Why not a Mazda3 Hatchback GT?

[awan]

So, I am considering Civic Hatchback Sport Touring and just compared it to a Mazda3 GT (in Canada) - also I would mention that I currently own a CX-5 and was looking for a bit of change and hence gravitating to the civic

Here in Canada, Mazda3 is ~$2k cheaper and has 0% financing that roughly translates another $1k in saving.

When I compared the features, the Mazda 3 has Heads-up display and Blind spot monitoring system as the major upgrades. Civic has the dual exhaust (Mazda still has a bit more HP) and Android/Apple auto.

I know Mazda3 sales are way lower than the Civic (for sedans atleast). Trying to understand what I am missing as Mazda3 seems a better buy and also gets great reviews?

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[Newflyer3]

You tell me which car gives you more than 2 grand back on resale in 3 years. Fuel economy is not as good too so figure out how much you'll save there given how much you drive. Tbh, that 1.5T is underrated from the factory. Honda probably sandbagged the number for insurance purposes or something.

 

[kayaker]

So, I am considering Civic Hatchback Sport Touring and just compared it to a Mazda3 GT (in Canada) - also I would mention that I currently own a CX-5 and was looking for a bit of change and hence gravitating to the civic

Here in Canada, Mazda3 is ~$2k cheaper and has 0% financing that roughly translates another $1k in saving.

When I compared the features, the Mazda 3 has Heads-up display and Blind spot monitoring system as the major upgrades. Civic has the dual exhaust (Mazda still has a bit more HP) and Android/Apple auto.

I know Mazda3 sales are way lower than the Civic (for sedans atleast). Trying to understand what I am missing as Mazda3 seems a better buy and also gets great reviews?

If it's not too difficult, I'd say test drive in both of them. I'm passing my 2011 Mazda3 hatch to my son. When I looked at the new Civic hatchback, the differences were obvious. The Civic seems much more refined. It feels bigger, more solid, well-built, and the ride is a lot smoother and quieter. The quality of the interior is much better - Certainly not a luxury car (the seat fabric seems particularly poor), but the price difference definitely shows. I guess it's fair to say that the Mazda is probably more fun to drive while the Civic feels more "grown-up".

Of course I'm comparing an older Mazda to a new Civic Also, I'm sure a lot of folks like that "closer to the road" feel of the Mazda. My street racing days are long gone and I'm fine with the CVT, so I understand I'm coming at it from a different voiwpoint than a lot of enthusiasts here. But I put a down payment on the Civic right then and and picking it up Monday.

 

[bembol]

I know it's not a fair comparison but my brother wanted the the Mazda CX-3 GT, fully loaded which actually cost more than the Sport Touring Hatchback I ended going with. I'm helping him out though it's my car at the end.

For me it all boils down to the...

Design. I think the Civic is more aggressive which I love, both exterior and interior. I've been calling out Honda for years how bland their line up is until the 10th Generation came out. This generation Honda stepped up.

The CX-3 feels and looks cheaper and what is up with the lack of armrest? Even the Triptronic bothers me, I'm used to Up shifting to second, third, etc.

 

[awan]

You tell me which car gives you more than 2 grand back on resale in 3 years. Fuel economy is not as good too so figure out how much you'll save there given how much you drive. Tbh, that 1.5T is underrated from the factory. Honda probably sandbagged the number for insurance purposes or something.

Yeah, Civic is rated 33 mpg vs 28 for Mazda 3. Take into account the price of premium gas and Civic still comes out ahead but a bit in Canada but not by much. I don't intend to re-sell soon but its a good option to have.

 

[awan]

If it's not too difficult, I'd say test drive in both of them

Just did after I posted! Test drove both - Mazda 3 felt more familiar but I enjoyed the Civic quite a bit as well - there wasn't enough of a difference in the limtied time I had for me to prefer one over the other though

 

[kayaker]

Just did after I posted! Test drove both - Mazda 3 felt more familiar but I enjoyed the Civic quite a bit as well - there wasn't enough of a difference in the limtied time I had for me to prefer one over the other though

They're both good cars, for sure. My Mazda has been trouble free other than minor creaks/buzzes behind the dash, but no more than most 5 of 6 year old cars. Aside from its general noisiness and harsher ride (yeah, I know, it's... "sporty"!), the only real problem is the crappy paint job. It seems like it's a micron thick and chips if you look at if the wrong way. Unfortunately, I've heard the same complaint about the Civic. Good luck with your decision!

 

[VarmintCong]

I test drove a 2017 Mazda 3 6 speed 2.0L. The 2017 improvements are nice, seats are comfortable - nice shifter, super easy clutch. Like the CX-5, the car just has a pleasant, fun feel to it that's hard to describe. To me it's the best car to drive in the segment and the interior is really comfortable and high quality.

So why am I buying the Civic Sport 6MT instead? Better looking, bigger hatch space, roomier back seat are the two main reason. After that, 6 mpg better (the 2017 2.5L is rated only 24/33), and the broad torque band suits my driving style better. Also the Civic just feels higher quality - stiffer body, better ride but still nice handling.

The Mazda feels a bit like driving my old BMW - it drives great, but feels a bit soggy and last gen compared to newer gen vehicles with stiffer frames. The Mazda feels like it needs a new generation.

