# 2018 Mazda Mazda3 - Thumbs up or down? **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Tags:** mazda\ **Created:** [May 2, 2019, 2:13am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2018-mazda-mazda3-thumbs-up-or-down/139651 "2019-05-02T02:13:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![AnnabelleCooper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f17d59/32.png) [@AnnabelleCooper](https://community.cartalk.com/u/AnnabelleCooper)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2019, 2:13am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2018-mazda-mazda3-thumbs-up-or-down/139651/1 "2019-05-02T02:13:40Z")
Looking at Mazda 3 hatchback. If you have this model would you buy it again? Why or why not? ---
**Author:** ![GorehamJ](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/gorehamj/32/24103_2.png) [@GorehamJ](https://community.cartalk.com/u/GorehamJ)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2019, 6:42pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2018-mazda-mazda3-thumbs-up-or-down/139651/2 "2019-05-02T18:42:02Z")
[Reviewers love the outgoing Mazda3](http://bestride.com/reviews/new-car-reviews/review-2018-mazda3-grand-touring-classic-compact-enthusiasm). However, it is all new for 19 an has many many significant improvements. May be worth looking at a new one. ---
**Author:** ![Docnick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecae2f/32.png) [@Docnick](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Docnick)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2019, 7:23pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2018-mazda-mazda3-thumbs-up-or-down/139651/3 "2019-05-02T19:23:20Z")
My wife’s friend had her Mazda Protégé totalled in a crash and she bought a 2018 Mazda 3 Hatchback based on my wife’s experience with her 2012 Mazda 3. She absolutely loves the car and its “Zoom Zoom” handling. As others mention, the car is Mazda’s best selling model and has many happy owners. ---
**Author:** ![VOLVO-V70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/8e8cbc/32.png) [@VOLVO-V70](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VOLVO-V70)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2019, 7:28pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2018-mazda-mazda3-thumbs-up-or-down/139651/4 "2019-05-02T19:28:17Z")
We have never bought a vehicle based on anyone’s opinions . We decide together using a list that we go by . I also gave up on the car magazine reviews a long time ago , especially Motor Trend . ---
**Author:** ![shanonia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de053/32.png) [@shanonia](https://community.cartalk.com/u/shanonia)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2019, 7:37pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2018-mazda-mazda3-thumbs-up-or-down/139651/5 "2019-05-02T19:37:51Z")
Consumer Reports gives it a much better than average score in reliability and better than average in owner satisfaction. ---
**Author:** ![texases](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/texases/32/862_2.png) [@texases](https://community.cartalk.com/u/texases)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2019, 7:45pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2018-mazda-mazda3-thumbs-up-or-down/139651/6 "2019-05-02T19:45:39Z")
Good reviews for the 2018. As others have said, the 2019 is all new, but the 2019 3 hatch has styling that (further) restricts rear vision. Up to you. ---
**Author:** ![TwinTurbo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8baadc/32.png) [@TwinTurbo](https://community.cartalk.com/u/TwinTurbo)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2019, 7:52pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2018-mazda-mazda3-thumbs-up-or-down/139651/7 "2019-05-02T19:52:18Z")
> [@texases](#): > > the 2019 is all new, This is something I usually avoid at all costs. They call it the bleeding edge for a reason… ---
**Author:** ![jtsanders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c2a13f/32.png) [@jtsanders](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jtsanders)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2019, 8:21pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2018-mazda-mazda3-thumbs-up-or-down/139651/8 "2019-05-02T20:21:59Z")
New or used, @AnnabelleCooper? ---
**Author:** ![wolyrobb](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/wolyrobb/32/45497_2.png) [@wolyrobb](https://community.cartalk.com/u/wolyrobb)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2019, 9:58pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2018-mazda-mazda3-thumbs-up-or-down/139651/9 "2019-05-02T21:58:59Z")
I seriously considered buying a Mazda3 Hatch when i was looking a couple years ago but ended up wanting a little better visibility, personal preference but i’m a big fan of Mazda’s. Our 1990 Mazda Protoge was a fun car to drive but it was as reliable as you’d expect a Honda or Toyota to be Co-workers with Mazda 3’s and one with a related Mazda5 are racking up well over 200,000 miles on the clock with minimal problems. ---
**Author:** ![Docnick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecae2f/32.png) [@Docnick](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Docnick)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2019, 11:43pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2018-mazda-mazda3-thumbs-up-or-down/139651/10 "2019-05-02T23:43:06Z")
@Volvo_V70 We also don’t buy based on others likes or dislikes. I ask opinions from others to see how pleased they are with their cars and then gently tease out problems they have. If the car is reliable according to CR, we drive it and see whether we like it. My wife drove a Kia but found the visibility poor and we settled on the Mazda 3 Sport. Both Kia and Hyundai make good vehicles. A Civic Hatchback or a Corolla Hatchback would have been on the list if there had one. Car Magazines are a waste of money; all new cars are GREAT. No one drives on that’s several years old. CR buys the cars they test anonymously, form random dealers. They therefore get completely random samples. They do not recommend an entirely new car since the quality and reliability are still unknown. ---
**Author:** ![George\_San\_Jose1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e5b9ba/32.png) [@George\_San\_Jose1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/George_San_Jose1)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2019, 3:49am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2018-mazda-mazda3-thumbs-up-or-down/139651/11 "2019-05-03T03:49:01Z")
No experience myself, but a poster here, @db4690 , says the M3 ride quality isn’t quite as good as some of the other econoboxes as I recall, so that’s something to test for yourself. Not sure if that comment applies to the 2018 model. For the most part the M3 comments we get here seem to be generally positive. You can try the forum search feature to see for yourself, click upper right on this page. ---
**Author:** ![db4690](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/db4690/32/2583_2.png) [@db4690](https://community.cartalk.com/u/db4690)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2019, 4:31am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2018-mazda-mazda3-thumbs-up-or-down/139651/12 "2019-05-03T04:31:37Z")
If you want a firm ride, the Mazda 3 will do that If you want a comfortable ride . . . then you should be looking for a larger car, in my opinion I’m a fleet mechanic and drive plenty of vehicles with a firm and/or harsh ride all week long, so I prefer my personal car to have a relatively comfortable ride By the way, @George_San_Jose1 . . . the M3 is a BMW Not sure why you chose to label the Mazda3 as an M3 Using proper names and terminology is very important Remember the guy a few years ago that owned a Mazda and assumed that Mercon V was the same thing as Mazda M-V atf . . . ?! ---
**Author:** ![Nevada\_545](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/nevada_545/32/41232_2.png) [@Nevada\_545](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Nevada_545)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2019, 5:13am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2018-mazda-mazda3-thumbs-up-or-down/139651/13 "2019-05-03T05:13:08Z")
> [@George\_San\_Jose1](#): > > says the M3 ride quality isn’t quite as good as some of the other econoboxes as I recall, The M3 is a high performance car with 425 horse power, a firm ride goes with the package. ---
**Author:** ![George\_San\_Jose1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e5b9ba/32.png) [@George\_San\_Jose1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/George_San_Jose1)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2019, 1:25am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2018-mazda-mazda3-thumbs-up-or-down/139651/14 "2019-05-04T01:25:43Z")
> [@db4690](#): > > By the way, @George_San_Jose1 . . . the M3 is a BMW Correct, the Mazda 3 acronym is “MZ3”, rather than “M3” “M3” is ambiguous, could refer to a BMW or Tesla, etc.