I own a 2010 Mazda3 GT sedan with all options. Awesome car and fun to drive. I'm in the camp who really loves the new styling and that smile is great. Gah I love taking on ramps and off ramps now at a good speed since the car drives very sporty.
Had it since November and I still get that good feeling of a new car when I jump in it and press the start button. The interior is gorgeous in all black with leather seats. The lighting colors with red and blue are really sexy. And then it syncs via blutooth to my phone for music and calls which gets me gadget happy. Oh and heated seats were a god send.
I was looking at all the peepy small cars around last September and the 2010 Mazda3 came far and away the best of them with performance and features.
I owned a 2005 Mazda 3 special edition hatchback (and loved it), but there were some things about it that sucked. For one, the windshield wipers were terrible. I don't know if it had something to do with the fact that this car included a rain sensor to automatically deploy the wipers, but the blades themselves didn't seem to do a very good job. The other thing is the car was terrible in the snow. Holy hell I was sliding all over the place. Maybe it is just because it was a lighter car. Maybe the wiper thing has been addressed in years since...
What?! I drive my girlfriend's Mazda3 on a daily basis and she's from Maine, had the car for 3 years before she moved down here to Indiana and never had a problem with it. We don't exactly get a lot of snow here, but it's an absolute dream to drive in the snow when we do see it.
Totally suggest at least test-driving the Mazda3/6, OP. If you do, take it for a nice drive and get a good feel of how well it handles. After having driven it for as long as I have, I won't be going with anything less when I go to look at my next vehicle.
My cousin owns a tC, and I love driving that thing. How much is your price? I mean, from what I can tell, you get what you pay for.
I want to spend like $20. At that price i plan on paying it off in about 1.5 years. So I could put more on my car payment but i want to get these student loan bills squared away. I could be persuaded to hit $25k (tax, etc. inclusive) if it resulted in a radically different driving experience.
At $25k, you would be better getting something with more power, if thats your thing. A MazdaSpeed3 starts right at $24k. For about 2k more, you can get the tech package which has a Bose stereo and a 6 disc cd changer.
A Subaru Impreza WRX starts at 25k, that is the basic no frills model. Its very fast, but it wont be very luxurious.
Both are manual transmission vehicles, and they come with max performance summer tires, so if you live in an area that gets any snow, this is something to consider.
Unless your are married, over 25, and have 2 kids, you are going to pay insurance out the nose for anything sporty. I pay about $1800/yr for my STi/Wrangler, 100k/300k/100k.
Soggybiscuit on
Steam - Synthetic Violence | XBOX Live - Cannonfuse | PSN - CastleBravo | Twitch - SoggybiscuitPA
Have you considered something like an Audi A3 or a Mercedes C230 at this range? A couple years used and you are at a similar price range and so much more fun to drive.
Namel3ss on
May the wombat of happiness snuffle through your underbrush.
I own a 2004 Corolla S, and this car is ROCK SOLID. My wife and I test drove every comparable car in the Canadian market and the only car we liked better (but couldn't afford the payments on) was the Mazda 3. However, we have absolutly no regrets at all. The only complaint I have (and it's not really the car's fault) is that we're starting to think about having a family now, and as our lives grow, so does our space requirement. It's just not big enough for us anymore. When I am allowed to buy another vehicle, we're still keeping the 'rolla though. I'm going to drive that thing into the ground.
Yay for other happy xB owners. Yeah, you get a crazy amount of car for your money. I've got the manual too. When I realized I could get such a big roomy reliable machine with every feature I could want for $16k, there was nothing left to think about.
Not only that but you can pack your lunch in it and carry it to the office with you.
Not sure if you're still looking or bought something yet, but I'll throw in my .02
I have an 06 tC that I bought new and I absolutely love it, and would buy another one in a heartbeat. It comes with an insane amount of features for the price (the only extra that I got was the automatic transmission), it's nice a zippy, the hatchback is nice and big with the seats down, the back seat is pretty roomy with the seats up, it drives smoothly and quietly, and it's just really really nice.
I test drove a mini and was sadly disappointed with the amount of power and pick up. I was trading in an old honda CRX and it felt too similar (slow, sluggish, etc.). I love the mini's style and size, but that wasn't enough to make me go for it.
Also test drove a Mazda 3. It was definitely a tempting option, but I liked the tC better for the hatchback/bigger back seat.
My recommendation: get the tC, unless you really want the Mazda 3
shugarae on
Omeganaut class of '08. Fuck Peggle. Omeganaut class of '17 West. Fuck Rainbow Road.
The Best in Terms of Pants on JCCC3
Posts
Had it since November and I still get that good feeling of a new car when I jump in it and press the start button. The interior is gorgeous in all black with leather seats. The lighting colors with red and blue are really sexy. And then it syncs via blutooth to my phone for music and calls which gets me gadget happy. Oh and heated seats were a god send.
I was looking at all the peepy small cars around last September and the 2010 Mazda3 came far and away the best of them with performance and features.
I had a Mazda RX-8 for about a year. THAT was a fun car. If you're going to drop 20K and practicality isn't a big issue, take one for a spin.
What?! I drive my girlfriend's Mazda3 on a daily basis and she's from Maine, had the car for 3 years before she moved down here to Indiana and never had a problem with it. We don't exactly get a lot of snow here, but it's an absolute dream to drive in the snow when we do see it.
Totally suggest at least test-driving the Mazda3/6, OP. If you do, take it for a nice drive and get a good feel of how well it handles. After having driven it for as long as I have, I won't be going with anything less when I go to look at my next vehicle.
At $25k, you would be better getting something with more power, if thats your thing. A MazdaSpeed3 starts right at $24k. For about 2k more, you can get the tech package which has a Bose stereo and a 6 disc cd changer.
A Subaru Impreza WRX starts at 25k, that is the basic no frills model. Its very fast, but it wont be very luxurious.
Both are manual transmission vehicles, and they come with max performance summer tires, so if you live in an area that gets any snow, this is something to consider.
Unless your are married, over 25, and have 2 kids, you are going to pay insurance out the nose for anything sporty. I pay about $1800/yr for my STi/Wrangler, 100k/300k/100k.
Xbox Gamertag: GAMB1NO325Xi
Not only that but you can pack your lunch in it and carry it to the office with you.
I have an 06 tC that I bought new and I absolutely love it, and would buy another one in a heartbeat. It comes with an insane amount of features for the price (the only extra that I got was the automatic transmission), it's nice a zippy, the hatchback is nice and big with the seats down, the back seat is pretty roomy with the seats up, it drives smoothly and quietly, and it's just really really nice.
I test drove a mini and was sadly disappointed with the amount of power and pick up. I was trading in an old honda CRX and it felt too similar (slow, sluggish, etc.). I love the mini's style and size, but that wasn't enough to make me go for it.
Also test drove a Mazda 3. It was definitely a tempting option, but I liked the tC better for the hatchback/bigger back seat.
My recommendation: get the tC, unless you really want the Mazda 3
The Best in Terms of Pants on JCCC3