2007 Mazda 3 Touring 2.3

Summary:

Great Japan-assembled vehicle, minor problems at the most

Faults:

O2 sensor had to be replaced at 50,000kms, but covered under a recall.

Plastic shift position indicator (beside shifter) fell down into cover.

Plastic door bump strip on outside of rear passenger door began falling off.

Stock all-season tires were horrible.

General Comments:

Shifting is smooth compared to other vehicles, but having driven in a CVT vehicle, I now find the gear-shifting noticeable and annoying.

Other than that, this is a great vehicle to own and drive. Spacious, bright, responsive, safe. Note that this vehicle was assembled in Japan, which I will always prefer in future vehicle purchases.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 27th June, 2011

17th Oct 2014, 13:19

Update - Oct 2014:

This vehicle has been great, minor rust spots from stone chips, no other problems, up until I started having airbag problems over the last month. It cost me $500 to replace the clockspring in the steering wheel, and now will cost me another $700 to replace the airbag module (computer). Comparatively, I have a 2005 Nissan X-Trail (sold in Canada and internationally only, not USA) which has cost me nothing in repairs and is still running smoothly, but is beginning to rust.

11th Mar 2016, 16:26

March 2016: the car is still going great, minor rust spots on the hood from stone chips but no other rust. Now at 145k.

28th Apr 2022, 21:54

Update: close to 200k on it now, still running.

A/C became non-functional two years ago and instead of paying to get it fixed ($1200CDN) I just asked them to shut it down.

An aluminum bracket that was holding the top of one of the rear struts broke this year, so I had both brackets and the struts replaced.

More rust spots on the hood and roof now, also visible in a few places around the wheel wells now.

Other than that, still a good car.

2007 Mazda 3 GX 2.0

Summary:

Good value

Faults:

Broke something by the rear right wheel after hitting some nasty washboard - not the car's fault.

General Comments:

So far it seems to be a great car for the money. I traded in my Nissan Frontier truck, which was getting 14 mpg, for it. On my first tank with the 3, I got 34 mpg with 70% freeway driving, tires at 35 psi. On a 200km 95% freeway trip (same route there and back) I got 41 mpg without hypermiling and tires inflated to the max recommended pressure. Yes, the math IS correct!

The car handles well and has good power for the engine size and fuel efficiency. The engine is smooth, responsive and does not make any weird noises. I opted for the 5 speed manual as I have read several reports that the autos can be troublesome. The front seats are quite comfortable (I'm 6'1" and 185#), but the back seat would not be comfortable for tall adults for anything over a short trip. The sound system is only so-so, and I have the 6 speaker system.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 5th June, 2011

2007 Mazda 3 iTouring 2.0L

Summary:

Great fun car to drive, reliable, will buy Mazda again

Faults:

I've had the car for 9 months, and have had no issues with it whatsoever.

Mazda had a voluntary recall on it for the power steering pump, but that was no big deal, barely noticed any difference before and after.

General Comments:

Gas economy is pretty good 26/34 mpg city/hwy with a light foot.

Very fun to drive, handles perfectly, good turn radius. Could use more power though.

Interior is well built, easy to use and looks good. Back seats are a little cramped, but can't expect too much for a small entry-level sedan.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 18th March, 2011

2007 Mazda 3 I 2.0

Summary:

Not worth your time or money

Faults:

Car died twice on the expressway within the first 2 months of owning it. Computer had to be completely re-programed.

General Comments:

This car is definitely not built with American Quality. I purchased this car because my Dodge was getting old, and didn't want to pay to start repairing. Within the first 2 months of owning the Mazda, the car died on the expressway in traffic. When the air was on, the car almost died every day until the computer was re-programed.

This car also has no pickup. When driving on the expressway, I would be blown all over the road. If I needed to pass someone on the road, I had to shift the car down to 3rd gear in order to get the car to move.

I will say this car was good on gas, but was not a comfortable car to drive. I had to sit in the back seat once for a few hours, and this helped me make the decision to get rid of the car after 8 months.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 16th January, 2011

25th Nov 2013, 08:22

I understand an owner will not feel good about a brand new vehicle stalling on the highway. It is perfectly understandable.

Personally, I won't judge the car overall just because of this, especially since it was a software issue that has been quickly corrected.

As for the engine power, the owner has to understand that this is an econobox. All vehicles in this category have engines of about the same size and power. We cannot compare them with, say, a large Buick when it comes to acceleration at highway speed.

Speaking about the backseats comfort, again it might be a weakness with this vehicle, but again, usually only kids sit in the back, and they are less likely to complain about it.