Amazing car!!! – We got a Mazda last year and are absolutely loving it. So smooth and the style is perfect. Wouldn’t drive anything else!! Used every day to get to work no issues at all Show details
Adore this car! Heavenly to drive – We have a long commute each morning and afternoon, and wanted a car that would be fuel-efficient, very comfortable, spacious throughout, enjoyable to drive, and wouldn’t cost a fortune. We could not be happier with our purchase! It has everything we need and more. We’re very impressed with how they’ve designed it to have plenty of space in the… Read more
front and the back (and the trunk), even though it’s only considered a mid sized car.
Once we’d decided on a Mazda 3, we still were undecided whether to get a Maxx, Maxx sport, Touring or SP25 but purchased this car (SP25) as it had all the features we were after and was in run out so we got a fantastic price for a brand new 2019 model. If we were making the decision to buy a car all over again we would definitely buy this exact vehicle.
We’ve previously owned a 2007 Mazda 3 Maxx, which was super reliable and never let us down even though we had nearly 240,000 km on it. If this car lasts that long again and continues running as beautifully as it has been, we’ll be buying Mazda for the rest of our lives.
The interior feels sleek and modern, the safety and warning features are exactly as we expect, the built in entertainment/navigation system has everything we need and connects perfectly to our phones every time without having to push any buttons. Using our phones for hands-free calls, receiving texts, or listening to music on Spotify is super easy.
With newer features like pushbutton start, keyless entry, electronic parking brake, and i–stop, I’d been a little concerned about upgrading from our old car and having to deal with ‘unnecessary’ technology, but now I’d never look back.
There are only two things that I miss from our old Mazda 3 - we no longer have somewhere to throw loose change as there’s no ash try, and the glove box in our 2007 model was very deep and could easily fit lots in it, this new 2019 model just has a regular sized glove box. Neither of these are deal breakers, so we’re extremely happy with our purchase.
Our 2019 Mazda 3 SP25 is really enjoyable to drive, it sticks to the road beautifully and drives super smoothly. With a 2.5L engine it gives a nice boost when needed, and can accelerate quickly and without effort even in 4th gear. We would recommend this car to anyone! Young, young at heart, families, singles and everyone in between.
Transmission failure at 3,000kms!! – I purchased a brand new 2019 Mazda 3 BN SP25 on the 8th of March 2019 from my local Mazda dealer. The car drove fine for the first 2 months (as you would expect from a brand new car). On the 21st of May I started up my car and gave it 5 minutes to warm up, as I usually do every morning. As I was exiting my street and turned onto the main road, I… Read more
noticed that the vehicle was not changing from first gear to second gear (automatic transmission). The car was revving up to high rpms and refused to changed gear. I somehow managed to drive the car up the hill on the main road and turned into a nearby residential street. I immediately turned off the vehicle and waited a few minutes before starting the car again. I proceeded to drive back to my residence and I noticed that the vehicle refused to change gears again and the car was lacking power. I managed to drive my car up the hill again with the hazard lights on and managed to park the car on my nature strip. I changed the gear to reverse to adjust the car on the nature strip and I noticed the car wouldn’t reverse either ...
I left the car at home and took my weekend vehicle to work. I had to ask my father to stay back from work, to have the vehicle investigated. My father called the Mazda dealer we purchased the vehicle from and the dealer organised to have the vehicle towed. However, the dealer advised us that they wouldn’t be able to inspect the car for a few days as they were full booked out. The vehicle was towed on the same day the incident occurred (Tuesday 21st May 2019).
The dealer advised that they will be contacting Mazda Australia immediately to organise a courtesy vehicle. I didn’t receive a call from Mazda Australia on Tuesday, so I decided to call both the dealer and Mazda Australia on Wednesday. The dealer advised that they spoke to someone from Mazda Australia on Tuesday and that Mazda Australia has advised that someone would be contacting me on the same day. The dealer advised that they will be following up with Mazda Australia again. I decided to call Mazda Australia myself and the customer service representative advised that my case manager was busy, so she would return my call. I didn’t receive a call back from Mazda Australia on Wednesday either.
