2008 Mazda Mazda3/ Quick Drive

[carsonky]

I miss the cargo space but the sedan has much better lines.

[HarrrySpider]

Rear camber angle is not adjustable, unless you buy a non-Mazda kit. I wish they had told me, when I bought mine, "one way this car gets its good handling, is that we set the rear wheels at a camber angle that will eat up your tires on the inside edge...you can rotate the tires, but that will only make sure ALL tires wear out sooner than you expect. Figure to spend $600 every 20k on tires, no matter how you drive." oh, and if they "align" it, no change, -2 degrees is in spec...

[jimmyluu101]

i got a the 08 mazda3 sport gt but how come i dont got rally style u can say rear bumper???

[lxplaya13]

Nice review. I own and 08' Mazda 3 hatchback and I feel he summed it up well. This car is pretty much the ultimate compromise. It's relatively sporty for its price, it has a decent amount of cargo room, it is very comfortable for the price (if you're under 6'), quite reliable and its not too boring to look at either. You get a lot of bang for you're buck with this car.

[jeremy8080]

I have this car! Its great

[subzero92MK]

is it the canada version?

[0913meow]

I agree, this Mazda 3 is a fantastic car! Boy, my family, especially my uncles and my dad all drive premium sedans and hatchback, such as the BMWs and Audis. However, my cousin and I test-drove the 3 two years ago and immediately wondered how could such an entry-level car be so good compared to the handling of those BMWs and Audis. Wow, and the price is excellent and it changed how i felt about automobiles.

[x510710]

:) i adore the mazda3 hatchback. i have one from 2005, its my first car and im in love with it. its been extremely reliable and i give it hell with the way i drive it everyday and it doesnt fight back. its extremely zippy, quick from a start mostly, and good passing speed. very good grip, fits people well, ive taken 4-5 people with me on around an hour trip with no problems. good on gas when you let it be, otherwise, it can suck it down with a heavy foot.

cant wait for a new one :D

[AvAplusfourtyfour]

i just bought a 08 mazda3 5-speed

I LOVE IT

[lamdo23]

mazda is not out dated the navigation is great better than a after market

[tornado333]

Hey Lamdo, is that really true about the nav system? Cause I'm thinking of buying a mazda3 with nav. The graphics look so old though but as long as it's accurate. That's all that matters. Is is hard to use with those controls next to the shifter? Any info you provide would be great. Thanks a lot.

[apmathai]

Get the aftermarket.

[AvAplusfourtyfour]

yeah dont waste your money on the factory one just because it can pop up and look cool lol

its more practical to get a tom tom or something

[Xp3rTGam3r]

yah tom toms are the best and easiest to use

[IzEDraGoN]

i recently got my Mazda 3 2008, 1 month ago and is a dream made of a car :-)

[DanDFriend]

I leased one of these in 07, and yeah, it is pretty fast and fuel economical, but I just don't really like it. The road noise is WAY to pronounced, and if you can't afford winter tires, it is hell in winter.

[909ee]

god i want this car so badly =]

[PhattyMattyMcgee]

After driving all four, corrolla, civic, accord, and mazda3, I must say out of four I liked the Mozda the best. toyota and honda may make a longer lasting car, the mozda is a whole lot more fun to drive... plus it's not as common as the other cars. I mean my eighty year old grand mother is driving an accord. So when it comes to styling, performance, and looks the mozda gets my vote!!!

[InfinitiGPower]

it's...Mazda......not Mozda...

but anyway, is Mazda3 really fun to drive?

[Marker323]

The mazda 3 came debut in the US in 2004 not 2003.

[kebbers]

the hatch can't hold a guitar case w/o flipping down a seat. fay-o!

[tubeofyou12xz0]

Id love to have one. Id like one more than one of those hideous new civics. Nav systems are joke on any car.

[lucaspl88]

i have an 04 mazda3 hatchback 5speed MT... and im getting 24-27 MPG in the city.... and around 34-35 MPG on the highway !!! mixed im at around 30 MPG !!! So i honestly dont know what you people are complaining about..... and plus... comfort and the look of interior is not to be compared with any car with that kind of a price range........

if u disagree...... let me know.... :) i have plenty of time to prove my point about mazda3 !!!

