2010 Mazda3 5-door (hatchback). Good or Bad?


Recommended Posts

I am going to buy a new car (says on the title), but does anyone have problem with this vehicle?

my other options are VW GTi and Mini Cooper but my friends said they have heard nothing but problems.

I need opinions before i purchase the car. (for those who owns Mazda vehicles)

thanks

I don't have a Mazda; but I would generally say it's good because it has comparably cheaper insurance, good quality, fun to drive, and has a pretty decent interior. What I don't like about is that front (Seriously, who designed it?), relatively poor resale value for a Japanese branded vehicle, and so-so fuel economy.

I don't think the GT trim really compares against the GTI though. Mazda's MT setups are also not that spectacular either imo.

I bought my wife a Mini recently, the overall ergonomics are just awful, getting into a comfortable driving position is very hard for me, and there seems to be an intermittent glitch with the auto-down windows.

Engine is great. Very fun to drive. Much better handling than you would expect. Makes a great daily driver but still keeps you grinning.

I've never driven any of the other cars so I can't comment.

as an owner of a 2004 Mazda3 hatch, I've never had any problems with my car - just normal maintenance (oil change, tire change, etc)

If you can grin and bear with the smilie grille, then it could be a good car.

What I don't like about it is that there's no tray under the cargo cover - just the spare tire.

  • 4 months later...

Mazda are pretty good cars and it has good value, pretty reliable. However, if you are looking for something with a little more "luxurious/european" interior feeling the VW GTi will do that for you. If you are looking for fun to drive the GTi will do that better than the Mazda. The Mini does it best, as it's the funnest car to drive of all 3. Back to reliability, I would say Mazda only because VW still has a poorer track record than Mazda for reliability despite much better improvements. Minis after 2006/7 have been much more reliable.

In case my thoughts are coming out jumbled - here you go: If you are looking for a reliable car without too much luxurious feeling ot it - go Mazda. If you have a larger budget, you want a more luxurious feeling interior, GTi recognition and a funner car to drive, go with the GTi. If you are all aout the driving experience then go with the Mini. To me, the GTi is the blend between Mazda and the Mini.

  • 3 weeks later...

Between a 3, mini, and a GTI get the mark6 GTI.

I was considering the 3 too but after seing it in person, I think it looks awful. The smiley face is bad, but the rear design is even worse.

The mark6 GTI has plenty of class and refinement. The mini is not for me, it's like a little toy car.

I am waiting for the GTI to be released this fall.

  • 10 months later...

How could you compare the Mazda 3 to the VW GTI? First off, while the Mazda 3 may be a reliable car, it's absolutely hideous. I mean, wow. How could they have released such a monstrosity of a car to the public.

The GTI on the other hand, is a very pretty car for $21,000. It's fast, reliable, and most definitely fun. You can't compare the GTI to a regular Mazda 3 though. It would only be fair to compare it to the Mazdaspeed 3. You can however compare the regular VW Golf to the Mazda 3 in which case it wins in everything.

Buy a Golf or a Jetta man. You won't regret it.

With the MkVI Golf (and GTI they supposedly worked out all the electrical gremlins that plagued the past model (though honestly still weren't that bad). The GTI will be more refined, better built, and hold it's value better than a mazda.

What he said.

It is a good choice man. I bought a hatchback just early this year and i am enjoying this new ride of mine. Its wonderful to drive.

________________

SG

just upgraded my mazda auto parts :D

It may be wonderful to drive, until you step outside and have a look at it :whistle: :D

Whilst I haven't owned any of these I am looking in this area as well and at the same/similar cars. From speaking to friends and people who own them:

Mini: I just don't like these. Noisy power steering pump (wines like mad) Least practical overall and you don't get a lot of car for your money. Paying for the image (Apple of cars?)

VW Golf GTi: Best driving of all the cars. Reliability and residuals are good. Insurance and fuel consumption will be higher though.

Mazda3: Very practical and you get plenty of car for your money. However the new styling makes me sad and lacks any wow factor at all. The dullest.

I've actually started looking at slightly bigger cars of this class such as the the Honda Civic i-CTDi and the Audi A3 2.0 TDi Sportback. To meet my needs whilst still being good cars.

Whilst I haven't owned any of these I am looking in this area as well and at the same/similar cars. From speaking to friends and people who own them:

Mini: I just don't like these. Noisy power steering pump (wines like mad) Least practical overall and you don't get a lot of car for your money. Paying for the image (Apple of cars?)