 

[gtman]

Varmint, I think that's a good assessment of the Mazda 3. The new gen cars like the latest Elantra, Civic, Impreza etc. are built with more high strength steel and just feel more solid. My next car will most likely be a Civic Hatch. I want to like the Sport but I just can't. It's not just the lack of features. It's just too boy-racer for me. I don't like the black lip kit (wish it was body colored instead). The 18" wheels are nice but the 40 profile tires would kill the rims on the potholed streets I drive on. And the biggest negative is the need to use premium to get the extra oomph from the engine. Sure, gas prices are good right now but whose to say where they are headed. For me (someone with limited funds), that's a concern. Most likely I'm leaning towards the EX. I've driven manuals for 25+ years, but most of my commute is in stop and go traffic so I'll deal with the CVT. Plus, heated mirrors and seats are nice to have in winter and I prefer the better stereo in the EX. Don't get me wrong though, the Sport manual is helluva lot of car for the money.

 

[Civics4Ever]

Simple. Mazda=ugly, Civic=beautiful.

 

[awan]

I test drove a 2017 Mazda 3 6 speed 2.0L. The 2017 improvements are nice, seats are comfortable - nice shifter, super easy clutch. Like the CX-5, the car just has a pleasant, fun feel to it that's hard to describe. To me it's the best car to drive in the segment and the interior is really comfortable and high quality.

So why am I buying the Civic Sport 6MT instead? Better looking, bigger hatch space, roomier back seat are the two main reason. After that, 6 mpg better (the 2017 2.5L is rated only 24/33), and the broad torque band suits my driving style better. Also the Civic just feels higher quality - stiffer body, better ride but still nice handling.

The Mazda feels a bit like driving my old BMW - it drives great, but feels a bit soggy and last gen compared to newer gen vehicles with stiffer frames. The Mazda feels like it needs a new generation.

Thanks, very helpful and sums up the feel I got but couldn't describe very well. The Civic to me felt much closer to a Jetta I rented recently and liked very much. Very sturdy and responsive. The Mazda was fun, all the touches were right - the door had a support at just the right height for my elbow, the nav system had a knob that worked right, the car felt very nice to drive. The civic felt 'smaller' to drive in a good way. Leaning towards a civic and will likely place an order this week.

 

[Dicecube]

I'm thinking about trading in my 16 civic Touring for a 17 Mazda 3 hatch. We will see in a year.

 

[VarmintCong]

Varmint, I think that's a good assessment of the Mazda 3. The new gen cars like the latest Elantra, Civic, Impreza etc. are built with more high strength steel and just feel more solid. My next car will most likely be a Civic Hatch. I want to like the Sport but I just can't. It's not just the lack of features. It's just too boy-racer for me. I don't like the black lip kit (wish it was body colored instead). The 18" wheels are nice but the 40 profile tires would kill the rims on the potholed streets I drive on. And the biggest negative is the need to use premium to get the extra oomph from the engine. Sure, gas prices are good right now but whose to say where they are headed. For me (someone with limited funds), that's a concern. Most likely I'm leaning towards the EX. I've driven manuals for 25+ years, but most of my commute is in stop and go traffic so I'll deal with the CVT. Plus, heated mirrors and seats are nice to have in winter and I prefer the better stereo in the EX. Don't get me wrong though, the Sport manual is helluva lot of car for the money.

You might wait to see what the Si looks like (it's possible it actually looks less boy racer than Sport). Might be too expensive, but we should know soon.

For me, I really don't want the moonroof, I feel like I'm sitting too low with the moonroof cars, I have to lower the seat a lot.

 

[PygmySurfer]

Having driven both (well, the Civic was an LX, but, close enough for comparison), I thoroughly enjoyed the Civic more. The torque in the Civic just makes it feel that much better. I haven't compared them so I'm not sure if the torque curves are different or what (because on paper the Mazda3 has more torque), but the Civic just feels better. I can't quite quantify it, but I liked the feel of the Civic's manual transmission better, as well (No auto or CVT for me, thanks!). The Civic has more cargo space with the seats up, the 3 has more space with the seats down. Civic has CarPlay/Android Auto, the 3 doesn't.

I think the biggest difference, though, is that the 3 just feels a little dated - it's riding on a platform 3 years older than the Civic, and you can just feel the difference.

I've also driven the 2.0L Mazda3 (The GT has the 2.5L) - IMHO, the bigger engine isn't worth the cost increase. The Mazda3 GS is the sweet spot in their lineup, and would be the one I chose if I decided to go with the 3.

 

[DBlu]

The price of the Mazda3 Sport GT and Civic Hatch Sport Touring in Canada still has a bit difference, especially Mazda offers a same price for a AT or MT on the GT trim - i.e. CAD $ 25,000 you can get an AT Mazda 3 Sport GT, which is already a highest trim of the Mazda3 line up (make it fair to compare to the Civic - add a premium package ($ 2,900) make it equip a leather seat and navi = $ 27,900); while the Civic Hatch Sport Touring selling at CAD $ 30,690. Therefore, I am still comparing the Mazda 3 Sport GT and a Civic Hatch Touring. I still have time anyway because the CVT version of the Touring need to wait till next year.

However, I just want to know one thing. Where is the Mazda 3 GT make now? - I know that they made in Japan before and I know that the GX and GS are Mexico now.

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