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BergsMid North Coast, NSW
- 3 reviews
- 3 likes
Excellent and reliable transportation, with lots of fruit for base model
In late 2020 I brought a 2012 Mazda “3” sedan in a private sale. The purchase was made to replace our mid spec 2008 Honda Civic VTI-L, which had 235,000 kilometres on the clock and will be used for my 170 kilometre round trip commute up the Pacific Highway to and from work each day. Put simply we wanted a younger car with less clicks on the clock. It has been a very noticeable step up, although to the Civic’s defence, it was a very good car in its own right.
This review is based on two months of ownership and 3,500 kilometres of travel.
Our...
Read more 2012 Mazda “3” is the base model “Neo” sedan and had 122,500km on the odometer at time of purchase. There’s a lot to like about it, especially the level of standard equipment it come with. It includes cruise control, front and rear power windows, variable intermittent windscreen wipers, a nifty, but basic onboard computer to monitor fuel economy, distance to empty, maintenance schedule, tyre rotation and speed alarms. There are two large instrument binnacles that house the speedometer and tachometer separately, while there is a small electronic display between the two that also shows the fuel gauge, odometer and two separate trip metres. Interestingly there is no gauge for the engine temperature. The car also has cruise, stereo and audio controls on the steering wheel, a reach and rake steering wheel and fold down rear seat that can access the largish 430 litre boot to carry long items like a whipper snipper, so that is a big smiley face from me on that point. It comes with a USB port to charge your mobile phone on the run, but strangely no Bluetooth, which is a glaring omission on a 2012 vehicle, even if it is the bottom spec variety. You can run your GPS/Dashcam off the cigarette lighter in the storage console between the two front seats and there’s a port to plug your MP3 player in too, or if you are a bit old school, there’s also a single in dash CD player, with the normal stereo adjustments. The stereo itself is quite excellent, with great sound coming from the good quality speakers. There is no distortion when the volume is cranked up. This definitely appeals to someone like me, who loves his music to help overcome the tedious one hour commute home from work, while on road trips to watch the footy or when heading up to see family at Yamba NSW. So all in all, that’s a lot of fruit for a base model car and it has impressed me. Our car is the 6 speed manual variety. To date the engine has started straight away every time and is smooth and quite in operation. The performance from the perky two litre engine is, dare I say it, somewhat sporty, which can bring a smile to ones face. It does like being revved and is at its best when you’re running through the gears. The changes are slick and precise, which adds to the enjoyment of changing gears for yourself and makes the overall drive more engaging and fun. Another thing is in comparison to my old five speed manual Civic, I’ve found myself having to change up and down more regularly. I imagine this may have something to do with the extra cog and way the engine and transmission are aligned. This is more an observation than a criticism. I only really use 6th gear on the highway or above 80km/h. The Mazda “3” has been a noticeable step up from the Civic, which felt a bit underpowered. While the two litre motor is no sports car in terms of outright power and torque, there certainly is no issue with it cruising on the highway at 110km/h. Besides if I wanted a performance car, I would have brought a Subaru WRX. The headlights are both bad and good. Low beam is inadequate, especially when travelling on the freeway at 110km/h or when it’s raining, yet the high beam is very bright, providing good forward vision. So I guess Mazda gets both a frown and a smile on this one.Purchased in December 2020 for $8,300.00.
fuel pump
been using this car from last 3 years it's 2014 and got fuel pump problem. costing $3000 to fix it. i mean like in just 7 years? how can a car get this much big problem in this less time.
Purchased in June 2017 for $18,000.00.
amorris2Murray Region, NSW
- 5 reviews
- 2 likes
Not that good
Bought new in 2018. Found it too low and bad visibility. Failed to start twice for no apparent reason. Fit and finish low grade. Traded it in as the wife couldn’t stand it any longer. No real positives.
Purchased in July 2018 for $21,490.00.
