Transfagarasan and Transalpina are just made for the Mazda 3.

Sadly, I couldn’t get many photos of the car or the views at the top of Transalpina because of the heavy fog and rain, here are some photos I took from both roads.

If you ever get the chance, go and drive these roads!

Greetings from 🇭🇷

My wife is not an enthusiast, but wanted to keep driving a stick shift. I looked at all viable options.

It was down to the 3 or the Civic Si.

Honestly I think the Civic was a better car, but this was the better fit. Her old car was a 2014 Soul with 235k on it that's still nearly perfect condition but getting aged. We bought that new and she was still on original clutch. We are keeping that car as a back up.

Had to drive to Atlanta as none of the ding dongs in Tennessee seemed to have this optioned car.

Sadly they only come in basic colors.

Love seeing another 3 turbo💪

So, I'm not looking for upvotes or anything. I'm just still amazed how much I love this car. 50,000 miles in and I still get excited to drive it every day. Had no intention of buying a Mazda until I test drove this thing. Japan build, which I think is pretty neat.

Proud to be part of the family! Did a ton of research on compact sedans and midsize sedans. Landed on Mazda 3 Sedan for many reasons including exterior looks and especially interior looks and features (best in the class by far). And the price. Got 3300 off MSRP for a 2026 Carbon Edition, which I am happy with.

Almost luxury car interior.

I bought the Carbon Edition because I liked the color the most. Didn’t like Machine Gray in person as much as the pictures and videos (still great though! Still my 2nd favorite color). Plus I don’t like the preferred trim’s gray wheels (although they are MUCH nicer in person than videos and pictures). Plus AWD…

I chose Mazda 3 over Civic and Corolla because I wanted a naturally aspirated engine, no hybrid, and no CVT. Plus I think the Mazda 3 looks amazing inside and out. The Corolla is ugly and the new Civic is ugly (imo). And Mazda’s interior far ahead both Corolla and Civic.

This color is beautiful. And the AWD drives better than the FWD Preferred Trim. Carbon Edition also has real leather and wireless CarPlay, nice bonuses. I am liking CarPlay being wireless way more than I thought I would. Wired is fine, but it’s nice if I don’t want to deal with a cord, or if the cord goes bad which I have experienced many times. Just instantly connected the moment I get in the car.

The wireless charger is useless, but that’s every car with a wireless charger.

I LOVE this car. You get so much more than a Civic Touring and Corolla XSE/XLE. Memory Seating (once you have this you can’t live without it) being one.

I recommend this car to everyone! And no, no affiliation with Mazda 😂

I prefer black, tan, or white interior but the red has really grown on me and is wayyyy nicer in person than in videos. Plus it’s dark red. I would never buy Toyota’s bright red interior that looks like a Toy Car.

Gas mileage isn’t bad. Great on the highway, was getting 37 mpg. City I’ve only been getting like 23 but then again I’ve only had the car for a couple days and these might not be super accurate yet. Still a lot better than my old IS 350 where I got like 20 in the city, 32 on the highway, and took Premium Gas. I expect my gas bill to go down 25-30%.

Also, I was scared the audio would suck after reading reviews. It’s great. Yeah no bass, but it gets loud and crystal clear. I was not expecting crystal clear. I had an Accord Sport Hybrid as a rental recently and the Bose audio sucked on that thing. It did not sound natural at all, and definitely not clear.

The microphone for phone calls is also like a 9.5/10. The Accord and Civic Microphone is like a 3/10, it’s awful. No one can hear me on calls.

One final thing: Mazda and Toyota also use a 1080p backup camera in their cars whereas Honda Civic and Accord are like 360p topps. It is NOT 480p I assure you.

