Purchased a 2021 sedan premium plus turbo AWD in 2022 with 11,000 miles. THE BAD: At 17,000 miles I discovered the front end would wobble when I applied the brakes. I was told by the dealer that I needed front and rear rotors and that the cost would be $1,000. When I asked why I needed brakes at only 17K miles I was told it was because the rotors must have gotten wet when I drove through a puddle when they were hot. Really? He obviously thought I was an idiot. It ended up costing me $600 to have a local shop do the work including an upgrade on the quality of the original factory rotors and pads. At 29,000 miles the car left me stranded in a parking lot when the battery died. A replacement battery cost me $280. At 30,000 miles the original manufacturer tires were badly worn and needed to be replaced (and yes I rotate them in fact EVERY oil change as opposed to every other). I purchased 4 Michelin tires which cost me $1,200. Also at 30K miles a rock came up from the road and cracked my windshield causing me to spend my deductible to have it fixed ($500). Nobody's fault I understand, just one more expense with so few miles.I have also noticed that I often get a "safety and driver support systems temporarily disabled" notice. It seems to be random but is annoying nonetheless. Shouldn't be happening at 32K miles. At 29K miles I apparently hit a pothole and the front rim was badly bent. The cost to straighten the rim was $140. The lane departure safety feature is annoying. Every time I even begin to leave my lane it violently pulls me back. Even when I need to go around an object in the road it pulls me back. Also, the tone associated with lane departure only works when it fells like it which is probably a good thing. Another issue is that it takes forever for the interior to get warm in the winter and cool in the summer. The car needs to warm up for at least 15 minutes before the temperature gets where I need it to be. The problem with that is that when using the remote start through the Mazda App, it only allows the car to run for 10 minutes. Also, you can't make any adjustments to the temperature from the app. ... THE GOOD: This vehicle is a blast to drive! It sounds great and it has plenty of power and I am still in love with the exterior appearence. The interior is done so well and as YouTube car reviewers say, "it's a great place to be". It has every option I would every want except for wireless Apple car play. It handles great and the AWD seems to work really well in slippery conditions. Currently I am at a crossroads. Do I sell my Mazda3 while the value is still high and get something else or do I keep it and hope nothing else goes wrong? I really like the car but I want to love it. One issue is the fact that when I purchased it I got 2.9% financing. I would be lucky to get 6.9% with todays rates. Also, if I sold it what the xxxx would I buy that has all of these features, a turbo engine and AWD that wouldn't cost me $35-$45K?!

I'm driving my 4th Mazda. It looks good, it's reliable, and it's fun to drive. Only issue is road noise, but it is better in this model than in previous ones I owned.

I've owned many Mazdas, and every generation of Mazda3, including a first generation Mazdaspeed3, second generation sedan, third generation sedan, and now a fourth generation sedan with the turbo and AWD. I believe the fourth generation is the perfect daily driver; with compelling design, eye-catching paint, phenomenal interior ergonomics, fun handling, and an excellent blend of technology and traditional aesthetics. The gauge cluster is only partially digital, and the traditional gauges are well designed and clear, without an overwhelming amount of information displayed in the digital portion. The heads-up display is excellent, showing current speed and speed limit, navigation directions, and blind spot monitoring - although polarized glasses make it tricky to read in bright light. The infotainment system is a vast improvement over every previous version, and the lack of reliance on touch controls is a relief. The interface can be fussy, but is quick to learn. I couldn't wait to get a Mazda3 with Apple CarPlay, but I never use it because the built in system is totally sufficient. Wireless CarPlay might move the needle away from the built in system. The powertrain is smooth, and power delivery is mostly at the bottom end, which is surprising in the turbo trim. The car never sounds like it's working hard, even when it's being driven hard. The automatic is well tuned, and a mature design, so it's never hunting gears and matches the engine output perfectly. Manual mode is well executed, and you can go from the paddles, to the gear shift, if you want. The AWD system is totally transparent, but effective - particularly on snow tires. I live in the northeast and have had zero drama during the two winters I've driven it daily. No weather conditions have gotten me stuck, or caused me to lose control. Handling is predictable, with far less body roll than previous generations. The OEM tires should be swapped for high performance summer tires whenever possible, and braking is excellent, though it does require quite a bit of force. The design is a total head turner, and it's the first car I've had in years that I enjoy washing and waxing myself. I do wish the paint was more durable. It has several chips on the hood that go straight to bare metal, and most happened in the first 1000 miles, so it doesn't take much. A good paint protection film is a good idea. Dealership experience was good, and a service appointment to address some minor interior rattles was filmed and emailed to me, which was a pleasant surprise. All-in-all, a brilliant car from a brilliant company at the top of its game right now.