Hello All,

I found, after the fact, that a forum very similar to this would have given me more accurate information about my purchase of what turned out to be a problem truck.

Now I am considering a Mazda3 to replace my wife's piece of %$#@ Neon. Would you all share you pro's and con's with me about the car please?

NoNaYet

 

Well there is so much to list i can list a bunch of stuff tell me what youre prime conserns are.

 

I bought my 2006 Mazda 3 2.3L GT as a commuter car,..but the love the thing so damn much i put rims tires exhaust and intake on it, and just can't drive it enough! All the magazines give it excellent reviews,..i can't say anything bad about it.

 

a bit off topic but what brand of exhaust did u get, how much was it, and who installed it.

 

actually here is a link that you can look at to rate the mazda3 yourself. It is located on the list on the right side of the webpage on this Mazda Forum.

https://www.mazdaforum.com/mazda/mazda-3-review.asp

Hope this helps you out a little better NoNaYet

 

I have an '06 3i w/2.0L atx. it is a great car, my only complaint is that the power options are not standard and i did not get them since i got the 'i' package, but i did get air conditioning( i am in AZ, its a must). I have not driven in snow, so i cant comment on that, but it is great on the highway, taking curves and just overall street driving. i have not made any mods yet, but planning on it. i did paint and rearrange the badges on the back of the car, also painted the engine cover, battery cover, and battery duct a nice gloss black.

 

Great in snow, i live close to the Poconos in PA and have driven in all sorts of snow with my 2006 2.3 sedan. I opted to get the 16 inch rims with the Toyo tires. The car is smooth at high speeds and handles real well for a stock car. The only thing that's a pain in the *** is the oil changes for the 2.3 because its a paper element filter design, not a screw on...it can be quite a process. (the 2.0 has a screw on filter) I get 31 mpg roughly in my 2.3, and can run over 400 miles on a single tank...9000 miles and no major problems to report. Good luck.

 

michael91077,

what paint did u use to paint the emblems? any special steps you took?

lol off topic but im curious.

laterbud

 

No real special process for painting the badges. I used a plastic spatula to remove from the car, so to not scratch the paint. Wet/light sanded with 600 and 320 grit paper. I used duplicolor engine enamel, gloss black and clear coat. I did 3 coats black & 3 coats clear. I used automotive foam tape to put the "3" back onto the car, the Flying "M" and "Mazda" both had pins and holes in the trunk lid that hold them in place. Same on the engine cover, i sanded and painted the same way. Today i painted the battery cover and battery duct, those turned out the best, no runs and nice and smooth finish.

 

I have an 05 2.3s and i love it. Your wife has a neon and i say take that thing out of your driveway. I was on the jersey turnpike and a neon hit me in the back going about 35 -40mph. I had to get a new bumper but there was not much damage to my car. Nothing was wrong with my frame either. The neon on the other had was totaled. i am serious. the thing's hood was bent in half sticking in the air. they had to push the car to the side. it was leaking gas. i drove off (after everything was taken care of). so tell your wife be careful with the neon until you get your 3. I do have one complaint, the other guy said the car was good in the snow, I have to disagree. the car is very bad in the snow. maybe if i had the 16 in rims it would be better but i have the 17's and it is horrible. if you dont have to worry about the snow there is absolutely nothing wrong with the car.