PhiDelt

You could also throw in the mix a 05-06 Mazda 6 GT V6 6MT. I have one also along with my TSX and it is just as fun to drive and has a nice smooth V6 also and handling to match. I drive both quite and bit and enjoy both equally. Just my 2 cents on something other then a SE-R

davidspalding

A coworker has a Mazda3 for his wife, and recommended them to me when i was shopping. "Very nice fit 'n finish," he'd said. "Plnty fun to drive."

MPG and reliability wasn't there, though.

valeratj

^ I drove Mazda 3 hatch and I liked it, but I cant comment on MPG and reliability of that particular model. I do have to say, tho, a few people that I know had serious issues with Mazdas (trannies, overheating etc)

carmagnut

My GF has the Mazda3 and it is a very nice overall car. Sporty, handles nice, clean lines. Good package. She has the smaller engine, I would have opted for the 2.3 but then again higher payment. She loves it and when I drive it it is leaps and bounds ahead of other small cars in terms of driver enjoyment. The only thing I do not like much is the interior and its really red light display. It gets old to me after about ten minutes. Also one extra forward speed would do better for the MPG (it only has 4 in auto trim)

muncher

another thing to consider: tsx depreciates slower than altima

valeratj

I think it was already mentioned

6SpeedTA95

lol

reliability wasn't there? you learned all that from a test drive?

my wife's 06 has been flawless and with her driving she's averaging 34mpg with a driving precision/feel that nothing in the class has.

6SpeedTA95

issues on the protege/3 are rare, issues on the old 626 were common, I had a 626 it was pretty much no good

davidspalding

Did I say I test drove one? Um ... no, I didn't. I derived my short list for shopping with Consumer Reports and Edmunds reliability and user survey data.

Glad yours is working out, though. My final choice has me grinning ear to ear when I drive it even 18 months later.

valeratj

Well, my friend has a Protege with MT and clutch slips, engine barely pools. He has around 100k miles on it. A lady around here had her Protege overheated at 120k miles bc they have a mechanical cooling system, rather than Honda's electric one.

Now those issues could easily be caused by them, but 626 was a disaster. RX8's are also gas guzzling trouble machines

6SpeedTA95

Those are all routine maintenance issues.

Clutches can slip no matter the car if the first owner or any owner has abused it or accidently ridden the clutch.

Cooling system issues are almost always brought about from not flushing the system every 3 years as you're supposed to. You go 120k without flushing the system which is very very common and you can cause a thermostat to get stuck or gum up the radiator or water pump.



Yes you're right the rotary is a joke, known several people with RX7s/8s all of them had extensive troubles. Known several with 626's only 626 worth a damn was the 4 cyl 5MT model and those had synchro issues.


Protege's and 3's have been pretty solid though.


I know 3 people that have put more than 300,000 miles on Protege's. They had a few issues but nothing too extreme. AC compressor failed on a 96 protege, that was about the most substantial issue I can think of...AC failures in this state are fairly common though

Allen-

A family friend has a Protege. It's a very nice little car. I always thought Mazda made the nicest looking/sportiest small car. Anyways it has 17" wheels, sunroof, manumatic 4-speed. It looked semi-decent. I drove it all day while we ran errands around town. Its nice for around town, but it lags behind on the interstate. Also, the transmission is slow to upshift, leaving the RPM's in the 3.6-4.2 range before getting another gear. I guess this is necessary to make the car move at the pace of others. I tried to keep the RPM's below 2.5, but the car didn't move fast enough. I was holding up people. lol Either way, the car provokes spirited driving. It's fun to drive "quickly" but I wouldn't want it for an everyday car. Maybe I would eventually get used to it.

My best friend has a 2008 Mazda 3. It's a GT, Lip Kit, 17" Wheels, Sunroof, 6-CD Changer, Spoiler, 2.3L Engine, 5-Speed Manumatic etc. She just got it in September, it has like 3,400 miles on it. I got to ride in it last Thursday for the first time. We were in a hurry, so she drove it kind of spirited. Sort of. It was an extremely nice car to be a compact sedan. Backseat legroom wasn't very good, but I'm 6'3" and fit in the front seat just fine. Interior is very attractive, and outside is too. Looks sweet with the Lip-Kit, Y-Spoke 5-Spoke Wheels, Spoiler, and its that Electronic Blue color. It cornered flat and held corners very well. The 2.3L seemed to have alot more power than the Protege I drove. If I had to have a compact sedan, I would have a 3 GT but in black. The only thing that bothered me was the engine noise. It got intrusive when the RPM's got over 3.5. It sounded buzzy and the car didn't feel as fast as it engine noise suggested. Typical four cylinder sound, but it wasn't as sweet as a Celica or RSX's engine noise. That is the only thing that would get on my nerves. Anyways, those were my thoughts. This is what her 3 looks like:

http://image.motortrend.com/f/editor...mazda-3-gt.jpg

http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k2...DSC_0006-4.jpg

onebadtsx

Test drove the se-r very nice. They let me get it overnight. Plenty of power for me and room for my kids. Better than the tsx I think. I'm very concerned with the ac issues in the tsx. I don't have time for that.

onebadtsx

nahhh to many issues. I read the speed six smokes and I have heard of the rear axle bolts coming off.

LukeaTron

You seem to be giving way to much weight to the severe but rare problems in your decision. The problem with the AC compressor is pretty much limited to the 04's. If you're going to let these infrequent issues take the forefront in your decision, you aren't going to make a very reasonable decision.

valeratj

Sorry about late reply, I didnt see this.

I test drove RX8 with MT once and it just destroyed all my hopes and desire to buy it LOL car had NO low end TQ or power. I literally had to rev it to 2.5-3k rpms just to get it moving. 22mpg in a 232 HP car? Also, they were rated at 242 or so at the beginning but company got busted and they had to pay $500 refund to every buyer. Mazda recalled them 2 or 3 times. You have to add oil every 500 miles and car dies soon after it hits 60k miles. Even the guy who went to the test drive with me told me that those cars arent the best choice. In fact, I havent seen a SINGLE RX8 that had 90+ k miles on it... anyone cares to show?

As for Protege issues, I already pointed out that the issues that these people had are pure maintenance failures or driving habits. I also know a couple of people with 3's and they couldnt be happier with their cars. I seriously considered buying Mazda 3 hatch before I got TSX

I dont know which specific troubles 626's had, but those who had any experience with them arent too happy

Takran

As far as SE-R vs. TSX, I'd go TSX for the luxury, and the fact that a torqued up V6 doesn't do any good if your drive wheels don't stick to the road.

I do wonder about the guy who said the Mazda 3 wasn't reliable after researching it on Consumer Reports... I'm a CR subscriber, and it's consistently been one of their favorite small cars for fun and reliability. It is rated extremely well for reliability by CR, particularly in the newer model years 06-08 - the Mazdaspeed 3 is not as well rated, though. I test drove a 3s sedan before I got my TSX, they're definitely a step above most cars in that class.

valeratj

Now that V6 TSX is coming out, I think u can find a compromise between SE-R and TSX check out the web site

davidspalding

Me, too. Reliability for the 2005, 2006 models is through the roof. And the MPG on the tested 2004 model was laudable (22/42, holy #*@&). Went down to 17/35 for 2006, though that was a 5AT. 17/32 for the 2007 6MT.

It must've been something else. Sometimes my wartime (War on Drugs) cranio-rectal inversion flares up.

PhiDelt

We have 107,000 KM's on our Mazda 6 GT and have no problems at all. I havn't had any problems that you mentioned.