Edit: Another reason I bought is reliability. I usually only buy Japanese cars and after months of research, I honestly think Mazda is the third most reliable car brand behind Lexus as #1 and Toyota as #2. Mazda has a ton of Mazda 3’s making it to 200k+ miles without issue. And a Naturally Aspirated Engine and normal 6 speed automatic transmission. Honda I see way too many head gaskets blown in their hybrids, especially the Accord’s between 80k miles to 150k miles. Even the 2.0L NA. Honda is still a very reliable brand but I’d rank them behind Lexus, Toyota, Mazda, and Subaru. Also the Mazda 3 Sedan is made in Japan again for 2026 after being made in Mexico for years, definitely makes a difference IMO.

Mazda also has ranked #1 safety car brand in the world regarding accident testing. Although they could use an upgrade to their safety alert systems, I feel Toyota has Mazda and Honda beat pretty decisively there with the Toyota Safety System.

I will say the Mazda Lane Assist works just as well as Toyota and Lexus though. The one in the Accord is laughable. I’ll be 3/4 in the next lane before it corrects, yikes!

/rant over

Happy to be here!!!!! Sorry for the BIG wall of text haha!

Went to Sheetz earlier and had to take some photos cause it was looking too clean 😮‍💨

Just did a manual transmission fluid change and every, single, goddamn, plastic fastener broke off the skid plate. Definitely don’t have $300 to buy the CS aluminum replacement, but my bigger issue is how the hell am I supposed to get this thing back on?? The plastic fasteners that didn’t come off with the skid plate and firmly in place in the rusty frame and I’m afraid nothing is going to get those guys outa there

no good views at the top :/

Hey has anyone else had trouble reinstalling the battery bracket after putting in a new car battery? The new one is a size 35 battery from Costco that should fit. Any tips would be appreciated!

Miscalculated my back up and hit a pole (yes stupid of me I know). With my car being the carbon edition, the paint is definitely hard to match and I’ve been told by a shop I asked for consultation from that it’s not worth fixing up the scratch for the small area it covers vs. price I’d have to pay. He offered to buff it out a bit and used some kind of pen paint? which helped dull it out a bit but obviously for someone who knows all the imperfections of the car, I can’t help but obsess over it. Help me get over this lol

1st picture is after the band aid fix
2nd-4th is right after the scratch in different lighting.

i want to buy a mazda3. been searching for a while…i found this one, brand new with plastic in it still. immaculate seats, interior and exterior…however, its a preferred…idk much bout cars, my brother told me , if it aint turbo. i wont like how it drives, its gon feel like its choking. is this true? OTD price is $27,700. is it a steal or nah?

Is there anyone that has owned both? If so, I would like to hear your perspective.

I currently own a Mazda 3 from 2010. Very pleased with it. And after I’ve driven it to 220.000km I would like te upgrade my Mazda.

I’m looking for differences outside of the obvious by being a newer model and thus having newer tech :)

I want to ask - do you know what could be causing this popping sound in the steering wheel? It only happens when I turn the steering wheel (with the car started or turned off) or when I drive over a bump, which is noticeable at low speeds. It's really driving me crazy.

Hello, I bought a new 2025 Mazda 3 sedan towards the end of last year and absolutely love it but yesterday I accelerated into a truck while parking and feel like an idiot. No visible damage to the truck but left a note with my number anyways. Looks like I’d need a new rear bumper and trunk. Just looking for some suggestions on how to handle this as I’ve never needed body work done before. I doubt the car would have anything under warranty for something like this correct? I’m assuming going to the dealership would be way more expensive than a body shop? I’ve also found the exact parts on a site called us.b-parts for a little over $2k but have never ordered from them. Any suggestions would be appreciated thank you

Hi everyone!

I’ve been off driving for about a year and a half. I used to own a Mercedes e class that I liked but was too big for cramped Sofia and also way too many issues with it.

I’ve been avoiding buying a new car but seeing Mazda 3 has intrigued me a lot and it is affordable for me.

I will use it primarily for long drives rather than city driving so mostly highways.

One thing that I’m interested in - is it a forgiving car? I am a somewhat insecure driver.

Also is buying new the best or should I look into 2-5 year old ones to get the savings?