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Grace DGreater Melbourne (Metropolitan), VIC
- 2 reviews
- 7 likes
After sales pretty ordinary
Transporting my mother to and from doctors appointments and also shopping, very well looked after and low km for 42 month old car. Rubber on drivers side has began to split, was told because I constantly open and close the door, my sister also has the same model car was brought just before I brought my car and no problems. Mazda refuses to believe that it was faulty in the first place. Not even offered to charge me cost price. I will never have it serviced for the place where I brought it from nor will my sister. I will never buy a Mazda.
Purchased in January 2018.
Airbag Malfunction
Bought my brand new car had it 2 weeks came up with airbag Malfunction return to dealer they have had my car for 2 months & still not fixed not happy
Purchased in September 2020.
soloSydney Surrounds, NSW
- 3 reviews
- 5 likes
Mazda 3 car computer
We bought a new Mazda 3 car and after 100000 kilometres the computer of the car need replacement.
I think some items of the car like the computer must last twice that. Paid about 40000 for the car I don't think is a good buy.
David P.Perth, WA
- 4 reviews
Good car... can be great with a few upgrades.
I use the car for commuting. It is a fantastic highway cruiser. With the 18 inch wheels with dunlop tyres it is very loud on coarse chipped road (unbearable).. I stuck dynamat in the doors and boot and upgraded the speakers. This has made a big difference.
Purchased in June 2018 at Mazda Dealers.
Cheyne H.South East Queensland, QLD
Gorgeous car
I will kick off with a few of the things that stand out.
-Very different driving dynamics compared to the old BL model which drove like a go kart. I guess it will take time to get used to, it's certainly more comfortable.
-Overly aggressive radar and cruise. Other older cars do this much more confidently.
-Piano black/ acrylic needs to go.
-Sometimes fumbles on gears.
-Auto high beam can be a bit slow when going around a corner. Hopefully that means I'm not blinding the person coming towards me.
Winning notes
-Styling, I love it. The light...
Purchased in September 2020 at Oldmac for $32,200.00.
CameronMetropolitan Adelaide, SA
- 15 reviews
- 28 likes
U2 Said it best ... Lemon
I use the car daily, i rely on it to drive, make phone calls and use GPS to get to appointments. Have had multiple electrical failures including but not limited to faulty mirrors, sensors, GPS, reversing camera, inability to make calls. Have had it looked at at least 6 times, left it there for 3 whole weeks earlier this year to resolve once and for all. Mazda still has no plan on how to fix the issues, they do however believe that they are "unable" to replace the faulty vehicle despite having no clear way to fix it.
EDIT 2nd Nov 2020
Car had ...
Read morecomputer replaced, picked up 30/10. See image below from a trip on 31/10, the green line is the actual path. Red line is where the GPS tracks, blue is where it jumps from one location to another. Not exactly sure how to use this as guidance. The image has been plotted onto Google Earth from a video what was taken.Purchased in January 2017.
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PetaFar North Queensland, QLD
- 7 reviews
- 2 likes
A car that does so well
I have taken a lot of car for my car and only twice has it stopped and required a new battery . Very minimal issues with the car.
1st the aircon vents I have had one come apart
2nd the cd player is having issues but only at 12 years of age
3rd the clip that hold the rear headrest in place has come away
4th the clear coat seal is coming away from around the rear panel windows and along the door strips . That is the only major issue and will cost me the value of the car to replace , but for a 12 year old car that has only just done 100,000km it is very good and I have no other issues
Purchased in July 2012 for $15,000.00.
PasSydney, NSW
Great run around
I've owned my Mazda 3 (2006 build) for 7 years. In that time I've managed to clock up nearly 200,000 kms.
Much of the driving is on the motor way.
Average fuel consumption is 7L/100km which I run on premium 95.
In the time of ownership I have replaced the radiator, thermostat and and water pump. The great thing about servicing this car is that I was able to have all this done for under $800. The thermostat on these cars is an assembled unit and adds to the cost, as opposed to the simplicity of most other manufacturers thermostats.
The drivers ...
Purchased for $7,500.00.
Katie M.South East Queensland, QLD
- 2 reviews
- 1 like
- 3 BM (2014-2015)
- Verified purchase
I love this car and will upgrade to the same again
I love this car and everything about it.