VW Golf GTi: Best driving of all the cars. Reliability and residuals are good. Insurance and fuel consumption will be higher though.

Mazda3: Very practical and you get plenty of car for your money. However the new styling makes me sad and lacks any wow factor at all. The dullest.

I've actually started looking at slightly bigger cars of this class such as the the Honda Civic i-CTDi and the Audi A3 2.0 TDi Sportback. To meet my needs whilst still being good cars.

The Audi A3 TDI is a great looking car, and obviously reliable and excellent on gas too. Just a little on the expensive side!

The Audi A3 TDI is a great looking car, and obviously reliable and excellent on gas too. Just a little on the expensive side!

Just been looking and here the GTI is about the same as the A3 do you Americans pay more?

Are you thinking of the S3?

I'm leaning more towards the Civic. I love the interior (best in class IMHO) just not sure about the styling and rear visibility. It's just starting to look less fresh (if that makes sense).

Good would I love an S3 Sportback tough.

Yep. That's the negative on that one. Is offset a bit by very good residuals on it but still have to stump up the cash.

I'm leaning more towards the Civic. I love the interior (best in class IMHO) just not sure about the styling and rear visibility. It's just starting to look less fresh (if that makes sense).

Good would I love an S3 Sportback tough.

I'm guessing you're in the UK? We don't have S3's in the United States, unfortunately :(

As far the Civic goes, I read it has a lot of build quality issues. Rattles, weird noises etc. On the other hand, while I'm sure the Honda Civic interior is "nice", no interior (not Porsche, not BMW) can compare to that of an Audi. My parents own a 2006 Honda Odyssey and while the interior is nice, full leather etc, it put my 996 Porsche 911 to shame in terms of quality. After getting rid of the 911 and jumping into an Audi S4, well... I've never been so impressed with an interior. Absolutely LOVE Audi interiors.

Just been looking and here the GTI is about the same as the A3 do you Americans pay more?

Are you thinking of the S3?

I'm leaning more towards the Civic. I love the interior (best in class IMHO) just not sure about the styling and rear visibility. It's just starting to look less fresh (if that makes sense).

Good would I love an S3 Sportback tough.

If you get the civic be sure to get the 4 door. I have a huge list of things I hate about the 2 door, but the 4 door fixes all but the tremendously deep dash.

Whoops just edited my post. I thought there was a price difference between the 2 as well but when I looked it up they are vary similar. Surprised me. I've already discounted the GTI though for other reasons.

Ah for the ultimate Audi interior you do have to pay more though. I'd agree that if you max out the spec on the A3 the Audi is great but in terms of what you get for base price or with a small bump I favour the Civic.

Whoops just edited my post. I thought there was a price difference between the 2 as well but when I looked it up they are vary similar. Surprised me. I've already discounted the GTI though for other reasons.

Ah for the ultimate Audi interior you do have to pay more though. I'd agree that if you max out the spec on the A3 the Audi is great but in terms of what you get for base price or with a small bump I favour the Civic.

May I ask why you discount the GTI now?

It was purely personal preference and what I need from the car rather than the car itself and as I said before, thirsty petrol and high insurance as well.

Also I have always found Golfs to be dull looking both inside and out. I may look at a GTI and think "That's a good car" but I've never looked at it and thought "That's a good looking car".

Just finding myself leaning more and more towards the A3 or Civic.

This topic is now closed to further replies.
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
  • Posts