[davewhodavedunn]

Mazda 3 needs to be revized for sure...but the gas milage is not good at all...it's decent...but my girlfriend has one and gets the same gas milage as my 2000 honda accord exv6 3.0L....Its not very fuel effienct at all. You can drive roughly 460km on 1 tank of gas city and highway

[ashcash62]

go suk uer mums

[thefamilypak]

Have an '05 Mazda3S hatchback or 5-door whatever your preference. It is fun to drive and gets decent fuel economy on regular unleaded gas. It has the 2.3L engine. My wheels look way better than the '08 model. Looking forward to the EuroFord Focus coming to the states. We'll see how the two compare.

[TangoR34]

well, just another mazda running on a ford focus chasis...

[Paradiddler45]

European Ford Focus. There's a big fucking difference.

[Ji99i3]

is there a significant performance difference between the sedan 3 and the hatch? pls respond

[tt6368]

difference not noticeable. i drove both, a lot.

[igotthewhip]

yesterday you review the Hummer H2 and today the Mazda 3. Are there no good all new models that aren't worth testing?

[mercedescl]

Maybe they want to review Saab 9-5 or S2000 or Solara again.

[Carscom]

we shoot every car we test. There are lots of all new models on our main page.

[sillyboytomato]

one thing that the mazda3 have over the Civic, corolla and other compact cars with near equal prices is that, the driving experience is much more sporty than of its competitors. The mpg could have been better though

[brobinson75]

Hey Dave Thomas, stick to makin' hamburgers; it helps if you have your information right before you broadcast your show; the new Matrix is 32 on the hwy, which I believe is actually better than your Mazda; go buy a Toyota.

[guambombboy]

Its 21 city and 29 highway for the new Matrix. That info came from the official website.

[brobinson75]

Sorry, you're right, although I don't understand why there's 6 mpg between the Corolla and the Matrix; my '09 Corolla is rated at 35 on the hwy.

[Carscom]

Different engines. The Matrix uses a larger one. And I make darn good hamburgers. Thanks

[RussianCoolAnton]

pfft check out the honda accord 4 cyl... 28 city

32 hwy... and more power...

[kyinkyinga2]

dont lie here,i have one and it's 22 city and 31 highway

[RussianCoolAnton]

im not lying...... but its 10 million times better than mazda shit that u look at everyday...

[Paradiddler45]

Find me an equally priced Honda Accord that's better than my $17,000 Mazda3. You can't. It's not possible. Why? BECAUSE THE HONDA ACCORD STARTS AT $20,360.

A more fair comparison is the Honda Civic which has 20 LESS hp that the Mazda3S.

Nice. Fucking. Try.

[RussianCoolAnton]

the honda accord is worth its price.. so quit fucking around wit me... ur mazda 3 is gonna break down in 3 years and it will be worth 3000 dollars while the accord will still be on the top list... put a mazda 3 beside it an accord on a drag strip.. who will win? of course the accord... yah and dont start or ur backering and whining...

[snowboard2000n]

Ya.. and its a shame it looks like hell. The Mazda3 is beautiful.

[RussianCoolAnton]

actually mazda 3 has one word to it... "SUCKS"!!! piece of shit... mazda is for morons

[snowboard2000n]

wow... please tell me you're under 10 years old... please. You sound like one. For morons? very creative comeback :\...

[RussianCoolAnton]

What fkn idiot replies on a comment that is 11 months old?

[getsallydavis]

LOL accord can't catch shit

[RussianCoolAnton]

mazda cant catch shit more than u ever expect...

ok we got the honda pilot,oddysey, accord, cr-v, s2000, civic.........

pfft my accord will smoke all ur mazdas, and u'll be running away witout ur panties..

[squishyidiot45]

accords sre awesome and great quality

[jimnguyenify]

They are, but they're so middle aged! The style screams middle aged people.

[kirsh]

@jimnguyenify nonsense. I'm 20, just got the copper orange 08 mazda 3 hatch GT, and DAMN i look sexy in it. Your argument is invalid.

[jimnguyenify]

@kirsh haha, that comment was suppose to be a reply to squishyidiot45, i like the mazda 3 old and new look, very sporty.

[horrorfreak889]

the accord is the best car on the road buddy...do the research

[getsallydavis]

Best car on the road? What the hell are you smoking LOL.

[horrorfreak889]

apparently your the one who is smoking lmao. Do some research please. Honda and toyota make the best cars.

