2008 Mazda 3 GT 2.3

Summary:

A nice, sporty car

Faults:

The tires need to be replaced only after 30.000Kms, because of the noise (Goodyear Eagle - high performance).

Nothing else.

General Comments:

The car is fun to drive. Has enough power for a small 4 cylinder.

It is not that great on gas. I also own a Corolla, and it is way better than the Mazda 3.

The Mazda 3 is heavier and better on snow with the right snow tires.

The trunk is small.

The interior is nice and the sound is perfect.

Canada Mazda dealer's program (hours) is not as good as for Toyota.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 1st November, 2012

2008 Mazda 3 Mazdaspeed 2.3 DISI turbo

Summary:

Yeeeeeeehaaaaaaaw!

Faults:

No problems yet.

General Comments:

YEEEEEHAWWWW!!! If I could use only one "word" to describe this mini-missile.

Phenomenally fast car!

Out handles most cars on the road except exotics.

Slick sporty interior with well bolstered seats.

The stiff sport suspension is a tad rough when bumps are encountered.

Requires premium fuel, but averages 23 MPG even with spirited driving.

Utility with the spacious hatchback is supreme for a Sport compact (this car's official classification).

Did I say fast? 0 - 60 in well under 6 seconds with a quarter-mile ET of around 14 seconds, achieved by nearly all of the major car magazines.

The only other disadvantage is that it is a speeding ticket waiting to happen.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 30th June, 2009

11th May 2015, 17:00

I also have a 2008 Mazdaspeed 3 with the 2.3 turbo and 6 speed. 165,000 miles, mostly highway. The car is still fast, fun, and practical.

2008 Mazda 3 I Touring 2.0 liter

Summary:

Misery. Take 2 Advil before you sit in here for a few hours

Faults:

Within the first 2 months of owning the car, it died on the expressway. It eventually died on me, again while driving on the expressway.

When the air conditioning was on, the RPM would flutter and almost go down to zero. The car almost stalled numerous times. I took the car in and they had to redo the computer system on the car because the air conditioner was taking away juice from the engine. I previously had a '98 Dodge Stratus (which I bought in 2002), and it never died on me, until I purchased this car.

General Comments:

The car was good on gas.

It is impossible for the average Joe to change the oil; Mazda has a plastic protector with a hole to get at the oil filter, but the filter is not by the hole and it is impossible to use a wrench to take off the filter. I had to cut a bigger hole in order to do my own oil changes.

The car is a dog on the road. Car came equipped with Autostick and I had to shift the car down to 3rd gear in order to pass someone on the expressway. A horse has more pickup than this car.

The seats are not comfortable. I sat in the back and tried to sleep and couldn't because my back hurt so bad from the seats. Even other guests in the car mentioned the same thing.

No leg room in the back. This car should only be a 2 seater.

Trunk is small.

Headrests in the back seat cause trouble seeing out the back of the car.

I would not recommend anyone buy this car. After having it 9 months, I decided to trade it in and go back to an American made car. If you want comfort and reliability buy a Dodge. That is what I ended up doing.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 29th November, 2008

28th Jan 2009, 18:23

"If you want comfort and reliability buy a Dodge..."

You CAN'T be serious. I haven't seen a Chrysler without a major problem since 1983.

1st Mar 2009, 10:05

I am looking for a smaller car for my wife, and we are considering a used Mazda 3 for our grocery getter. Chrysler and Dodge have come a long way in the past few years thanks to the technology gleaned from Mercedes.

I bought a Chrysler 300C in 2005, (every mags car of the year) and have driven it hard for 90,000 Km without a squeak, noise, leak, or any mechanical problems whatsoever. I have done nothing but changed the oil. It performs like a 70s muscle car and has all the bells and whistles of a loaded of a Cadillac, for half the price. It still looks as good, and performs as well as the day I left the dealer. All this is from a guy who in 1983 swore he'd never buy another Chrysler again. You must not have driven a Chrysler since 1983. They're baaaaaack, LOL!