2012 Mazda MAZDASPEED3 User Reviews

Pros

Power and Bose Stereo System

Cons

still havent found one!

Purchased As New

Power, Stereo, Headlights and expanded view on turns, There is nothing to say except this car exceptional!

Pros

Fast, Handles on Rails, Great Stereo, Good Highway MPG

Cons

Torque Steer, Awkward GPS Controls, Stupid smiley grill

Purchased As New

I've had my Black Mica MS3 for about 6 months now and I still love it. I've owned a MKV GTI and a 4 Door Si in the past and I think this car trumps them both in the Sport Compact Segment.

Appearance- The styling is a little polarizing with most people hating the goofy smile on the front of the car. I agree, but I mitigated that with the black mica color. The interior is upscale and clean looking with the exception of the spiderman inserts in the doors and seats. They're neat looking, just a little odd.

Comfort- All the creature comforts in this car are awesome. The blind spot monitoring and the adaptive headlights are cool safety features that I use regularly. The GPS is small, but usable. It's search function is clunky in comparison to any aftermarket unit, but it's nice to have it integrated into the dash. I like that it's small, so you don't have this giant screen creating a bunch of light when driving at night. The stereo is kick ass. It's a Bose and I really like how it's tucked away in the spare doughnut under the trunk mat. The bluetooth integration for the phone and stereo is convenient.

Performance- This is why you by this car. The car is quick off the line, but the torque steer is legit. Be ready for it. This isn't a car for drag racing. Get it on a back road and take every corner at twice the speed that the yellow signs are telling you. This car is on rails. I frequently drive from LA to SD on nights and I regularly get 32 MPG on the 150 mile trip. As long as you aren't boosting, the car gets great MPG. It's just hard not to drive the car fast when it is begging for it. The six speed is slick with good clean throws. The transition between 4th and 5th is a little tricky, as I find myself downshifting back into 3rd if I don't push hard to the right to find 5th.

Value- For 24K, it's tough to beat this car. Sure there's cars out there that may do one thing a little better than the MS3, but nothing else does everything else this damn good for this price...

To get all the same comfort features (Bluetooth, HID lights, GPS, Premium Stereo) on a GTI, you're pushing around 28K. The GTI's interior is more grown up, but the MS3 is still nice and you're getting much better performance overall.

Mini Cooper S may handle a little better, but it's slower, smaller and more expensive. Goofy interior too.

The WRX is faster off the line and has AWD, but it's interior is mind numbingly dull and it's 4 speaker stereo is awful.

The Civic Si is about the same price, but the MS3 blows it's doors off in performance and features.

Like I said before, some cars may do one thing better, but the combination of speed, handling, interior amenities, safety features and overall fun factor are what make the MS3 shine above the rest....read morehide

Pros

handling, performance, tech pack, value for money

Cons

fuel economy, no heated seats

Purchased As New

I have had this car for a little over a week and I love it. If the interior and exterior style suites you, then this is a wonderful car. With the tech package you get a ton of value for the money (navigation, blind spot monitoring, bose sound, etc). The power is incredible and the handling is far superior compared to a GTI or a hyundai genesis 3.8. I would have liked heated seats and a few more mpgs, but the trade off was well worth it. If you are shopping in the hot hatch market, this is defiantly worth a look....read morehide

Purchased As New

the mazdaspeed 3 is a really fun car to drive.plenty of power,handling is great also..