shire123
Senior Member
Your analysis sounds pretty much like mine except for the road noise issue. I just got my civic ext yesterday. But no matter which one you get you should be pleased. They are both great carsI'm looking at purchasing a 2017 EX-T manual or a 2017 3 Touring 2.5 manual hatchback. I'm not considering the Civic Hatchback...it's just too ugly in my opinion. I've taken extensive test rides in both vehicles, and they are both great cars. Overall, I think the Mazda has a much nicer interior and (to me) looks better overall. Both manuals are a pleasure to drive. The civic has great low end torque and is a blast to drive, but the cloth interior and seats are low quality and terribly uncomfortable with minimal adjustment available on that trim level. It's like there is no support under your thighs. I couldn't tell the difference between road noise between the two. Mazda feels more planted on the road and sportier. Civic has less blind spots to me. I think both infotainment systems stink, but I don't really care about phone connectivity or navigation so it's a wash to me. I do like the Mazda knob better than the touchscreen Civic. The Civic looks are polarizing at best, but I've come to appreciate the sedan and find it attractive now. With that being said, I can't help but wonder how this generation Civic will age over the next 3 years. My wife thinks the Civic looks like a "fast and furious" 16 year old boy car (I'm 40 by the way)! Will I wake up in 2 years and look at the Civic and despise the looks? I don't have kids, so I don't care about how comfortable the back seat may or may not be. The Civic trunk space is enormous! I'm used to hatchbacks and wagons, so the Mazda 3 would fit me perfectly as well. Civic is cheaper by about $1500. Price isn't an issue to me, and I don not care about perceived future trade in value. I don't buy cars to sell in 3 years, plus Civics and Mazdas are a dime a dozen on used car lots...definitely not investments!
At this point, I really think both cars would suit me just fine. I'll be making a purchase by the end of the month. Right now I'm on the fence...
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