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 1 through 10 of 645.00

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  Zoomless in NH - 2004 Mazda Mazda3
  By Dissapointed one - December 29 - 2:00 am

  Love the car. Great features, i.e. style, sporty, and everything that other posters have mentioned in this media. THERE IS A SHIMMY at speeds of about 60 and up, which is inttermittent, which is not being identified by the dealership. Theyre threatening calling it a "charictaristic" of the car. Be careful about this.

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  I like, Im impressed, but not satisfied - 2004 Mazda Mazda3
  By Black Mazda 3 in IL - December 17 - 10:13 pm

  Bought the car new in 12/04. I agree that the car looks nice and is fun to drive. At 34K the transmission was replaced. Now at 36K the car wouldnt start! It has happened twice and the dealer(s) cannot find the problem (roadside assistance will only tow to the nearest Mazda dealer and will not tow back to the dealer where purchased even if its 12 miles farther). I love the car, but I cant zoom if it wont start.

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  Nice car - 2004 Mazda Mazda3
  By john bell - August 15 - 9:16 am

  Bought a 2004 Mazda 3 hatch new in December of 04 . I was impressed by the way it looks and the way it grabs the road. Good engine, good brakes, great stereo system and enough room for 4 adults. A few things that made it un-perfect : the transmission had to be replaced (under warranty ) after only 2000 miles and the fuel economy was nowhere near the stated. I was getting only about 17 city/ 22 highway. The dealer said there is nothing wrong with the car, its the way i drive. A great car for the money, a real "pocket rocket" as they say.

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  I think i got a Lemon.... - 2004 Mazda Mazda3
  By Jentz - July 19 - 3:50 am

  At first i luved my car.It handled great.took care of my car. serviced it ontime. after 1year (44k) of owning my 3 its been in the shop. I had to change the bushings, all the belts, a new alternator, and now the fuel pump. But i still luv my car. If its gonna give me more problems after fuel pump is replaced..never again im purchasing another Mazda. I have read in forums similar to what my car went through.

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  Okay Car - 2004 Mazda Mazda3
  By Jane doe - June 30 - 10:00 am

  Overall, the car looks nice, but has some hidden quirks. It is sort of uncomfortable to drive, as there is a lag when you first get going. Also Ive had the car 3 weeks and the check engine light has come on 3 times, so Im leary about taking it on long trips. With all of this hassel Ive not had the time to enjoy the new car. Anyone have a similiar experience?

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  1st Time Mazda Owner - 2004 Mazda Mazda3
  By M. Mable - April 5 - 11:16 pm

  I bought this car used and it had 15k miles on it. Ive owned it now for about 3 weeks and have enjoyed diving it each and every day. My last car was a Volvo that was killing me with repair cost, so Im hoping the Mazda treats me better. Ive had a couple of small issues so far, the worst of which is tire noise. I know theyre performance tires, but I certainly hope I dont have to replace them every 15k miles just to avoid the obnoxious sound Im getting now. Other than that, the car handles great, has great acceleration and looks the bomb! I love the automatic transmission which is smooth and responsive - and I just click over to Tiptronic if I need to drop a gear and pass some grandpa.

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  What Can I Say!!! - 2004 Mazda Mazda3
  By Senna 27 - February 27 - 2:00 am

  Owned the car for 36 days now and its been in the shop for 10 of them! They cant solve the engine problem, hesitation, poor acceleration, poor gas mileage. Defective air bag sensor, part back ordered. Cant drive car until fixed. Theyre not sure when that will be! So not impressed with it so far!

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  Love it - except the gas cap - 2004 Mazda Mazda3
  By VickiSande - January 19 - 3:46 pm

  It is a good little commuter car, fun to drive and good gas mileage. But I am a little dissapointed with the problems associated with gas cap and the vapor capture system. At less than 1000 miles, the check engine light came on. They said I did not tighten the gas cap enough. I had been warned by the salesman to tighten the gas cap. The light came on again same week I got it back. They kept it a week (with a free loaner car-but I wanted my new car back). They replace the gas cap. When that didntwork, they replaced a valve (one they had never replaced before-that made me feel good). Just after 2000 miles, back again-need to tighten gas cap. This is very annoying.

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  What a lemon!!! - 2004 Mazda Mazda3
  By Joseph Roy - January 10 - 11:33 am

  Aside from the excellent engine and nice features, the problems I have had outweigh the positives by a lot. In the winter when it was really cold, the heater only marginally works, now in the summer I find that the A/C is only mediocre as well. After bringing it to the dealership multiple times, they insist that it is fine and within the normal range. And after only 10,000 miles they had to replace the transmission. I had it in for two oil changes previous to this and they never realized that transmission fluid was low. When they took the transmission out the fluid was almost gone and it was burnt. Thank god for warranties.

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  Pretty good overall - 2004 Mazda Mazda3
  By Holly Casey - January 10 - 10:00 am

  I drove the Toyota Prius, Matrix, and Subaru Outback. This car had the least number of design flaws. Many great features available at a reasonable price. Seats are too hard. I love the telescoping steering wheel and the controls on the steering wheel. Lots of storage - you should see the glove box! The looks are great. People tell me how cool it looks.