Whats going on. Here's the deal: I'm 22 and buying a car. It's essentially down to the Mazda 3 or the Civic Sedan. Both cars would be '07 line (possibly '06), and my main concerns after narrowing down are safety and resale value. I've searched the site, and anythng anti-mazda i've found has of course been met with stiff opposition. So where do I sit with those two factors in mind? Which is a better car for the dollar (keeping in mind safety and resale value) Because obviosly the Mazda 3 looks better ha. (Manual tranny only, and trying to keep the price below 18K) Thanks in advance all.
Should I get a Mazda 3?
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It comes down to this:
For resale values, few can top a Honda.
For driving excitement and looks go with the Mazda3.
You have to weigh the two.
Reliability is good for both.
For resale values, few can top a Honda.
For driving excitement and looks go with the Mazda3.
You have to weigh the two.
Reliability is good for both.
I was basically in your position in May. Civic or Mazda3? Honda will definately have a better resale value, but Mazda is the best bang for your buck by far. Safety I'd say isn't of much difference between the two.
The Mazda looks so much nicer. If the civics hood didn't drop off like a Prius, and have a dash like a car in a cheap arcade game, it probably would have been a harder decision for me. But its really hands down Mazda in my opinion.
The Mazda looks so much nicer. If the civics hood didn't drop off like a Prius, and have a dash like a car in a cheap arcade game, it probably would have been a harder decision for me. But its really hands down Mazda in my opinion.
Since safety is important, make sure you get a model with the side impact airbags, side curtains and ABS. Some equipment levels have it standard, some can have it as an option for $395 (the best-spent money in my view). The 3 did pretty bad in a side impact tests without the side airbags. As I can recall, the Civic did very well in crash tests.
That said, I would again pick the 3 if I was buying. The dash in the Civic is a seriously ugly. Plus the Mazda will most likely be more fun to drive - I haven't driven the Civic so i can't say for sure. Great choice of transmission - the manual in the Mazda is great.
That said, I would again pick the 3 if I was buying. The dash in the Civic is a seriously ugly. Plus the Mazda will most likely be more fun to drive - I haven't driven the Civic so i can't say for sure. Great choice of transmission - the manual in the Mazda is great.
you can track the resale value on the ALG site -- that's the value that mazda and honda are using when figuring out the residual for leases -- so it does have some meaning. Last I looked the 3 was worse than the civic only by a couple of percent, that's ~$400 over 3 years. The 3 will also have a worse gas mileage, probably another $200 / year difference. If you weigh these costs vs. HID, ESC, and things like that the price to pay seems pretty small... Just make sure you understand the cost of ownership (incl insurance differential) before making the decision.
First, you never stated if you were looking at the 3i or 3s. I'm going to assume you're talking about getting a 3s vs a Civic EX. The Honda has a few things missing that are standard on the 3s like leather wrapped steering wheel and fog lamps, both of which will cost you an arm and a leg to get dealer installed, which is the way Honda does options. I looked at the Civic and installation and equipment to get fog lamps installed would have cost me $655. It's a rip off.
The 3s has many options that aren't even offered on the Honda, such as High Intensity Discharge (HID) headlamps, leather seating, heated seats, and lots of accessories that can either be port installed if ordered or dealer installed like remote starting.
The interior and exterior of the 3 wins hands down against the sedan version of the Civic. The coupe version is about equal in exterior, but the interior is still horrible. Then there is the hatch option. Lots of luggage/storage space. It's not even available on the Civic.
Lastly, a drive in both reveals the more athletic nature of the 3. It simply invites you to drive in a spirited manner. The Civic is nimble, but doesn't have the same sporty character as the 3.
Think about what I've said, and go drive them both back to back before you make your decision.
The 3s has many options that aren't even offered on the Honda, such as High Intensity Discharge (HID) headlamps, leather seating, heated seats, and lots of accessories that can either be port installed if ordered or dealer installed like remote starting.
