Honda Civic to Mazda3

[spech]

Hello everyone,

I currently own a 2009 Civic EX-L, but am thinking of trading it in for a Mazda3. I am happy with the way the Civic handles, but really hate the leather seats (especially in the summer) and find visibility problematic with the A pillars. It's also not as peppy as I'd like it to be (auto transmission). These problems unfortunately were not obvious during test drives.

Anyway, I am thinking of either the GS or GT but am not sure if I should wait for the 2011 models. I'm looking for a model that will have more power than my Civic, a decent sound system with auxiliary inputs (USB would be nice if available), good visibility, turn lamps on side mirrors, bluetooth and traction control. It also has to be automatic. I don't care about spoilers, HID or fog lights, alloy wheels or moonroof, and I absolutely don't want leather seats! Any insights would be appreciated. Thanks.

[Paton]

Hi spech,

I haven't driven a civic before, but I do own a 2010 Mazda 3 GT sedan auto w/ moonroof. The car handles well, better than most in this segment. I don't have a problem with visibility and the 5speed auto is quite good. Personally if you must have an auto, I would say the 2.5L is required. The 2L auto, in my opinion, is underpowered.

We have the sport fabric in the sedan GT which are also very nice, and you get heated seats standard as well which are great for our Canadian winters. Additionally, the USB input comes standard but the sound system is nothing to brag about. You are better off putting in aftermarket then buying the premium sound package.

My only complaints are as follows. I'm 6'1 and most of my height is in my legs, and I can never truly find enough leg room. I actually take my shoes off for long trips. The second issue is the car has is higher than usual road noise. Couple that with sub par audio and it is a tad annoying.

Overall, pretty good considering the vehicles I grew up with were all 50K+. The interior quality is top notch and the features on the GT rival those 50% more expensive.

Hope that helps!

[spech]

Thanks for your reply, Paton. Leg room is not a concern for me as I'm short. Road noise I'm not sure about. How's the fuel efficiency? Everything I've read indicates it's a lot worse than Civics and Corollas, but I'm hoping it's really not that bad.

[dentinger]

i test drove an '06 honda civic when i was researching my new car (at the time).
the main thing that sold me on the mazda, was better visibility (in front of the car), and it was slightly cheaper.

[Unoriginalusername]

you're going to get killed on the depreciation... find someone with a regular civic who wants to swap seats for some cash and you'll be a lot further ahead.

[Jackal]

Hello everyone,

I currently own a 2009 Civic EX-L, but am thinking of trading it in for a Mazda3. I am happy with the way the Civic handles, but really hate the leather seats (especially in the summer) and find visibility problematic with the A pillars. It's also not as peppy as I'd like it to be (auto transmission). These problems unfortunately were not obvious during test drives.

Anyway, I am thinking of either the GS or GT but am not sure if I should wait for the 2011 models. I'm looking for a model that will have more power than my Civic, a decent sound system with auxiliary inputs (USB would be nice if available), good visibility, turn lamps on side mirrors, bluetooth and traction control. It also has to be automatic. I don't care about spoilers, HID or fog lights, alloy wheels or moonroof, and I absolutely don't want leather seats! Any insights would be appreciated. Thanks.

I had a 2002 Civic LX before my Mazda 3. I was looking for features as you in a car. I test drove the 2010 GT and I was sold. Has heated cloth seats, bluetooth, traction control, turn lamps on side mirrors, aux inputs (not USB), alloys, 4300 HID, fog lights, 168 hp, moonroof, optional Sirius, ok sound system and dual climate control. It really has much more power than my Civic LX. Check it a 2010 at lower borrowing rates.

[Zuluwun]

hey spech. I drive a 2009 LX auto at the moment, moving to a used mazda 3. The civic's a great, economical car and like Unoriginalusername said, it holds it's value better than pretty much all its competitors.
The visibility kills me though, I hate ducking my head around to see past the A pillars. And the transmission is... cruddy IMO. I can't comment on fuel efficiency for the Mazdas, but it doesn't seem too far off from the civic especially, the smaller engines. I test drove a 2005 3 GT and loved it. the handling, the power and ride was great, much more engaging to drive than the civic. The Mazda cloth seats are quite nice but I wouldn't say that they're necessarily better than the Civic's seats.

[Flunk]

The 3 is a good car if that's what you're looking for but make sure to check out the A pillars if it really bothers you. The 2010 has fairly wide pillars as well.

[The Wolf]

I drive probably 70% highway and 30% city. In my '07 GS (2.3L) HB with 5sp manual, my car shows me that I'm averaging around 7.8L/100km. According to the majority of people who keep track of that stuff on here, the computer MPG readings are usually higher than you are truly getting. With my regular driving tendencies, I can go probably 700+ km on a 55L tank. Not sure what you were getting in your Civic, but this is a pleasant surprise considering the horror stories I was reading

[omalak]

i'd keep the civic.. mazda is nice, but reliability wise i dunno. i would stick with the civic.. Given the history of early models having the rusting issues.. take into consideration the civic hold higher relase values.. given its a 2009.. keep it

add an intake see if you notice a diff on the auto.. that should give some pep

Bluetooth//audio.. invest some money in a nice head unit and speakers.. turn lamps on side mirror? you can buy those and replace the glass on your civic

lol stick with the civic!!

