Hello all.
I'm sure most of the forumites here are already owners of a Mazda 3 but I'm keen to hear from anyone who's recently bought or is planning to buy a new (2016) Mazda 3 and compared it with similarly priced and equipped vehicles from other manufacturers.
Disclaimer: I'm able to get employee pricing, and have the choice of Chevrolet, Honda, Toyota, Subaru, and Mazda. So I'm not looking at anything else really. Golf (or some VW) did really well in ratings, but given their recent debacle and that it's outside of my sphere, I'm not considering it.
On paper, and in my research, the Mazda 3 kept coming out a winner in this price range and size vehicle. For me, other close contenders were the Chevy Cruze and the Honda Civic (slightly more pricey) of cars I could get and would probably want.
I currently own a 97 Civic (yes, 97, that wasn't a typo) and at this point it's costing more than a car payment to keep it running, so....
My finances are such that even with the discount, I would be looking at a base model with no frills, so I was also considering "bang for my buck" into the equation.
As I said, I own a Civic, and I love my Civic. I hate the Honda dealership where I have my car serviced because I've had to come back more than once on three different occasions for them to fix the repair they didn't fix the first (or second!) time. The price, and the fact I've had one, and the ratings being less than stellar have put that into a distant 3rd place on my list. Plus, maybe it's just time for something else despite how I love my current Civic and what a great car it's been for these past 18 years.
I really thought, after all my research, I wanted a Mazda 3. But I wanted to give the Cruze a fair shake too.
I test drove both today (both automatic), back to back, Cruze first. Here were my impressions:
Cruze:
Cons:
Acceleration to get on to the interstate was an absolute joke! This car has no power whatsoever. Remember, I'm coming from a Civic saying that!
Getting into the turbocharged counterpart moves up from LS to LT, adding price.
Big black area under rearview mirror that was visually distracting.
Sight lines where not great for view surrounding vehicle, and over your shoulder right blind spot check was impractical.
They only had two, both in colors I did not like, one being a color I definitely do not want (already have two that color) and the other not so great.
Ride was a bit "clunky". It seemed to pick up bumps in the road in a way you could both hear the car clunk and feel it. Otherwise the suspension and ride were nice.
Strange feeling of turning into corners - seemed over-responsive, like a bicycle whose front forks have been bent back (don't ask how I know). As soon as I began to turn the wheel it was sharp into a turn already.
Tilt steering did not tilt downward as much as I like, and as far down as I had it, the steering wheel obscured the analog speedomoter and tach. Those aren't necessary because there's a center digital version, but still, kind of annoying.
Cowl under front end means a lot of curb scraping. It's lower than my Civic which catches stuff all the time.
Gas fill on wrong side of car (this is actually 99% of a dealbreaker for me!)
Pros:
The cabin at window height felt roomy. I didn't have room to spread my knees width-wise, but the length was OK (I'm 5'3" so leg room is not an issue for me!).
I liked the Black/White interior fabric color scheme.
I was very comfortable driving, where the armrest was, where the shifter was, where everything was, and that I could reach everything on the center console.
Ride was generally smooth and responsive (though over-responsive for turning).
CD Player! Yes, I'm tech savvy, but I didn't want to put ALL of my CDs on drives (would take years!) so sometimes I still like to just grab an old CD I've not yet imported into my computer and pop it in.
Mazda 3:
Cons:
Felt smaller inside - less spacious than the Cruze (and maybe even my Civic) - roof felt closer to my head, windows closer to me, etc. I felt like I was closer to the outside world as well. I didn't feel cramped, but I felt "closed in" a little more than the Cruze (though could spread my knees). The leg area, while long enough for my short legs, was definitely small.
Interior design was lackluster. Not as nice as the Cruze and everything was very "Plastic-y". The layout of a center screen with a control down by the hand brake is a new and very different design to me so that would take some getting used to. But this added to the "basic" feel. In some way, I expected a "sports car cockpit" based on what I'd read (and that may have been true with the base 2015 models with the trim line that's been discontinued). It was under-whelming.
Noise. I noticed this immediately. I saw a poll on a forum (not sure if this one or another) and that was the number 1 complaint. The Cruze was by no means silent, and at this point in its life my Civic screams like a banshee when I put it in Park! So anything would be less noise than what I have now. But there's this low frequency road noise component like the floor is acting as a resonator that brings up the overall ambient noise level. It would mean turning up my CDs (but wait!) louder
Trunk is smaller, but still plenty of space, probably as much as my Civic.
