2006 Mazda Mazda3 consumer reviews

My wife and I purchased our 06 Mazda3 I new. I will say that the car is nice to look at, handles great and is good on gas. The car now has about 60k on it. Has been in the shop six times for the "purge valve" which is a common problem on these cars. It also has some of the other common problems seen on the 3's. A large crack coming up the dash, carpet pulling up by the passenger side kick panel and a slipping trans. If you are considering a 3, I seriously suggest checking out some of the forums to see the problems these cars have. And if you do purchase one.......GET AN EXTENDED WARRANTY! When people ask how I like my 3, I simpily say, "EH"

I bought this (a 2006 model) used vehicle in 2008. It was very zippy, fun to drive, and ran so well, never had a single problem with it in the nearly 3 years that I owned it. I absolutely loved it, but it didn't have automatic locks or windows, or cruise, and the miles were starting to get a little high, so I (very impulsively, and for no better reason than a new car with a warranty and auto locks and windows) traded it in for a brand new highly-rated car a few months ago, when the dealership was offering some great deals. I hate my new car, compared to the Mazda3 I had. My new car is a great vehicle, and has more options on it, but I miss the Mazda so much and wish I had held on to it, or at least traded it in for a better Mazda3 with more features. It was so much nicer and fun to drive. Now I'm paying the price for a stupid decision I made on a whim, and I feel miserable.

I do all my own maintenance and have 111K miles on the car, all highway. I have the 2.3 with 5 speed manual and get between 31 and 36 MPG. Depends upon weather. Only problem the front wheel bearings had to be replaced at 90K. Difficult to get parts. Some of the maintenance could be easier, try replacing the cabin air filter.

I just got my Maz a few months ago, but I absolutely love it. The gas mileage is fantastic, it drives nice and sturdy, not loud and not clanky and "tinny." Does fantastic on icy roads as I live in Montana and have to drive one hour to nearest "big" city. Going through slush is a little tough, but on ice and rain, it's incredible. My husband said laying back in the passenger seat isn't very comfortable, but that's no big deal! Love the way the back seat folds down too!

I bought my 5-door 's' new in April 2006 after shopping several compacts, both import and American (by the way, my 2006 was assembled in the US from parts mfg'd overseas); just couldn't beat the standard features/accessories for the price. I soon discovered how well it handled and with a very good amount of pep under the hood; a lot of fun to drive. It's never required any work beyond standard maintenance items, except (get this!) when a Hummer (H2 or H3) came out of a post office and t-boned me on my passenger side right between the wheels. Lifted both right wheels of the pavement a couple of feet, really tore up both doors on that side. The punch line is the Hummer broke his front axle; my Mazda was not only drivable, but would prove to not even need the frame straightened and only needed body work! It handles as well as ever. Very sturdy build in addition to all the other pluses. I'm approaching 50,000 miles now and look forward to 50,000 more.

This is an incredible little car. It has a ton of get up and go. It zips around without needing to many stops at the gas station. I came from an Audi A4 and on it's good days that is the ultimate sports car. The Audi was just not reliable enough so I wanted a lower cost car that still had the pep that the A4 had. I couldn't believe how much I loved this car. I am still amazed and have had no problems. Even if you have problems with this car the price to repair it is far less than an import. I am so happy about this car and have recommended it to anyone who is looking, friends or family. My sister is now driving one and my father is eyeing one as we speak. Get this car because you won't regret it.

Bought it used. only have taken one trip (about 225 miles). Found it to be comfortable and fun to drive ( standard). Not sure about reliability yet, since I only bought it in January and haven't put a lot of miles on it yet. I like it better than my company car, American compact.

I have the 5-door 's' model with 5-speed manual and I love it. I've racked up 56k miles so far (in about 2.5 years) and it's still rock solid and drives like new. My best friend has a 3-series BMW and it's amazing how similar our cars feel and perform. The only (minor) complaint I have is the rather firm ride with the 17" tires. It's the trade-off for best-in-class handling. The factory high performance tires were shot at 28k miles. By choosing an all-season touring tire, the ride improved significantly and handling didn't suffer significantly. Great car. Beats anything in the class!

I really do love this car. I bought the 2006 mazda 3 Touring. I love the leather and the blue lights and the six disk cd changer. People have told me countless times that it looks likes a Lexus inside and out! My only problem with this car is that at 20k the transmission went out. I had to get a brand new one and it took about 2 weeks to get it back. Mazda took care of everything so I didnt have to pay for anything so I guess I cant complain.

I have owned my 3 for 1.5 years and 20k miles. No mechanical problems. Average 32 mpg, fun to drive, nice to look at, with great handling. I drove all of the cars in the Mazda 3's class and the Mazda drives the best, felt the most "solid" and looks the best as well. For 17K it cannot be beat !