Mazda 3 GT?

tinyfist

I'm thinking about picking up a used '05 Mazda 3 GT (hatchback model). Has anybody had any dealings with this type of car before? Anything I should be wary of?

KMFurDM

I haven't had any personal experience with it, but it's a nice looking, good handling, reliable car based on the MkII Ford Focus which gets rave reviews in Europe.

Hlubocky

I'm not sure what the GT model is you are referring to, but I used to be a proud owner of an 05 Mazda 3 5 door special edition (the hatchback you are talking about in charcoal with the brown-red leather seats). I moved into the city shortly after I bought the car and sold it off after about a year, but I still miss it. It was a lot of fun to drive, had some neat features (the 5 disc changer, automatic windshield wipers, heated seats, moonroof, etc), and looked great. I know a lot of people on these forums say that Mazda's are essentially Fords, which may be true, but I didn't have any problems with the car (though I only had it for a year). If I was looking for a new car, I would buy it back in a second. Of course, your mileage may vary.

There were a few negatives, but mostly small ones... sometimes the windshield wipers didn't come on at the frequency I required. Also I didn't think they did a terribly great job of clearing the windshield of rain, but I guess that can be fixed. An MP3 playing CD player or ipod link would have been nice, but the 5 disc changer almost makes up for that.

deadman jolt

The mazda 3 isn't even close to the same sized Ford (Focus). At least in America, the Focus is riding on a generation old platform, while the American Mazda 3 and Volvo s40 are riding on the upgraded compact platform (like the European Focus). So no, you aren't getting a dressed up Ford when you get the Mazda 3. Also, I think the Mazda 3's are made in japan. 6 is made in USA though.

tinyfist

Thanks you guys, this is precisely the type of input I'm looking for as I continue pondering whether or not to commit several years of my life to paying for it. :P

Hiravaxis

I own an 07 mazda 3 sport.. the GT model I believe..
My only regret with it is that I didn't get the sunroof.
It's a great car.. fun to drive with good economy.

Negatives: It's a common car. You won't exactly stand out in it..
And the balance on mine hasn't been very good.. a problem either relating to the rotors or the tires.. It causes the wheel to vibrate during breaking and excessive road noise.

Gdiguy

I just bought an 07 mazda 3 hatch (no G, only T.. ), and while I agree with a couple of the minor complaints (there does seem to be a decent amount of road noise), it's been a very fun car so far

I believe 2005 used the same base as 06-07-08 does, though I'm not totally confident on that... but yeah, they're all made in Japan (I think Ford copied the mazda 3 base for the Ford cars), which is better than ford building it

if you want more advice, http://www.mazda3forums.com/ has a pretty good community going


It's actually not that common out here (Bay area) - it's not extremely rare, but it's not like a Civic or Corolla (or Prius.. stupid bay area) that you see every 4th car... and in my mind it's one of the nicest looking hatchbacks until you get into BMW-type prices

Frdztec

My roommate and I both purchased new Mazdas this year.

She got a 2007 Mazda 3 w/ the 2.3 litre engine and the sports package (auto trans w/manual override), and I opted for the 2007 MazdaSpeed6 GT.

From what I can tell from driving her's, it's a quality automobile, and of a much higher quality than a comparable Ford Focus (of which I've had experience with as well). It has personality and a definite presence, and the handling is very nice for a daily-commuter. A little slow on the go-juice, but the 160hp engine is more than capable for highway passing and such as that. Stereo is decent as well (and I'm unsure what the 2005 GT would have in those prior two departments, so I'm basing solely off of what I'm familiar with).

If the price is right, I'd say go for it, especially if your other choices are the more common domestics like a Cobalt, Focus, Aveo, anything like that. The Mazda3 is the sports car of the bunch.

tinyfist

Thanks guys! I decided on a '04 Mazda3 GT Sport. I am glad I went with it, as it so far feels very nice to drive!