On Thursday I called Mazda Australia again and once again the customer service representative advised that the car manager was busy and my call would be returned. I also called my local dealer and the dealer advised that the car has been diagnosed with a failed transmission ... I was beyond shock that a transmission on 2 month old car had failed (the car had only travelled 3,000kms at this point). The dealer advised that a transmission had been ordered and it would take about a week to arrive from Melbourne.
On Friday I finally received a called from Mazda Australia, my case managers name was Jennifer (Case number #1515275). Jennifer discussed possible pick up dates for a courtesy car and we arranged for a Mazda 3 with GPS to be picked up on Saturday form Avis Rental Penrith. I specially requested for a vehicle with GPS as my job requires me to travel to different clients weekly.
I requested for a brand new replacement vehicle from Mazda Australia, as I had major safety concerns about my vehicle. The transmission had already failed at 3,000kms and I wasn’t sure of what would fail next. I also stressed that I purchased this vehicle as a daily car for work, as my main (weekend) car is a v8 and purchased the vehicle as a collectors item for myself. Jennifer advised that my request will be forwarded to the Mazda executive team and the case would be reviewed. Because of Mazda Australia’s lack of communication and care, I had to use my weekend vehicle to travel from Western Sydney to Mona Vale for 4 days.
On Saturday morning when I went to pick up my courtesy car, I was given a Toyota Corolla Ascent (no GPS) ..... I told the rental company that I required a vehicle with a GPS but the rental company advised that Mazda Australia didn’t request for a vehicle with a GPS.
I tried to call Jennifer from Mazda Australia a few times the following week to discuss the progress of my request for a new vehicle, however once again the customer representative advised that the case manager is busy and she would return my call. Every single time I called to discuss the case with Jennifer, I was advised that she would return my call, however it took her at least 3 days to return my call each and every time.
After about 3 weeks the Mazda executive team decided that won’t consider my request for a replacement vehicle, so they decided to offer me 2 free services and 2 years road side assistance ....
I tried to convey how the outcome of the review was unacceptable to Jennifer, however she didn’t seem to care and stated that the executive teams decisions was final and nothing could be done.
I picked up my on 7th June 2019 when the replacement transmission had been installed.
Penrith Mazda were okay to deal with, however there was a lack of updates and it seemed that I had to call and ask for updates myself every time. The service rep (Tim) on the day I went to pick up my car was also very rude and unprofessional. Tim was defending Mazda Australia when I asked him if it was common for a transmission to fail on a 2 month old Mazda and he stated “at least Mazda Australia replaces the transmission, other brands/dealerships like Holden wouldn’t even do anything about it”. I told Tim that I had personally owned 3 Holden’s and have never had any issues, however time was more concerned about degrading other brands And refused to comment on my original question. However, apart from Tim’s attitude and service I was really happy with the way Penrith Mazda handled the vehicles repair. I also really appreciate that Reagan and Christian from the service department were always happy to help whenever I had any questions over the phone
I will personally never buy or recommend a Mazda again, especially after the treatment I received from Mazda Australia. I bought a Mazda 3 for reliability and got the compete opposite. I really regret not buying a Golf GTI or Holden Astra RS-V.
Better than most medium cars out there but a lot of small problems and transmission IS FAULTY by design! – Review Updated: Have done over 18,000 Kms on it now- I was a Hyundai i30 (2010) owner prior but comparing the new i30 to the mazda 3 I fell in love instantly with the Mazda for its superior seat comfort, ride and handling. The 2.5L engine was a must for me as I found the 2.0L so sluggish, however this is true on most modern cars due to the strict… Read more
emission regulations and the endless pursuit of fuel economy (But still better than the i30 2.0L equivalent).
Pros:
Their engines are state of the art and I i like the normal atmo/non-turbo engines so that was a plus for me. Also a plus the car can uses 91RON fuel (compared to most small turbo engine these days that require 95RON) even though there is some misfiring when the car is cold that gets better when the car warms up.
Ride handling and vehicle dynamics are some of the best in class and the SP25 2018 is the last Mazda 3 that comes with the independent rear suspension that adds to the ride quality.
It just looks soooo good - especially with the LED lights and the big rims.
