Mazda 3 - Help me pick one

Looking for a reasonably fun commuter that might also do some autocross duty.  60 mi commute mostly highway with some fun backroad options, and it'll spend some time with a mountain bike on a hitch rack too.  Ballpark $5-7k price range.

I've narrowed it down to a mazda 3, 5 speed hatch.  I've had good luck with the mzr/duratec platform (my last project car ran a turbocharged 2.5 on megasquirt). 

Candidates:

-1st gen 2.3/hatch/5spd is what i've homed in on.  For a car of this millenium I can stand the styling.  Test drove one and I instantly got along with it, power was adequate and I liked how it felt but we just couldn't agree on a price

-2nd gen 2.5/hatch/6speed -  I cannot stand the looks, but if there is reasonable evidence to choose this over a 1st gen I guess I can try to live with it.

-1st gen speed3- Early direct injection combined with a platform that people seem to mod and abuse scares me, but 260hp does have me intrigued.  Most in my area are 120-200k mi, is it worth looking at one if I can find a nice stock example?  Remember, I was satisfied with the 2.3NA power and this is supposed to be a commuter not a project car.

I'm not afraid of turning wrenches, but this is supposed to be more of an "enjoyable appliance" so to speak... for the time being.  Any advice, experiences, or even alternatives is welcome.

The first and second gen platforms are nearly identical.  The second gen interior is nicer.  Most mechanicals swap between them.  If getting a first gen stick to an 06+ as lots of changes were made.  Our 07 was bought new by my wife, was converted to a race car at 250k miles.  It now has a 2.5 from a Fusion and has had at times the stock 5 speed, a 6 speed from a 2.5 second gen, and a Speed3 trans. The 2.5 is superior to the 2.3 in several ways.   It is a great car overall if you can avoid the rust that most of them get. 

Reasonably fun commuter was basically my criteria and how I ended up with mine (although 2.0 sedan, not 2.3 hatch due to availability here).  2nd gen is just a bit "nicer" / more comfortable, but I'm told it's not quite as responsive in the twisties.

If you want to wade through it, my thread (https://grassrootsmotorsports.com/forum/build-projects-and-project-cars/daily-drivers-in-peru-mazda-3-and-discovery-3-lr3/134498/page1/) shows most of what can break in abusive use. 

I had a 2012 2.5 S hatch for 9 years and put 187k on it from new.


They changed the front fascia a bit for 2012-13 to make them slightly less goofy. The big advantages with the 2nd gen are a nicer interior and less rust. Didn't develop so much as a speck of rust anywhere up here in New England, where most of the 1st Gen cars are gone now due to major rust issues. The 2.5 MZR is a nice engine, but I had problems with the 6-speed trans later in its life with an internal bearing making noise around 185k mi. I would have kept it if I could have found a transmission to swap in, but it happened right in the middle of all the Covid stuff so I couldn't source one and no one was taking them for repairs. This car was one of my favorite cars that I ever had; very little problems overall and drove great. 

I will say that the MS3's were fun when they were new. I had a friend with a 2008 and that thing ran circles around the 2009 WRX I had at the time. If you can find a clean example (which is not easy these days), they could be an option. 

I had a 2008 Mazda3 - fully loaded, with a stick. Awesome car that was unexpectedly a ton of fun on the road. No significant issues with it until I sold it at 160k miles. Rust can definitely be a factor, as I lived up north with it for a while and it showed underneath.

When my wife needed a daily driver, I test drove all the cars built on that platform - Mazda, Volvo and Ford. The chassis settings on the Mazda won hands down.  Unfortunately she wanted an automatic, but  that made sense for her. I still prefer a manual box.

I would pass on a used and abused Speed 3. 

Just go for the best condition one that's in your budget. 

I love my 3rd gen 3, MY for that were 2014-2018,  2.0 or 2.5 Skyactive.  Totally different platform.  A high mileage, early production one might fall into your price range.  As a bonus, I see them far more frequently "adult owned", and far fewer "boy raced".  

I've had both the first and second gen, though my second 3 is an auto. Both are high spec cars that had already been in the family a few years by the time I got them.

Both cars have been incredibly dependable. The blue one has been handed down twice and is now in the hands of my younger sister, still going strong. Neither has any rust, since they are both Southern cars. Based on my experience owning both:

1. The 2012 has a nicer, quieter interior, a slightly better stereo (with bluetooth), and a nice minimal nav system. The quality of "leather" in the seats is not very good though.