The interior and exterior of the 3 wins hands down against the sedan version of the Civic. The coupe version is about equal in exterior, but the interior is still horrible. Then there is the hatch option. Lots of luggage/storage space. It's not even available on the Civic.
Lastly, a drive in both reveals the more athletic nature of the 3. It simply invites you to drive in a spirited manner. The Civic is nimble, but doesn't have the same sporty character as the 3.
Think about what I've said, and go drive them both back to back before you make your decision.
[quote author=falk44 link=topic=65301.msg1120266#msg1120266 date=1167103314]
What is HID/ESC? And the last post also brings up another good point, will insurance on the 3 be higher than that of a civic?
[/quote]HID is high intensity discharge (headlights) and ESC is electronic stability control. My insurance stayed pretty much the same as my civic that I sold for my 3. Tha civic is higher up on the most stolen list(I think it still is) so insurance may be less than a newer civic. The easiest way to decide is to justgo and road test both vehicles extensively and write down positives and negatives about both. You will definately see that the Mazda 3 is a lot more fun to drive and that to me is very improtant. 8)
What is HID/ESC? And the last post also brings up another good point, will insurance on the 3 be higher than that of a civic?
[/quote]HID is high intensity discharge (headlights) and ESC is electronic stability control. My insurance stayed pretty much the same as my civic that I sold for my 3. Tha civic is higher up on the most stolen list(I think it still is) so insurance may be less than a newer civic. The easiest way to decide is to justgo and road test both vehicles extensively and write down positives and negatives about both. You will definately see that the Mazda 3 is a lot more fun to drive and that to me is very improtant. 8)
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That choice is a no-brainer to me.....MAZDA!!!!! I've owned a Toyota Corrola, a Honda Civic, in the past.....and I test drove the brand new ones before making my choice. Hands-down Mazda. Once I got in the Mazda and test drove it I couldn't let her go!!!!! Still feel the same way after a year of owning her!!!! Zoomer's her name. Good luck on your choice!
If you're looking for bang for the buck, then definitely go with a Mazda3 I Touring, it has all the features of the Civic EX except the moonroof for the price of a LX. If safety is a higher priority, you'll have to go with the more expensive S Touring (about the price of the Civic EX) to get Stability and Traction Control, something that the Civic does not offer unless you get the Si. But the Civic did get better crash test ratings though, but traction+stability helps you avoid a crash in the first place, so.......you decide.
Err... not sure what was biting edrection, but you can indeed get SAC on the I. It's part of the ABS/SAB/SAC package. Critical upgrade, IMO. The I would be a great compromise if that's your budget, the 2.0L engine is still pretty peppy with a manual tranny from what I've heard.
[quote author=falk44 link=topic=65301.msg1121651#msg1121651 date=1167209261]
Seems as if price constraints might be limiting me to an I. Can i get SAC on the I, is such an upgrade possible, I appreciate the help everyone.
[/quote]
[quote author=falk44 link=topic=65301.msg1121651#msg1121651 date=1167209261]
Seems as if price constraints might be limiting me to an I. Can i get SAC on the I, is such an upgrade possible, I appreciate the help everyone.
[/quote]
I think which one u pick is really up to u. Compare those two cars, they are 50/50. In my opinion, go with the 3(that is what i have).
U can get one with colour that is very rare on the road, and the 3 have very sporty feel on driving it and looking to it. I test drove both when i was buying mine. honda felt lazy and the interior felt very cheap, but the honda got more aftermarket part for it(they come with kits). With the 3 felt just right. Good luck with ur choice, pick the one u really like...
U can get one with colour that is very rare on the road, and the 3 have very sporty feel on driving it and looking to it. I test drove both when i was buying mine. honda felt lazy and the interior felt very cheap, but the honda got more aftermarket part for it(they come with kits). With the 3 felt just right. Good luck with ur choice, pick the one u really like...
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