Mazda3 Hatchback

audia8q

I figured that....but some forget that the northeast has the most dealers per capita than any other region, we have some of the lowest wholesale and retail numbers in the country...I could only dream of selling cars ar KBB retail numbers.

big_guy

Around here the dealers tend to use NADA for getting blue book values for cars. FWIW.

npaladin2000

Well, I never got my hands on a book until later, but 2 csr shopping cycles ago, I went around asking for KBB book value trade in, and didn't get it from anyone. One of the more reasonable dealers around here told me dealers don't use KBB, but Galv's. Later when I got my hnds on the book, I was shocked how much lower the prices they publish are than Kelly's publishes.

I'm gonna go hop over to the "Questions for Car Dealers" thread on this.

kyfdx

Yeah.. that works out okay for the used car buyer.. he gets a low price on his trade, but pays a low price for the next used car.. But, if you are trading on a new car... low price for your trade, and you pay the same for the new one as everywhere else in the country... Ouch.

eaglewings

Thanks for the best description I've read so far on the NAV system in this forum.

marka

On the last page of the Mazda 3 brochure, there's a photo that shows a silver centre console with climate controls (and the right side of the display shows climate control information). How do you actually get this in a '3'? There's no mention of it in any of the specs or option packages!

audia8q

The picture is a generic picture of the Mazda6. No Climate control in the 3.

marka

Thanks! Well, I'm now the proud owner of a Lava Orange 5dr Automatic. Despite costing less than half what the Volvo S70 T5 that it replaced did, I think it's actually more fun to drive. The hardest decision was auto vs. manual - it's a nice manual gearbox, and I feel much more "connected" to what the car's doing in a manual - but ultimately I decided that most of the time I am driving for utility, not fun, and sitting in traffic is not much fun in a manual. (and this is despite living the first 30 years of my life in the UK, where automatics are pretty rare).

vjoe_udo

Hey, I've got my eye on a lava orange hatch for a while now. I'll be able to get it around April next year.

How much did you pay and what kind of options did you get?

daryl

Just picked up my 3 hatchback with the 6 CD changer, but can't seem to find out how powerful the stereo is. It's decent, but I just want to know the numbers.
Also, the Winning Blue is great. I could have taken the Titanium, but thought it would look duller after a while, and it has the red cloth and I wanted blue.

mdaffron

I can't decide between Screaming Pumpkin and Booberry for my 2005 Mazda3 wagon.

Meade

marka

Didn't pay much less than list (no options - all the "options" I would want are standard!). The discount went into a better price on my trade-in, for which I got over blue-book, despite the car needing a new ABS computer.

sschaffer

Often dealers will write things up so the "on paper" price of the new car is sticker or even higher so they can allow more for the trade in than it's really worth to them.

This happens a lot if the trade in needs work or if more is owed on it than it's worth.

My car's trade in value per Edmunds was about 5.5k, I still owed 5.2k, the car was mechanically perfect but needed serious smoking odor work, and major detailing-not cheap. My new car was written up at sticker price, but they wrote up my trade as 6500 so I figure I actually got about at least 1k off the new car. The overtrade made my downpayment look better (I added no cash down) so I got a little better interest rate and the loan went thru easier.

So, yeah, I paid sticker price for the new car on paper, but they also gave me at least 1k more for my old car than it was really worth to them, so in reality I did get a discount.

jstinson

I am presently checking into purchasing a Mazda3Sport and have obtained the MFSR price and was wondering if anybody has found if the dealers will budge from this price especially with the 05s coming out within weeks??? Is so what % would be reasonable.

backy

In my area (Twin Cities), there is one "no-hassle" dealer who offers $1250 off MSRP on every Mazda3 5-door, $1000 off every 3s sedan and $750 off every 3i. Another large dealer advertises discount prices and offes to beat any other dealer. So at least in my area, it's easy to get a discount on a '04 Mazda3.

foxm30

Seriously considering the 2004 the Mazda 3 5-door, and was wondering what changes will be made for the 2005 model year. Does anyone know?

drywall

what kinds of mileage are people getting out of their 5-doors? I just spent a tank driving as conservatively as possible with my manual, never using AC, and just barely topped 30 mpg. Wondering if that's comparable to others' experiences.

FYI, I've noticed that at 71 mph on the interstate the car's turning around 3200 rpms. Is that also about normal? My old car didn't have a tach...

z71bill

I have the Sedan (auto) with the same 2.3L as the hatch - my last tank was 16.5 MPG - which is the lowest MPG I have had so far. Although 17.5 - 18.5 MPG is starting to seem normal to me. This is mostly city driving - Houston traffic - with the weak AC running full blast.

When car was new - during break in - I was getting 21-23 MPG in mixed city/highway.

