I know the mazda3 is a different class, but I'd like some thoughts comparing the 2. I have searched for a few threads in this forum as well about it. I'm thinking about the Fit Sport vs the Mazda3 sedan actually.

Thanks :)

 

i'd personally love me a crystal white pearl 3 hatch, just because they are very sharp looking cars and for STOCK, they handle great! ( i hate the tire size though.)


I wanted to consider a 3 hatch, but my wife would have none of it, as her mothers 04 6 has a very high cost to own and her protege 5 was giving her issues before she traded it in. (another fun to drive mazda, but the steering was a bit high effort for my tastes.)

the 3, like the fit, packs a lot of great features as non options. granted you have to move up to the touring trim to get any kind of traction control but they are very well equipped.

The last 3 hatch i drove didn't actually feel that much bigger than the fit on the inside but its a bigger car overall. It has a great steering feel. the few things that made us not get one was the fact that everyone and their mother has a 3 around here (not the hatch, the sedan, but its still a 3) and the 2.3 engine is no fuel miser; it gulps about as much down as our Rabbit did, but with less torque. its rated at 22/29 with the auto. the fit sits at 27/34. Since you are looking into the sedan, its available with a 2.0 and its does a bit better.

But the hatch is the most logical comparison. The interior on the fit actually holds its own pretty well against the 3, the 3 being only ever so slightly nicer. (this turns into signfificantly nicer when you move up to gt trim, which adds stuff like auto climate control, leather seats and Xenon headlights.)

I'd love to own one down the line, especially if honda never ends up bringing us a civic sized/appointed/powered hatch, but for right now, because of the crappy mazda dealers in the area, its a no no. that and the so so fuel economy (compared to the fit, decent for the engine size and power) and suprising high cost to own for a japanese make, kept us out of the 3. But if these are non issues, then go for it. it will come down to driving dynamics (the fit has better body control, the 3 has a better ride and grips harder) and power. and a car payment.:D

 

Tough call man I dont have much history with Mazda but I do know two people that have had them and both gave the company the thumbs down. One had a Mazda 3 and one had an RX-8. The 3 had electrical gremlins galore and ended up being purchased back by the dealership after they denied the car had problems for over a year. The RX-8 was actually ok but got worse mpg than my friend thought it would get which is why he got rid of it. Those might be isloated incidents but thats all I have.

Other than that...two diff cars...the 3 is bigger, more power, worse mpg, and a Mazda. The Fit is smaller, less power, better mpg, and a Honda. Your call. :)

 

I like the Mazda 3 and think its a great looking car in both the hatch and the sedan..I sat in a couple in the past and find them quite uncomfortable, theres something about the door that pushes on my leg, its hard to explain but i didnt like the feel of the inside..But bottom line i would never buy a Mazda over a Honda, of course this is all opinion based.

 

I think both the Mazda3 and the Fit are really good cars. If it was between the Fit and Mazda3 Hatchback it would be very close and i wouldn't know what to tell you. But if it's between the Mazda3 sedan and the Fit you should get the fit just because it's a hatchback, so it's better. haha.

 

I preferred the Mazda three but wanted a hatchback which turns out to be $21,000. The vehicle gets MUCH worse mileage as well. anyway it's your choice but , if you can wait, supposedly the Mazda 2 (their answer to the Fit) is on the way.

 

There's a lot of factors, which I'm sure many above me have already stated, but I'm going to reitterate them.

1. Gas Mileage- Mazda claims 22/29mpg
- Honda Claimed 30/38mpg (When I bought it last spring)
2.HP Diffrence- 3- 165 @ 6500
- Fit 109 @ 5800
3. Price Diff- 3 - 18,500-20,500
- Fit- 13k-15k (Plus insurance, warranties, lowjack)
4.Quality- I've always prefered honda over any company... but that's just my opinion... The decision is up to you ^^

Hope that helped.

 

Are you talk about the Mazda speed 3 or just Mazda 3??

 

he said he's considering a mazda3 sedan. also the mazdaspeed that doesn't come in sedan form.