The price is very good for what you get and the skyactiv technology even though some of it questionable shows that Mazda is at least trying to innovate rather than just ''make'' cars.
Cons:
Braking - The braking has a very big deadzone initially - you press the brake pedal and nothing happens, you need to press harder for it to have some effect. It is not as snappy as some other cars.
i-stop - this is a total waste of time and a gimmick at most - and Mazda has admitted it is about emission control not for fuel saving - In turn you require a bigger battery due to it and when that needs replacing (which it will) it will set you back over $600!! (and you cannot swap it yourself you have to visit the dealership to re-program the car).
Front/Forward collision radar: even though this is great technology in a very hot weather (over 35 degrees) it will de-activate as it overheats, and in the winter it will de-active again if the windshield is foggy. I have taken the car back due to the warning light coming up and they said this is normal.
MZD connect - The mazda infotaiment system when it first came out 2012/13 was superior to most but after almost 5 years it is now ageing - still no android auto or apple car play because somehow mazda is SO STUBBORN to put it on despite massive pressure from customers. The system lags and sometimes connecting to bluetooth can be a frustrating process. (Good news is the android auto/apple car play has been announced - FINALLY! however you will be charged for it which i found to be unfair)
I have had 4 different rattles/vibrations from the interior since new, one in the center console, one on the driver's door trim, driver's side window is rattling and one on the side dash. NONE of them have been fixed properly by the Mazda service and I have taken it back twice! It seems the interior has been put together very badly! (and it is made in JAPAN!)
Suspension are now squeaking/creaking when coming out of the driveway or sharp turns - this is ridiculous on a year old car!
The paint work is very thin - there are huge complaints about this on forums and it scratches very very easily.
Auto transmission: So here it is - The auto trans is faulty by design (has been checked and verified by 2 different dealerships that all tell me ''this is the characteristic of the vehicle" which is not true). I have done a lot of research on this so here is the short story: (It gets a little technical btw): They are using an outdated 6 speed auto which uses a crappy lock-up torque converted system (supposedly to save fuel). If you know how lock-up torque converters work (they use a little clutch) and how it feels you will be able to tell that it is slow in reacting in situations like when you decelerate and suddenly accelerate, for example going through a sharp bend then accelerating, this causes a small delay (it is the lock up clutch engaging/disengaging) it feels so bad and in certain situations it produces a jolk/jerk, and in other situations a half-a-second delay for the gears to engage- it also sometimes feels like a gear has changed when in fact it is the lock-up clutch engaging and sometimes the system is unable to synchronize this correctly with engine revs and you end up in a small thud/jolk which can be slightly felt depending on speed. it more evident in slow speeds or when the fluids are still cold. There are a lot of complaints online and the earlier skyactiv models were so bad there was a recall by Mazda for their transmissions, yet they still haven't made any significant changes to their crappy 6spd auto since 2012. It is the worse thing about a Mazda and a reason to stay away. Not only that, they also fail very easily, you basically have to baby them, my CX5 failed at 30,000kms and this was my wife's vehicle driving to and from work (thankfully still in warranty). 90% of the people who buy Mazda's unfortunately will not notice this and when I took mine to Mazda the mechanics said the same thing, so this goes under-reported but I am sure Mazda knows about it. (it is way more evident on the 2.5L model due to the more powerful engine).
I have had one of the worse experiences with Mazda and now they are being sued by the ACCC for doing the same thing to other customers (i.e not rectifying problems or not giving refunds etc)
Good looking and good to drive – Pluses Love the look of this car Drives very well. I like the reversing camera a lot. GPS easy to use. Like the reminders about traffic signals to avoid speeding fines. Manual gearbox changes smoothly easy to drive. Good fuel economy especially on long drives. Like the gadgets like push button start rain sensing wipers etc. Sedan has… Read more
great boot size
Minus
Some problems with electrics currently mirrors don’t always fold out fully a major problem.
Exterior seems to dent and scratch easily. Mine had quite a few dents from things like a gum nut falling on it or a knock with a shoe as getting in.
Interior not hard wearing either. Scratches and digs showing up within days of having the vehicle. (I don’t think we are especially rough)
Road noise as others have mentioned.
I stop function doesn’t always start car instantly when clutch is depressed.