2. They're both fun, but neither is fast.

3. 2008 has a better steering wheel design, and a mute button on the wheel that I didn't know I needed so much until it was gone.

4. Despite being high spec, the newer car doesn't have an auto-dimming mirror like the old one did.

5. The paint quality of the older car is worse, but neither is amazing. Both have been burnt by the sun as they got older.

6. The shifter feel is good but not Honda-level.

7. Engine sounds are nothing inspiring - the 2008 sounds like a vacuum.

8. Both cars drive really nicely, both on the highway and in the twisties.

Honestly, I don't think you can go wrong. My current 2012 has served me faithfully, it's incredibly practical and dependable, and I have fun with it sometimes too :) As far as daily drivers go, I'm not sure you can do much better than either one.

Wow, great replies so far thank you!  Sounds like I picked a winner.  With all these positive reviews it is making me want to call back on the gen1 i test drove and try to re-negotiate.

Seems like the benefits to the gen2 don't outweigh the looks, in my opinion at least.  

I thought the interior in the gen1 I test drove was great, though my bar for that is quite low.  Paint doesnt much matter to me and rust isn't an issue in the south here.

I'm not concerned about it being fast or sound cool.  If I want it to be fast I know how to make an MZR fast.  

z31maniac said:

I would pass on a used and abused Speed 3. 

Just go for the best condition one that's in your budget. 

 

yeah more trouble than its worth for OPs needs I think. I agree

1st gen, all day. We had a 2.3L sedan, auto, and even my wife absolutely loved the handling. For some reason the MS3 loved to grenade motors for no apparent reason.

calteg said:

1st gen, all day. We had a 2.3L sedan, auto, and even my wife absolutely loved the handling. For some reason the MS3 loved to grenade motors for no apparent reason.

I suspect like a lot of modern cars, it was crappy tunes + abuse.

Just like the first Coyote mustangs that kept wiping the #8 cylinder.

That's why it's really important to use a good tuner if you go that route.

It certainly sounds like you don't like the looks so what about mk2 Focus? You may not like that either but the cars have some strong similarities in dynamics. 

GTwannaB said:

It certainly sounds like you don't like the looks so what about mk2 Focus? You may not like that either but the cars have some strong similarities in dynamics. 

A co worker has a '15ish Focus ST (whatever the sporty one is) and that's what planted the seed for this purchase.

I'm open to a focus, I just prefer the look of a gen1 3. Im surprised at how bleak the market is for a 06-09 MT Mazda hatch is, focus might be more plentiful 

My experience with Mazda3 was short lived due to seat comfort. For a long commute make sure you spend a good bit of time in the seat.. not just an enthusiastic "new car" test drive. 

I'm 6'-5" so seat comfort for me may not be equal for others. 

As another point of reference, I'm 6' 0" and skinny, and I've done a few 10 - 12 hour drives in mine, the only real issue I had was occasional right knee banging on the centre console in the twisties.  Not as comfy as my old Citroen BX nor the Peugeot 406, nor my oddly comfortable TR7, but the seats certainly fit me better than the LR3 we have, and the Pajero & Fortuner I've done the trip in.

I bought a 2007 hatch (2.3 manual)  new and drove it for 8 years. I would have kept it longer but I started driving to multiple sites for work which drastically lengthened my commute over the course of the week.

Lots of cars start to need parts replaced around the 90k milestone and the Mazda3 was no different, but the nickel and dime stuff accelerated with the longer distances I was driving. There wasn't anything major: struts, engine mounts, and other long life wear items that I was able to do myself.

Rust can be an issue on the Mazda3, though mine was rust free during my ownership. I highly recommend a set of dedicated winter tires if you live in a place with winter weather. I've never driven anything so abysmal on snow or ice with all season tires. With Blizzaks it was a champ and got me everywhere. 

Just to follow up I picked up this fine specimin over the weekend.  2008 5 speed with 140k mi and terrible black paint.  

Needed an alignment (which I got close enough using my driveway methods) and probably some swaybar end links in the rear. Don't have a lot of seat time but I'm enjoying it so far.  Thanks to all for the recommendations 

Edit: Can't read good

Congrats!

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