IMO if you drive carefully - no fast starts - you can do OK - but if you like to rev the engine you pay a large penalty.

I think Mazda should have put a larger gas tank in the Mazda3 - I am only getting 225 miles per tank.

npaladin2000

FOr a while I was babying my auto hatch, and getting around 23-24 MPG with 90% city driving. But the last tank I did about 25% highway (MAYBE, but I'm not even sure it was that much highway) and got 30 MPG. Two things changed with that tank:

1. The car topped 2k miles.
2. I'd been pushing the car a lot harder, and even drag raced a couple of times.

So either the engine doesn't get REALLY "broke in" until 2k, or it gets better mileage when being pushed hard. I dunno, I'll have to see what the next tank turns up. It's also possible that winding the engine out a couple of times heats it up and lets everyhting in the engine seat itself very well. Might be worth some experimentation.

abarlow

O.k heres my take on fuel economy. As has been discussed here or somewhere else the Variable Timing / performance boost cuts in at around 3000 rpms. My theory is if you drive continuously at above 3000 rpm (e.g 70 mph in auto) then it is going to use alot more fuel than if you keep it below 3000 rpm. You will get better performance for overtaking etc.. but you will pay for it at the pumps. My car only has about 1,000 miles on it so I have not been checking that much yet since the engine is still wearing in and this will through readings off too.

daryl

I get Road and Track, Car and Driver, and Autoweek. One of them, I can't remember which, says there are no changes at all for 2005. The dealer where I just picked up my '04 says maybe a color addition or deletion, but too soon to know.
Hope this helps. Daryl

brad451

Where did you find that deal? I am in chicago, also, and I have been having trouble getting the dealer that low. I mean, by my calculations you must have paid something like 17,300, right? 100 under invoice without a trade is a good deal, I think. Can you give me some info on the dealer?

foxm30

Yeah, that makes me feel a little better about the '04. Do you have one Daryl?

sschaffer

My first few tanks (all city traffic, AC always on and working quite satisfactorily) with my 2.3 manual averaged around 18.5-19, which is pretty good--last car (2.0 liter 01 Sentra SE auto) got about the same or a bit less.

Since my last fill up I've been letting her out a bit more, revving higher before shifting and getting up to cruise faster. I'm at just under 1/4 tank and have travelled 80 miles. When I was trying for good mileage by shifting sooner etc, the same spot on the fuel guage was usually reached after 60-70 miles.

My engine is just over 1k miles.

On every Toyota or Nissan I've had any experience with full break-in reflected by best mpg and performance usually took 2-6k miles.

josh28

Does anyone know why the maximum cargo space of the Mazda 3 5-door is listed as only about half of its competitors? Is it really only 31 cubic feet versus the Impreza's 62 cubic feet? Or the Matrix listing of 53 cubic feet?

kyfdx

Are you sure the MZ3 numbers are with the seats folded down?.. That seems a little far off... Plus the Impreza seems too high, even with the seats down.. That sounds more like numbers from a Forester.

EDIT: never mind.. I see it here on Edmunds.. I even checked Mazda's website, because the number for the 3 seemed too low, but they have the same number... GEEZ.. my CR-V has 72 cu.ft with the seats down.. I would have never guessed the number was that low on the Mazda hatch. Anyone have any trouble getting larger stuff in?

vjoe_udo

I think the way they measure capacity differs from make to make.

There was a discussion a while ago.
As I recall, the 3 measure up to the top of the seat back and the imprezza measures up to the roof or something like that.

cdnp5

I think the reason the Mz3's numbers are low is because Mazda measure only the space up to the windows. They did the same thing with the P5 so it always looked very low. Plus, when you think about it, the seat up space is around 18-20cf (to lazy to look it up), so when you folded down the seat it would have to be more than double.

daryl

My first tank with the 5 spd. hatchback, normal driving, some a/c, some hwy., was 28.3.

gee35coupe

They have forums set up for that specific purpose. That's one of Edmunds primary functions. Sharing costs is the coolest thing to broadcast(if you got a good deal that is).

kyfdx

Thanks.. that makes sense. I just couldn't see that big of a difference between the cars.

toolfan1

The cargo room on the hatch is rather disappointing. After I put my son's stroller in the back, there is room for little else. Of course I knew the cargo capacity with the seats up wasn't huge when I bought it, all the other positives outweigh this negative. Besides, we usually drive our 2004 Accord EX when going on extended roadtrips.

josh28

It’s disappointing to hear that the space available in the hatch is, well, disappointing.

