Honda Civic EX vs Mazda3 S

Hello,

I am an extremely happy owner of a 1999 Civic EX 2dr @70K miles. I am
thinking about getting a four door car since we just had a son. I know
that I want to get a new 2005 4 door Civic EX to replace the old one,
but I also looked at Mazda3 S and liked the specs and the looks (have
not test driven either the Civic or the Mazda3 yet).

I have come across some posts comparing the two, but most go back to
2004/early 2005. I am wondering if any Mazda3 owners have come across
any problems since then (I have noticed that some owners had some
issues with rattles etc, and some said that they did not think the
quality of the car was not as good as a Civic and did not think it
would last as long). In my mind, my top 2 picks would be Honda and
Toyota, and right now I cannot decide if I should add Mazda to my list.

I saw that both Civic and Mazda 3 with side air bags are "Recommended"
picks in the Consumer Reports mag (both got poor without the side air
bags) but Civic received "Excellent 5/5" for crash ratings whereas
Mazda 3 got "Good 4/5". I guess this is the most important factor for
me when it comes to decide on which car to buy. The second factor is
reliability (the car should not break down and leave me stranded in
the middle of nowhere - never had this problem with any of the Civics I
have owned to date).

Also, does anybody know anything about the new (2006) Civic line? What
are your recommendations? Any comments appreciated.

Thank you.

 

im waiting to see if the honda jazz comes out this fall... 4dr hatch.

 

Honda's And Toyota's are great cars but Just drive a Mazda 3 you will see
just what a drivers car this is, as it handles like a dream and is very nice
inside. I have had a Honda civic but was not impressed with the ride at all,
and there is nothing that stands out with a Toyota just a very plain car.
The Masda 3 is Bold and looks great and feals very well made for the price.
you must test drive one and see for yourself..

 

Thanks for the responses. G Shock, I assume you own a Mazda 3 - Is it
the 4dr or the 5dr? Also did you get the i, S or SP?

Thanks

 

Here is another thing: I have the S-Plan for Mazda (Ford employee
discounts) - I guess the Mazda 3 is very popular nowadays and one
really cannot bargain too much on the price (do they sell these things
at/near MSRP)? What I am wondering is, can I still bargain with these
guys over the S-Plan price (I will be getting a savings of around $2000
when compared to the MSRP).

Thanks

 

i kinda like the protege5 myself. dunno what route i wanna take as far
as a different car. id kinda like another convertible, eventually. had
an 81 rabbit vert, but id NEVER go back to VW. reliability sucks.

that said, i also do odd jobs and carry toolboxes and crap like that
around once in a while. a 2dr tracker/sidekick might fit the bill, or a
2dr rav4. and part of me wants a miata! hell- part of me misses the old
VW vert...

 

I had a 99 Civic EX and loved it but it was time for a new one. Last month I
was ready to buy an 05 Civic to replace it, but I was not impressed with the
body style or the cheap looking interior. My old one was much better
looking. The ride of the new one was about the same as the old. Then I
checked out the Mazda 3 and took a test drive. It blew me away and I bought
it on the spot. FAR SUPERIOR in my opinion. I got the 4 door S version. LOTS
of power compared to the Civic (160 hp) and great handling--fun to drive.
It cost a little more (with all the sports package that I got on it) but was
worth it. Drive them both before you choose.

 

Yes I own a Mazda 3 ts2 That's the one with the traction control dsc 6 disc
cd player 16" wheels It may be a bit different in the states but over here
in the uk they do turn heads. And is fun to drive..and Mazda's seem to last
forever over here..
...

 

FWIW, Costco has a new car dealer referral program that is
supposed to get you a price of cost plus $300 when you walk
in the dealer's door. I'm not sure how much of a break this
really amounts to, but it sure beats the usual haggling.

 

I actually test drove two Mazda 3s, 4dr, auto and stick. I own a 99
Civic EX Coupe (stick shift), and for some reason the MZ3 did not feel
like it had 160hp (150 lbft torque). Maybe it is because of the
break-in period, the car had only 3 miles on it. I liked the 4spd
auto/manual shift up/down option on the auto tranny, but felt that the
stick shift had more of a push when the car accelerates. In any case,
I still feel like my old Civic has more power although it is 127 hp,
and the torque is 107 lbft.
But I have to agree that the MZ3 is a fun car to drive, and has a lot
of little things that come in higher class cars.

I also test drove a 2005 Civic EX 4dr. It had a 120hp? engine and was
noticeably less powerful than the MZ3. I am just not sure if I like
the looks of it, I love the looks on my 99 EX. But I thought the Civic
is more comfortable and has more space both front and especially back
seats. Both my wife and I felt like we were cramped in the MZ3 (maybe
the Civic has more headroom) but felt more comfortable in the Civic.
However, one thing we also noticed was the material quality, it is
worse than my old one. So I agree with Tom that the Civic used to be a
better car....

I am undecided. My S-Plan on the Mazda will expire next week so I
gotta decide soon (leaving company). I may test drive both again, at
another dealer maybe.

 

eh, its not as "flat" a fee as that. but its the same deal autobytel,
sams, and AAA get.

 

Bold looks and fun drive aside. It will be a cold day in
hell before I ever buy another Mazda product.
The WORST reliability record I have ever seen

 

I was reading Edmunds.com forums on Mazda 3 and it looks like a lot of
people are having serious issues with brake rotors and pads, and also
A/C. NHTSA 's website has also got a lot of complaints about both.
Gerald, in terms of reliability, what kind of issues have you had so
far? Do you own a Mazda 3?