2013 Mazda Mazdaspeed3 - The Mazda 3 For Me
When I was first looking at newer cars, I wasn't quite sure what I wanted since I'm not typically a car person or know anything about cars for that matter. I had owned a VW and Dodge in the past which both relied me pretty well. Now was time for a nicer car I could afford and I had to do a little research. After searching up the best cars of 2013 I came across the Mazda 3. It looked so beautiful that I had to see for myself and I'm glad I did. The model I found is upgraded and I managed to talk the price down since it had been on the lot for 6 months. Having owned this car for 6 months now I can honestly say it's the best car I've ever owned. Some of the reasons why are: It's newer, It has only 10,000 miles on it, it has air conditioning, a moon roof, heated leather seats, full stereo,... (more)
When I was first looking at newer cars, I wasn't quite sure what I wanted since I'm not typically a car person or know anything about cars for that matter. I had owned a VW and Dodge in the past which both relied me pretty well. Now was time for a nicer car I could afford and I had to do a little research. After searching up the best cars of 2013 I came across the Mazda 3. It looked so beautiful that I had to see for myself and I'm glad I did. The model I found is upgraded and I managed to talk the price down since it had been on the lot for 6 months. Having owned this car for 6 months now I can honestly say it's the best car I've ever owned. Some of the reasons why are: It's newer, It has only 10,000 miles on it, it has air conditioning, a moon roof, heated leather seats, full stereo, and much more. This car has almost everything I want and is so pretty to look at, and also fun to drive. I can honestly say the car doesn't have many cons. The only thing I wish was different was a lot of the black interior. It looks beautiful when clean, but when it gets dusty it sticks out like a sore thumb. I find myself cleaning the car constantly because I want it to look nice. Other than that the car drives beautifully. I can take it on the highway and it doesn't even feel like I'm driving. All the parts are new and I change the oil consistently.
One fun, memorable experience I had driving this car was driving to Philly, which is a few states away from here. It was my first road trip ever and I got to drive my new car doing it. I felt so free and had a blast driving my car long distances.
One fun, memorable experience I had driving this car was driving to Philly, which is a few states away from here. It was my first road trip ever and I got to drive my new car doing it. I felt so free and had a blast driving my car long distances.
One of the pros of my Mazda is the fact that it's brand new. I've never owned a brand new car in my life so owning one now feels pretty great. Another pro is the upgraded features like the leather seats. They feel so comfortable to sit in. Another pro is the heated seats. Where I live the 8 months of winter is brutal, so being able to have a warm car to look forward is always a treat. Another is the car starter feature. Now I a able to start my car with the push of a button if I'm inside a building. The car will be nice and toasty when I go inside. I also have a moon roof that is enjoyable... (more)
One of the pros of my Mazda is the fact that it's brand new. I've never owned a brand new car in my life so owning one now feels pretty great. Another pro is the upgraded features like the leather seats. They feel so comfortable to sit in. Another pro is the heated seats. Where I live the 8 months of winter is brutal, so being able to have a warm car to look forward is always a treat. Another is the car starter feature. Now I a able to start my car with the push of a button if I'm inside a building. The car will be nice and toasty when I go inside. I also have a moon roof that is enjoyable during the summer months. Lastly my car has working AC which I've never had and a lot of things newer cars have nowadays. Overall I think the pros in the car most definitely outweigh the cons. Such as having a full sound stereo that works properly and is able to get a lot of stations I wouldn't normally be able to get. I also have a newer interior that is tan and black and looks so beautiful. I can't help but admire it every time I get into the car. Lastly the car drives smooth and hasn't given me any problems.
