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Anyone have this hatch? Seriously considering buying because of the features and price compared to other small vehicles, like corolla and lancer. Anybody could tell me about ride quality, handling, reliability and after sale service for this hatch!

Well these are just a different body style to the 4 door. Engine and mechanicals are the same.

As for build quality, fit & finish, handling, and sex appeal, the 3 beats out every competitor in its class, including the euro offerings IMO. Reliability should also be tops considering it's a 5 year old design so all the bugs would have been worked out by now, yet it looks just as modern, and more timeless than the newer competition.

There are mixed reviews on Southern Sales service quality, but that seems to be the case with every local dealer, including Toyota which was believed to be faultless.... so its pretty much an even playing field in this area. I personally have no problems dealing with them.

Do you think that it makes sense buying the older model when the 2010 model is due out late this year (i think)? Should I wait for the newer model even though it may/will be significantly more expensive? This is the first car I buy so I want to make the best decision!

Its purely aesthetics IMO... the new 2010 3 uses the same monocoque as the current car, with just some strengthening here and there. The current model already has a 4 star Euro NCAP rating so I doubt you'd be able to tell the difference in stiffness. So essentially they've just redesigned the interior, and front and rear fascias to freshen up the look. So if you like the look of the current model, then save yourself the wait, and extra money, and buy one.

Also, as I mentioned b4, the current car is 5 years old so parts are becoming more and more abundant at non-dealership sources. So if you plan to keep the car for a long time, I think the current model would be cheaper to own over the 2010 model, in terms of parts costs and availability, incl body panels, glass etc.

damieG82,

Very wise words and accurate assessment. The 3 is a fantastic car but I don't think it's essential to wait for the next model.

Paul.

Thanks alot guys, excellent advice!

Should have my new 3 hatch hopefully by the end of feb!

I think the deciding factor was the parts and servicing, because mazda stands out in front of the others with respect to other factors.

Do your guys think that the 176k price tag is worth it?

i would recommend that you go foreign used since u can probly get the 2.0 or 2.3 for that price, also foreign used u might get leather nav etc, the car is also usually broken in well on good roads and maintained by mazda, not a lame-o dealer. more car for money

ghosterbusters - apart from engine size, you wouldn't necessarily get more car for your money. I'd advise anyone AGAINST foreign used. There's now proof all over that roro cars have their mileage rolled back to make them appear like almost brand new units, when in fact most have upward of 80K kms (in some cases 100K) already on the clock. My family has 2 roro cars, and I know at least 10 other ppl with them, and NONE are happy or satisfied in the long term. Within the 1st year, parts like inner & outer ends, cradle and stabilizer bar bushings, engine mounts, timing belt, and shocks have to be changed... things you wouldn't expect on a car with 25K kms on it. Additionally, the 'leather' aint real... so all in all, roro is a big fraud IMO. I personally rather a local used over a roro anyday... you'll know what you buying, and can track it's service history. But the ideal situation, once the funds are available, is to buy a new car an done.

damieG82 while I would agree that some unscrupulous dealers do roll back the mileage etc. the majority of people i know(at least 20) who own roro vehicles are more than satisfied in the short , medium and long term . Many of them especially appreciate the value for money one gets with a fully loaded car against a higher priced new vehicles with less features, both luxurious and safety . Once one realizes that proper maintenance of your vehicle is the key (new or old car) there shouldn't be any problems.My car is a 2001 familia rs & I am proud to say that I have only done routine maintenance after 3 years and 80000km.

wing I hear ya... I guess it's all a game of russian roulette as far as roro is concerned... some get good cars, while others get bad... and the experience I spoke about covers a multitude of dealers and car brands... ie, there's no escaping the 'gamble' involved in roro.

But the other thing is, given roro is no longer competitively priced (for example a Mazda 3 costs between 120-140k roro, and 150k brand new), really what's the point? Chances are anyone buying a car for 140k could probably buy one for 10k more... so I rather pay the extra lil bit for the peace of mind of a 3 year warranty and dealer support, rather than gambling with my 140k.

As for more features, sure, having a car with a couple extra airbags, or tv or something is great... til it's in a crash (God forbid) or the feature stops working... and since the local model never had them, you can count the dealer out as a source to get a replacement.

true , but the after sales "service" at some of them new car stealers/dealers not easy at all .

i not saying the new car dealers offer great service nut i doubt roro will offer anything much better if at all any better....

^^ if at all!!!

Go back to a roro dealer for a spare part or a tune up and see what happens

They all say they have after-sales service, when in fact they have nothing. I think Crism in diego is the only roro dealer that services, and imports parts for what they sell.

I agree with damie, the foreign used prices arent that competitive and I also prefer to spend an extra bit to have peace of mind.

After careful consideration I am now about to purchase the mazda 3 sedan, opting out of wagon all wheel discs, for a sunroof sedan! Hopefully, not too much safety was compromised.

no way was safety compromised, the mazda 3 sedan with sunroof, has dual impact bars in every door, and in my opinion is very safe, a police car ran into my right side door once, he was overtaking down the main road, i barely felt a thing, and his car bounced into the drain, very rigid car, when my bro went into the ditch he also said he barely felt anything, very safe car, you will have no safety worries kdat

Thats good! Anybody thinking about buying the 2010 model due out in May?

they say april... bnut it safe to add about 2-3 mths to that knowing southern sales.. lol

what kind of service intervals and servicing cost can I expect with this car? Preferably firm maintained!