2010 Mazda MAZDA3 User Reviews

Pros

Handles like a dream - like being on a roller coaster - great value for the money!

Cons

Cabin noise, traction with stock tires, seats are too vinyl-like

Purchased As New

A new gunmetal blue i Sport 4-door with 5 speed manual, my fourth Mazda and replacing a Toyota Camry. The car handles better than any other I've driven over the last 30 years. Plenty of power with the 2.0, but the stock tires squeek easily, and the cabin noise at highway speed requires turning the stereo up some more. Some may complain the ride is a little rough, but I'll take the handling over a cushy wallow any day. The driver side cockpit is snug, which translates to me as a sports car feel, and the 3 does NOT have the econobox feel to it at all.

Just driving around the block is a blast. The manual transmission has a short, crisp throw and the gears shift like extremely smoothly. The oil used is 5W-20, so don't expect as much engine braking as older manuals - the car hardly slows down when downshifted. Still seems very peppy, and it's also more difficult to make the engine lug. Super sweet action for a MT, which I prefer mostly for the better feel and handling in the snow.

Quality should be good - my three previous Mazdas ('86 626, '90 MX-6, and '97 Protege were excellent), and the sub $17K price tag makes value outstanding. Very sporty look, and the color turn heads, though that's not a real priority for me.

The seats in the i Sport model are nylon, and though they appear durable, they are little warm and uncomfortable compared to cloth. They remind me of the old vinyl seats of yesteryear, though they breathe better. I bought a micro-fiber seat cover and it helps a lot. If you add an aftermarket seat cover, be sure it doesn't interfere with the SRS airbags in the front bucket seats.

The ergos are good, though not as sweet as the Camry. The posts between the windshield and the driver/passenger side windows are wide, and create small blind spots. The three mirrors don't seem to give quite as "surround view" as I would prefer, though I don't feel unsafe. The stock horn is a joke though, and will have to be replaced for safety purposes. There's no way that can be heard 2 feet in front of the car at highway speeds.

One final modification is a steering wheel cover - the hard pastic stock one slipped a little in my hands, so I forked over a whopping $4 for a vinyl cover. Much improved.

I waffled between the i Sport and i Touring models, and finally picked the i Sport because of the color, and saving $2K. I never use cruise control, but two perks on the i Touring that I would have liked are the cloth seats and the power door locks. Still, 75+ % of time I'm a one-door guy, and the $15 seat cover is nice. Money saved pays for gas for a year.

One final bit of advice - don't test drive one of these unless you're ready and capable of buying. It'll blow your socks off!