I've done my research and I will be buying a 2007 Mazda 3 I Touring or a 2007 Corolla S or LE next week.

Can anybody help me decide?

 

Drive them both and I guarantee you'll buy the Mazda3.

 

I recommend you that drive corolla first then try Mazda 3 later....You can SEE the differences right away.
Mazda 3 is bang for the buck even though I had a weired problem still I love my Mazda 3.

 

The simple difference between them is the corolla is an econobox people mover without any personality. The Mz3 is a slightly less economy minded car, sporty people mover with lots of pizazz.

Go test drive both cars and then we'll be happy to help you with your decision, however you shouldn't compare them until you know what you're comparing.

 

Mazda 3 all the way! I was considering buying a new corrola and i am soo glad i didn't. Instead i landed myself a awesome little 2003 protege and i've enjoyed it since day one. When i get ready to buy another car it will definitly be the mazda 3 i-sport sedan.

 

Thanks, All.

I test drove both. The Mazda 3 is more comfortable, better steering response, and the braking is unbelievable. They both had similar road noise.

The Corolla is known for high resale value and 200K miles without any troubles. Can I expect the same for the Mada 3?

BTW, I went to make THE offer on the Mazda 3, but it had sold the previous day - I now have to wait until another with the options and color that I want comes in.

 

The funny thing is my girlfriend has a 2006 corolla S and I have a mazda3 gt fully loaded....

1 the corolla is a corolla... only thing different on it than 10 years ago is the new body.
2 mazda 3 is not nearly as fuel efficient as a corolla yet its still up there my avg is 24.6mpg (i like to dart around)
3 corolla has more space than a 3... space wise would be more comparable to a mazda 6.
4 off the line you would have to floor a corolla to even keep sight of a mazda 3
5 do a side by side comparison of the two and you will see a lot more features (given same price tag) on the Mazda 3

 

Hey, relaxthemind, I curious. What is the mielage difference between the 3 and Corolla? Cars that can be driven faster WILL be driven faster?? I've been averaging almost 26MPG with my Speed3 -- you must be all city driving or you're running the snot out of it.....



VASpeed3

 

I think the Corolla is supposed to get about 4 MPG better than the 2.0 L Mazda 3 both city and hwy. Of course it is a gutless 1.8 L.

I got the 2007 3 i Touring!! See the "i Touring thread."

 

Oh, so I guess you're still breaking it in. I did not look at regular 3's, so i don't know what the auto tran mileage was compared to the 5 speed. Is the Corolla auto as well? I bet the 3 is a bit quicker and heavier than Corolla.