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She goes in on Wednesday for an oil change, radiator flush, checking the clicking alloy & checking the back brakes. Since they swapped out the rear rotors and pads about 3 months ago, that old brake dust problem on the rear axle has returned. Just seems like one nitpicky thing after another with this car. It's getting a bit tedious now actually. Thus our desire to cut her loose. Time will tell.
The Sandman
Early models have been known for that. I'm sorry to hear that this has happened all of a sudden, considering not too long ago you were very pleased with it. Hopefully the dealer can rectify the problems to make you happy once again.
It really sounds like you are describing a Toyota Corolla! LOL
Every car is different, I'm not sure it's a systemic issue with the maker. My M3s has 18k HARD miles (I drive it into NYC every day, potholes, heavy traffic, salt and sand) and it cleans up easily and feels exactly as it did when I drove it home from the dealership.
I had a Hyundai Santa Fe lemon and then one that went 70k with just oil changes and 1 tune up and looked and ran like new.
I respect your opinion that your car is a pain in the butt and you want to cut it loose, but I don't know that it reflects on the whole model line. Maybe the dealer can find the problem. Good luck.
While I love my Mazda, I really miss my SUV but with gas at $2.75/gal I had to make a change (it was over $3.00 when I did it). Now I pine for the Acura TSX I didn't buy and watch them go by on the road and shed a tear! LOL
Whenever you start to cry, just count the thousands of dollars you still have instead of that car!
I hope the dealer will address the issues tomorrow. Would be nice to just move on. But I do know that we will be keeping it until the youngest gets into his junior year of college. It's just a bad financial move to cut her loose, eventhough my gut tells me to. We're just more fiscally responsible than that.
I have owned two Corollas in the past, both good cars with great gas mileage but lousy brakes. Same with the wife's two Camrys. The new Corolla looks good...so you never know.
The Sandman
Glad you are safe, but 85 MPH is "reckless driving" by my state's law (Alabama) for a reason. Also, I can manage 6 MPG above HWY sticker in my Accord when driving the speed limit on the interstate (70 MPH), but go 85 MPH, and I can't even get sticker estimates.
Stay safe.
Thegrad
Just my 2 cents. Both excellent cars.
I seriously considered getting the Civic for the gas mileage alone but my heart was with the 3 and i had wanted one for so long that i thought i would regret it if i didn't follow through and finally get one..
To equip the Civic the way i wanted it [Sun roof , alloy wheels, side sills , stock body kit etc etc basically looking like the SI] it would have cost me quite a bit more than it would've to get the 3 the way i wanted it.
So anyway.. I went with the 3 and i love it so far. There aren't a ton of 3's where i live and the ones i do see are usually "I" models.... there aren't many S-tourings or Grand Tourings that i see often. There are TONS of Civics everywhere. I can tell you that my car turns a lot more heads than it would had i been driving a new Civic which is nice looking... but common. People around here don't recognize the 3 immediately... but they like it and they always comment or ask about it. The moment where all doubt was erased from my mind about if i chose the right car was the other night when i went to pick up some things from Wal-Mart. I intentionally parked beside a silver Civic so i could look at both cars side by side. The 3 smoked it in my opinion. I took a picture. [Not completely fair because the front of the civic is obscured but here it is Overall , i think the 3 is a better car , especially in the looks dept. The only thing the civic has on the 3 is the awesome gas mileage . I have two extra doors and my car still looks better than the Civic coupe.
Mazda 3 has more low end torque, vs. the civic. The dash on the civic is ugly and it doesn't look good. Mazda, much better. Keep in mind that Mazda is a much better ride than that of the civic.
I whole-heartedly disagree. The sportier tuning of the Mazda suspension makes its ride much more crunchy. The Mazda 3s I've driven didn't handle too differently from the 07 Civic EX my dad has. Better, yeah, but not enough to overcome the fact that I feel every tread block in my friend's 3 s.
dash on the civic is ugly and it doesn't look good. Mazda, much better.
