are these vehicles dependable
Some are - some are not . They are 11 years old.
as with the Honda Civic or Toyota Corolla of the same vintage the reliability depends on how well the particular car has been maintained. I know a fair number of Mazda3 owners of this generation and they’ve had incredible reliability from their cars. A co-worker does 1,300 mile road trips to see family and with no issues even with closing in on 200,000 miles. Bought with a little over 30,000 miles several years ago and given regular services since then.
Premature rust plagued these cars for years. If you live in the rust belt, have an independant mechanic check for rust and mechanical condition.
Agree; Mazda3 cars are reliable, but rust starting at the rear fenders, is the main problem. Our son had a 2004 model which was very reliable, but after 10 years rust started at the back fenders.
Rust protection has improved considerably, but is still not up to Toyota level. We have a 2007 Toyota Corolla which has yet to show a spec of rust!
There is not a human being on the planet who can state with any accuracy at all whether or not a 10+ year old vehicle is going to be reliable no matter the make or model.
Well put, OK4450
This statement needs to be posted on the many posts where someone asks if an old vehicle is dependable then the thread closed.
I don’t see many Mazdas here in MN and WI. The older ones stand out as having much more rust than other brands of similar age. Unless they have been dramatically improved, I would be wary of buying a new one. Used one, no way. Mazdas have a lot to offer and except for the rust problems they are very worthy. It’s too bad.