2012 Mazda Mazda3 consumer reviews

Very good product for the money. Bought the upscale model w/leather, heated seats, power roof, etc. Good sound system, Bose. Just went on a 500 mi road trip and avg 36 mpg going between 75-80 mph w/5 people in the car. Very comfortable seats. Can't find any real faults to it. Had the dealer throw in the auto dimming mirror and home link. Only have 2100 miles on it, but so far so good.

I have the iGrand Touring, with leather, sun roof, the works! This car is sporty, fun to drive and gets awesome gas mileage. I know others have complained about a "dated" interior--to me, a designer, I think it looks nice and is well organized and comfortable. The seats are *very* comfortable! The car handles beautifully--it is precise, it responds very quickly when you step on the gas and the brakes are excellent. It gets excellent gas mileage--a priority for me since I live in Los Angeles, do lots of driving and am currently paying $4.50 a gallon :( I am averaging 30 mpg in the city--I would get better on the highway I am sure, but traffic on our highways is more like city driving, so I have no data on that. Where this car falls short is technology: In some ways, my 2004 PT Cruiser had better. The high end BOSE system does not even understand radio encoding to put a song name on the teeny tiny dashboard screen. It also is incompatible with iPhone/iPod song id's which means you have to break the law and pick up your phone to change songs. No bueno. Satellite radio is not standard on this most expensive model--why? The Elantra, costing thousands less, includes it. My old PT Cruiser included it. If these things were fixed, I would give this 5 stars in every way. But I do love the car, it wasnt a deal breaker, obviously :)

I bought the iTouring Sedan with the manual transmission. I now have about 800 miles on it. I'm on my second tank of gas and averaged 39.95 MPG on the first tank which is amazing! Mazda truly succeeded at making the car extremely efficient on fuel without losing the zoom zoom. Coming from an STi, I worried the lower power output would leave me wanting, but at higher revs it pulls very well. The suspension is much more composed and easier to live with than the STi yet it still hangs in the turns with no body roll. Steering and clutch feel fall a little short of what the reviews claim, but still better than it's competitors. I'm not bothered at all by the black and somewhat dated dashboard, the smiley fascia, and the low rolling resistant tires. The driving pleasure is there and that is the higher priority to me. Killer end of model year pricing was a huge plus too. I can't believe how much car I bought for the money!

Love everything about the car , except the sky active shows great EPA gas mileage but only averages 26 MPG even with lots of freeway driving .

I love my mazda3. My model is 2012 four door sedan with Skyactiv and with the technology package. It handles tightly, like you would expect a BMW to handle. It is totally comfortable with firm leather-covered seats. The technology package includes the Bose stereo which might be the best quality sound system I've ever listened to. And I'm in love with the fact that I'm averaging 42 mpg. ... I do NOT love the tiny back seat. And acceleration is only average. ... FYI: The price I negotiated with the dealer was $22K, plus taxes. I suspect I could have gotten them down to $21K.

Drove several Mazda 626's in a row years ago and then went to other brands (VW, Nissan). Now I'm back to Mazda with the 2012 Mazda3 Hatchback. I've only had it a couple of weeks, but very happy with my decision. It's fun and comfortable to drive -- tight and solid -- and has great pickup.

In review: Mazda3 Touring (SkyActiv) A zippy little number around town, and fine for road trips, but only for front-seat riders. Anything over 20 miles in the back seat takes the joy right out of travel. Backseat riders are shaken and stirred by every irregularity in the road, while the driver and front passenger travel in reasonable comfort. Handling is a major plus, and the little 2-liter delivers plenty of pep. The cargo area is spacious, and expands nicely with the rear seats down, but the liftover rim is too high. Why bother with a hatch that doesn't offer a flat slide-in for cargo? And Mazda's decision to offer only aux input at this trim level, rather than a USB connector for personal audio, stinks of cheapthink. USB, which should be standard, is only available with a $1,500 upgrade that includes a sunroof.

Drives and handles like a sports car (I've got a manual). Great gas mileage (34 mpg in the city). 17 cubic feet of cargo room in the hatchback.

Too stiff of a car. Felt like I was barely accelerating when I was driving and took forever for my brakes to actually get me to stop. Don't like this car at all. I'll stick with my Kia Rio!

HOLY Cow! this car is over the top fun to drive! Its nimble yet graceful, soft yet aggresive and comfortable yet stiff for handling!! BEST CAR I HAVE EVER OWNED. PERIOD. Mazda 3 iGT auto with tech!!! BUY ONE NOW!! BTW I GET 43 MPG!!!