Overview & Reviews

Mazda has a tradition of building entertaining small cars, and the Mazda 3 fits right in with its sharp handling and engaging nature. But it's also a practical, affordable runabout that's available as either a sedan or a handy four-door hatchback. A Mazda 3 of any vintage is worth consideration, but the 3's interior quality has improved dramatically over time. Likewise, fuel economy has emerged as a real strength in recent years.

Introduced in 2004, the Mazda 3 has always been one of those cars that feels a little bit special when you get behind the wheel. Some shoppers might find the ride too firm, but if you like to drive, you'll probably take a shine to this compact Mazda. Passenger room is the same in the sedan and hatchback, but the latter offers more cargo room. If fuel economy is a priority, note that 2012 and later models benefit from updated engine technology that helps the car return significantly better mileage.

User Reviews:

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  Tire issues - 2006 Mazda Mazda3
  By KayakMazda - November 22 - 11:20 am

  So I am having a similar problem, alignments off, and I am not rough on driving. The tires wont last long and I have gone with several brands, they still couple. (sp) I will say Dealership was great with belts and replacement pricing. That was Gainesville GA Mazda. Cheaper than my normal mechanic. shocking.

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  Fun to drive but noisy. - 2011 Mazda Mazda3
  By mka2 - November 22 - 5:04 am

  I bought the car at the end of 2011 and currently have 10k miles on it. Its fun to drive, corners on a dime, very responsive and accelerate smoothly. The interior is nice however the seats are not comfortable. Controls are well placed and the car has a lot of nice technology. The GPS is difficult to operate and very annoying. A $200 aftermarket GPS will solve this problem. From day one, I thought the road noise is a bit much however after the first tire rotation the noise became unbearable. Mazda is aware of the quick tread loss and will not do anything about it.

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  Some early impressions - 2014 Mazda Mazda3
  By cre8tive1 - November 21 - 6:07 pm

  Ive only been driving this Mazda 3 Touring hatchback for a little over a week, so take what I say for what its worth. However, I am comparing this 2014 to my 2004 Mazda 6 i manual 5 speed which I traded for the current car. First, let me say Im loving the looks of this car and enjoy the overall performance. While its no powerhouse, the 2.0 has enough Zoom-zoom to feel spirited and enjoyable to drive. Unfortunately with the combination of 155 hp and auto transmission, there is a noticeable lack of power compared to my 10 year old Mazda 6. By comparison, I was able to attain at 0-60 time of 8.4 seconds in the 6 but only a disappointing 10.5 seconds in the new Mazda 3.

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  Many problems! - 2005 Mazda Mazda3
  By artiesmartie - November 20 - 7:10 am

  I am very dissapointed with my Mazda3! Ive had it for 6 months and Ive had many problems with it. I live in Ottawa, Canada and winters here are quite cold. The car never started on the first try on a cold day, no hot air (there is a defect in all 2004s that no one knows about), there is noise when one turns (most likely from the axles), interior rattles quite often, and the biggest frustration is the vibrations from under the seat. Ive been fighting with my dealership to fix these problems, but so far they do not have any clue what causes such things. The replaced my axles, brake pads, heating system, and nothing has been FIXED! Be warned about this car.

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  Zoom-Zoom -- Theyre not just kidding! - 2007 Mazda Mazda3
  By Marcia - November 19 - 12:56 pm

  Zoom-Zoom is right. The Mazda3 is an unbelievable ride. It has powerful acceleration, great handling, and good looks to boot. I found the average mileage to be around 28mpg. I couldnt be happier with my purchase.

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  Fantastic car except for one thing . . . . be forewarned - 2014 Mazda Mazda3
  By wayne100 - November 19 - 9:53 am

  Performance, comfort, ride, the interior design and overall quality of this car is fantastic. The BIG ISSUE to date is its INFOTAINMENT system. As of the writing of this review, Ive had two updates to the software for the INFOTAINMENT system. Many bugs have been fixed over the first years of frustration, but then MAZDA does something REALLY STUPID! They grey out and disable the local search feature on the GPS as well as the ability to wifi hotspot your phone to the system to get uptodate traffic and and weather. Basically you are now stuck with a GPS that has less features than a $100 Garmin you can buy on NOMORERACK.com Neither owners nor any MAZDA dealership knew this.

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  Great car - economical too! - 2006 Mazda Mazda3
  By alamo - November 18 - 10:40 am

  Great pick up for a 2.0 engine Just love the standard transmission feature (have auto transmission). Handles great and the ride is reasonably comfortable. Am getting good gas mileage - almost always 27 - 31 combo city and hwy - 30+ hwy only. Roomy for a little sedan.

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  Fun drive but.... - 2008 Mazda Mazda3
  By CT driver - November 15 - 5:36 pm

  I got this car after my Toyota was involved in an accident. This car is fun to drive and solid. Has decent acceleration and excellent braking steering, cornering. I like the flexibility of the hatchback and its look. The gas mileage is a disappointment only 25 mpg with combined driving (no lead foot). After my Toyota I note too much road noise and feel every seam in the road. Pricing and multiplicity of trim levels is somewhat dubious/confusing.

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  Great Car - 2006 Mazda Mazda3
  By J.P.G. - November 14 - 3:00 pm

  This car is great in just about every aspect. I bought the car in Oct. of last year and I put on a a lot of miles. Around 100 miles a month. Since most of my driving is freeway miles, I get around 32mpg. On one tank of gas I average 420 miles for two days of driving. The car hugs the road like a true sports car and rounds corners as if on rails. I changed out the standard tires with Hankook low profiles. I actually get better gas mileage and improved performance. The interior space is about what I expected from a compact car. Interior design is very well laid out, spacious, and very nice. The sound system can rock the music with no problems. Large glovebox and trunk. I like the fold down seats.

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  3i - 2005 Mazda Mazda3
  By jim - November 13 - 7:00 pm

  i chose the 3i because i commute around 65 miles a day to work. the 2.0 liter engine is suprisingly powerful tip-tronic is a fun little feature for those of you that dont want the hassle of driving manual all the time, but still want that little extra oomph on the highway. not to mention its fun! interior is so roomy for its class suspension is tight and responsive, may be a bit rough for the casual driver