Once again, subjective opinion (everyone has them, its ok ). The Mazda's red-in-purplish/blue hurts my eyes. The Civic's speedo falls right where my eyes naturally want it to. Is the Mazda interior bad? Nope. But to me, neither is the Civic's, and the Civic's climate controls feel more upscale as well. Just a difference of opinion.
The Mazda is torquier. The Civic, more economical (my heavy footed dad averages 31 MPG in mixed driving; he was getting 23 MPG in his 2.4L Accord).
Prefer the speedo on the Civic though, a much better design once one gets used to it. As far as fit and finish go, it's Civic all the way. Not that the Mazda is bad in this department, it's just that the Civic just "feels" better if you know what I mean. Very hard to explain this tangible concept, but you know it when you feel it.
The Civic engine sounds like a sweeter engine and it seems to know the perfect time to shift into the next gear, but for raw power, it's Mazda hands down. The 2.3 engine has a nice rush as the speed increases and it moves the car briskly.
Both cars are very good, yet I prefer the Civic and the wife prefers the 3s. I always smile when I pull into the garage, no matter what car I'm driving!
The Sandman
I should have noted in my post that I have the 3s touring which comes with the 17" wheels.
I just bought a 7ft tree (home depot), six bags of groceries, 2 boxes of solar lights, bags of soil and mulch and managed to fit it in my 3s hatchback! If I was re-thinking my purchase, today brought me back to earth. Awesome car!
Both are very good cars. It comes down to what people's individual tastes are. I might take a Civic out on another test drive, but I'm leaning heavily towards the 3. I think I just flat out like the way it looks better, plus it has a hatch. If Honda did a hatch, I think my decision would be tougher.
My only question for Mazda3 owners is, how do the back seats work out for you? The Civic felt like it had an inch or two extra space back there. Does the 3 feel too cramped?
I'm not a Mazda 3 owner, but my father is a Civic owner and I've ridden in a 3 probably 10 times. The 3 felt roomier to me because of the higher seating position. The Civic was a little lacking in back-seat headroom. I'm 6'4" and a Honda owner, so I'm not Mazda-biased. Hope this helps.
my only gripe with the new civic. If i ever were to get one again, it would be a color that you usually don't see and it would have the factory side skirts and some 17's just to differentiate a little.
I see a few 3 hatches every now and again, they are sharp looking cars, but there are not a ton of them. Its kinda unfair for me to comment on this at all, i drive a rabbit and pretty much never see them.
Its nice getting looks even when you have a car that has been on the market since the middle of 06.
yes have driven both EXTENSIVELY.
My civic never felt like it didn't handle well at high speed. I owned it when i was a lot more reckless, and even though its experience that i shouldn't have,...i do and i can attest that it does NOT feel like a ball of mush at 85, while its chassis may not be sport tuned, its extraordinarly ridgid and just as safe (if not safer as its been proven) than the 3.
as far as analyzing what works better; safety to avoid and prevent, or saftey features to protect when it happens, ill take the ones that protect when it happens (air bags, crumple zones.) again, this is coming from someone who knows that the civic is a fine handler, just not as ULTRA fine as the 3.
There are many cars with good handling numbers, accel times etc, but that does not make them a 'safe' car.
However...
The 3 smoked it in my opinion
i think the 3 is a better car , especially in the looks dept.
I have two extra doors and my car still looks better than the Civic coupe
The dash on the civic is ugly and it doesn't look good. Mazda, much better.
Mazda is a much better ride than that of the civic
These are all totally, completely, and entirely subjective and its is very easy to totally disagree!
In example: i think very few common sport compacts look sportier than the civic coupe; there is no denying that swoopy windshield. You disagree, because its your opinion.
Everything you just said is all an opinion, which you have every right to have, but that does not make them a certain truth or fact. They don't automatically make the 3 better, just better for you.
now...as far as the si goes, even with the honda body kit (which would have put you at about 23k as oppossed to what the m3 gt goes for which is about 20-22 depending on options), the increase on price would be TOTALLY justified, since the si handles, accelerates much better than the 3.