No CD player
No rear charger outlets.
Fold down seats only accessible from trunk.
Brakes were over-responsive compared to every other vehicle I've ever driven. Barely touched them and almost came to a screeching halt. I think the Traction Control or ABS kicked on at one point.
Finally - and I'll come back to this - push button start...
Pros:
More cool colors, models, and packages from which to choose.
WAY more power than the Cruze. It accelerated better than my Civic (which is better than the Cruze).
Ride was good - equal to the Cruze - where the Cruze was clunky, the Mazda was noisy. The handling overall was better. IOW, the Mazda was a better driving car for me.
On that note - it's more "fun" to drive!
Electronics: HD radio, backup camera - with my pricing I might be able to get into the bllndspot and rear crosstraffic warnings, which I think are worth spending money on as opposed to paying more for the special paint job available on the Cruze.
While I wasn't as comfortable with my arms in this car, the seat was way more comfortable.
Gas mileage wins over Cruze.
Safety rating wins over Cruze.
Gas fill on correct side of vehicle.
Concerns:
The modern stuff. It's nice to have it, but when it breaks, you're out. No key - what happens when the battery in the fob runs dead? I guess I have to keep a spare or three in the car itself. Touchscreen - how long is it going to last? How much toll is sitting in the hot sun, and the constant heating up and cooling down of outdoor temperatures and interior condensation before that screen dies? How tough is it?
No CD, OK - because it's got USB, bluetooth, audio jack (so does the Cruze) and HD radio and so on. That's not a major concern but most of this depends on that touch screen - there's no LCD type screen that's proven itself for longer IME. It's got Pandora as well. But I suppose you'd have to pay for some kind of streaming on that, no?
I think this is where cars are going - I hear the Sonic is loaded with tech features like this - but is this technology too new still (even though it's been out a while)?
How long before that ignition button wears out?
I guess I'm concerned that when this stuff goes out, it will be "electronics" and somehow not covered by the lifetime warranty the dealer offers (I'll check of course) and cost a way more than say the alternator when it's time to replace that.
The new Recall - they had models on the lot they couldn't sell until they addressed the recall. Ignition switch (button) and fuel issue (fire).
Service record? The Cruze isn't great, but I've not seen a lot on the Mazdas in general.
The car I drove had one with tan/white interior, which I actually liked more than the black. But will that white get dirty too soon?
FWIW, this is going to be primarily a daily driver - back and forth to work, kids back and forth to school, out for errands, etc. Mostly metropolitan area (with too much traffic) from city to suburbia, traffic, stop and go, etc. Some of that is on interstates, but not long haul. Oh, the Cruze, despite the name, doesn't have Cruise Control, which I do use a lot on our local insterstates whenever possible. The Cruze really concerns me with its lack of power - getting onto the interstate, passing, and handling in traffic - no sprinting ahead of the slow truck to cut over - gonna just have to let them pass me.
The snug cabin of the Mazda3 feels a little suffocating, even for my diminutive stature - but the sight lines were WAY better than the Cruze. SOme of this could be a factor of my just going with a basic seat positioning - both have tilt and telescoping steering column, angle seat back, forward/rear move seat, and raise/lower seat positions. It's possible I could have felt like the roof was lower in the Mazda because I was also "sitting higher" the way I had the seat.
Still, I felt very "snug" in that car. That might be a concern long drives - IOW, the Cruze would definitely be a more comfy long-trip car, but we don't do that many long trips really (and would just tough it out until we get another vehicle for that).
Finally, there's this:
Cruze: Family Man Car. Dadmobile. Mature, Responsible, Adult. Not sporty, not fun, plain jane, but respectable.
Mazda 3: As close as I'm ever going to get to a Mid-Life Crisis Sports Car (seriously). Fun, sporty, tech friendly, maybe a little "edgier" while still being fairly conservative.
So kinda, maybe the Cruze is the car the responsible dad in me should buy, but the Mazda3 is the car the man who's still desperately clinging to his freewheeling lifestyle wants to buy (i know, sad that it's a Mazda3 that represents this for me!).
I know people here bought one most likely.
Was your decision the right one? What else did you consider? Am I missing anything major (recalls, service, longevity, other cars)?
If I get a Cruze, it's going to have to have more powerful engine.
If I get a Mazda3, it's not perfect, but good enough - beggars can't be choosers, and I'd be very happy with it, but I am concerned about the road noise and electronics longevity. It's about as roomy as my Civic - maybe a little less (but you can't adjust the seat up in my Civic) but that's my one other big drawback.