I originally wanted to go with a difference brand when buying but ended up going with the Mazda for a number of reasons. The key ones being how nice it was to drive, the safety features includes, and the value for money.
I used to live in the country and would drive the car about 500km each week. I'm now in the city so mainly just drive it for commenting to the train station. I've found it perfect for both situations. As it is very fuel economic, it was affordable to run when using a lot and in the ci...
Read morety its small enough and powerful enough to zip around and park easily. The interior is well designed, comfortable and very spacious for, what looks to be, a small car. I get it serviced by Mazda and absolutely love the service they provide - again cost effective but they also take time to explain what needs to happen and why. My only one small complant it the road noice is much more noticeable then in other cars I’ve driven. I’m now coming up to the 100,000km mark and will be trading it in. While I will still look around and test drive others - I’m extremely likely to just trade in for the new Mazda 3.Purchased in March 2015 at Mazda Dealers.
slowmoSydney Surrounds, NSW
- 2 reviews
- 4 likes
Decent car with a case of form over function
Purchased a 2019 built model with the Vision Pack so it comes with some extra goodies such as: a 360 camera with dynamic reverse guidelines (normal camera guidelines are a fixed box), front parking sensors, cruise & traffic support and front cross traffic alert. This review may sound bashing as it is easier to pick out faults that the car has as opposed to what it does well or excels in. All in all, the car does a decent job for the price but is really a case of form over function.
Build quality:
Having bought an early build model, most peop...
Read morele warn about build quality issues that are generally ironed out with later build date models and my particular Mazda is not exempt. I have experienced 3 issues so far and the car is a bit over 20,000 kms: 1. Minor rattle coming from the HUD area which has also been raised by others (used to experience these over bumpy roads when new - it was a suppressed rattle that did not occur much so wasn't worth raising). Over time, the plastics settled and I can no longer notice sounds. 2. Rubber garnish between the doors on one side wearing/tearing prematurely due to poor build quality controls (had it fixed twice under warranty with the second dealership being more proactive with the repair and spacing the gap between the rubbers - the rubber running along the black window trim would rip). 3. Power window chrome accent peeling prematurely (occurred on one switch just before 20,000km service - warranty repair pending). Quite a few issues to be dealing with for the first year of ownership, however, touch wood that nothing else goes wrong as the fit and finish is pretty nice and flashy for a standard run of the mill car.Purchased in February 2020 for $28,000.00.
Nathan
- 5 reviews
- 3 likes
Loved this car. Great steering. Looks fab. Fussy dashboard, tight rear seat and "okay" for noise and comfort.
We purchased a 2013 BL2 Mazda 3 Neo hatch brand new in January 2014 and sold it nearly four years later in late 2017. A lovely blue colour. Five speed auto. Tinted windows. Reverse sensors. Floor mats.
This was our first new car and also our first car on the 'newer' side. My newest car before this was ten years old. Having no children at the time we cross shopped against the i30 and also several 2010ish used cars, many with a sportier flavour. Personally we loved the look and it turned in very nicely and confidently with high grip levels for ...
Read morewhat it is. While it's not a sports car (I did have a LV Focus Zetec as rental once and the handling on that was amazing), it sits flat, turns in quick and it really was a lot of fun to drive. A five speed auto is much better than a four speed auto. It's also got pretty good torque to weight and moves decently off the line. The chassis feels nice and tight, offering little in the way of flex or creaking noise over undulations. The standard features were pretty good (easy for you to find online). In 2020 the only feature I'd like to add would be a reverse camera with a good screen with Android Auto and Apple Carplay - something you can surely add after market. Cruise control, full power windows etc, bluetooth, plenty of safety features. The stereo is good from the perspective of old cars and it does have front tweeters (a feature I believe was dropped in the BM Neo) but surely it's an average modern car system, nothing more. I've been in ordinary cars with clearer highs. I often think back at how nice it drove... but it's also not very practical (if that's a concern). The dashboard is busy, large, dark and distasteful to my eye (the BM that came next was a revelation!). The rear centre seat is an uncomfortable perch and rear legroom is short, as are the rear doors. The boot space is OK. The car's undoing was how little knee room you have in front of a rear facing baby seat - my knees were touching the dash and that's truly uncomfortable. We could fit a pram in the back but it would take half the surface area. So obviously, our circumstances changed.Purchased in January 2014.
