Greetings!
I am in the midst of car shopping and was curious as to the long-term reliability of Mazda vehicles. I am considering purchasing a 2010 Mazda 3 Hatchback (or perhaps a slightly used 2009 or 2008 model). I intend to have this car for many years and hope to reach the 200k mile-mark. I was wondering if anyone had experience with owning a Mazda on a similar timeframe. I would love to hear about your experience and if you think a Mazda is a good choice for long-term reliability.
Another car I am considering is the Honda Fit – in my opinion Honda definitely has a better reputation for long-term reliability, but the Fit is definitely not as fun to drive as the Mazda 3!
Any/all comments are appreciated.
Thanks!
-Greg
The Mazda 3 is a very good car; my son has a 2004 model with nearly 90,000 miles on it already. Aside from a brake job and regular maintenance, the car has been great. Friends of my wife have had Mazda 323s, Mazda Proteges, and they have all been sterling cars.
The Honda Fit is really nice car too and is developing a good reputation. But they are different cars. My son would not be caught dead in a Fit, he loves his bright red Mazda (zoom zoom!). The Fit is becominmg popular with surfers (you can fit a surf board inside), campers as well as retired folks who don’t drive much on the highway, and like the space to load stuf for DIY projects.
Take you pick!
Check Consumer Reports at your library. 200,000 shouldn’t be a problem on the Mazda but don’t expect it to be 100% trouble free over its lifetime.
Greg…
Glad to see we steered you towards the Mazda3 Hatchback and you enjoyed it. A Mazda3 is a better choice than a Golf, when it comes to reliability.
In my book, Mazda is just as reliable as a Honda. However, as Docnick said, no car on this earth is 100% trouble free. Cars these days are very intricate electro-mechanical devices, and sometimes things do break. Keep your expectations real, and deal with the problems calmly if/when they arise. The most important things to remember is proper maintenance, according to the owners manual, is what keeps a car on the road trouble-free.
If you decide to buy a used car, get all the fluids changed (brake, manual/automatic transmission, clutch, coolant, engine oil) ASAP, unless the seller includes proper/verifiable receipts that those have been changed recently (last 3 months). If the seller cannot easily/readily produce those receipts, assume the worst and do the changes yourself.
Good luck.
If you live in road salt country, talk to some local mechanics. I’ve owned a number of Mazdas. Great cars to drive and mechanically pretty reliable. But all of them have had rust problems to some extent. OTOH, except for a couple of problem spots our 1999 Toyota Camry is pretty much rust free.
The irony of that is back in the day I had a 1984 Mazda GLC and a 1987 Toyota Camry.
The Mazda never rusted in 13 years of ownership, the Camry had holes through its fenders before it was 2 years old.
Of course, that is all dated anecdotal evidence and should be taken with a large block of salt.
Buy the Mazda and drive happy, not bored. They’re geared more for the enthusiast than a Honda/Toyota, but they are known to be pretty reliable.
The model I bought(CX-7) was known for AC and turbo issues and a few other problems with the 07 model year, but it was a completely new vehicle introduced in late 06 for the 07 model year. But I bought brand new so I wouldn’t have to worry about the previous owner dumping those problems on me. The Mazda 3 has been around for a long time, so it’s teething problems should be over with. If you want even more fun, go for the Speed3. 