After only 6 months I traded my 2010 3 yesterday. Just wasn't happy with it. My primary issue was the road noise, which has been discussed here. Also, the new version while being more feature rich than the last gen, lost some storage space and seemed more cramped to me than my '07. When I added it all up, it was not a car I felt like I wanted to keep. No offense to any other owners here..............its not a bad car, just no longer a car for me.

I got a 2008 Mercedes E350. Yes, a totally different car than a 3 but one I've had my eye on for quite a while. On the plus side, my Mazda guys were generous on buying the car back to sell on their used lot so I didn't really take it in the shorts which made it do-able.

I want to wish all of you the best, I've learned a lot here and hope I've helped a few people out too. I'll stop by from time to time and see what's crackin' in the house. Take care all!

Mark56

 

see what happens when u own a 2010...ppl leave, proof that the 2010 3 is evil.
u should of just got your 07 back lol, mercedes falls under some problems vw has, electrical problems, i wish you the best of luck with that car

 

Tracker, you sound like my salesman when I told him I was unhappy with the '10, he tried to slide me back into an '09 as he said if I liked the previous gen better..........lol. I figured that I was not gonna go for a third 3, two was enough for now. Maybe a Speed 3 someday as a toy.

As an FYI, he also told me that Mazda has quietly dropped the cool blue interior lighting inside the '10, and also took the turn signal lights off the side mirrors (midyear changes). He said he sold one and the buyer didn't notice til a day or so later and was highly PO'd. He also added that despite removing equipment, they didn't drop the price. Maybe thats why they have 0% and rebates on the '10s, I guess they are not selling too well.

The Benz I got is certified and has 3 years remaining factory warranty, so if stuff crops up at least I'm covered there..........

 

Actually I'm surprised at how many "10's" I'm seeing around here already. Mostly sedans, of course, a few HB's and one or two Speeds. Sadly though, many think that Mazda has gone in the wrong direction w/the styling of the newer cars.
Personally, I don't know if I could look at that front end everyday and not wonder how many Saki's they had for lunch the day they made that decision.
Well that's too bad, Mark. And I have read that the 10's road noise was reduced.
I'm a little envious of you though. Three new cars in three yrs. I'd love to be able to try out different cars but if I tried to do something like that my wife would absolutely kill me.

Funny anecdote: Right out of high school I worked in a radio station for about 3 yrs. While his automotive tastes were not my own (Oldsmobile's & Buick's,) the head salesman used to get a new car +/- every year. The rest of us used to joke that he'd trade them in as soon as the ash tray was full.

 

Yeah I used to be in the car business when I was in my early 20's, sales and then the finance office. So I got used to turning cars quickly as we got a new demo every 6 months or so. Once you get used to that, it is hard to keep a car for long. The wife is used to it too, these days around 2 years is my max, however I was surprised she was ok with me bailing out on the 3 so quick--- I was expecting a mandate of keeping it a year. Lucky me I guess.

You're right, the front end styling is hideous, I got tired of all my friends looking at the front and commenting that it was the stupidest looking car they'd ever seen. But that didn't affect my decision to trade it however, I could have taken the jabs about the sh*tty styling if I otherwise was in love with it.

 

all of this help dont come cheap bud, id say 8k is fair enough, we just saved you from having a even worse time fighting with the car

 

Wow am I jealous of you Mark. Just when my problems seem to be getting worse, I was hoping to bounce some questions off of you. Here's to hoping you check this thread one more time.