Paul B.Perth, WA
- 3 reviews
- 2 likes
- 3 BL (2009-2013)
- Verified purchase
Don't ever buy a MAZDA ABS brake units fail.$3300 for new unit
Our 2011 Mazda 3 went into Mazda for 80000 service at 500 dollars this included brake fluid flush. Not long afterwards the brake pedal became soft, took the car in early before 90000 service to get it looked at, after Wanneroo Mazda first said there is nothing wrong and on my insistance they did find something wrong and bleed the brakes again and brake pedal went back to normal. One and half day later the same problem returned and I took it back only to be told the ABS unit is faulty and needs to be replaced for 3300 dollars, searches on internet reveal this is a all to common problem. Do not buy a MAZDA.
Wish someone had told me this sooner.
Purchased in February 2011 at Mazda Dealers for $23,000.00.
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Stacey G.
- 3 reviews
- 2 likes
Problem car
We bought a cheap & nasty 2007 model Mazda 3 diesel 6 months ago. We were drawn to the fuel efficiency & it was what we could afford at the time. What a piece of crap! 6 months down the track we are faced with the possibility of having to replace it & lose $4000+. It is so rattly the suspension sounds like it could fall off at any moment, the engine shudders the whole car something chronic & it idles up & down like crazy. The airbag light has come on for no apparent reason & they need replacing at a cost of $1500 a piece for the car to be safe ...
Read moreagain, it’s not even worth fixing! The fuel economy has been fantastic, my husband drives it to work all week (240kms) and it costs about $20-$25 in diesel each week & the acceleration is fantastic. That’s about the only good things I have to say about this car.Purchased in December 2019 for $4,500.00.
ParisSydney, NSW
Terrible Car
I recently purchased a next-gen Mazda 3 and have had constant issues with the car since the day I bought it. Let's start with the emergency braking which went off without cause an hour after I drove the car out of the show room. After this continued everyday for two weeks I decided there must be something wrong with the car and it was also becoming very dangerous. I brought the car in and they told me nothing was wrong with the car only to find out a week later the car had been recalled for that exact issue. Once they fixed that all the other i...
Read moressues proceeded to follow. -Air conditioning blowing out the completely wrong temperature -Constant rattle from the passenger seat belt -The sound system not working for a day -The passenger door always getting stuck I also had the worst experience at Brookvale Mazda with service manager Darren. I have never been treated so poorly. He should not be on the front line. It's safe to say this car is terrible. Please save yourself the time and don't buy a Mazda.Purchased in October 2019 at Mazda Dealers for $29,000.00.
cookieSydney Surrounds, NSW
- 4 reviews
- 7 likes
Don’t believe the hype, Mazda can do better.
The BP Mazda 3 is not a bad car, but Mazda (like all car manufacturers at some stage) has lost sight of what made the previous models enjoyable. Unfortunately for them, they also introduced a host of very frustrating, unwanted characteristics into the new, BP-Series.
Firstly, some background. I turn cars over frequently, sometimes racking up 100,000 km per annum. I’m fussy, some of the things that drive me crazy about cars go unnoticed by many happy owners. So there, you have been warned.
Ok, back to my experiences with my 2019 Mazda 3 G25.
T...
Read morehe good: looks nice (subjective); well-made; familiar; proper hydraulic automatic gearbox, decent-sized fuel tank so it has a good highway range; much improved headlamps; improved multimedia (doesn’t freeze as often, starts up more quickly), better rear-seat folding system; all-windows one-touch up and down; nicer instrument cluster; digital radio; rear seat vents; LED head- and taillamps; nice black headliner, more standard features. The not-so-good: 1. Still very noisy, extremely so. This would have to be the noisiest new car available in Australia, on coarse-chip surfaces it will give you a headache after a couple of hours. Don’t believe the hype about this car being more refined than the previous series.Purchased in December 2019 for $30,000.00.
