2004 Mazda Mazda3 consumer reviews

I've only had my 3 just over a year, but I'm in love with it. I've had Hondas and Toyotas in the past, so I love the Japanese cars, but none have been even remotely as enjoyable as my 3 Hatchback. For me, it's versatility. I can and do use it for work to haul equipment from time to time, and at night, I can fold up the seats and let her loose a little. It's nice to have power above 60-70mph (not that I'd do that because it'd be illegal) in a car that's under $18,000 new. The handling is amazing for a car of this price range. You'll have to go buy a Lancer to find better. The fit and finish are unmatched in the price range. Sure, there's some simple plastic, but the quality of the parts and pieces and the solid feel to everything really sets it apart from the competition. If you're considering a Sentra, Corolla or anything else in the class (except the Lancer!), do yourself a favor and buy a Mazda.

This car is peppy, handles excellent on smooth roads. However, on poor roads the ride can be really rough, if you hit a small hole or a bump, the sound is really startling! I cannot emphasize this enough, it's loud, as if the car has been damaged. You are vibrating the whole time on rough roads. The factory tires are also not very good, do not expect them to last long. Also, had to dish out over $800. for brake repairs and idling problems. Quite disappointing as the car is only 3 1/2 years old. The car still does not run smooth, even though we had the dealer do a complete checkup. When purchased we added ABS package, with front & rear side airbags, since this was not part of the original equipment & having to haggle over the additions was kind of stressful. To sum up, for us, the rough ride, inferior factory installed tires and having to haggle over the automatic transmission, abs, etc. & that a barely 4 yr. old car cost us over $800 in repairs has turned us off Mazda completely. Overall...very disappointed.

We purchased our car new in 2004 when they first came out. At first we thought it was a good buy, but now we are wishing we had gone with something else. After only 20k miles, we got new tires because the factory ones were junk. At 40k miles, had to replace the bulbs in the headlights and the material on the driver's side door started coming apart. Now at 60k miles, we are putting in a new starter and replaced the battery a few months ago too. We are by no means hard on our vehicles. With this car, you get what you pay for... not much.

Mazda's "zoom zoom" commercials are right on the money for this little car... I bought the hatchback when they first came out and have loved it since. Handling is awesome, the interior space is surprising. The only complaints are the brick-like seats and the handling in the snow. The factory wheels and tire size make this car "float" over the snow, and snow tires are incredibly expensive. I got stuck a few too many times for comfort, and am now upgrading to an AWD vehicle.

interior looks like bad quality car...it looks cheap but it cost lot of money bad buy.the engine is very noise the brake easy...you will be better of buying a kia...

The back seat is a little tight on leg room, but it's not awful. And it's amazing how many oddly shaped boxes you can fit into this car! Fold those back seats down and you can fit nearly everything into this car. One thing I don't really like is the back doors dont open very wide. But other then that...its fab!

After owning a Ford Taurus, I decided to go for a car that will offer better space for cargo and passengers, while making my drives alone fun. I actually did little research on a replacement, and saw the Mazda3 at a Toyota dealer. Sure, it was used, but the Toyota salespeople was angry when I bought a Mazda. It had one more year on the warranty, so I was grateful. Everything else just fell in: the hatch was perfect for me and in no time, I carried stuff that I got a hard time to fit in my Taurus; the personal space I get since its a compact car (I didn't like being in a family car because I felt too small while driving it); not to mention that I carried 6 teens in my car when I needed to (they were skinny people). So far, there's no major problems and if I could, then I would have shopped at a Mazda dealer to get a newer vehicle, but you can't get everything you want.

Way quicker and sportier than the noisy Honda Civic. Look at any Civic and you will see multiple door dings. This is because Honda uses thinner metal panels. Now look at any Mazda, no door dings = thicker metal = less road noise. Great car!

When I was in the market for a car to replace my 1999 Mustang (v6) I looked at a number of vehicles. The Mazda 3 was somehow off my list at first, until I happened to drive one. I was very impressed, it handled better than my Stang and the acceleration despite being a 4 banger was impressive. The reviews on the car looked great and so I bought it and couldn't be happier. Now I have a car that is fun to drive(Zoom-Zoom is right) and I can still get my kids in the backseat. The hatchback is handy when you need extra space for hauling larger items...its amazing what you can get in this little car. The 6 disc CD changer is great and the steering wheel audio controls are a great feature. The manual transmission is smooth and easy to shift and the clutch is very forgiving. (A great car for a first time stick driver...or an experienced one). The large wheels grip the road and give sportscar stying to this 4 door car. The sunroof adds to the sporty feel on sunny spring days. My only complaint is that the engine compartment is cramped around items that may need the drivers attention...such as headlight bulbs. You have to be a rocket scientist contortionist to change one of those things...especially the one on the driver's side. While all the "plastic" engine coverings look great, it does make working on the vehicle a bit challenging. Other than that the car is fantastic.

I've been really happy with this car for the last 2 1/2 years. It feels very fast and agile, looks great, can haul a lot of stuff and people, and has the refinement of a much more expensive car.