I can honestly say that the pros of my car definitely outweigh the cons, since they hardly are any with this being a new car. If this car already had a lot of cons I probably would have traded it in by now. The Mazda 3 is a great model and runs reliably, but it does run on synthetic oil. If you're okay with spending 80$ for an oil change, then maybe this car is for you, but it certainly annoys me when I have to do it. Although I am able to go longer periods without having to change my oil, the $80 I dish out never feels fun. The only other con for the car I can think of is where the stereo... (more)
I can honestly say that the pros of my car definitely outweigh the cons, since they hardly are any with this being a new car. If this car already had a lot of cons I probably would have traded it in by now. The Mazda 3 is a great model and runs reliably, but it does run on synthetic oil. If you're okay with spending 80$ for an oil change, then maybe this car is for you, but it certainly annoys me when I have to do it. Although I am able to go longer periods without having to change my oil, the $80 I dish out never feels fun. The only other con for the car I can think of is where the stereo is located and the dashboard. This area of the car is all black which looks nice when it's clean, but as soon as it begins to get dusty is sticks out like a sore thumb. I feel myself having to constantly clean in just to satisfy my needs. Although I may be neurotic and want a clean car, it does seem to irritate me a little. Even the floor is black and gets sandy pretty quickly. I find myself having the clean the car very frequently. I know this is a newer car and I do want to keep it clean, but it does get hard after a while.
2008 Mazda Mazdaspeed3 - Happy in a Hot Hatch
The 2008 Mazda Speed 3 is a great little hot hatch for the money. The exterior varies only slightly from the base model Mazda 3, but under the hood, it packs a 263hp turbocharged engine mated to a six speed manual gearbox. The clutch is very heavy, but also has a lot of grip and very little play. The steering is crisp and responsive, but there is a hint of under steer from the front wheel drive layout. Mazda did their best to eliminate this with a mechanical limited slip differential, but it still can be felt under heavy acceleration. The seats are very comfortable bucket seats that hug your body, while the rest of the interior is acceptable, it is nothing to write home about. Featuring an AUX jack and a CD player, with optional XM radio, I found the stereo to be adequate. The rear is ... (more)
The 2008 Mazda Speed 3 is a great little hot hatch for the money. The exterior varies only slightly from the base model Mazda 3, but under the hood, it packs a 263hp turbocharged engine mated to a six speed manual gearbox. The clutch is very heavy, but also has a lot of grip and very little play. The steering is crisp and responsive, but there is a hint of under steer from the front wheel drive layout. Mazda did their best to eliminate this with a mechanical limited slip differential, but it still can be felt under heavy acceleration. The seats are very comfortable bucket seats that hug your body, while the rest of the interior is acceptable, it is nothing to write home about. Featuring an AUX jack and a CD player, with optional XM radio, I found the stereo to be adequate. The rear is comfortable enough to hold two adults, or three if you got comfortable with one another. The seats do fold down for plenty of storage area. Enough if you needed to make a quick trip to the lumber yard.
This car is perfect for going out on a country road and taking it through the twisties. With the general balance of the car and quick acceleration, you can pull yourself right through the corners and shoot right out the other end. Put the windows down, and if you were lucky enough to get the Mazda Speed cold air intake from the dealership, you can listen to the turbocharger spool up as you put... (more)
This car is perfect for going out on a country road and taking it through the twisties. With the general balance of the car and quick acceleration, you can pull yourself right through the corners and shoot right out the other end. Put the windows down, and if you were lucky enough to get the Mazda Speed cold air intake from the dealership, you can listen to the turbocharger spool up as you put your foot down on the accelerator. The six speed gearbox means you'll be shifting a lot, but also means you'll always be in the perfect gear. Put on your favorite music through the auxiliary jack and just watch as time, and miles melt away. This car will leave you with a smile on your face, and your hair tousled around. Before you know it, you'll be lost in the middle of nowhere and have forgotten that you have real life responsibilities to attend to. When you get back from your drive, it's still practical enough to go grab small furniture, or pack a few kids in.
The Mazda Speed 3's main attraction is its pickup and go. You'll have plenty of it in this little hot hatchback. The zero to sixty times are great, and more than enough to throw you back in your seat. The six speed manual transmission makes sure you are always in the power band. Paired to it is a 2.3 liter engine with a k04 turbocharger. The lag from this small turbo is minimal to none and is perfect for daily driving. Interior wise, the car has radio controls on the steering wheel, as well as a temperature-activated climate control system. The wheel is a good size, and wrapped in stitched... (more)
The Mazda Speed 3's main attraction is its pickup and go. You'll have plenty of it in this little hot hatchback. The zero to sixty times are great, and more than enough to throw you back in your seat. The six speed manual transmission makes sure you are always in the power band. Paired to it is a 2.3 liter engine with a k04 turbocharger. The lag from this small turbo is minimal to none and is perfect for daily driving. Interior wise, the car has radio controls on the steering wheel, as well as a temperature-activated climate control system. The wheel is a good size, and wrapped in stitched leather. The shift knob is leather with accents of aluminum along it. There is plenty of room for storage in the glove box, able to fit a small laptop, and along the door panels and center console. Overall, if you are looking for a fun, practical car that can surprise a few Mustangs from stoplight to stoplight, look no further.