[nomik2]

My dad owns a Civic 2007 and I drive a Mazda 3. Both him and I agree that the Mazda 3 is much better.

[anth_g]

Im actually going from mazda 3 to civic...for the the price of a mazda 3, i can get a civic fully loaded, with gps skirt package and fogs and 3m tape on the front bumper and hood...with a mazda i cant get any...id be paying over 4oo a month...civic...296

[stock3]

i'd keep the civic.. mazda is nice, but reliability wise i dunno. i would stick with the civic.. Given the history of early models having the rusting issues.. take into consideration the civic hold higher relase values.. given its a 2009.. keep it

add an intake see if you notice a diff on the auto.. that should give some pep

Bluetooth//audio.. invest some money in a nice head unit and speakers.. turn lamps on side mirror? you can buy those and replace the glass on your civic

lol stick with the civic!!

I wouldn't be so sure about Civic's reliability anymore, just check out their block cracking issues, 2006-2009 models are affected.

While Hondas are reliable, they're nothing special when compared to other makes.

[Soyabean]

They are not what they used to be. I've driven a rental civic when my car was in for repairs. The car wasn't bad but i absolutely hated the ebrake. I have long legs so they ebrake when it is down keeps on pushing on my right knee. I've gotten a bruise from it. The interior of the car is ok too but not as nice as the 3

[antifuse]

It seems kinda crazy to get rid of a 2009 already. You're definitely going to take a big depreciation hit. I can't really compare to the drive, as I never got around to test driving the Civic (wife felt the looks were too boring), but I prefer the fit and finish of the Mazda, personally. I'm pretty happy with the non-upgraded sound system in my 2010 GT, bluetooth works great, haven't used the aux input yet (but can't imagine there's anything wrong with it). You *could* wait around for the 2011 models, but there's a lot of great deals going on right now with the 2010 model year, particularly if you talk to Jeff-theBiz at Mazda of Toronto.

[spech]

Thanks for all the replies! Yeah, I realize I'm going to lose a lot by selling right now, but if the Mazda 3 really suits my needs, I would seriously consider it. I had no idea about the visibility problems on the 3 though...is that the general trend of car design now (i.e., super raked windshields, thick A pillars, etc.)?

[Soyabean]

best thing is just to test drive the 3 and personally feel the car yourself

[CFX]

I own both, a 2010 Honda Civic Sport and a 2010 Mazda3 Sport GT.
They both have their pros and cons, as far as I'm concerned.

In regards to the Mazda3, are you looking at another sedan, like your Honda, or are you thinking hatch?

[TokyoKiller]

I can't help you decide whether the Civic or the Mazda 3 is better, but I can tell you from the list of things that you want, it seems like a 2010/2011Mazda 3 GS Sport (Auto) with Comfort Package would suit your needs.

[DM7]

I've driven quite a few current model civics and I have to say, if your power hungry, go for the 2.5L maz3. Although the power in the civic is sufficient for avg drivers its really nothing to get excited over. I've also driven the csx base model that has the 2L 155hp engine; that was much more of what I would be looking for in terms of power for a small car. So if you are going to get a maz3 with the 2.5L, i think 167hp should be more than enough.

[Takumi616]

too many civics on the road.... Mazda3 FTW!

[spech]

I own both, a 2010 Honda Civic Sport and a 2010 Mazda3 Sport GT.
They both have their pros and cons, as far as I'm concerned.

In regards to the Mazda3, are you looking at another sedan, like your Honda, or are you thinking hatch?

Definitely thinking sedan. Which of your cars has the best fuel efficiency and visibility, IYO?

[CFX]

Definitely thinking sedan. Which of your cars has the best fuel efficiency and visibility, IYO?

Well if you're thinking sedan, then go with the bare bones Mazda3 GT, which perfectly matches your criteria.

Fuel efficiency - Civic (for the obvious reason, 1.8 liter engine)
Visibility - Mazda3 (the seats sit a lot higher than the Civic)

[sarujo]

The GX is the 'bare bones' and is the only trim offering the spirited yet efficient 2.0L.

I personally find the sedans a little boring (and insurance is higher on them too), as compared to the Sport hatch - hence why I bought one.

Well if you're thinking sedan, then go with the bare bones Mazda3 GT, which perfectly matches your criteria.

Fuel efficiency - Civic (for the obvious reason, 1.8 liter engine)
Visibility - Mazda3 (the seats sit a lot higher than the Civic)

[CFX]

The GX is the 'bare bones' and is the only trim offering the spirited yet efficient 2.0L.

I said bare bones GT, meaning nothing added to the package.