The GPS in the Mazda 3 is extremely unreliable. We have a round about in our town that has been there for over 25 years. The GPS does not recognise it. We were told to update the system and have done this a number of times and it still does not recognise the round about. Some days it will tell me there is a school zone and some days it doesn't. The climate control system will read 5 degrees higher than it is, even when the car is parked in a garage or parked in the shade. The speed zone readings are not always correct. Again, the main s...Read more

I bought the SP-25 in April 2015. We've put more than 40,000 on the clock in less than two years. It drives well, grips the road capably (18-inch wheels) and is generally good on fuel (around 7-8L/100km). Servicing via Mazda costs about $400-500 per 10,000km.

The interior is well-speced. The entertainment system is pretty good, bluetooth, USB connections etc.

Drawbacks?

1. The internal navigation system is useless. Just don't bother with it. Stick with Google Maps.
2. The stop-start technology probably does save some fuel, but you ...Read more

For a car in the moderate price range the driving experience is fairly good- gear box an easy shift, handles climbs well through the full 6 gears with little drag on engine with extras such as AC- Starts easily although Id rather a key start than an electronic button ignition. Interior road noise is noticeable but not distracting. Interior surfaces of dash etc easily dirtied- materials used not ideal. Space interiorly larger in hatch than the 3X. Front seat belt sensors an annoying problem as easily activated by items on seat.
In its category...Read more

I bought a 2015 2.5L GT with Safety Pack and sunroof. These are the pros and cons:

Pros
1. It is very fuel efficient car compared to the car I replaced (GM Cruze). My weekly spend on fuel went from approx $80~$90 to now $30~$40 a week.
2. The 2.5L engine is very nippy in acceleration. No problems going up hill in this car.
3. Good handling and control on the highway at 100km/h.

Cons
1. Alot of road noise.
2. Navigation and infotainment unit have alot of bugs. I had infotainment crashes, Navi sound not working and sometimes Navi sound instructions go ballistic and repeats the same thing for entire trip. The dealer cant seem to resolve this with 3 firmware upgrades. It is still outstanding since Feb 2015 and it is now Oct 2016. ...Read more

Got a brand new from our local Mazda in September 2015 Mazda 3 Touring, so onto our one-year anniversary.
Good Points - good looking car, the sedan looks better than the hatch IMO. Have driven just on 800klm on one fuel tank!, online fuel trip currently sitting at 5.5lts per 100klm. Very light car so fuel economy is great, performance is nippy.
Inclusions list is great, reversing camera, navigation, cruise control, hands-free etc. We also bought when the normal 3 year was extended to 4 year at no extra cost. Only happens once a year on Mazd...Read more

I am in love with this car. I never even thought of Mazda before or knew much about their cars until my Mum introduced me. Now I can't believe I have never noticed how awesome they are. The features especially the safety features of the car. The price has meshed into my budget well. And the colour red no other car has a colour red like Mazda red. Never liked red until Mazda showed me their unique metallic red with so much style. I trusted this car so much I didn't even test drive it I just read about the features and viewed it at a dealership. ...Read more

I bought the sp25 manual and have owned this car for over two years now. I've done lots of long distance driving usually 3-4 hours a trip.
PROS;
Premium feel interior
Fast responsive 2.5l
Intuitive MZD connect
Looks good

CONS;
NVH is high
Small boot space ...Read more

Drives like it's on rails. Impressive. Loved my two long test drives (totalling 4.25 hours) in February and March. Ordered one when one of the local dealers accepted my offer on a well optioned SP25 automatic sedan with the three-way safety pack.
Comfortable and relatively roomy for a small to mid-sized car.
The 2.5L motor pulls it along well.
The iStop feature takes some getting used to but I am not too concerned about it now that I am used to it.

Negatives: (1) not a fan of slim spare wheels ... would much prefer a full-sized spare. (2...Read more

I had the first gen mazda 3 then went on to other cars and today I purchased an Astina sedan. The car has come such a long way in those 10 years. Its now right up the top end as far as features go, it is a really nice place to be.

I highly suggest popping by a dealer and going for a drive and hear the sales pitch, then go buy a used one for quite a lot less lol (thats what i just did) saved about $14k and its just had its first service!

Anyway, every feature i have wanted in a car they have somehow put in here and some very useful things...Read more

I've always owned Mazdas. They are great reliable cars. But the new Mazda3 design has too many blind spots. I bought the car 5 months ago and have almost had an accident a few times because the front A pillars block my view. So now I have to move my body and head right up to the windscreen when turning corners or entering intersections and roundabouts. Not ideal! I also find the reversing camera very annoying because it beeps when you still have more room. What I do like is the torque. It's not as good as my old rotory engines but it has a bit ...Read more

Pro:
- The 2.5L engine is quick and responsive. Alot of power and torque!
- Auto 6 Speed transmission shifts smoothly.
- Electric Steering very light but yet accurate.
- Bose speakers very nice.
- Leather seat quality quite nice for car under 40k.
- Very fuel efficient average 5.7L per/100km mostly highway driving.

Cons:
- Alot of road noise. ...Read more