You could not possibly know that! The safety rating on the Mazda3 is WITHOUT side airbags/ air curtains!! There is NO DATA showing the Mazda3 is more or less safe then the Civic when equipped with the aforementioned side airbags and curtains.
By the way, going 85 was not so smart on the highway. All are lucky to be alive, regardless what you are driving. If you were in a Volvo, and died in that accident, would you say the Volvo is unsafe??
If we were to asses safety in this class, I would say that the VW Jetta or Rabbit would be a better buy then either the Civic or Mazda3.
By the way, I rolled my 1991 Toyota Celica on the highway, after spinning out from hitting a deer at 65 mph. No scratches, bruises or broken bones. There were no safety features in the car, except a driver air bag. I believe my existence today was a gift from God, not how safe my Celica was, or I should say, was not (did not rate well in safety).
My wife is really turned off by the styling of the Honda, calling it "designless, as completely generic as a car can get". I can't say I disagree, although I'm not as polarized as she is. We both love the styling of the Mazda. Full disclosure (we've driven an MPV for several trouble free years so we're familiar with Mazda). We originally were not going to try the Honda, even though it was on my short list, because my wife took one look at it in the lot (we were also considering a Honda Fit) and said it was too ugly.
But of course, we ended up driving the Civic and were greatly impressed by the feel of the car, the obvious (to us) quality of the materials and workmanship, the great way it drove, the seamless transmission etc. and the Honda jumped ahead of the Matrix. We rationalized that in most cases the fold down rear seats would give us most of the utility of a hatchback.
Then we drove the Mazda. The Mazda is a fine car, and maybe in a few years when the MPV dies we'll replace it with a Mazda 3 wagon if they're still making them and they're still as nice to look at. But what we didn't like about the Mazda was we had to step up to the 2.3L engine to get things like the 5 speed auto trans, and the hatchback. And to us, the build quality just didn't seem as good as the Civic, although in no way am I saying it's a poorly built car. It's actually a very nice car and a good value.
But the big drawback is the gas mileage ratings, particularly if we were to go with the bigger engine. The salesman actually told me to look at the small print on the sticker where it says 28-40. He said to ignore the big numbers because we'll get the same mileage with the Mazda as the Civic.
We'll probably buy the Civic EX even though we'll probably pay about $2000 more than a Mazda 3i.
With the new EPA mpg ratings due out next year, the Honda Civic takes a big hit. I think it drops to 33mpg highway. The Mazda3 s goes down to 29mpg highway. The Mazda3 i drops to 31 mpg highway.
You ultimately have to decide whats best for you. The mpg's are not too far off. My advise would be go with the car you like, and fits your needs the best.
Close, but no cigar.
The Civic drops to 36 hwy. The 3s to 29 hwy; 3i, 31 hwy.
The Sandman
My ex-girlfriend's Corolla rattled more than any car I've ever driven (it is a 2004 and had 25,000 miles or so at the time I was driving it regularly); more than my 1996 Accord with 172,000 miles. It felt anything but solid.
Honda Civic 5-speed manual 1.8L 26mpg-34mpg
Mazda3 5-speed manual 2.0L 24mpg-32mpg
Mazda3 5-speed manual 2.3L 22mpg-30mpg
Honda Civic automatic 1.8L 26mpg-36mpg
Mazda3 automatic 2.0L 23mpg-31mpg
Mazda3 automatic 2.3L 22mpg-29mpg
I keep my cars a long time. According to the fueleconomy.gov estimates, taking the mid point numbers I calculate the following in 100,000 miles:
Honda Civic automatic: 3225.8 gallons (ave. 31 mpg)
Mazda3 2.0L automatic: 3703.7 gallons (ave. 27 mpg)
Difference: 477.9 gal.
These are objective numbers based on the available data, but your mileage may vary.
Disregarding the cost of additional fuel of $1443.71 over that period at $3/gallon (the Mazda is still about $2k cheaper) all other things being equal my motivation is to simply use less fuel. I feel better using 50 gallons less fuel per year. Others may not care that much. I'm not interested in starting an environmental debate. And I can't afford the hybrids.