While the Mazda Speed 3 has a lot of upside, it does have a few drawbacks as well. In day to day use, I saw an average fuel consumption of about 21 miles per gallon. Keep in mind that this turbocharged hot hatch requires premium fuel of 91 octane or higher. The 18 inch wheels that come from the factory, while pretty to look at are an odd size and makes finding tires difficult for it, and the brake dust accumulates very quickly on the wheels, which can be difficult to get out, even with a detailing kit. While being quick off the line, the car does experience torque steer when you get on it,... (more)
While the Mazda Speed 3 has a lot of upside, it does have a few drawbacks as well. In day to day use, I saw an average fuel consumption of about 21 miles per gallon. Keep in mind that this turbocharged hot hatch requires premium fuel of 91 octane or higher. The 18 inch wheels that come from the factory, while pretty to look at are an odd size and makes finding tires difficult for it, and the brake dust accumulates very quickly on the wheels, which can be difficult to get out, even with a detailing kit. While being quick off the line, the car does experience torque steer when you get on it, so holding on to the wheel tightly is a must. It you really get on it, there is some wheel hop, and the engine mounts will allow part of the engine to hit the firewall. The interior leaves a little to be desired, with it being mostly plastic and leaving a cheap feeling. Overall, I would still recommend this car if you find this list of shortcomings to be acceptable.
2008 Mazda Mazdaspeed3 - Best of all worlds
This car is the best balance of price, performance, style, reliability, and gas mileage. With the smaller turbo engine there's almost too much power, but without engaging the turbo the gas mileage is upper 20's (mi/gallon) on the highway. The suspension is tight, so cornering is fun. The interior of the car feels luxurious with the leather/alcantra seats, red-tinted dash lights, and I love the way the instrument cluster looks.
This car is the best balance of price, performance, style, reliability, and gas mileage. With the smaller turbo engine there's almost too much power, but without engaging the turbo the gas mileage is upper 20's (mi/gallon) on the highway. The suspension is tight, so cornering is fun. The interior of the car feels luxurious with the leather/alcantra seats, red-tinted dash lights, and I love the way the instrument cluster looks.
We used to put all three of our children in the back seat of the car. It was our only car for a couple years, and people would always marvel at how we could get by with a hatchback and a family of five. It wasn't by accident--we did the research beforehand and found the Mazda sedans to have the most hip room in their class, thus allowing us to keep three kid's seats side by side. We did hav... (more)
We used to put all three of our children in the back seat of the car. It was our only car for a couple years, and people would always marvel at how we could get by with a hatchback and a family of five. It wasn't by accident--we did the research beforehand and found the Mazda sedans to have the most hip room in their class, thus allowing us to keep three kid's seats side by side. We did have to purchase the narrowest kids' seats we could find, though.
The 6-speed is under-rated in terms of gas mileage. The manufacturer mileage is well under what I actually get, which is upper 20's on the highway. There is also an abnormal amount of torque, even at low RPMs, so I don't have to down-shift to accelerate quickly and pass people. So the transmission, combined with the 2.3 liter turbo, make this a fun marriage of practicality and fun.
The 6-speed is under-rated in terms of gas mileage. The manufacturer mileage is well under what I actually get, which is upper 20's on the highway. There is also an abnormal amount of torque, even at low RPMs, so I don't have to down-shift to accelerate quickly and pass people. So the transmission, combined with the 2.3 liter turbo, make this a fun marriage of practicality and fun.
The sway bar bushings tend to go bad early. I only have 90,000 miles on the car, but I have already had to get the front and rear sway bar bushings replaced. They were squeaking, especially when it was cold out. So that was a disappointment.
The sway bar bushings tend to go bad early. I only have 90,000 miles on the car, but I have already had to get the front and rear sway bar bushings replaced. They were squeaking, especially when it was cold out. So that was a disappointment.
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