2009 Mazda MAZDA3 Review Summaries

What reviewers liked most about the Mazda MAZDA3:

The Mazda 6 is also the source of the 3's sophisticated rear multi-link suspension, which is set up to give the car great stability in high-speed sweepers.

-- Automobile

Equipped with the five-speed manual and the 2.3-liter engine, our tester did the 0-to-60 dash in 7.4 seconds.

-- Car and Driver

With its distinctive snout, smooth flanks and shapely rear end, it looks more like a downsized European-bred machine than a Japanese car that starts well under $20,000.

-- Edmunds.com

We came out of an Ikea store with an unassembled table in a flat box measuring 48 inches long and 30 inches wide, and it slid neatly in the back of the five-door with the 60/40 fold-down rear seat flattened. Flipping the seats down is easy.

-- New Car Test Drive

The standard cloth interior is sturdy, in blue or red check with leather at the edges. The leather is smooth and black and a well-priced option compared to other cars.

-- New Car Test Drive

What reviewers liked least about the Mazda MAZDA3:

The only gaffe we noted inside is foot room for the rear passengers that is cut off at the heels by a required crossmember.

-- AutoWeek

...we could do without the cheesy LEDs that light up in correspondence with volume or station changes. And as good as they look, the controls don't have the high-quality feel that you get with the Honda Civic.

-- Edmunds.com

Mazda MAZDA3 Comparisons:

The four-door, though it goes well, is a less exciting design than the very cool five-door; the S package and upgraded wheels make this practical hatch a segment leader in the looks department.

-- AutoWeek

...if there's understeer, the inevitable consequence of front-wheel drive, the threshold is higher than in all but a few cars in this class, and those few are the performance specials such as the SVT Focus, Dodge SRT-4, and Saturn Ion Red Line.

-- Car and Driver

Larger in most exterior dimensions than the outgoing Proteg?, the 3 offers only negligible differences in interior space. There's still enough room for taller drivers to get comfortable up front, and the rear seats are acceptably spacious for a car in this class.

-- Edmunds.com

Best one-liner about the Mazda MAZDA3:

The radio can be operated by an older adult, even one with bifocals.

-- Automobile

The old econobox ain't what it used to be. This is what it has become. Is this a great world or what?

-- New Car Test Drive