engine power is next to nothing, i can barely hit 100 flooring it on open highway in 4th now, this isnt normal... About 2 weeks after i got it I put an after market cold air intake on it, power, throttle and highway gas mileage all increased with the mod and i could clearly hear the engine breathing... the service manager said the warranty would not be voided unless water or large debris was sucked into the engine, but after about 25k miles my engine got quiet and started pinging horribly service replaced the mass air flow sensor cause "it was dirty" (in fact the dirty point they showed was the air temp sensor) and while i was waiting for the work to be done this guy was in there waiting for his 3 to be worked on and apparently there was no compression in cylinder 3 in his car... anyway while i was there i also had them take a look at the rear brakes cause my rear pads were pretty much gone, but my front ones were unworn, they replaced the pads with "special shallow pads that will stop the drag" well they have been squealing since and wearing worse... After mazda changed the mass air sensor i left the parking lot and same problem, it didnt fix it at all called dealer up and they told me they wouldnt even diagnose it unless i put the stock one back in and now that i have put the stock intake back in the problem is even worse. i took it by there and they checked it out and they said they didnt know what was wrong with it, they gave it back and said if it gets worse come back earlier in the day. There is even more, gradually the shifter has become harder to put into gear, its like you have to push it over a small bump at first to change gears but now that little bump is more like a mountain, its gotten so bad that sometimes it tricks me into thinking its in gear than grinds when the clutch goes out. Main reason i got a Mazda was because they were supposed to be reliable, ive taken it to the shop at least 4 times in 4 months for different problems and my warranty is about to run out and they dont even know why its running bad. The mazda is a fun car till it breaks down, there are no parts out for it and mazda service shops dont know anything about cars these days. I fear the car wont last 80k miles without severe problems...

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93 nissan 240 89 honda accord 02 ford focus zx3

Zoom zoom zoom. The car feels a lot more solid than the Protege 5 we also tested, and it was a lot better than the other vehicles we tested.

Brake dust, brake dust, brake dust - especially on the rear wheels (heavy rear bias maybe?). The OE tires Goodyear RSAs at P205/50R17 I predict will barely last 30,000K.

Picked up the car in late April and has been a blast since day one. Have not had a single problem, and am now approaching 10,000Km. Looked at similar hatch/lift five door models (Focus/Vibe/Matrix etc) but had the most fun with the 3, which was an important consideration. The only downer was replacing a front right tire due to a puncture ($224), and I lost the rear parcel cover when I removed it to place a large package in the back and then left the cover on the curb!

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Last vehicle was a winter beater Dodge Sundance. No comparison.

The 2 litre engine has more than enough power. Steering wheel controls for the radio/cd and cruise control is nice to have. Solid car, low noise on highway...Zoom,Zoom.

Mostly problem free. Glovebox was hard to close unless latch is pulled. This was repaired at no charge to me. My biggest beef is the auto transmission when cold. The transmission changes gears shift with a thump from 1st to 3rd gears. I reported this to the Mazda dealer this week and they said I was the third person to complain about this problem this week. They said the problem exists in the Mazda 6's also. Basically the answer from them was the shifting improves as the transmission warms up. Not the kind of answer I expected. Winter has just started here in Southern Ontario and it's going to get a lot colder...Is the Transmission going to get worse? I have written to Mazda Canada regarding this and I am waiting for their reply.

Best car for the money out there. I am 6'4" and have no trouble getting in or out. Leg room is good and the telescopic wheel is a plus.

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Toyota Corolla, Honda Civic.

Strong Mid level acceleration Agile suspension Great interior design and quality Excellent feature content for the dollar

Engine is a bit loud under hard accelceration. Low end grunt is somewhat weak. Taking off smoothly from first gear isnt always that easy.

My previous cars in order were an 88 BMW 325 cic, 2001 BMW 330Ci, a 1999 Honda Accord cpe V6, 1989 Audi 100, 92 Hyundai Elantra GLS. HANDS DOWN my 2004 Mazda 3 (hatch) is by far the BEST value of any vehicle I've ever purchased. My car literally has every option (including the DVD navigation system) and still only cost me 20,000 before tax, title, and DMV fees. I've never owned a Mazda before so I'm a little weary about the product reliability, but so far I have almost 6,000 miles on it and have had the least amount of problems than any other vehicle I've owned.....especially the BMW's.

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Honda Civic

Horsepower, cab room, price.

The problems!!

I bought the Mazda 3 brand new not even a month after I bought it I had nothing but, problems. 1st it was my emissions and they changed my purge valve in my car. Got it back and within 24 hours my check engine light came back on and I took it right back. I have not had it back since. They had several problems. They had to replace the computer (PCM), cadillac coverter, purge valve, o2 sensor twice, fuel injectors and at that point was still buffaloed as to what was wrong until they called the engineer who amazingly fixed it by telling them over the phone what was wrong which was suppose to be the fuel injectors. At this point I have no faith in the Mazda product. We will see how it goes.