2006 Mazda MAZDA3 User Reviews

Pros

millage, handling, style and overall performance

Cons

hard on the tires

Purchased As New

I bought this car brand spanking new after test driving the civic si five speed and the scion tc five speed. the 3 was the perfect balance of feeling the car, (civic was too civil, the tc was too harsh) The 3 is very capable of being a everyday commuter or pushing your personal limits for speed and thrills. Other than gas and oil changes the only money I have had to sink into this car has been for a set of tires at 30,000 miles. (I have never had tires wear that quickly) As of now I am pushing 40,000 miles, the 3 still looks and runs great. My only advice on a purchase of a 3, or any small car is to stay away from the auto transmission and get a manual if you like to have fun driving....read morehide

Pros

sharp looking, economic and affordable

Cons

wipers...touchy cd player

Purchased As Used

great car. i just bought mine and i love it. i looked around and drove many other cars...and nothing added up to this one. great gas mileage. looks and runs awesome. i would recommend the mazda3 i 4 door....to anyone.

Pros

too much fuel

Cons

smooth auto cars

nope,juz too much fuel & most likely change it fuel system using special savement plugs

Pros

Good fuel economy, reliability (thus far), responsive handling

Cons

Road noise, rear blind spots,

I had to put a review here looking at the quality of some of the others (i.e. haven't figured out how to signal WITHOUT flashing the brights). I would buy again (or Honda or Toyota).

I am surprised at claims of bad mileage, I have meticulous records and it has performed within what the manufacturer claimed (35 - mpg Imperial, 29 mpg - U.S. gallon) and that from a definitely peppy motor. I am also surprised at claims of no rear seat legroom - at 5'9" I regularly commute with a 6'2" passenger right behind me with reasonable comfort.

My biggest beef would be lots of road noise on rough pavement, a little wind noise from the side mirrors, and the bad visibility backing up. More minor ones are the marginal sound system, shifting isn't real clean, having to double clutch to put in reverse. The rain sensing wipers are a major annoyance, but not a safety risk....read morehide

Pros

so good looking, comfy, better fuel economy than my old honda LETS NOT FORGET its so affordable

Cons

None really, well I got the most basic so, sometimes i miss power locks and windwos

My husband and I share this car, he loves it because runs good, I love it because its cute without being a Jetta. hah

Pros

Fuel Economey, Standard Options, Great handling/ride

Cons

all compact cars have a small backseat

I love my Mazda3. I added aftermarket leather to the i Touring model because I didn't need all the other gizmos associated with the models that have leather as an option.
The car handles very sporty. Nice tight steering. Very responsive motor for a 2.0. The ride is also quiet.
I get on average 32-35 mpg, thats city and highway driving. And thats also at an average elevation of 4500' in the West.
A great car. I realize the backseat was small, but the trunk is huge...
I recommend this over any other brand small car... I almost forgot Mazda when I was car shopping...then once I visited the dealer, I forgot the other cars existed......read morehide

Pros

Fun to Drive, very Practical, and cute.

Cons

underpowered, cheap, and doesnt get good gas mileage.

I got my Mazda 3 in April 2006, and ive had it for almost a year and have had sooo many problems with it, such as the gas mileage, when i drive it im not racing it but i have to fill up literally every week, it burns oil, the dealership said it isnt the car doing it, and they say the warranty dosent cover that if its not a factory defect, when you turn the blinker on the highbeams flash, the metal on the car warps, and the Service of Mazda in itself is awful, i wouldnt reccommend getting this car, but if you have to watch out....read morehide

Pros

Everything--love it!

Cons

right knee room

....To the people who think that the console lighting isn't bright enough at dusk--I know when you turn the lights on, it appears that you can't see the display...BUT IT CAN BE CHANGED!

PEOPLE, all you have to do is press the skinny knob on the left (to the trip odometer)--it will light up so you can see at this time of the day!...read morehide

Pros

Agile handling & very quick for a little 4-banger; good gas mileage; looks SHARP! Nice Price!

Cons

Center console by right knee is bit tight; MORE ext color options!!! NAV system too pricey.

I call this car the "Poor-man's BMW!" Similar looks to the 3 series at about half the price! And to all the people complaining about the low-torque, I got 2 words for you: Manual Transmission. With a 5-spd, you'll have no problem getting about [quickly]. I've taken this thing up the grapevine @80MPH WITH the A/C on! If you get an auto trans, you obviously don't care about enjoying the performance--so stop whining.

And to those who are complaining about the A/C--are you crazy? I live in the San Fernando "it's got to be 105 F again" Valley and rarely, if ever--turned the A/C all the way up!

And for those complaining about the backseat: I've owned 4 cars with a truly "tight" back seat where one's head would half to bend AND still hit the roof (forget the leg room), but THIS car has the by far more the most room of any of them. Sure--it's not a Cadillac, but people please--IT'S A COMPACT CAR!

And what's with the BMW color selection? White, gray, dk gray, hazy gray, silver, different silver, black, dk black, bright red & powder blue? get some better color options!

By the way--my 2004 Sedan S just got "totaled" on the FWY...I bought a 2006 almost immediately--NO question of what I was getting! And thank God for the Copper Red they actually put out in 2006......read morehide

Pros

Looks,handling,acceleration,fit and finish

Cons

fuel economy,rear hard cargo cover,rear leg room,road noise,price

I had worte 2 previous reviews on the Mazda3 only to have them removed from the list. Here is the third try. The GT sport 5 speed we have is nimble and fun to drive bit it stops here. The car was very thirsty on gas almost as much as our SUV. The rear seat room was tight even for my 5'7" frame and the hard cargo cover was stupid. Hard to remove and install and tall items would get caught in the panel. The AC was weak and the gears were not as slick as a Civic. In fact I commonly had to re depress the clutch for 1st or reverse gears to engage. The dash was sporty and cool; well assembled too. The tire iron provided was weak and hard to use. The car did do well in a Canadian snow storm even with its 215 R17 low profile tires.

Over time, the styling was overruled by the high gas usage, limited rear seat acces and high price. Our fully loaded Sport Gt came to 2 grand more than its competitor from Honda, Kia, Toyota granted the Mazda3 had more power.

At the end, we traded the Mazda3 for a Mazda5 and is now much happier. This car is geared for young people but its price range puts it the top end of the Corolla and Civic buyers.

Probabally will not buy a Mazda3 again....read morehide