[getsallydavis]

i don't need to do research i actually DRIVE. I drove the Accord & was not impressed. I'm sure after some mods it's great, but the Mazda3 is faster, more agile STOCK. Since u asked so nicely, I did some research for u. It's 300 lbs lighter & makes the same power as an accord, means it's faster. Has tighter suspension, stiffer body. Plus it costs around what a Civic costs. So tell me how the Accord is better.

[horrorfreak889]

okay well you just admitted to your ignorance ;)

[getsallydavis]

And you just admitted defeat.

[horrorfreak889]

i didnt admit defeat, your just another ignorant person online, your so thickheaded, so theres no reason to argue with you.

[getsallydavis]

LOL you call the Accord the best car on the road, offer no further facts to back up your claim, & you call ME ignorant? Why even comment if you have nothing to say?

[InfinitiGPower]

I'm thinking about getting Mazda3. Is it a reliable car? cuz I don't know much about Mazda still.

[getsallydavis]

I've got a 2004 Mazda3 with 2.3 litre engine, bought in 2005. So far i've got around 75,000 miles on mine with zero problems, but then again I take really good care of it. It's been very good to me. It's got quality, fun, handling, comfort, great stereo, great gas-mileage, especially on the highway. Nothing in it's price range compares.

[InfinitiGPower]

It's pretty surprising you know, cuz Mazda sells cars at such cheap prices, even cheaper than Honda and Toyota, and yet, their cars usually get good ratings, especially like RX-8.

[getsallydavis]

1st, Mazda competes on a global market, means it needs 2 be more competitive, terms of quality v cost than other companies that don't sell globally. 2nd, Mazda's been aggressively taking advantage of the technology that's been trickling down from what used to only be available 2 high-end cars. Over time technology becomes more affordable. And yes, it is a lot of fun to drive. Test drive one! That's what ultimately sold me on the 3.

[bluebike10]

Just got a new 08.5. hatckback with the manual trany. Comming from a 91 Explorer, im not sure how to take proper car of a new car. So what do you recomend I do, so my 3 can have a problem free 75,000 miles like yours.

[getsallydavis]

For a new car you wanna break it in gradually. Don't push the car or use cruise control for the first 1,200 miles. Also try to brake gently, to wear the discs evenly. Even though the Mazda3 does not burn oil whatsoever, you still want to have the oil changed ever 3,000 at least at first. I also recommend rotating the tires every other oil change, especially if you drive hard. If you drive REALLY hard, rotate them with every oil change. The front tires wear out much faster than the rear ones.

[FLip8822]

for the 08 mazda, do you recommend the wagon or sedan. im a new driver, but ive been driver off road for since i was 11. what is geared more towards younger buyers? room isn't a huge issue, just enough acceleration to safely change lanes.

[FordMazda3]

Get the hatchback. Sedans are for boring old people. A hatchback can be used to haul around you bmx bikes, body boards, or mountain climbing equipment. You can even lower the back seats and have enough room to do the wild thing. So the hatch basically says you have a life and the sedan says your an old lady. And get the manual

[getsallydavis]

I have the hatch & i recommend it. I've lowered one seat to carry my snowboard inside, & I've lowered both seats to carry my bike (minus front tire) as well as other large things. Plus I just like the look of the hatch version better. Plus the hydraulic sound is sweet. Get the 2.3 litre engine, way more fun.

[FLip8822]

well, i agree that a hatch looks cool, but the sedan gives me that younger feel. It helps to carry my bike and i love snowboarding. can the sedan fold the seats down to make it roomy like a hatch? also, being a first car, it can't be too expensive, so how much is the 2.3 litre

[eeericaa]

i just got an 04 mazda 2.3 litre in july. i absolutely love it. i bought it used so there are a couple dents and scratches and the lady who owned it before me wasn't very good to it. it needs a new motor mount. but other than that i have absolutely no complaints about it. gas mileage is awesome! not to mention it got awesome ratings also. :)

[LiLTMac123]

pos try to mess with a speed6

[cocomarco101]

i like the mazda so much better than toyota and honda. though i would buy the mazda3 sedan, the are both nicely styled vehicles and have excelent interiors!

plus its on the same plaform as the euro-spec focus and volvo s40! so yes it is a ford!

[TheMainMan318]

i like the mazdaspeed3 the best

[stopwitstraightshots]

wow we have the 2004 matrix and it gets 26-28 mpg and the 2009 matrixes get less??? anyways good review but i dont like this car

[Billy4202]

The new Matrixes have a bigger engine, I believe a 2.4L now.

[stopwitstraightshots]

o ok thanx