Oppopinion: NA 1st-gen Mazda3

"Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To" (murdersofa) 02/24/2018 at 23:00 • Filed to: None

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Thoughts on these? Manual 2.3, kinda been looking at them. Oddly difficult to find with a manual. How are they for reliability? Daily driver fun? Anyone here have one? Fuel economy?

Full of the sound of the Gran Fury, signifying nothing. > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To 02/24/2018 at 23:12

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A friend had one for years. Nice car. Automatic, of course. From what I understand, the main problem with these, along with just about every other Mazda of that vintage, is rust. If it’s not rusty you should be fine. Or some might say that if it isn’t rusty now it will be soon...

Alfalfa > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To 02/24/2018 at 23:15

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Never owned one, but driven a few. Quite reliable, and tossable enough for a fun DD.

E90M3 > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To 02/24/2018 at 23:18

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So the Hyundai feel through?

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To 02/24/2018 at 23:23

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I’ve got a 2006 and have had it since 2009. Other than regular maintenance it’s been fantastic. 4michigan has one too. Not such good luck as me.

My car averages 25 mpg under mixed driving. I get >30 mph highway.

AestheticsInMotion > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To 02/24/2018 at 23:26

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The 2.0 liter is an absolute dog, and I say that coming from base model Rangers, and stock Miatas. You’d think the manual would help, but it really doesn’t. I’ve never driven another car that had such surprising terrible passing power, where downshifting multiple times hardly did a thing.

I used a friend’s from a trip, wrote my thoughts on the car.

https://oppositelock.kinja.com/mazda3-review-a-heavenly-journey-1797175839

not for canada - australian in disguise > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To 02/24/2018 at 23:30

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If you live in a desert 5000 kilometres from an ocean while it’s in a draught = Good, practical commuter.

If you live literally anywhere else = lol

phenotyp > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To 02/24/2018 at 23:32

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Good friend of mine put over 250k on his, and still laments that he didn’t get to hit 350k, because he was t-boned at a left turn last summer. It wasn’t even on his radar back in 2008 or 9, when I recommended he check one out. He replaced it with a 2016 3. Both manuals.

Great car.

Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To > not for canada - australian in disguise 02/24/2018 at 23:32

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Oh right. Rust issues. Goddammit.

Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To > E90M3 02/24/2018 at 23:34

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Taxes didn’t go the way I’d expected and the insurance was going to destroy me. The Miata + Genesis would have been $300 per month. Bummer, $8000 with a warranty was a screaming deal and I loved the car.

FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To 02/24/2018 at 23:36

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Legendarily solid motor. Bodies rust. The rest is above average. That is pretty much it.

Eury - AFRICA TWIN!!!!!!! > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To 02/24/2018 at 23:37

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Loved my 2006 hatch. Drove great, comfortable, good mileage and sexy as hell in bright red. Bought it in 2007 with 16k miles. By 2009 with 40k miles it already had rust bubbles on the wheel arches. I got underneath and there was a whole lot more. I wouldn’t own one again anywhere that isn’t a desert.

gmctavish needs more space > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To 02/24/2018 at 23:41

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My friends Dad bought one new in 2006 I think. 2.3, 5 speed. The only thing he’s ever done to it is change one spark plug. Not really the way I’d do it when it comes to maintenance, but it seems to be working for him. I’ve driven a 2008 auto sedan, and it was lovely. I was looking for a 5 speed hatch to replace the Blazer before the Legacy fell into my lap. They’re really nice driving cars, nice seats, good looking interiors. If you test drive one, get it up to highway speeds, the rear control arm bushings wear badly and give a nasty vibration that you feel in the steering wheel somehow, it was around 80km/h in the one I drove.  

E90M3 > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To 02/24/2018 at 23:45

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$300 a month is what I pay for both E9Xs, after an accident; that’s steep. I guess good luck in finding a reliable car then.

ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To 02/24/2018 at 23:46

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I’ve heard they’re usually pretty solid mechanically, but my front end guy doesn’t care for the way the running gear aged on them.

shop-teacher > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To 02/24/2018 at 23:51

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My wife bought a new one in ‘06. Hers was a sedan with an automatic. It was a fantastic car. In the eight years we had it, it got one small recall repair, and the CD changer broke under warranty. That was it other than basic maintenance. We’d still have it, but couldn’t fit two kids in car seats in it. My wife still misses it dearly.

shop-teacher > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To 02/24/2018 at 23:52

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Look for a later one. Our ‘06 didn’t have any rust when we got rid of it in 2014.

Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To > E90M3 02/24/2018 at 23:56

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Yeah. I have some debt to get rid of now that my tax refund isn’t what I expected to bail me out. So that’s fun.