Sorry for the bad post but I’m interested in your thoughts

Hi guys, I’m just weighing my options between purchasing a used 2025 Mazda 3 sport GS or the new Mazda 3 sport GX. The used GS only has 12000km and also comes with winter tires, and the dealer is selling for around 30,200. While the new GX will be coming in around 31,200. I’m just curious of everyone’s thoughts?

(Apologies if this is an FAQ) Currently on Rockauto, and they have a ton of choices! I use it as my commuter vehicle, but (according to my mom), like my dad, I can be hard on the brakes at times. I don't race, and I live in the Midwestern portion of the United States, so the weather is crazy. Any recommendations?

Hey y’all! I’m tearing into my 3 to replace the head gasket. Does anyone have any info on the head studs removal (bolt pattern) or on the reassembly. I already have the valve cover off and am about to remove all the cams and all that jazz

Haven’t been able to find any good videos/resources on a full tear down of this engine, most I’ve been able to find is valve cover removal process but I already got that part.

Just looking for any info if anyone’s got anything! Thanks!!

Ps : I am planning on getting the head sent out to a machine shop to do a health check. I’m fairly sure it’s completely fine and the gasket is the issue, but getting it checked either way! Not worried about the block at all

Long time Mazda owner and fan, but family and life mean it's time to sell and get a truck. I need some help and ideas on what to set as a price.

2011 Mazda 3 s 6 speed

Mileage: 212,286

Accident Free & Clean Title

Southeast USA for its lifetime

2 owners. I bought it at 33k

Maintenance:

- Oil, Tires, Alignment and brakes @ recommended times

- Clutch and drive belt @ 210k

- Sparks & Coils @ 150k

- Sway Bars, Bushing, Links etc @ 150k (factory struts still)

- Motor Mount @ 75k (minor leak noted, replaced before issue)

- AC - various replacements over the years, blows artic cold

- Windshield & Rear View Mirror @ 175k (I won a free replacement for first responders during Covid)

It's going this week for a new thermostat (stuck open), oil change, tires, brakes, alignment and general once over

Aftermarket:

- K&N Cold Air Intake with new filter at 200k

- Yakima roof rack system with extra attachments

- Kicker front speakers and tweeters but factory radio & amp

- Tent @ 32%

Cosmetic/Wear & Tear:

- Dash glue factory defect, obvious separation by 1" max

- Passenger rear door scuff with small dent (I rubbed the door frame on the garage oops, it's not big)

- paint fade on the roof and trunk without rust

- typical driver seat wear and tear without large stains or rips

Overall it's worn bc of the age and mileage but drives very well. I'll try to add some pics later. If I can for sure get $2-3k or more then I'll sell, if not she will become our garage backup.

I know, the dreaded question- and one asked often. I couldn’t find relevant information for my situation, so I was hoping I could get more opinions.

I have a set of 16 inch steel wheels for my gen4 Mazda 3 FWD hatchback, and I’d like to weigh options. Tire size would be 205/60/R16 IIRC

The tires I’m considering are the Nokian Hakkapeliitta r5, Blizzak Ice Peak, or Continental Viking Contact 8.

I mainly travel around south eastern PA, but up towards the Canada border too around New York.

The ice peak and VC8 seem to be a newer tire with matching certifications to the Hakkas, do you think it’s worth going with a newer less tested tire or something tried and tested?

I don’t consider any of these three to be bad options, but I’m hoping for some more opinions.

I currently have the Continental DSW06+ tires on the vehicle with about 5k miles on them, last winter was truly sketchy with these tires on an 18inch OEM rim.

What dashcams does everyone use? I’m looking for something with good quality, and something that comes with front/back cams.

hey guys got a 2026 Mazda 3 non turbo edition a few months ago and I needed help finding a front lip and duck bill to add so far I’m running %2 tint all around and like 20% on the windshield planning a chrome delete next month and eventually powder coat the wheels no power mode just cosmetics but yeah would be really nice if I could receive some feedback, thanks!!