None of the minuses are deal breakers for me I still very much enjoy the car. What will stop me buying another Mazda is the 3 year warranty. With so many longer warranties 3 yrs is not competitive enough for me. I’ll be looking at a Honda or Kia.
Woow – It's nice. It was a good deal. Car is good and worked nicely till now. Driving is excellent. It was a value for money buy. Great value for the product they provided. Hope all other companies also do the same. Great going by the company. Nice. Superb. Woow. Thanks for the car Mazda. Show details
Great bang for your buck – Performance wise, the handling feels tight, very responsive - some might feel like the steering doesn't feel nice to drive in comparison to luxury cars but you get what you pay for. Not too noisy and the 2.5L is definitely recommended if you travel a bit more than the average person due to it being easier to overtake on highways, etc Interior… Read more
is average but for the price it does feel like you get a bit more for what you pay for. It's comfortable for 4 average sized people and the fuel economy is good for a 2.5L engine.
Cheap Paint Work – Love this car because of great look, good performance and and interior. All boxes tick except the colour quality. The colour coating is unbelievably thin and a miner stone chip can expose the White primer...........:( I think for $30k Mazda, the can afford better paint work.I won’t buy another Mazda Show details
Nice comfortable car!! – I have been using this car for 2 months now, and i think is a nice car with affordable price. It has really good handling and security system. The seats also quite comfy. And I really like the appearance of its both interior and exterior. The only downside probably the engine noise which is quite noticeable, but i dont really mind. Overall is a good car. Excellent. Show details
My perfect zoom-zoom – Good driving and handling experience, good electronics. Mine is an SP25 model with the larger 18 inch rims and low profile tyres. I find the ride not as comfy as the 16 inch tyres. Apart from the less comfy wheels, the extra torque is zippy enough for city driving and I love driving it around. Good fuel consumption and easy to park with the reverse camera Show details
Great car, pity about the fuel economy – The Mazda 3 SP25 SkyActiv is a nice car to drive, it looks modern, has comfortable seats, has good driver vision and a nice clear instrument panel. Controls on the steering wheel and stalks are well situated and easy to use. There’s plenty of power with the SP25 but the trade-off is the poor fuel economy. I traded in a 10 year old Honda Civic and… Read more
expected the fuel economy to be better than the Civic. It's not! The city specs for the Mazda is 6.5 l/100km but I'm getting a consistent 9.0 l/100km around town. Admittedly the engine is 2.5 compared to the Civic's 2 litre engine.
The Mazda 3 SP25’s features that I like and find useful are:
• Automatic sensing windscreen wipers (These can be adjusted to vary the intermittent rate to the driver’s preference. Very useful, love it!)
• Automatic sensing headlights,
• The heads up display is one option that sold the car to me. It makes it much easier to keep your eyes on the road and not down at the instrument panel.
• Rear parking sensors and vision on the LCD display.
• Paddle shift gears on the steering wheel. I use these in conjunction with the brakes to slow down on hills and corners. I used to drive a manual so this is the best of both a manual and an automatic.
• The control knob for the touch screen is well placed and very useful. I find this a much better alternative than reaching for the touch screen while driving. It also avoids finger prints on the screen.
• Sat Nav is useful and I'm sure I'll use all its options one day. It does alert me to school zones and displays the street map on screen while driving which is useful at times. The map is updated with each Mazda service.
• Leather seats & steering wheel,
• Keyless start. No need to take keys out of your pocket or purse to open or start the car.
• The low profile tyres look good but you do notice the bumps a little more
• The boot doesn’t seem as big as the Civic but still a good size
Things that I would have liked in my new car
• The option to have an inbuilt dashcam. (Does any manufacturer have this option and why not?)
• Or a USB plug near the rear vision mirror so the cable for the windscreen mounted dashcam doesn’t have to be routed across the top of the windscreen, down the passenger pillar and door, under the floor mat to the central USB point.
• Side mirrors that fold in when the car is parked.
• Front parking sensors (the top Mazda 3 models have this)
Overall I’m very happy with the Mazda 3 SP25 except maybe for the poor fuel economy. The car hasn’t missed a beat and is soon to complete its first 10,000kms.
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