The Mazda 3 is a great car. I've owned mine for over five years and have driven it across the country. I've put over 70,000 miles on the car. The gas mileage is great, as it's consistently 35 mpg between city and highway driving. I haven't had any major issues with the car other than needing to replace the water pump belt. I would recommend this to a friend.

The exterior does not feel very sturdy, it is made of cheap plastic and the hubs are gradually falling apart. One finally broke apart the other day. The interior is better. There are signs of wear on the steering wheel, dash, and doors but the seat material looks brand new still. The car steers well and has decent acceleration for a four cylinder engine but you feel vulnerable in such a small car on the highway. At $12,000, I feel I paid way too much for this car.