Overview & Reviews

Front-seat side airbags and full-length side curtain airbags are now standard on all 's' trim levels.

• Athletic handling, refined and zippy engines, sharp styling, top-notch build and materials quality, sharp styling, hatchback utility, luxury features and ambiance at a budget price.

• So-so fuel economy with 2.3-liter engine, top safety equipment is optional on lower trim levels, tight rear legroom.

User Reviews:

Showing 51 through 60 of 201.00

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  Totally love this car - 2008 Mazda Mazda3
  By Steve - November 23 - 5:10 pm

  Last week I finally went ahead and purchased this car (5 door Grand Touring). I was a little worried about not having snow tires and being in the midst of winter but it actually is better than my previous ride. The wheels will spin when initially accelerating, but seems to grip the road well after that (I will get snow tires next year since I live in MI). The car is just so much fun to drive. It feels so much like a European car. I am still trying to determine the average MPG. Since I bought the car with 14 miles, the trip computer appears not to have enough data to make an accurate read.

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  Mazda is #1 - 2008 Mazda Mazda3
  By CHERIE - October 31 - 10:33 pm

  I love this car! I traded in my 1999 Ford Escort which made feel like I was trading for an ultimate luxury car. I researched this car for weeks; it’s the best deal you can get for your money. The black interior takes a little extra effort to keep clean. The swifter duster is the best thing to clean the dash with. The carpet and cloth are a little on the cheap side but all the other features make up for it. It has good power and especially when needed and good gas mileage.

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  2008 Mazda 3 2.3L - 2008 Mazda Mazda3
  By Sea Cay - October 13 - 8:53 am

  After a full year of driving, I am still very happy with my 3. I researched several cars before purchasing, including the Ford Focus and Civic, but I got the most car for the money with the 3. Build quality and creature features are superb. Performance and handling are excellent, fun to throw into turns, and though it does not have the umph at acceleration of the Speed3, it is still fun to drive after a year. I live in snowy New Hampshire and went last winter without snow tires, and was sorry that I did. That being said, I still got through several storms with no problem. As a testament to safety, I was rear- ended at a stop light the first month I owned the car(!!!), and was uninjured.

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  Great Car w/ room - 2008 Mazda Mazda3
  By Sprigs - October 5 - 6:30 am

  Purchased this car as a fuel efficient commuter ride. I travel 30 miles of rural roads to and from work and from day one I have been getting 32 mpg. I am 64" and have taken the car on several day trips with my wife and three teen age kids. We fit snugly into the cabin, but everyone seems to have enough room to be comfortable. When alone with the seat back there is ample room and the seats are extremely comfortable. The 3 is very fun to drive, the fit and finish is a good as any car out there. The buying experience was the best Ive experienced an would recommend this car to anyone looking for a cool ride with good fuel mileage.

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  bang for the buck - 2008 Mazda Mazda3
  By prazvt - September 30 - 4:00 pm

  Interior design is superb, ergonomic, tasteful,. the 5mt shifts nicely, and the engine doesnt sound obnoxious. Climate control is almost too effective. Aux input works beautifully. All available speaker systems (bose and stock) stink. Replaced the speakers (but not tweeters), so thats remedied. Aux input works w/ iPod beautifully. 27 mpg thus far which is awesome! No rattles or initial failures the first month. Corners wonderfully. Thus far, no real torque steer under hard acceleration. Great clutch - not on/off or stiff. Awesome brakes, though sometimes Ive noticed squeaking. Steering wheel controls work well.

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  Best Value for Its Class - 2008 Mazda Mazda3
  By anenders - September 1 - 9:23 am

  I love my Mazda 3. The interior is well designed. It has many fun features such as rain sensor, bose speakers, heated leather seat, moon roof etc. I still could not believe that I could get mine for less than 20000 with 0% interest.

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  Fun car, but replace tires every 12,000 miles! - 2008 Mazda Mazda3
  By mrobveeus - August 24 - 8:17 am

  The car, itself, is fun to drive and packs some punch. Gas mileage in the city is not great (my experience has been around 20-22mpg), but on long trips, my experience was 32-34mpg highway. THE REAL PROBLEM with this car is the tires wear out very quickly! My oil change guy noticed that the original tires were wearing badly at 8,000 miles! At 10,000 they were done! The second set of tires lasted about 14,000 miles. The current set has approximately 10,000 miles and need replaced! The soft compound, speed rated tires are very expensive to replace and will bubble or blow out when even a small pothole is touched. I doubt tires were factored in enough to the True Cost to Own, so buyer beware!

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  Fun but problematic - 2008 Mazda Mazda3
  By rusxdrums - August 18 - 10:41 am

  I love driving this car. I hate how many things have stopped working. Air Conditioner, electric windows, electric door locks, Stereo. All broken. Ill not be buying another mazda. My wife bought a VW rabbit pretty much the same time I bought the mazda and her car still drives like new. FEH.

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  Great car for dry weather - 2008 Mazda Mazda3
  By Abna - August 14 - 4:50 am

  I bought this car after researching the Focus, Civic, Fit and Corolla. It is definitely better than those cars. I missed a crucial factor when making my decision: I live in Seattle where it rains a lot and gets slippery. It also snowed a lot this winter and this car was a total disaster. It got stuck twice in my apartment complex and took more than one hour and lots of effort park it. This car is fun to drive, very sporty and handles tight but is meant for dry weathers only.

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  Zooming! - 2008 Mazda Mazda3
  By rsen - August 10 - 1:46 pm

  Reviewed many similar cars but I knew this was the one. Edmunds gave a favorable review. Stylish, powerful engine, comfortable, safety, and best of all the kids arent shy to ride in it. The handling is great! Seats are comfortable and the kids love the dashboards lights. Havent had a chance to do the MPG thing but Im sure itll be better than my F-150!