[Firescooby]

I'm possibly looking at replacing my 2003 Corolla with a new Mazda 3 hatchback. I'm looking at the i touring model. I'd be purchasing this as a commuter vehicle. It would eventually probably be passed on to my oldest daughter in about 6-7 years as her first car.

Questions:

1) Is the automatic model reliable? I'd be keeping this vehicle for a long time, definitely looking for longevity/ durability.

2) How much interior room is there? I regularly carry 2-3 adults, is there a decent amount of rear foot room?

3) Are there any problems that have surfaced with the car that I should be aware of?

Any more info or tips would be appreciated!!

 

[razerer]

Since your buying this car for a commuter which u wish to pass on I will give u a mature a answer lol

For what ur looking for the automatic is better.. Unless ur daughter is a car but n loves manuals... Though learning to drive a manual can be an accomplishment in life.. That's what my dad told me lol

As for problems.. These cars I haven't heard much bad.. Or any for that matter.. Simple quality problems like loins wind noise in the cabin.. And road noise from the cheap OEM tires exist which can be fixed.

Plan to mod the car..? Then add new tires and a rear sway bar.. Then you are golden


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[swerv0428]

Rear leg room is a little cramped. Not to bad though. Go and look at one that you best bet for that. They are reliable cars that aren't know to have many problems. Mazda in general is the second most reliable auto maker.

 

[3i2011]

Meh back headroom could be better but all my family and friends are under 6 feet so it's not a problem. And I have a sedan so the hatch might be better. There's enough leg room for trips like 1-2 hours. Any longer would get uncomfy


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[hyperion.excal]

My Answers:

1) It is Mazda they are made and assembled in Japan so the vehicle parts are high quality. (If you are looking to purchase a car soon look for a 12-13 model) I believe 14 models will be produced in Mexico so the quality/reliability may drop down.

2) I own a sedan and the rear passenger room is still good, i think hatches are roomier in the back plus the cargo space is much bigger. I went with the sedan because i dont need the extra cargo space and i like the sedan look.

3) Mazda3 in general is an overall great driver/commuter they have zoom zoom attitude built in and handles very well on the road. If you enjoy alot of driving you will find that Mazda3 is really fun to drive as oppose to other vehicle in its class. Corolla/Civic/Elantra are just plain boring. Focus is fun too but who wants to buy a Ford?

Buy a Mazda :yes:

Good luck!

 

[zoomzoomzoom3]

I got the 2012 skyactive hatch because it drives like a European car but with only sips gas with (a very accurately estimated) 30-40 mpg and uses regular gas. (also the MT tranny was real nice haha but that's personal preference). But from a economic perspective you really get the most Standard amenities & safety for what you pay for. The powertrain warranty in like 20000 miles more then ford focus's and most other cars in its class, if not all other cars in its class.

Interior room is good for the size of the car, and the back seat can hold 2 adults more comfortably then a focus too. Point being, the money its pretty well spent on the cars design. The mazdaUSA website will clear all these questions up with the precise stats if your looking for that kind of answer.

 

[Firescooby]

Thanks for the info all. I've never owned a Mazda, so I appreciate the info. I've owned 7 Toyotas, a Honda, and a few other brands.

I like the looks of the 3, plus the MPG is really good. I haven't went and looked at one purposely. I know it will make me want one even more. My 2003 Corolla has been pretty good in the 4 years I've owned it, and currently has 173k miles. I haven't had a car payment in 5 years, and really don't want one now...therefore the practical side of me may win out.

 

[mazda3grandtouring]

Personally, I would pass on the mazda3. Please let me explain. I purchased a brand new 2012 mazda 3 sedan this past fall. I commute with it. With only a few thousand miles on it it started rattling. Turned out it was the fuel tank. Fuel tank assembly must be replaced. Now there is a rattle on the dash. I would wait and check out the 2014 toyota corolla or go with the refesigned 2013 honda civic. This was my first and last mazda. Having such a huge repair this early on with a new car does not say quality and longevity to me. Guess time will tell. On a positive mote I will say the mazda3 is a true 40mpg vehicle. I easily hit that mark on most tank folls.

 

[Frnchplayr15]

Personally, I would pass on the mazda3. Please let me explain. I purchased a brand new 2012 mazda 3 sedan this past fall. I commute with it. With only a few thousand miles on it it started rattling. Turned out it was the fuel tank. Fuel tank assembly must be replaced. Now there is a rattle on the dash. I would wait and check out the 2014 toyota corolla or go with the refesigned 2013 honda civic. This was my first and last mazda. Having such a huge repair this early on with a new car does not say quality and longevity to me. Guess time will tell. On a positive mote I will say the mazda3 is a true 40mpg vehicle. I easily hit that mark on most tank folls.

