Mazda 3 Hatchback (2009 - 2013) 1.6 Sport (Leather) 5d (2010/10) Owner Review

What does this car say about you?

It´s my wife´s car, but she says she feels like she is driving an exclusive hot hatchback! The car definitely says exactly what we feel which is "we don´t like boring cars!"!

What do your friends / family / neighbours think of the car?

Everybody loves it, they comment on how sporty it looks, how spacious, quiet and relaxed it is...

Would you buy this car again and why?

Absolutely, Mazda will forever be on our shopping list! It feels and looks great, it´s a hoot to drive but still very comfortable, it´s fairly practical and spacious with excellent build quality, what more could we ask for?

What are you likely to buy next?

Mazda or Ford, we own a diesel Focus Estate and we´re pretty happy with it too so... maybe a Mazda 6?...

Type of dealer you bought from?

Didn't buy from a dealer

Did you buy this car new?

No

What price did you pay?

£7,500

When did you buy the car?

July 2014

Did you get a good deal and why?

It was an absolute steal! In Portugal, people run away from petrol cars, so I was really excited to grab a proper car for supermini money! It only had 5000 miles and was as good as new, just the average scuff here and there on the bodywork, but inside it´s like it has never been used! It belonged to a n old lady that unfortunately didn´t manage to renew her driving license.

Is there any special reason why you bought this car?

My wife needed a safe and practical car, but I wanted her to upgrade from a city car to a proper handling car. And we always had a thing for Mazdas...

What was the dealer like?

The owner was a super polite lady, she couldn´t have been nicer!

What's it like to drive?

What can I say? I´ve owned and driven a lot of cars, and this is by far the most fun to drive car I ever had. Yeah, I keep making excuses to snatch it from my wife whenever I want to have some fun! It´s brilliant really, it has character and just puts a huge smile on my face! I have a Focus estate from 2011, and despite being more refined and a bit more relaxed, I can´t say it´s as much fun as the Mazda. The steering is razor sharp, the clutch is super smooth and shifting gears in this thing is so addictive that I managed to inflict a calus for the first time in my life, just by shifting gears all the time, just for the sheer fun of it! Handles like a sports car, feels stable and composed at motorway speeds, what more can I say? It´s spectacular!

What's it like to park?

Steering is super light, but the rear bumper protrudes a bit too much so it is a bit hard to evaluate distances sometimes. Rear visibility isn´t that great as with many other cars, but we can perfectly live with that...

Have you had any problems with the car?

Nothing has gone wrong with it, and we´re not expecting anything wrong to happen. Feels very sturdy and solid, japanese style! I just have some complaints regarding the seats maybe not being as supportive as they should be, and the steering wheel design, where its plastic bits protrude a bit too much maybe because it feels a bit too thin? Not a deal breaker though...

What's most practical about your car?

It´s very spacious and confortable, and is a remarkably good motorway cruiser, even without cruise control. But the best bit for me, is how easy it is to drive! It doesn´t feel like a big car when maneuvering, the steering is so light and precise, and the clutch/gearbox is the best I´ve ever handled! Requires no effort to drive when we´re tired, and feels very relaxed when needed, although it could be a little more insulated regarding tire noise.

Favourite gadget, option or accessory?

It has power windows on the back, A/C, steering wheel controls for the stereo and that´s it, pretty basic really, but the A/C is always praised by my wife as being very effective. The stereo sounds very good, goes really loud and clean and without any rattles (unlike my also beloved Focus!).