 

When I started planning on purchasing a new car, I had one advantage that alot of people across the country probably don't get. Living in Boston for undergrad, I was a Zipcar member. For those who don't know what this is, it's basically a car sharing/short term hourly rental car program. For about 8 or 9 dollars an hour, I could rent any sort of vehicle, from pickup truck, van, sport sedan, hybrid, or econo-box type car. I had access to the nissan versa, honda fit, toyota yaris, scion xb and xa, mazda 3 sedans and hatches, honda civic, and vw rabbit, as well as the toyota prius, to name a few. So, with a little investment, I got to have my own time without any dealer hassling with each car. And that makes a big difference in getting to know each vehicle. I used a Mazda 3 hatchback most often, and opted for the sedan when the hatch wasn't available. I loved the car. It was sporty, quick, and had alot of features. It was at the top of my list at first when considering cars to buy. I scratched the scions out early because while they were great and inexpensive, there was just alot of road noise. Then the Fit was released and zipcar got a couple in their lineup so I tried them out. I hated the automatic trans on it but other then that I was thoroughly impressed. It went right under the Mazda on my list. Followed by the Versa and the Yaris.
Then, I put the 4 together, and spent a day driving them each around. Long story short, I ended up deciding between the mazda 3 hatch and the honda fit sport mt. The deciding factor was the overall cost. I could barely afford the loan on a mazda 3, let alone the annual est. fuel cost. The fit was right at the top tier of my overall financial ability, and the annual fuel consumption costs were much lower. Except for power/handling, you get all the same features you'd find from the Mazda in the Honda fit. And I could sacrifice the power if it meant saving 4-5 grand. Also, another thing, I have a few friends who are my height (6'1'') or a little shorter. I took them for a ride in each, and in the Mazda sedan, a few complained that the ceiling was too close to their head in the back. That also was a negative for me. All my passengers in the fit loved how they don't feel squished even though its a backseat. I think you should test drive both the fit and mazda sedan with friends or family, because to you the sedan may be awesome to drive, but you can't test it out as a passenger, and that sort of input can be valuable. So, that's my story and i'm sticking to it! :D best of luck with everything

 

I personally really like Mazda3, and when my wife was looking at a new car, we looked at it together (she chose the Fit). I really liked the way Mazda3 drove, but in the end, the gas mileage and utility design of the Fit won. Of course, we were looking at the 5-door Mazda3, so the price difference was considerable as well (sedan body does not work for us because we carry a lot of big and odd-shaped stuff in our vehicles).

 

ZOOM ZOOM ZOOM!!! hahahaha. the mazda 3 is pretty quick and sporty, but the honda fit is sporty in its own way.

 

Yeah the Mazda Speed3 is only in hatchback, but but it's faaaast.

 

Here's what you need to know:

The good:

The power is more than adequate for a car of its size. Passing on the freeway is easy, and acceleration is nice. However, the top end is almost totally non-existent - this car is all about mid-range torque.

The dynamics of the car are good, but not great. Braking and handling are superb in their response, but their limits aren't very high.

The build quality is extremely good, above and beyond what anyone else offers right now. Reliability has been good as well - you can't take everyone's anecdotal stories as a representation of true reliability, just as possible issues you might have. This is variable because of the car you get and the sort of dealers you have access to. But overall, its reliability rating has been up to par.

Now for the bad:

The engine is extremely temperamental. You have to get oil changes at exactly 3000 miles or you will have a major drop in performance and engine power.

The gas milage is very poor. I averaged about 22 MPG combined city/highway. The best i've gotten is about 25-26 MPG.

That's it pretty much. Everything else boils down to personal preference.

 

The Mazda SPEED3 has nothing on the Si:p .

I suggest test driving both the Fit and the 3 and see which one you like more. Thats the only way you will find out!

 

theres also a sedan version too. i've seen a mazda 3 from the LA Autoshow and it comes with a stock turbo. that one is the hatchback.

 

The mazdaspeed3.... would and has smoked SI'S all day long. I love my Honda's but the SI is no match for the speed3.

GD3blaze07':)

 

:D :D :D :D :D

I love my Fit, but at the time I bought it it was the best car for the prize, and I not regret it at all because it is the best car in its class (but for the suzukisport swift wich we wont see like never). But if I had the budget, not only to buy it but for the gas (cause its thirsty) I would bought the 3 or better waited for the speed3

 

I like the look of the 3 but I wouldnt buy from a car company that has some kind of relation to Ford. Id be worried that there would be some Ford components whether it be wiring, etc.

 

i don't think ford is that bad, i had a 98 ford escort and it served me well and never gave me any problems up until it's dying day 130k miles later (from an accident).