Well your just one of those members the was out of luck because majority of these cars don't do this. Rattle is a bit normal in the cabin especially during winter but not horrible

 

[mazda3grandtouring]

Well your just one of those members the was out of luck because majority of these cars don't do this. Rattle is a bit normal in the cabin especially during winter but not horrible

Okay, maybe I am just unlucky, but being that this MY first Mazda I have nothing us to compare this to. I have had plenty of new cars in the winter and didn't rattle this much. I've had to have a fuel assembly system replaced and to know it broke at only 4k miles...that's poor. I would still rebuy a Toyota or a Hyundai over a Mazda any day for my next purpose. Rattling in gas tanks because something is broken apparently has happened before on the 3 model before. Been looking it up. Does the 3 drive well...yes, brake well...yes, look good...yes, but other than that I'm not impresses. Ii would rather have a little less drveability and more quality. So far mazda3 I'm not impressed

 

[mms2es2b]

46,000 miles and no issues or breakdowns since I bought it in 09 (knock on wood). It's a great little car and I got to have something fun that can drive 5 hours at a time since my old BMW had its foot in the grave.

 

[swerv0428]

Okay, maybe I am just unlucky, but being that this MY first Mazda I have nothing us to compare this to. I have had plenty of new cars in the winter and didn't rattle this much. I've had to have a fuel assembly system replaced and to know it broke at only 4k miles...that's poor. I would still rebuy a Toyota or a Hyundai over a Mazda any day for my next purpose. Rattling in gas tanks because something is broken apparently has happened before on the 3 model before. Been looking it up. Does the 3 drive well...yes, brake well...yes, look good...yes, but other than that I'm not impresses. Ii would rather have a little less drveability and more quality. So far mazda3 I'm not impressed

You have thousands of reviews to compare too. All of us here say its a great car. There are lemons you can get. Sorry it was you that got one. Overall the mazda 3 is one of the most reliable cars on the road as is the entire company of mazda. We have owned 3 mazda 3's have had no issues with any of them. My mother also owns one and loves it. So four mazda 3's in this family and four happy customers.

 

[LionZoo]

Personally, I would pass on the mazda3. Please let me explain. I purchased a brand new 2012 mazda 3 sedan this past fall. I commute with it. With only a few thousand miles on it it started rattling. Turned out it was the fuel tank. Fuel tank assembly must be replaced. Now there is a rattle on the dash. I would wait and check out the 2014 toyota corolla or go with the refesigned 2013 honda civic. This was my first and last mazda. Having such a huge repair this early on with a new car does not say quality and longevity to me. Guess time will tell. On a positive mote I will say the mazda3 is a true 40mpg vehicle. I easily hit that mark on most tank folls.

You paid for the repair? That seems to be one of those things that would be covered under warranty. Did you not use the warranty?

As for Mazda's reliability, my current 3 is my third Mazda. Mazdas have been by far the most reliable brand of cars I've ever owned. Of my 3 Mazdas, the only repairs needed were new sun visors and two used replacement gas caps for my RX-8. That RX-8 was driven VERY hard though and spent a ton of miles on canyon roads and tracks.

 

[mulletsquirrel]

I would agree that the Mazda fits the bill of drivability, reliability, and economy (skyactiv), but rear leg room is minimal. My friends always have to really squish to fit in there, although we are all between 6'2" and 6'4".

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[mazda3grandtouring]

You paid for the repair? That seems to be one of those things that would be covered under warranty. Did you not use the warranty?

As for Mazda's reliability, my current 3 is my third Mazda. Mazdas have been by far the most reliable brand of cars I've ever owned. Of my 3 Mazdas, the only repairs needed were new sun visors and two used replacement gas caps for my RX-8. That RX-8 was driven VERY hard though and spent a ton of miles on canyon roads and tracks.

No, I didn't pay for the repair. The work is getting done in a couple weeks. Waiting on a new fuel tank.