LachlanGPerth, WA
- 4 reviews
Great car
First brand new car I have ever bought and no regrets. Car drives brilliantly - preferred this model over turbo alternatives, considerably smoother and I know will go for miles. Has held its value very well as expected too. My only negative would be that it’s a little noisy when starting but you get used to it.
Had it for 70k kms now and hasn’t missed a beat.
Purchased in July 2017 at Mazda Dealers for $21,000.00.
Carlee
- 10 reviews
- 4 likes
I loved this car!!!!
Words can not explain how much I loved this car, i bought it at 14thousand KMs and had it until 80k when I unfortunately rode it off this car looks and feels so good one the road with a 2.5 litre engine it picked up speed as quick as you can click your fingers it was very reliable and smart the petrol wasn't incredible usually 50-60 for a full tank and only lasting a week but I don't drive like a grandma. If I could drive this car again I would I loved her so so so much NOTE: this car saved my life, I crashed it at 100kms and hour and I came out basically untouched the car crumbled around me but by that happening I survived!
Purchased in October 2016 at Mazda for $22.00.
Questions & Answers
PAUL I.asked
WHAT TYPE OF FUEL SHOULD I USE
No answers
Lisaasked
My daughter just brought 2012 Madza 3 and there is a gap in dash looks like it has expanding in the heat and the clips have come off. I have google it its been recalled in the US but nothing here in Australia.
As anyone else had this problem?
No answers
Alex H.asked
my automatic mazda keeps jumping to from normal gears to AT
1 answer
There's a common problem with the transmission control module (TCM) on Mazda 3's. It's likely to be the cause if your car is now a few years old. You can test this by using an OBD2 tester and reading the error code. If you are not familiar with this, then best take it to an auto electrician and get them to read the code for you. If you find an error then you can buy a new one (expensive), buy a 2nd hand one (hard to find, could end up with the same issue after a while), or get your TCM repaired (no one in AUS does this - but the US company listed below can do). The repair cost with postage for me was about $500AUD. Hope this helps.
www.shop.modulerepairpro.com
Details
Mazda 3 BP (Sedan) G20 Pure Manual (2019-2021)No reviews yet | Mazda 3 BP (Sedan) G20 Pure Automatic (2019-2021)No reviews yet | Mazda 3 BP (Sedan) G20 Evolve Manual (2019-2021)No reviews yet | Mazda 3 BP (Sedan) G20 Evolve Automatic (2019-2021)No reviews yet | |
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Category | Cars and Sedans | Cars and Sedans | Cars and Sedans | Cars and Sedans |
Starting Price | $28,629 | $28,629 | $30,380 | $30,380 |
Transmission | Manual | Automatic | Manual | Automatic |
Drive Type | Front Wheel Drive (FWD) | Front Wheel Drive (FWD) | Front Wheel Drive (FWD) | Front Wheel Drive (FWD) |
Fuel Type | Petrol | Petrol | Petrol | Petrol |
Wheels | 16" Alloy | 16" Alloy | 18" Alloy | 18" Alloy |
ANCAP Safety Rating | 5 Stars | 5 Stars | 5 Stars | 5 Stars |
Fuel Consumption | 5.3 L/100km | 5.2 L/100km | 5.3 L/100km | 5.2 L/100km |
Fuel Tank Capacity | 51 L | 51 L | 51 L | 51 L |
Engine | 4 Cylinder 2.0L | 4 Cylinder 2.0L | 4 Cylinder 2.0L | 4 Cylinder 2.0L |
Max Power | 114kW @ 6000rpm | 114kW @ 6000rpm | 114kW @ 6000rpm | 114kW @ 6000rpm |
Max Torque | 200Nm @ 4000rpm | 200Nm @ 4000rpm | 200Nm @ 4000rpm | 200Nm @ 4000rpm |
Country of Manufacture | Japan | Japan | Japan | Japan |
Safety Features |
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Extra Features |
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Manufacturer Warranty | 5 year(s) | 5 year(s) | 5 year(s) | 5 year(s) |
Release date | Jan 2019 | Jan 2019 | Jan 2019 | Jan 2019 |
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