I'm sure most of the forumites here are already owners of a Mazda 3 but I'm keen to hear from anyone who's recently bought or is planning to buy a new (2016) Mazda 3 and compared it with similarly priced and equipped vehicles from other manufacturers.
Disclaimer: I'm able to get employee pricing, and have the choice of Chevrolet, Honda, Toyota, Subaru, and Mazda. So I'm not looking at anything else really. Golf (or some VW) did really well in ratings, but given their recent debacle and that it's outside of my sphere, I'm not considering it.
On paper, and in my research, the Mazda 3 kept coming out a winner in this price range and size vehicle. For me, other close contenders were the Chevy Cruze and the Honda Civic (slightly more pricey) of cars I could get and would probably want.
I currently own a 97 Civic (yes, 97, that wasn't a typo) and at this point it's costing more than a car payment to keep it running, so....
My finances are such that even with the discount, I would be looking at a base model with no frills, so I was also considering "bang for my buck" into the equation.
As I said, I own a Civic, and I love my Civic. I hate the Honda dealership where I have my car serviced because I've had to come back more than once on three different occasions for them to fix the repair they didn't fix the first (or second!) time. The price, and the fact I've had one, and the ratings being less than stellar have put that into a distant 3rd place on my list. Plus, maybe it's just time for something else despite how I love my current Civic and what a great car it's been for these past 18 years.
I really thought, after all my research, I wanted a Mazda 3. But I wanted to give the Cruze a fair shake too.
I test drove both today (both automatic), back to back, Cruze first. Here were my impressions:
Cruze:
Cons:
Acceleration to get on to the interstate was an absolute joke! This car has no power whatsoever. Remember, I'm coming from a Civic saying that!
Getting into the turbocharged counterpart moves up from LS to LT, adding price.
Big black area under rearview mirror that was visually distracting.
Sight lines where not great for view surrounding vehicle, and over your shoulder right blind spot check was impractical.
They only had two, both in colors I did not like, one being a color I definitely do not want (already have two that color) and the other not so great.
Ride was a bit "clunky". It seemed to pick up bumps in the road in a way you could both hear the car clunk and feel it. Otherwise the suspension and ride were nice.
Strange feeling of turning into corners - seemed over-responsive, like a bicycle whose front forks have been bent back (don't ask how I know). As soon as I began to turn the wheel it was sharp into a turn already.
Tilt steering did not tilt downward as much as I like, and as far down as I had it, the steering wheel obscured the analog speedomoter and tach. Those aren't necessary because there's a center digital version, but still, kind of annoying.
Cowl under front end means a lot of curb scraping. It's lower than my Civic which catches stuff all the time.
Gas fill on wrong side of car (this is actually 99% of a dealbreaker for me!)
Pros:
The cabin at window height felt roomy. I didn't have room to spread my knees width-wise, but the length was OK (I'm 5'3" so leg room is not an issue for me!).
I liked the Black/White interior fabric color scheme.
I was very comfortable driving, where the armrest was, where the shifter was, where everything was, and that I could reach everything on the center console.
Ride was generally smooth and responsive (though over-responsive for turning).
CD Player! Yes, I'm tech savvy, but I didn't want to put ALL of my CDs on drives (would take years!) so sometimes I still like to just grab an old CD I've not yet imported into my computer and pop it in.
Mazda 3:
Cons:
Felt smaller inside - less spacious than the Cruze (and maybe even my Civic) - roof felt closer to my head, windows closer to me, etc. I felt like I was closer to the outside world as well. I didn't feel cramped, but I felt "closed in" a little more than the Cruze (though could spread my knees). The leg area, while long enough for my short legs, was definitely small.
Interior design was lackluster. Not as nice as the Cruze and everything was very "Plastic-y". The layout of a center screen with a control down by the hand brake is a new and very different design to me so that would take some getting used to. But this added to the "basic" feel. In some way, I expected a "sports car cockpit" based on what I'd read (and that may have been true with the base 2015 models with the trim line that's been discontinued). It was under-whelming.
Noise. I noticed this immediately. I saw a poll on a forum (not sure if this one or another) and that was the number 1 complaint. The Cruze was by no means silent, and at this point in its life my Civic screams like a banshee when I put it in Park! So anything would be less noise than what I have now. But there's this low frequency road noise component like the floor is acting as a resonator that brings up the overall ambient noise level. It would mean turning up my CDs (but wait!) louder
Trunk is smaller, but still plenty of space, probably as much as my Civic.
No CD player
No rear charger outlets.
