Overview & Reviews

For 2011 the Mazdaspeed 3 continues unchanged except for minor equipment additions to the available Technology package.

• Premium interior and features
• Sophisticated ride and handling
• Hatchback utility
• Reasonable price
• Strong turbocharged performance

• No automatic transmission
• Pronounced torque steer
• Not available as sedan

User Reviews:

Showing 1 through 9 of 9.00

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  tires wear out at 17,000 miles - 2011 Mazda MazdaSpeed3
  By bryanp98 - August 13 - 4:47 pm

  I bought my vehicle in january 2011 at Cerritos Mazda new. 2011 Mazdaspeed 3 Black mica, Exellent performance but you will need to buy new tires at 15,000 miles each tire will cost you $250. or more and also youll need an aligment because my tires they were wear out from the inside. warranty will not cover poor aligment or tires wear out to early.

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  2011 Speed 3, Initial Review - 2011 Mazda MazdaSpeed3
  By MARROD - March 27 - 10:00 am

  Traded in 09 GT hatch,(2.3, 5M),a very good car. Had the new Speed 3 for just over a week, 1100 miles with a trip from mid MI to the UP. Car feels more substantial, much stronger and more firmly planted than the regular Mazda 3. Very good brakes and steering. Shifter better than I expected. The Tech Package and new shift pattern have me on a learning curve. Good drivers seat. Power in 1st and 2nd is scary, torque steer, but manageable. In third and up, power flow is great. Even in 6th, power is right there for passing at highway speeds. Read out showed 29.4mpg for the trip, paper/pencil 28.9. Great for a new, tight power train. Nice touring car for 1 or 2. Cant be beat for the price!

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  Silver bullet - 2011 Mazda MazdaSpeed3
  By serezhkin - April 6 - 1:51 pm

  Its been a year since I got my MS3 with Tech Package. I come from 96 5series/ 01 Infiniti so I expect a lot of features, quality interior and ample power, plus I wanted utility. MS3 delivers all this, and for only $25k. Checked out WRX (poor interior) and GTI (not many features and low power). MS3 won hands down. Love every minute of driving it, even a year and 6k miles later. The ride is pretty firm - you feel a lot of the road through the sit, and bumps can shake your soul out , but it corners like on rails and steers like a go cart. The torque steer is very manageable, and is a minor bother in 1st gear only. The audio system is great, climate control works like a charm. Great job, Mazda!

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  Speed3 - 2011 Mazda MazdaSpeed3
  By jbbrow00 - August 12 - 10:00 am

  I went from a 2010 GTi to the 2011 Speed3 and it was worth it. The speed3 is much more fun to drive, smoother acceleration, better content included in package and significantly more solid.

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  Doesnt get any better for $ vs Hp - 2011 Mazda MazdaSpeed3
  By don_83 - February 6 - 4:59 pm

  You get 280 lb/ft at from a car that costs 23k to start. Mazda has made a true winner here and the car has a lot of plus points. Its comes loaded in standard form and Interior is very well laid out for a compact with true seating for 5. The handling is very sharp and the ride is on the stiff side. The only downside is the exterior styling which doesnt cut it for some buyers. 6 speed is precise and its never hard to find the right gear. I think its a great platform to improve on and sort out all the quirks for the next gen. The new ECU is not as easy to mod as prior years even though the motor is the same. I would give the speed 3 a serious look before pulling the plug on any other hatchback

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  Best Car for the Money! - 2011 Mazda MazdaSpeed3
  By Bao Q. - October 29 - 10:00 am

  I have owned several different sport cars, and the most impressive car in my recent memory was still the 02 BMW 330C. However, after owning this car for two weeks now, I can confirm that this is a better car and much more affordable than the 3-series. I tested the new Subaru WRX in the morning and planned a backup with the MS3. Surprisingly, the MS3 became the target purchase right after I drove it. The main reason I don’t like the WRX is that the gear box is little bit shaky, while the MS3’s box is rock solid. In addition, the MS3 is much roomier than the WRX. Its back seat can fit two child seats comfortably! Thanks to MS3, a family man can still drive a high performance sport car now! Ano

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  Impressive for the $$$ spent - 2011 Mazda MazdaSpeed3
  By inet_dude - December 3 - 10:22 pm

  My 2011 MS3 is now 3 weeks old with roughly 1200 miles on it. Just about every review on this site is dead on with observations of handling and power. Mine is in Velocity Red and turns a few heads in my neighborhood as well. Styling is subjective but its really hard to argue the price-to-performance ratio. Also, I read a lot of criticism about the small multi-function nav screen but I have found mine to be of high quality, great resolution, and it gets me where I want to go without fuss.

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  All this for less than $25,000?!?!?! - 2011 Mazda MazdaSpeed3
  By dkurtz42 - October 11 - 8:43 am

  Just picked up Black Mica Speed3 with tech package 3 days ago. Paid EXACTLY the price edmunds TMV said I should including Mazdas current $500 incentive. Under $25,000 including tax (traded in a vehicle to offset costs). About 10 seconds into the ride home and I was never quite as confident of making a good decision when purchasing a new car. You literally cannot stop your self from having fun driving this car. So much value for the price. Once on the highway, I could obtain 30-31 mpg running 60mph in 6th. 2 car seats fit ok in the back. I have to slide my seat forward just a bit when my son rides with me. I wouldnt buy this as your primary family car. Overall VERY pleased. Zoom-Zoom.

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  ZOOM ZOOM is Correct! - 2011 Mazda MazdaSpeed3
  By mazdaman2011 - November 5 - 3:53 am

  Traded in my 97 Miata for this MS3 Black Baby...was a bitter sweet trade as the roadster gave years of fun, but wife would not drive it so... Stock MS3 is all that is needed to be sure, but if you need all the "gadgets" go for it in the "Tech Package"! Power, Style, and Driveability in one package, no more need be said other than price is outstanding for what is provided. Compared and test drove regular MAzda 3 and similar vehicles and decided to go for it without hesitation.