I’m in the market for a new car and have my choices narrowed down between a Civic EX or a Mazda3 I Touring. I’ve test driven the Civic and liked it but I’m not too excited by the color options (vein, I know). I’ve not had a chance to drive the Mazda yet.
I’m partial to Honda since I’ve had a 2004 Civic LX for 11 years now and am going to have a hard time parting with it, to be honest. But the Mazda looks like a solid and fun car to drive. However, I’m a little concerned if it will maintain its resale value.
You’ll love a new Mazda3 Sport or Touring in “velocity red”. It’s not only very sporting to look at but handles very sportily as well. My wife has one and is a lot older than you but the car turns heads.
Nothing wrong with a Civic, but Mazda’s “Zoom Zoom” approach really works.
With respect to resale, my son has a 2004 and the resale is the same as a Honda or Toyota.
Resale only becomes a factor at the time you trade or sell. You had last car for 11 years at that amount of time the difference would be small. Buy what rings your bell.
I think you should drive the Mazda, I am also wondering if you are going to get the stick shift, because the Civic has the CVT and even for my teenager who drove it twice during her driver ed’s course, said the car is gutless (& to make it even worse, the only other car she has driven is our 2005 Camry!).
Also, I have tried to buy a used Mazda and actually they hold their prices well.
As an owner of a Mazda (CX-9), I would point the negatives; the make is not very popular, so for some parts you either have to go to the dealer or order online. Obviously the dealer price is higher than buying an aftermarket part for a Honda. Also, since the car is not very popular, troubleshooting stuff could sometimes be more difficult. With a Civic, if you have something unusual go wrong, chances are someone else has already figured it and you just have to google it, not so much with the Mazda.
Parts and service are a concern. My Civic has never needed anything major other than a couple of exterior cosmetic pieces (knock on wood) so I’m a little concerned that I may wind up with that issue with the less popular Mazda.
They’re both great cars that should provide a great owner’s experience for many years to come.
But they’re totally different and you should test drive both, think deeply, sleep on it, and test drive them again. Whichever one you get will be a great choice.
It isn’t like you’re comparing a Mazda against a Trebant.
Properly cared for either should be very reliable, the Mazda might not bring quite as much on resale but from my families 19yr Mazda ownership as well as the number of 3’s,5’s and 6’s that my co-workers own you shouldn’t have to worry about reliability or being able to service the car. If you have a dealer close by and/or a Japanese car specialist you trust you should be just fine.
I think color is an important thing. You want something that refects your personality. My guess is that either of these models will serve you well, so make the choice based on the one with the best available color.
Edmunds says that you can expect to spend $60 more per year in maintnance, but that isn’t enough to tip the scales to me. Drive them both and decide which one you like best. Make sure to get more than just a few minutes behind the wheel to make sure you are comfortable. Find year old used ones to test drive if the salesman won’t let you spend 20 minutes to a half hour on the road.
Also on the table is a 2015 Golf S 4 door. I like the body style but it looks like it’s less of an overall bang for my buck. As well as the Fit which will probably give me the most bang for my buck.
(These are all automatics, by the way).
I’m test driving this weekend so hopefully I can narrow down my decision!
The Fit’s a nice option, a buddy just bought one for his commute getting 40+ on the highway. Don’t be afraid to shop around a little to get what you want
Make sure you take each for an extended test drive. The Fit sounds like a fun little car, but a number of folks complain about the rough ride and noise on the freeway.
“Edmunds says that you can expect to spend $60 more per year in maintnance, but that isn’t enough to tip the scales to me”
Nor would it tip the scales for me.
As a part of this picture, let’s not forget that mfrs are in a race to try to show the least possible maintenance for their vehicles–even if removing maintenance procedures from their schedule isn’t a good thing for the longevity of a vehicle. So…the car that supposedly costs less for annual maintenance just might come from a mfr that is less honest about its maintenance needs than other mfrs.
We were looking at similar cars a couple of years ago, and nearly bought a Mazda3. That was just before its last redesign and if it been able to wait we probably would have bought the Mazda. They have been very reliable cars for many years and there is nothing wrong with their resale value. The Golf is a very appealing car and the reliability has not been too bad in recent years (per Consumer Reports), if not up with the best Japanese models. The Mazda and VW will be the best driving cars in the class, with the current Civic not very impressive. The Mazda is also exceptionally economical. The Fit is a remarkable car with a much improved interior since the last redesign. We didn’t consider it seriously because we like to take long road trips now and again and the Fit isn’t as relaxing in highway cruising as the others, though I’m sure it would have been adequate. As a city car it is perfect.
I drove the Mazda and liked the ride a lot, I just feel like the body style is too aggressive for me.
Haven’t driven the Golf yet but I feel like it’s a more expensive car than what you get in the way of features with the Civic. The Civic seems to be a good value for what you get but there is significantly less performance there. Not that I’m looking for a race car or anything, but it would be nice to have a little fun now and again.