Fold down seats only accessible from trunk.
Brakes were over-responsive compared to every other vehicle I've ever driven. Barely touched them and almost came to a screeching halt. I think the Traction Control or ABS kicked on at one point.
Finally - and I'll come back to this - push button start...
Pros:
More cool colors, models, and packages from which to choose.
WAY more power than the Cruze. It accelerated better than my Civic (which is better than the Cruze).
Ride was good - equal to the Cruze - where the Cruze was clunky, the Mazda was noisy. The handling overall was better. IOW, the Mazda was a better driving car for me.
On that note - it's more "fun" to drive!
Electronics: HD radio, backup camera - with my pricing I might be able to get into the bllndspot and rear crosstraffic warnings, which I think are worth spending money on as opposed to paying more for the special paint job available on the Cruze.
While I wasn't as comfortable with my arms in this car, the seat was way more comfortable.
Gas mileage wins over Cruze.
Safety rating wins over Cruze.
Gas fill on correct side of vehicle.
Concerns:
The modern stuff. It's nice to have it, but when it breaks, you're out. No key - what happens when the battery in the fob runs dead? I guess I have to keep a spare or three in the car itself. Touchscreen - how long is it going to last? How much toll is sitting in the hot sun, and the constant heating up and cooling down of outdoor temperatures and interior condensation before that screen dies? How tough is it?
No CD, OK - because it's got USB, bluetooth, audio jack (so does the Cruze) and HD radio and so on. That's not a major concern but most of this depends on that touch screen - there's no LCD type screen that's proven itself for longer IME. It's got Pandora as well. But I suppose you'd have to pay for some kind of streaming on that, no?
I think this is where cars are going - I hear the Sonic is loaded with tech features like this - but is this technology too new still (even though it's been out a while)?
How long before that ignition button wears out?
I guess I'm concerned that when this stuff goes out, it will be "electronics" and somehow not covered by the lifetime warranty the dealer offers (I'll check of course) and cost a way more than say the alternator when it's time to replace that.
The new Recall - they had models on the lot they couldn't sell until they addressed the recall. Ignition switch (button) and fuel issue (fire).
Service record? The Cruze isn't great, but I've not seen a lot on the Mazdas in general.
The car I drove had one with tan/white interior, which I actually liked more than the black. But will that white get dirty too soon?
FWIW, this is going to be primarily a daily driver - back and forth to work, kids back and forth to school, out for errands, etc. Mostly metropolitan area (with too much traffic) from city to suburbia, traffic, stop and go, etc. Some of that is on interstates, but not long haul. Oh, the Cruze, despite the name, doesn't have Cruise Control, which I do use a lot on our local insterstates whenever possible. The Cruze really concerns me with its lack of power - getting onto the interstate, passing, and handling in traffic - no sprinting ahead of the slow truck to cut over - gonna just have to let them pass me.
The snug cabin of the Mazda3 feels a little suffocating, even for my diminutive stature - but the sight lines were WAY better than the Cruze. SOme of this could be a factor of my just going with a basic seat positioning - both have tilt and telescoping steering column, angle seat back, forward/rear move seat, and raise/lower seat positions. It's possible I could have felt like the roof was lower in the Mazda because I was also "sitting higher" the way I had the seat.
Still, I felt very "snug" in that car. That might be a concern long drives - IOW, the Cruze would definitely be a more comfy long-trip car, but we don't do that many long trips really (and would just tough it out until we get another vehicle for that).
Finally, there's this:
Cruze: Family Man Car. Dadmobile. Mature, Responsible, Adult. Not sporty, not fun, plain jane, but respectable.
Mazda 3: As close as I'm ever going to get to a Mid-Life Crisis Sports Car (seriously). Fun, sporty, tech friendly, maybe a little "edgier" while still being fairly conservative.
So kinda, maybe the Cruze is the car the responsible dad in me should buy, but the Mazda3 is the car the man who's still desperately clinging to his freewheeling lifestyle wants to buy (i know, sad that it's a Mazda3 that represents this for me!).
I know people here bought one most likely.
Was your decision the right one? What else did you consider? Am I missing anything major (recalls, service, longevity, other cars)?
If I get a Cruze, it's going to have to have more powerful engine.
If I get a Mazda3, it's not perfect, but good enough - beggars can't be choosers, and I'd be very happy with it, but I am concerned about the road noise and electronics longevity. It's about as roomy as my Civic - maybe a little less (but you can't adjust the seat up in my Civic) but that's my one other big drawback.
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