 

[goodsmile]

Okay, maybe I am just unlucky, but being that this MY first Mazda I have nothing us to compare this to. I have had plenty of new cars in the winter and didn't rattle this much. I've had to have a fuel assembly system replaced and to know it broke at only 4k miles...that's poor. I would still rebuy a Toyota or a Hyundai over a Mazda any day for my next purpose. Rattling in gas tanks because something is broken apparently has happened before on the 3 model before. Been looking it up. Does the 3 drive well...yes, brake well...yes, look good...yes, but other than that I'm not impresses. Ii would rather have a little less drveability and more quality. So far mazda3 I'm not impressed

getting a Hyundai over mazda.... :lol 1:

 

[Woochifer]

If you're moving over from a 2003 Corolla, the Mazda3 will drive quite differently. It's not as forgiving as the Corolla (firmer ride and less understeer), but the Mazda's more rewarding if you like to be more proactively engaged in your driving.

While some reviews have criticized the Mazda3 interior for not keeping up with the latest touchscreen infotainment formats, I actually appreciate the fact that I can operate all of the major controls without taking my eyes off the road. As a side note, the Bose Centerpoint audio system is surprisingly good (on the i Touring model, it's part of the preferred package that also includes the moonroof and blind spot alert).

As others have mentioned, the rear leg room is a bit cramped. The interior volume on the 5-door hatch is actually large enough to qualify as a midsize car, but I think the sloping roof line detracts from the usable space and makes the rear passenger area more cramped than it needs to be.

With the current gen Mazda 3, the reliability record has been very good. JD Power, Consumer Reports, and True Delta all rank the 3 very high. So far, the Skyactiv Mazda3 models have had no recalls and only one Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) issued. The long-term reliability for the powertrain is unknown because it is an all-new design. So far, there have not been any widespread problems that suggest design flaws or defects.

Bear in mind though that the Skyactiv engine is a high compression design with very tight tolerances. It will run very well, and have low emissions and high fuel economy. But, I would doubt that it will last 300k miles like older engines might, because everything is now so precisely optimized. And the same applies to nearly all the new engines coming out, regardless of manufacturer. Because of fuel economy and emission requirements, car makers are now rolling a lot of new technology into their engines, and trying to wring more performance out of smaller blocks. This means better running and better performing engines, but not necessarily longer lasting.

 

[GonnaGetMe1]

Just got my 2013 Sky Hatch with AT a couple of weeks ago, and so far, I love it. Was looking for gas mileage in something that was still a little fun to drive. While I can't speak to the logevity issue from pesonal experience, I too did lots of research prior to buying, and the 3 seems to hold up better than the competition in this class. One thing that helped with my decision was, I rented one for a week. Also the Focus and Elantra. The Mazda was by far the most enjoyable to drive. Comes well equipped at the entry level i-Touring, and as mentioned above, I PREFER not having the touch screen crap. Just the right amount of tech for me. So, drive them and see what you like and can live with. The Mazda won me over.

 

[Firescooby]

Thanks for the replies y'all!!

Gonna go look at one in person soon.

 

[Wvtaco]

In may and June of 12 I test drove every car under 25k and a few over.
From fiesta to focus to cruze to brz to Prius c to corrola to sonata to elantra to Jetta to ect But not the dart have heard good news about them.
July 30th after commuting most of July with only my motorcycle I bought my 3i touring wagon manual skyactiv.
I have or will have 21k miles on it at the end of the week. I am 6 foot 2 250lbs. It has plenty of room for 4 adults under 6 foot.
The car has been from wv to Sandusky oh to savannah ga and to Kansas City mo and back to wv.
The back seat room is a little small but about the same for the rest of the cars in its class. Power is good. It's quiet likes to wheel hop on hard wet take offs wish it had a LSD.

Would I buy again. Maybe. But if not I would of got the Prius. My state is offering a 7500 tax rebate for any hybrid or flex fuel.

Not one issue, havnt been back to the dealer.
But be warned if u don't change your own oil every 7500 miles will cost a70 dollar oil change at the dealer. It requires 0w-20 synthetic oil. It does chip easy but about the same as toyotas paint.

My car history
In 98 got a 98 Tacoma 4 cyc 4x4 kept it till they bought it back in 2010 it had 285k miles manual also
In 2001 got a 97 Lexus es300 with 60 k on it. Sold it in 07 with 161k miles.
In 2007 got a Camry se with jbl and Trd wheels. Had it for 40k miles and someone offered me more than I owed in 2011
In 2008 I bought a 09 Tacoma 4x4 Ex cab Trd sport 50 k miles traded in for wk2. (Wife's)traded her 06 tc for it.
In 2010 bought a 1981 Toyota 4wd pickup manual. Put 40 k on it and sold it in 2012 was gonna make a rock crawler but lost one of my jobs.
2011 bought a 11 jeep grand cherokee larado x 4x4 got 22 k on it now still own it. (Wife's)
2012 got my 3