E90M3 > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To 02/25/2018 at 00:02

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That really sucks.

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > shop-teacher 02/25/2018 at 00:11

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Still driving my 2006. I love it.

Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To > E90M3 02/25/2018 at 00:19

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Yeah. Maybe it’ll stick around for a couple months. Who knows.

shop-teacher > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever 02/25/2018 at 00:25

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Her’s was dark red, with a rear spoiler. Great little car.

PS9 > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To 02/25/2018 at 00:38

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No Speed3, no care.

wafflesnfalafel > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To 02/25/2018 at 00:51

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Owned a 2009 5spd manual 2.3 until just a few months ago. Sold it at 110,000 and the only thing I did was put in a new clutch, rear shocks, front brakes and regular maintenance. Note - it does use those goofy cartridge oil filters if that is a big deal for you. Super fun, best gear box I’ve ever driven. I thought the handling/ride compromise was excellent - BMW 330 esque. Throw it into a corner at 20 over posted and it just hunkers down and grips. Gas mileage is not fabulous - 24/25 regular mixed driving. Some folks talk of rust issues but mine never had any problems at all, even underneath. 

Eric @ opposite-lock.com > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To 02/25/2018 at 00:52

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My wife came with a 2008 hatch (sadly, automatic) with the 2.3L, and it’s a great car. It’s not screaming fast, but fast enough. It has excellent handling for a car that isn’t marketed as a performance car. Their biggest downside is that the engines don’t like a lot of idling or short trips as they build up carbon like crazy (most DI engines will do this). That’s the main thing I’d look out for beyond the condition of the body. Hers also gets pretty crappy fuel economy for some reason.

We live in the PNW and it has no rust anywhere.

They’re also quite easy to work on for most things if you’re reasonably handy. It may be the easiest car to work on that I’ve ever encountered.

3 Jeeps and a Mazda wants a Fiata > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To 02/25/2018 at 01:08

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I’ve have the first gen speed3 6 years now and its been a flawless, fun, fast little car.

Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To > PS9 02/25/2018 at 01:16

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K.

Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To > Eric @ opposite-lock.com 02/25/2018 at 01:17

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I didn’t realize these were DI. That’s an interesting tidbit.

Khalbali > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To 02/25/2018 at 04:19

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#3 motor mount (the one on the left looking under the hood) goes bad pretty much universally, power steering lines like to seep a little too but not usually worth replacing. Main issue for me is my big feet have a hard time hitting the gas without hitting the brakes too. Also not crazy about the clutch feel.

pip bip - choose Corrour > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To 02/25/2018 at 06:45

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these rust easy don’t they?

LimitedTimeOnly @ opposite-lock.com > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To 02/25/2018 at 08:11

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Had a 2005 3s (2.3l) auto for 9 years and 150k miles. Great car, had no rust issues (in North Carolina), only issue I remember was a tube in the engine collapsing and being replaced under recall after being out of warranty. I recommend it. Got a friend to get a second gen, and replaced ours with a third gen.

Captain of the Enterprise > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To 02/25/2018 at 10:05

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Watch for bad rust

DasWauto > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To 02/25/2018 at 12:55

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They’re not. Only the speed3 of that generation is DI. The regular 2.3 is port injected and ours (>300k km) has had no such carbon buildup issues as far as I’m aware.

Motor mounts (fluid filled) and rear trailing arm bushings are items you can expect to do within 120k miles. They’re by no means Achilles heels of the car or particularly expensive to fix but they are a bit laborious.

Rust, however, is the Achilles of the car. It depends largely on where you live though and later ones are better. Ours is an ‘04, and at this point it’s well and truly into sub $1000 beater territory.

That said, it has served us well. Beside the aforementioned issues, it has needed oil changes, brakes, tires, a set of front struts and rear shock mounts. Still on the original clutch too, though that’s definitely on its last legs.

I’d happily own another one if I was in the market for such a car. They’re good to drive and reasonably efficient. 25-30mpg are easy enough to achieve.

MINIGTI > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To 02/25/2018 at 12:57

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I had a 2006 in manual exactly like the picture. It was the most reliable car I’ve ever owned and I liked it a lot. Are you sure these are DI? First I’ve heard of it. I put about 120k miles on mine with nothing but brakes and tires. No warranty repairs even.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To 02/26/2018 at 09:58

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Had a manual ‘05 3s hatch for 7 years and 90k miles. Great little car.

Sold it to a friend who enjoyed it for several years before he had a wreck...

[pours one out]

LongbowMkII > ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com 02/28/2018 at 11:08

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yeah, im chasing down assorted front annoyances. they werent notable until i started messing with it so.... ?