It gets worse if I choose the Mazda wagon, which is what I would really prefer because of the utility. For me 24.5 mpg average mileage kind of defeats the purpose of buying a small car.
I drive 80-90 everyday to work. If i did less, i'd get killed!
the 3 by comparsion, while still a great looker imo, is a more 'generic' styled vehicle, far more traditional looking than the extreme lines of the civic.
its less evident with the 2.0i, but no one really writes home about that engine in the 3 and a lot of the sporty appeal goes out the window.
I had forgotten why i couldn't justify gettin a 3 hatch over my rabbit...i remember now. My mileage figures match that of the mazda.
Agreed. Fuel economy is one of the disappointments of the Mazda3 wagon. The increased engine size and additional weight of the car, have compromised the Mazda 3s's fuel economy. The predecessor to the Mazda3 wagon, the Protege5, achieved the same fuel economy rating 5 years ago. Hopefully Mazda will get on the lighter is better bandwagon eventually. Building a lighter car does not mean less comfortable or decontented.
TIP: When comparing cars check their curb weight. A small vehicle that exceeds 3000# should be penalized by consumers. Manufacturers should be aiming for 2500# or less for small cars.
The Protege5 also had only 132 hp , not 156....and it was a smaller displacement engine. If anything, the Mazda3 hatch had improved due to more power, bigger displacement, and still got around 30pmg....
I'm not buying a car only based on gas mileage, but it is a big factor, otherwise I would buy a pick up truck or SUV. If I'm going to buy a small car I want it to be fuel efficient.
I like the Mazda, but the Honda felt like a little better car to me. And I like getting a 5 speed AT without having to buy a bigger engine. I also liked the 4 wheel disk ABS on the EX.
Both the Mazda3 hatch and Protege5 (from 5 years ago) have identical combined fuel economy ratings of 25 mpg (source: Consumer Reports). So, no improvement in fuel economy. The Mazda3 gained its additional power from a larger 2.3L engine; no surprise. The Mazda3 base sedan is more impressive than the hatch for that reason; it bumped up the power and torque while using the same 2.0L displacement as the Protege ES sedan.
We need more efficient not larger engines. More efficient engines produce more power and more torque in smaller (lighter) displacement "boxes". Adding weight is the wrong way of getting more power in these days of climate change.
As one simple example, why are car seats designed to be so heavy? Do consumers want to drive sofas? Some recent Mazda prototypes point to new options, with seats made of lighter materials that swivel. Let's applaud the designs that give us what we want: lighter more functional cars.
Around here we see more Mazda 3(s), Subarus and VW Jettas and Passats than the new Civics, but see lots of previous generation Civics. I like the look of the new Civic if viewed at a slight angle from the front or rear, just like the pictures in the Honda brochure those graphic designers are responsible for. When I see one drive by and I look at it broadside I can see my wife's point. It's shaped kind of like a bubble, a flattened VW Beetle lacking in style. But I guess nothing can actually be "designless". It was probably just the most insulting way my wife could think of to describe its looks. But she likes the moonroof!
I'm more interested in picking a car that's safe, will last a long time and cost as little to own as possible while still providing a pleasant driving experience. I've never owned a Honda, other than a couple motorcycles, so I don't think I have any specific preference for Hondas.
4 wheel disc brakes are std. on all Mazda3's. ABS is std. on all Mazda3 s models. You must buy the ABS/side air bag package on the Mazda3 i for $398, which makes the Mazda3 i the same price as the Civic LX.
Both mazda and honda have impressive sports heritage.
As far as handling goes i agree...to a certain extent. Subies are usually shod with all season tires; muting much of the performance aspect of having standard awd, and emphasising more on safe driving through inclement weather...something both the 3 and civc can do just fine.
I think the csx looks significantly better than the usdm civic, probably because its just a rebadged jdm model.
I don't blame you for leaning towards the honda. Wether you chose the 3 or civic, you'll be content, but my experience with the civic would def. allow me to highly reccomend the car.
Would be better if Honda would offer stability control too...