2012 Mazda Mazda3 consumer reviews

I did a lot of research prior to purchasing and was going to buy used however couldn't pass up the great Mazda incentive financing and the skyactive technology engine. Great decision! I have barely owned a week and get an average of 35 mpg which increases every day! it has quick acceleration and drives like my old car when it was new. Love the features of bluetooth and mp3 player.

Good power/acceleration with good gas mileage! This car is a great car for every day driving. It gets great city gas mileage, and still gives you the extra pop for quick acceleration

I was looking to get a hatchback with a manual transmission. I tried several models and I ended up with the Mazda 3 i touring with skyactive. I felt right at home with the shifter, the car is very fun to drive, and it is so good on gas! So far I am very happy with my purchase!

Looking to replace a 2005 Subaru Impreza I wanted gas mileage and comfort. We spents weeks looking at and driving the Volkwagen TDI, Subaru Impreza, Ford Fusion, and the Hyundai Elantra. We ended up loving the design and mileage of the Mazda 3 with SkyActiv. After only a few weeks, the mileage is above the sticker of 29/40, but living rurally and rarely in traffic, I hoped it would be. Averaging close to 43 mpg. The style is like an in-expensive sports car, it is very comfortable, handles very nicely, fantastic sound system, and the built in blue tooth is wonderful. We financed at .9% for 36 months, so the terms are better than expected. We also bought the 2012 Mazda 3 hatchback, in the manual transmission with SkyActiv. More room than the sedan for carrying things, (like dogs for example) and equally fun to drive. They look very similar inside, but parked side by side they look quite different. I have owned 1 Mazda before, but if they keep pumping out cars like the 3 (the 6 was nice too, but more than i wanted to spend buying two cars) I will become a Mazda fan for many years to come. The one drawback is that most of the interiors are black, and living in the country it can be harder to keep clean, but still a very snazzy interior. Living in Vermont, it seems almost sacrilegious not owning at least one Subaru, but I have to admit I prefer the Mazda 3 over the Impreza without any reservations.

Mazda's Marketing Department hits the nail on the head. There's a lot of zoom-zoom in all versions of the Mazda 3. I picked the old 2.0 liter, (not skyactiv) version and have no regrets. It feels like a performance European automobile. The handling, braking and acceleration feels German. The fuel economy is not the best, but it's 33MPG highway, so what's there to complain about! The Sport model provides all the essentials; without breaking the bank. Mine did not have a single option, and I don't miss a thing. It's Automatic, has a nice stereo, keyless entry, ABS, traction control and fold down rear seat. I hope to be driving this vehicle for many many years. Yes, the Skyactiv power train offers better performance, but I could not feel the difference on a test drive. It's more expensive, and in my opinion, unproven. I opted to go with the known quantity.

I have owned my 2012 Mazda 3 Hatchback for almost 2 months. I am one of very few who likes the "smiley" grill and the overall look of the exterior far exceeds that of any other mid-size in its class. I have had no issues to speak of mechanically, it has great acceleration and the seats are very comfortable. The only complaint I would have is the 26-28 mpg I have been getting (with a very soft pedal foot) as most cars in its class get 30+. Overall, I do not have buyers remorse and would highly recommend this vehicle to anyone looking for a sporty, fun to drive sedan.

I purchased a 2012 Mazda3 i Sport sedan, non-Skyactiv, with a manual transmission about 3 months ago. The Mazda3 is a very sporty and fun car to drive. The suspension, handling, seating position, and steering feel gives you the impression that you are driving a sports car. The car handles turns and curvy roads beautifully. Though the sporty suspension is a little bit more stiff than some people might be accustomed. It is not jarring, but you can definitely feel the bumps in the road more than you will in a softer suspension. I like the way the suspension is tuned, but it is not for everyone. The car accelerates quickly enough for me. I never find myself wishing that I need more power or faster acceleration. The car has all disc brakes, and the stopping power is sufficient. The fuel efficiency varies depending on how you drive the car and weather conditions. I have only driven the car in winter conditions thus far, and in 20 degrees Fahrenheit temperatures doing mostly (90%) city driving, and driving with a heavy foot I average 24-25 MPG. In milder temperatures and driving for efficiency I have reached up to 31 city MPG. My car does not have the Skyactiv model, which gets better fuel efficiency. There is plenty of space in the front for the driver and passenger. The seats are comfortable. The driver's seating position is good, everything that you need is in arm's length and forward visibility is excellent. Rear visibility is mediocre, but that seems to be the trend with all new cars because of safety mandates. Passenger room for the rear seats are adequate for children or even for adults on short trips, but I would not want to go on a road trip in the back seat of my sedan. The cargo room in the trunk is large for a sedan. I was actually surprised at how spacious it was when I first opened it. The stereo / CD player in the i Sport is pretty good. It is plenty loud and clear enough for me. The interface for the gadgets is pretty simple, so figuring out how to use the gadgets is not confusing. One drawback for my car model is it doesn't have a USB port, but it does have a Aux input so MP3 or phone devices can be plugged in. As for reliability, I cannot speak for that yet. I have not had any problems yet, but I would hope that no problems would surface 3 months into ownership. I have no regret about my Mazda3 purchase. I am very pleased with the car and I have no complaints. I love driving it and I go out of my way to make unnecessary trips just to get behind the wheel. For the price I paid for the car I could not have gotten a better buy for my money. The Mazda3 really does have the Zoom-Zoom feel. I hope the car remains reliable and that I can keep it for many years.

I bought the 2012 Skyactiv Mazda 3- The mpg is very close to the advertised amount! It rides so smoothly and looks super cool

I bought 2012 Mazda3 with SKYACTIV technology in Dec. This is my first "New" Car and boy am I happy with my choice. I compared other cars in the class such as Elantra, Focus, Corolla and even Altima. None came close to the performance Mazda3. I always expected Mazda3 to perform better but not by that much. I have driven her for about 900 miles now. The fuel efficiency @ 32.5 MPG was little disappointing for first tank but I got 35.5 MPG for second tank, all in combined driving. Much better than sticker of 32 combined. The best part is that one does not have to sacrifice the handling, sportiness or the acceleration to get this high MPG with SKYACTIV. The car handles really well. No slowing down to take the corner, no loud engine noise at high speeds. The 6 speed Auto with dual clutch manual shift is smooth. One does not even feel the gears shift. Only thing I found was the car downshifting faster than I would like during slow downs at a stop light or something. Another thing I would improve is sound system. I dont have Bose system since we bought the base model, but common, the speakers could be better? Also, Mazda should allow customers to add blind spot sensor without needing to upgrade to higher car and then permitting technology package. It adds the cost by 4 grand to get a nice safety feature. Overall, we love the car and would recommend.

I traded in my '08 MX-5 as i needed better mileage and wanted to use regular gas. The Mazda3 Hatchback gave me what I wanted....with SkyActiv tech, the gas mileage after 3 weeks is 32.5 mpg....and I have room for my golf clubs on the weekend, or I can comfortably carry my 5 yr old grandson in the back seat...I loved my MX-5, but need to keep my costs down over the next 5 years.