I just came back from a test drive at Mazda220. Test drove the Mazda3 Sport GT Auto. I love the seats and the lights are night and day difference compared to the Protege SE 2000 that I have. I don't know about the radio, but from what I saw, I'll live with it. Power is good, but the stock tires are full of crap. If you get this car in winter with the stock tires, change them or you'll get into an accident real fast. With the slight throttle, the tires spin, even though there's not much snow on the ground. The car feels a lot more rigid than the Protege 2000 and the brakes are 10x more powerful. There is no problem stopping this car, no matter how fast you're going. I love the trunk and the new storage system built into the trunk. As for price, there was no discount, unless you consider the free Xbox with 2 games and 2 months of free online gaming a discount. I will be ending my lease early to get the Mazda3, and they will take the car back and put the difference of the lease into the new car's price (a little over 1000$ worth). Also, with 4000$ of security deposit (you get the amount back in the end of the lease), you lower the interest rate down to 4.75%. However, if you're already a client of Mazda, you get an extra 0.5% discount, so the final leasing rate is 4.25% for 4 years. That brings the monthly payment down to 379$ tax in a month. The salesman wanted be to give him a price so I would buy today, and I told him that I would think about it. Eventually, he took another 6$ per month off the monthly. So, the final monthly price is 373$ a month tax included. Oh... these prices are for a Mazda3 Sport GT, Winning Blue Mica, Moonroof and AC. I just called my insurance and it comes out to a bit under 1300$ a year. I'm 29, male, no accidents. Hope this info helps. I think I got a good deal, considering that the leasing rate on this car is even cheaper than my current one. However, net difference is a bit over 100$ a month.
Oh... as for my lease... for those who want to get rid of their lease early, they are willing to take the car back as long as I pay the difference. Since I am leasing my car from Mazda Gabriel, there may be complications with the handover. However, after talking to the salesman, he said that they would take care of it and I wouldn't have to go back to my other dealer. They will inspect and take back the vehicle. I guess my review is pretty thorough, post any questions and I'll try my best to answer them. All in all, a good experience.
Oh... as for my lease... for those who want to get rid of their lease early, they are willing to take the car back as long as I pay the difference. Since I am leasing my car from Mazda Gabriel, there may be complications with the handover. However, after talking to the salesman, he said that they would take care of it and I wouldn't have to go back to my other dealer. They will inspect and take back the vehicle. I guess my review is pretty thorough, post any questions and I'll try my best to answer them. All in all, a good experience.