Are there any cyclists/racers with the 3 hatch? Is there adequate room in the hatch for wheels, trainer, etc. I’m an injured racer who hopes/plans on racing again next year, perhaps with a 3 5-door.

daryl

I'm a serious cyclist and rode my bike to pick up my 3 hatchback. With the front wheel off and the passenger seat up a little, my bike fit fine. Will be a little cramped with a trainer, bag, etc.
But, my bikes will be in the hatch maybe 20-30 times a year so if it is a little cramped, which will happen unless you have a van or Malibu Maxx,
the frequency is not so often that it's an inconvienience. My wife's V70 holds it better, but still fills up fast with all my gear.

dan2fuzzywu

do you have a roof rack or a bike hitch? I am planning on purchasing a 3 hatch, but I was wondering if it is advisable not to get the moon roof if I get the roof rack. otherwise, i'd be interested in knowing where you purchased the rack or hitch too. thanks

daryl

I don't like roof racks because they are loud with the roof open, and I would rather have the bike inside than out. They can be loud with the roof closed, as well. One of the major criteria in my car shopping was finding something that could hold a bike inside. I couldn't imagine not getting the sunroof.
Daryl

sschaffer

Scion XB will hold bikes if you fold the back seats down quite handily, but factory sunroof is not an option. Also a bit on the slow side but handles well.

myers830

I have 2400 miles on my hatch/auto and have been getting 30 and 31 mpg consistantly. I DON'T baby it at all...I push it pretty good.

creakid1

but sure doesn't ride well. & that's where the German-engineered Mazda3 excels over the Japanese-engineered Protege.

wvw

I'd like a hatch that with the options I want (moonroof/cd, ABS) -goes for 20,400 sticker. What's a reasonable price to pay? There don't seem to be a lot of them locally (southern Maine). One dealer has a red one with more options for 21,700- I'm considering that one. Is asking them to drop the price 500 too much? too little? I have a 95 Legacy wagon which drives ok, but has 230,000 so I'm guessing I'd be lucky to get 1000 for that.

wvw

I guess these are popular enough that it's not likely I'll get more than a few hundred off, if that. I've only driven one for one short test- everybody seems mostly happy out there right? I did stumble on a paint problem that some in cold climes like myself have had. How's the handling in slick weather? I've had a Subaru wagon and have loved how that's performed for me- guess I just want something more fun!

backy

Discounts are variable. In my area, one dealer is offering $1300 off any Mazda3 in stock. But that's a big dealer with about 90 in stock. If your dealer has few to unload, they can hold tight on price. Have you checked out Edmunds.com's TMV price for your zip code?

seawea

Hi everyone,
   
    Can anyone please tell me if any of you were charge $200 for advertising fee when purchasing a Mazda 3, b/c the dealership where I went insist in charging me $200 for advertising fee, which I have never heard of before. I was wondering if this is usually? What should I do? Also, how much is tax anyway when purchasing a Mazda 3 hatchback. Is there a certain rate? Example, if my car comes out to be $16,780, how much should I exoect the tax to be? And how much is for tags?

Thank you very much

lmp180psu

I was charged a $200 regional advertising fee when I bought my Mazda3 ( I live in Central PA). I wanted to make sure it was legit ( I was fairly sure it was based on Edmunds topics about it and my saleswoman was very good up to that point), so I asked about it and she showed me an official Mazda "invoice" showing the $200 charge.

Just ask your salesperson to see an official document from Mazda showing this charge. If they can't then maybe it isn't legit, but I bet this is what the charge is for.

As far as taxes, since I am not sure where you are located, you just take the negotiated price of the car ( in your case $16,780) multiplied by your city/state tax rate to get the $$ amount of tax. I don't think any state/registration fees are taxed - someone else can answer this for sure.

Good luck with your negotiation!

wvw

Yup- unfortunately the TMV is only $250 below the MSRP.

wvw

I don't like the idea of having to purchase new tires for the snow on a new car- which some here have indicated is wise. Oh well- I'll try to get excited about my new Subaru. Thanks!

carlisimo

How high up does one sit in the Mazda3?

If it's as high as say, the Pontiac Vibe I once drove, I'll probably stop thinking about it. It's not that high, is it?

mdaffron

Nope! I've driven both. The 3 is lower. The Vibe feels like a minivan by comparison.

Meade

mdaffron

Ummm, "German-engineered"???

Meade

seawea

Hi lmp180psu. Guessing from your name, I'm consumering you're a Penn State student or faculty, right? I'm from the Philadelphia area too, actually South Philly. Finally, I met someone who's from the Philly area. I'm plannning to purchase my mazda 3 either at Mazda Pacifico or John Kennedy Mazda. When I went to differently dealership, every single one tac me differently and I'm not sure why? I asked but they won't give a straight answer. Where did you went to purchase your Mazda 3

Thank you very much