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Thinking of a Mazda3 hatchback for the wife

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PhoKingGuy said:
Dunno who fed you that one, the take rate on the 4 door is higher than the 2 door. VW would never do that.

I just saw a 2011 4 door on my dealers lot a few days ago, lol.
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Just checked edmunds and see them now. Looks like with sunroof and nav it's $27k.

She likes the GTI a lot...last we looked they only had 4 door golfs...
 
alkemyst said:
Just checked edmunds and see them now. Looks like with sunroof and nav it's $27k.

She likes the GTI a lot...last we looked they only had 4 door golfs...
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Dealers don't have a lot of 4 door GTI stock because they sell (a lot) quicker than 2 doors. You usually have to find one in route and reserve it, or they will have to find one for you. Mine reserved mine in route to the dealer for me.

I wish I had my GTI back. The new options packaging is stupid, but apparently it saves VW a bunch of cash, so shrug.
 
TSX wagon? or is that too much money? 30mpg highway

you can wait for 2012 Focus hatches if the Fiesta is too small.

edit: the Mazdas are really underrated on EPA efficiency

doing 65, my trip computer shows ~35 mpg, so it's probably really ~32 mpg. car is rated 25 mpg highway, so I dunno wtf is up with that.
 
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Arkaign said:
I think that makes a lot of sense, it gets much better fuel economy than the 2.3L as well. The 2.5L in the '10+ is awesome, but those models do sell for a bit more change.

Op, what about Fiesta? It's not as small as you would think, and an awesome commuter car. SES Hatch w/6spd dual-clutch computer-controlled manual can be had for a very competitive price, and has loads of nice options, great build quality, and 30mpg city/40mpg highway with the auto 😀 About the same performance as the 2.0L Mazda3i or Honda Fit manual, but newer design. Oh yeah, and the current Sync system is just sweet. Onboard hdd, usb connections to upload music, touchscreen nav, voice control, good audio system, just good stuff.

Either way, some great cars out there in the compact and subcompact world right now, a far cry from the crap that dominated not long ago.
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It's the gearing. 2.3 had the 5 speed manual which is geared for the smaller 2.0 engine, so revs unnecessarily high on highway. Mine gets same mileage in the city as on highway, because of the gearing.
 
senseamp said:
It's the gearing. 2.3 had the 5 speed manual which is geared for the smaller 2.0 engine, so revs unnecessarily high on highway. Mine gets same mileage in the city as on highway, because of the gearing.
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really it's geared for the 2? the 2 wasn't even available here for a couple years
 
The Speed3 isn't the subtlest of cars. Unless you/she wants a silly amount of torque and power in a FWD 4-door hatch she should get the MZ3 not the MS3. The stiffer ride, louder exhaust, aggressive clutch, and decreased fuel economy don't make it a great commuter car.

Having said that, driving it will put a shit-eating grin on your face every time 😀
 
I have a 2007 Mazda 3 S (hatchback) and really like it and ended up walking out with it for around $17k (Which might have included the trade but I think I mostly broke even on that). This is with the sunroof, advanced sound system, rear mat, etc
 
I've been looking at them for myself recently. I like the way they drive and the style is better than the Vibe/Matrix. Haven't driven a Versa yet but it looks to be pretty similar just cheaper and probably not as fun to drive.

Used ones run a bit more than I'd like to spend on a car but I might bite the bullet and get one anyway.
 
alkemyst said:
Really thinking more on the GTI 4 door now. It's going to be the pricest option.
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Does it have to be new? Lots of 07 & 08 on autotrader for mid to high teens with 20k to 50k miles. VW extended warranty used to be reasonable. Might save 10k going that route.
 
I am going a 'more' used car for myself, probably a 2009 Charger SRT8 at this time. She really worries though so I am thinking a 2010 at around $24k or so rather than seeing close to $30k. I see quite a few with less than 10k on them.

She definitely doesn't want more than 10k on her car.
 
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