    • No its not, there are ton of Youtube videos to get you started, what do you think people did before AI existed?
    • Read this in Humor Simpson 's voice, "Out of my way Moe".
    • You still can, its just under the Transform flyout for WordArt now
    • Likely nothing will be done in corporate America, there have been countless Tesla self-driving incidents. Then again, there have also been countless human operated incidents. It's literally daily news here in Canada, to the extent that it's now odd if we get a day where a collision doesn't get announced on the radio throughout the day...
    • SKG Hand Massager with Heat OS500 hands on by Steven Parker I was offered the chance to test out the SKG Hand Massager with Heat OS500, and full disclosure, they let me keep it regardless of my findings. Anyway, I jumped at the chance due to my long hours sitting at my desk, mousing around. Apologies for the knife cut across the top of the box; that was my doing, being a bit too heavy-handed with opening up the outer packaging. First up, what's in the box: SKG Hand Massager with Heat OS500 1x Type-C charging cable User Manual 1-Year Warranty (card) In short, everything you need to get started. According to the official Amazon listing, here are the key features: Full-Hand Air Compression: OS500 wraps your fingers, palm, and wrist with multi-chamber air compression for a complete hand relaxation experience. The extended massage chamber helps cover more of the hand and wrist area than standard palm-only hand massagers Palm Kneading with 6 Modes & 6 Intensities: Built-in palm kneading rollers add a hands-on massage feel, while 6 preset modes and 6 pressure levels let you choose the comfort level that fits your day—from gentle relaxation to a firmer full-hand massage 3 Heat Levels with Cooling Fan: Choose from 104°F, 113°F or 122°F warmth to suit different seasons and comfort preferences. The built-in cooling fan helps reduce stuffiness during heated sessions, keeping your hand feeling fresh and comfortable Easy Visual Display & Smart Timer: The digital image display clearly shows massage area, mode, intensity, heat level, and remaining time at a glance. Select 10, 15, or 20-minute sessions for quick office breaks, evening relaxation, or everyday hand care Rechargeable, Cordless & Comfortable: A 3000mAh battery supports over 90 minutes of full-function use on a full charge, with convenient USB-C charging. The soft inner lining, smooth ABS/PU finish, and premium black-gold design make OS500 ideal for home, office, or gifting With all that out of the way, here are my own findings. I gave it a try on both left and right hands, and as you can maybe see from the above YouTube Short, (sorry for the shaky video), my whole hand fits in, but my wrist barely enters the Hand Massager. I was able to push through a bit more with my fingertips extending out the other end to get a bit of massaging on the start of my wrist. Usage For some reason, there is a strap that is very difficult to fasten to my wrist with one hand. I am not sure what function it has, and it isn't mentioned in the user manual. The only thing I could find was in the product images that claimed "wrist precision". Unlike the Bob and Brad Hand Massager, this device does not massage the wrist anyway, even though a "wrist mode" is mentioned, which must be for smaller hands than I have, as it is mainly intended for the hand and fingers. In addition, for its steeper price, there are no disposable gloves provided in the box, which is a bit of an issue considering the internal cover (which appears to be elasticated nylon) cannot be removed for washing; so you are left with only one choice: always thoroughly wash your hands before using it. I can imagine this thing getting a bit grimy after a period of use, and that is a bit of a shame. With that said, the buttons on the device, from left to right, do the following: Heat button: 3-level heat control at 104°F, 113°F, or 122°F Mode button: Auto mode Circular mode Soothing mode Relax mode Palm and fingers mode Palm and wrist mode Intensity button: from (First-time users) 15Ka, 25Ka, 35Ka, 45Ka, 55Ka, 60Ka (Intensive relief) Knead button: on or off (6 pressure levels) Power button: Long-press to turn on or off Cooling button: turn on or off the cooling fan Also, in the product imagery, it states there are 36 "custom modes," but nowhere is it listed what these modes are. I can only imagine that they mean a combination of all of the above settings in different intensity levels. The device itself seems to rely on a single "kneading" mechanism located at the palm area of the hand, which spins when in use, and the other massage features are mainly utilized through the air sacs, increasing and decreasing at various levels on the hand and fingers. I am not sure it offered too much relief for someone who is typing and operating a mouse for hours at a time; further testing may be required. It does feel nice, though. Finally, you may be wondering how this fits into the scope of a tech website? Well, let me tell you something: sometimes I sit for up to 15 hours working on Neowin, and although I take breaks in between, it takes a toll on my body. I think in the immediate absence of a partner to apply relief, a good massager like this Hand Massager can shed the strains of the day in just a couple of 15-minute bursts. On the official website, this has an MSRP of $99.99, but luckily for our readers, it is selling at $10 off for just $89.99 right now on Amazon. SKG Hand Massager with Heat OS500 for $89.99 (with $10 off coupon), $99.99 MSRP For me, this gets a thumbs hands(?) down. However, it could be improved by making it so that the protective covering could be removed and thrown into the washing machine, or get yourself some disposable gloves to use with it. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.
  • Recent Achievements

    • Dedicated
      Almohandis earned a badge
      Dedicated
    • Dedicated
      JuvenileDelinquent earned a badge
      Dedicated
    • First Post
      DrWankel earned a badge
      First Post
    • Reacting Well
      DrWankel earned a badge
      Reacting Well
    • Week One Done
      Supreme Spray LV earned a badge
      Week One Done
  • Popular Contributors

    1. 1
      +primortal
      505
    2. 2
      +Edouard
      181
    3. 3
      PsYcHoKiLLa
      86
    4. 4
      Michael Scrip
      78
    5. 5
      Steven P.
      76
  • Tell a friend

    Love Neowin? Tell a friend!