Overview & Reviews

The Mazda 3 is an all-new economy sedan and hatchback that replaces the Protege in Mazda's lineup.

• Fun-to-drive character, stylish interior design, strong engines, hatchback utility.

• Ride might be too stiff for some, a few ergonomic quirks, tight rear legroom.

User Reviews:

Showing 201 through 210 of 645.00

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  Very close to loving it - 2004 Mazda Mazda3
  By tiredofmanual - February 15 - 10:00 am

  Mazda did a great job making this car feel quite German on the highway. Its a quality that is very hard to define, but those that have driven good German cars know what Im talking about. This car is composed, quiet, and confident at high speeds. I unfortunately cannot say that I wholeheartedly love it. I have rattles in my doors that the dealership "cant" hear. My brakes sound terrible in the morning, and I think the rear pads stick. At low RPMs the engine sounds like a 20 year old Toyota that hasnt been maintained well. Its not until you push it that it actually sounds nice.

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  Mazda 3 - 2004 Mazda Mazda3
  By ldymacbeth89 - February 15 - 10:00 am

  Ok, so Ive only had my 3 for a few days - I admit to being biased. But I traded in my 96 Protege for it and have no regrets. It is soooo much peppier and more fun to drive! This is the first car Ive ever driven that has made me understand adjectives like "nimble" and "agile" when applied to cars. And this might seem like a small thing, but it just seems so solid - I feel very safe and secure driving it. Only complaint is that the cloth interior choices arent all that attractive, but leather is almost $600 extra. Otherwise, Im loving this car!

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  Bang for the Buck! - 2004 Mazda Mazda3
  By thebrakeman - February 10 - 2:13 am

  Purchased used with about 24k miles. Titanium Gray, black leather, 5-speed, ABS/airbag package, 6 CD/moonroof package, TPMS/Xenon package. Previous car was 89 Ford Probe GT, which was a Mazda clone. I really miss the low rpm torque from the Probes turbo (Mazdaspeed3 will be awesome!), but overall, I cant be happier. I could have purchased a new 05 Ford Focus ST (5-speed, same 2.3L Mazda motor) for about the same money, but the Focus interior and features STINK compared to the Mazda3. Also test drove several Dodge SRT-4s (TURBO!), but again, the interiors were not livable compared to the 3 (not to mention the race car open exhaust).

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  silver 2.3 sedan zoom zoom seattle - 2004 Mazda Mazda3
  By seattlezoomzoomsilve - February 8 - 10:00 am

  Can we saaaay! "zoom zoom yaa this car is fun to drive with the manual tranmssion,the breaking system and car safety is pretty good! how can you go wrong with this car if other countrys has name it car of the year

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  NO good - 2004 Mazda Mazda3
  By Mbauer - February 1 - 2:50 pm

  I purchased a Mazda3 Jan. 2004 to commute to school and work. I am very displeased with it. The worst problem is that, in automatic, when the vehicle shifts from 1st to 2nd gear, at around 2500 RPM, there is a great jolt. The car jerks a lot, sometimes more than others. I called the dealership and they told me that it was the "nature of the beast." They had gotten similar complaints, but there was nothing they could do about it. The car is also loud (belts and fans) and noisy inside while driving. I want to get rid of it.

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  SOLID in every way - 2004 Mazda Mazda3
  By shining3 - January 26 - 1:26 pm

  My dealer screwed up a 2005 mazda3 s I oredered in August. Car had no options on it, listed for $17,135. Didnt arrive when the dealer said it would so I got $1500 off a 2004 that listed for $19,310; has moonroof & 6- disk, abs & airbags, sport package. I thought I could be happy without these extras but now that I have them, glad I do. Too bad I see so many other 3s on the road. Car feels very solid inside and out. Make several dealers compete with each other to give you the best price.

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  My First Mazda, And Loving It - 2004 Mazda Mazda3
  By jennifer - January 20 - 2:06 pm

  When looking for a brand new car during fall of 2004 after selling my modified 97 Civic, I test-drove many different cars. Three factors were important to me. First, the price. Second, the performance and reputation for reliabilty. Third, how much i was attracted to not only the exterior, but the interior. The Corolla-S, Sentra-SER,Saturn Ion,Mitsubishi Lancer,Chevy,Ford,Honda,Hyundai and Kia models did not satisfy all three factors for me. When I test-drove the 2004 Mazda3S, not only did it cover all three bases,it was the only car that made me smile. It was also the first time that i sat in a Mazda, and I was in love. Beautiful inside, gorgeous outside, and a kick-ass motor.Very responsive

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  My Titanium Grey Mazda 3s - 2004 Mazda Mazda3
  By Titanium Dragon - January 7 - 2:00 am

  I purchased my 5-spd manual, Titanium Grey Mazda 3s Sedan in the beginning of the year 2004. Before I bought this car, I test drove several other cars which included the Civic, Corolla, and Focus. None of the aforementioned cars, IMHO beat what the Mazda 3s provides! The Mazda 3s is the best for a car of its class and price range. The very zippy engine combined with its crisp handling/steering-feel and a solid shifting manual transmission makes for a very sporty and fun car to drive. The ride quality maybe a little too stiff & bumpy & noisy for some. Ive experienced virtually no problems with this car after the 1st month and 1K miles of ownership.

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  One Awesome - 2004 Mazda Mazda3
  By bbrentl - January 7 - 2:00 am

  Wow, what a nice vehicle! Excellant handling, ride, comfort and awesome performance. This "Sport compact" is way above anything on the market today. Its built quality is right up with any european make! The fit and finish is nearly perfect in every way. 16-valve engine with Variable Valve Timing is great! Very smooth and responsive. And the Sport shift trans. is a kick to drive. The car has available features other cars dont even offer: DVD Navigation; Xenons; etc. This is one SWEET driving sport compact, period!!!!!!!

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  1 1/2 Years later and still loving it! - 2004 Mazda Mazda3
  By Christina - January 4 - 5:50 pm

  This is my first car. As soon as I saw it, I fell in love with it. I test drove it and bought it the same day (Jan 2004). Since I was one of the first to have it, I had people everywhere stopping to admire it ask me what kind of car it was. Even my fiance, who drives a 2002 Audi A4 is impressed with it. It looks small from the outside, but I recently moved most of the boxes from my apartment to a new house in one trip! Its a fun drive, and feels very much like a German car built by the Japanese.