2004 Mazda Mazda3 Pros and Cons at TrueDelta: Owner Pros and Cons by rpn453

Safety & braking

Big brake rotors. Stops very well. No fade, no warp. Good pad life. ABS works better than most.

Handling

Great cornering ability and stability. Steering feel is excellent, and speed sensitive steering works flawlessly.

Powertrain performance

Engine revs smoothly and freely to 7100 rpm. First gear is short, which is good for take-off, crawling in traffic, and acceleration off the line.

Powertrain performance

Harsh wheel hop occurs very easily. Second gear is too tall. Huge gap between first and second. Open differential provides poor acceleration on slippery surfaces. I wish it had an LSD.

Audio & nav systems

Audio system sounds bad. Not terrible, but bad.