Purchased this car brand new off the lot and I still own it 157K later. I’ve had to replace the brakes, spark plugs, fuel pump and starter – but those have not been significant costs in owning this car for 7 years. The leg room in the back can be a little tight for a sedan, but I only use it with a car seat for my little one. The interior is comfortable and stylish and easy to navigate the middle dash pane. It feels like a sturdy car and it is also great on gas! The only thing I would say I don’t like is the rust in the wheel wells – but this was covered by a recall that Mazda did. I found once they replaced and re-did the wheel wells I no longer had rusting issues. The sedan has great value for price vs. performance – and in todays economy with rising gas prices – the gas consumption to mileage on this car is very good!

This was a very reliable vehicle for lugging cargo around town. The fuel consumption was very high for a cargo van, but the engine was powerful and did not feel bogged down when cargo was at capacity. There was quite a bit of wind noise when travelling on the highway with this van, but it still felt sturdy and you did not feel like it would blow over. Visibility and size/placement of mirrors gave good coverage when driving this van. The radiator & gas pump were replaced once, aside from that regular maintenance kept the van running well. This van was driven pretty hard and was constantly full of cargo but was always reliable .

This is a car rich with features that makes it feel like a luxury car. I own the model with the navigation and I am so glad I have it. It’s a smooth car to ride and the sound is minimal in the cabin when driving on highways. It takes bumps in the road very easily so you are not uncomfortable during your ride. It is not the best on gas, but it is also not the worst. For the price paid, the value of the car is great for what you get. I’d recommend this car (with nav) to anyone considering it!

They should have never discontinued making this car. The style of this car (5th gen) was always a head turner and made other cars have something to desire. I drove this car very hard every single day I owned it and I never had a problem. Regular maintenance took care of anything that would have gone wrong. It’s a sporty car that is lots of fun for anyone to drive. Gear changing was seamless and it picked up on the roads very quickly.

Great van! It was always reliable and was good on gas. It not only transported people very well but it could lug some great cargo in the back. It had a great ‘aerodynamic’ feel to the van and it handled very well on the roads.

Great value for your dollar. Maintenance is cheap, parts are cheap, and its good on gas. In this economy what more could you want from a car? The interior is comfortable and spacious and it drives very well. I had no problems in the entire time I owned the car. The best part was performing minor repairs or fixing the little things that went wrong was very easy on this car to do myself and not have to take it into a shop. Id recommend this car to anyone looking for value at a good pricepoint and don’t need the extra frills in a car.

Did not enjoy this car at all. It had the speed when needed, but used up gas what felt like more than an average v6 engine. There were constant problems with the engine, and had to replace the struts twice. Did not drive the car very hard to warrant having to replace the struts twice. I also had a major issue with rusting along the t bars by the windows and in the wheel wells. Also up close, there were many rust spots beginning to form (where there were not stone chips). On the hood there were lots of stone chips, more than the average car. I was told that mazda uses one less paint coat than other makers – not sure if this is true but it would answer why there were more than average stone chips. Did not keep the car very long as I was not impressed with it.

Good car, feels luxurious on the interior and the exterior has stepped its game up from the old mazda styles. It’s a wider car but makes you feel dominant on the road which I liked. As time went on, the luxurious feel of the interior faded a little as the plastic pieces began to squeak. After much research I found this was a common problem among mazda owners and not many had a proper solution. Its not a deal breaker though, I still like the car and what you get at the pricepoint.

Was not the best car to drive – I found it to be a sticky/jerky ride. The type S had a much smoother ride compared to this model. It’s a fairly spacious car considering the size when you view it outside – granted the back seats aren’t fit for tall people (as with most smaller cars). It was a peppy car, but the jerkiness of the ride gave me motion sickness (something I never get). I wouldn’t recommend this car unless it was the type S.

This was an amazing car to drive and own! The performance of the car on the road was exciting to say the least and the features all compliment the car well. The sounds of the exhaust roaring as you changed gears along your drive is exhilarating. There is great value for getting 300hp v8 at this price. Gets great mileage considering the performance level of the car. Highly recommend for anyone looking for a car in this class.

This is a good car, its good on gas, drives well, have had no significant problems. We have kept the car up with regular maintenance and have never had an issue. The space is good and it fits a baby seat in the back very well for the little one. There is a good amount of trunk space as well. The seats are comfortable and have good support. I’d recommend this car to anyone looking for a budget friendly car with great gas mileage.

Hate this van! I can not say one good thing about it. It was bought brand new and constantly had problems. It felt like every other week the van was going into the shop for some kind of new repair. The seats are not comfortable to sit on at all! They feel like rocks. The middle bench is so stiff and doesn’t move easily to allow people into the back seats. It doesn’t drive very well either, it just feels like a heavy, clunky van that is more hassle than it is worth. I have driven other vans and none were as bad as this one. I would not recommend this to anyone.

My current car – love it! Sits low to the ground, picks up very quickly, Bluetooth is a great feature, and its got good gas mileage. It does have limited trunk space, and although there are seats in the back – remember it is a coupe. So unless you are very tiny – it really is just a 2 seater car. The bose speaker system is a nice touch as well.

Bought this car used around 70K and fell in love with it. Smooth ride, gears shifted seamlessly (mine was manual), quick pickup, and the storage in the back with the hatch folded down was a lot more spacious than one would think in a hatchback. It was great on gas and all maintenance was relatively cheap. I had no significant problems with the car. What I did not like about this car was after it hit about 115K it began to rattle from the inside. The plastic pieces from the dash to the doors would creak non-stop. I’d keep turning up the radio to drown out the sounds because they would get very irritating. Tried every trick in the book to get the creaks to stop – but nothing would work. Aside from that problem, it was a great car and as long as you dont mind a squeaky interior - you'll love the car!

I had quite a few mods done to the car, but even before I started on those – this car was a joy to ride. It hugged the road perfectly and I had lots of fun flying down the highways in it. The 6 cylinder moves the car at very low RPMs at ease without needing to rev very high. Maintenance is a bit pricier – but it is a solid car. I beat this car up when driving it and it held up throughout the wear and tear I put it through. When you shut the door you feel the sturdiness of the car – not like many of the flimsy cars made today. It was not the best on gas, but what do you expect from a V6? It’s a fun sporty car for someone looking to have some fun rides on the road with some power behind the engine!

My grandmother bought this car brand new, then passed it to my mother, who then passed it to me as my first car. It stood up to three generations of use – with regular maintenance the car never had a major issue. It was great on gas, seated 5 people comfortably, and was always reliable! When I finally decided to sell the car and upgrade there was about 222K of mileage and it was still running as smooth as the first day my grandmother purchased it. Great budget car that gets the job done.