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2010 Mazda Mazda3 Pros and Cons at TrueDelta: Mazda 3 vs. BMW 1-series by msweeney23

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Introduction

The Mazda was obviously much cheaper, completely loaded, and really fun to drive. In hindsight I would have been far better off spending the money on the more reliable BMW.

Reviewed: 2010 Mazda Mazda3

4dr Hatch 167-horsepower 2.5L I4 6-speed manual FWD

Why the 2010 Mazda Mazda3?

Exterior styling

Second generation styling most call 'shockingly ugly'.. therefore I must have. I like to look different than everything else on the road.

Interior styling

Gorgeous interior and very comfortable on long trips. My car is top-of-the-line decked out with leather, power everything, 10 speaker bose stereo system, bluetooth, navigation etc.etc.

Powertrain performance

2.5L non-turbo is fun, but I should have waited for the turbo.

Fuel economy

Avg. 27mpg over the past two years.

Handling

Awesome, until things started to go wrong.. now it shakes and vibrates all over the place. Mazda dealerships are TERRIBLE and really don't want to fix anything.

Why Not the 2010 Mazda Mazda3?

Price or payments

Decent value, but too expensive considering the drivetrain problems I have experienced.

Tires

The stock tires are crap - they lasted about 30K miles from new.

Reliability & durability

The drivetrain reliability on this car is awful. Clutch started failing at 40K, axles have gone bad, wheel bearings have gone bad, suspension has been replaced..

Dealer practices

Mazda dealerships are the worst of the Japanese car options. The techs are terrible, they really don't know what they are talking about. "Oh, you say the car wanders on the road? That's just because the power steering cannot figure out what way you are trying to steer and it's normal." I'm not kidding!

Past personal experience

Based on my experience with Mazda, I'll never purchase one again.

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Response from Zeker

3:06 pm February 28, 2017

I replaced lower motor mount with "harder" after market mod. This improved drivabilty tremendously. Gone was the wheel hop around left hand corners and increased straight line traction. Interior HNV increased abit but gone once in second gear.

I also installed front and rearshock tower braces which again improved drivabilty esp on tight merging approaches and much reduced body roll. A bunch of fun from a reliable vehicle.

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