Mazda 3 Saloon (2004 - 2008) 1.6 Sport 4d Owner Review

First off all the car looks stunning to this day on the outside. It still regularly turns heads as there are not a lot of saloon version on the UK roads. This car is fun to drive once you learned its character. It's happier closer to 3k rev range in the city. If you keep it there it will pull away nicely. I like the sound of the engine, it's very quiet normally and it roars nicely if I step on it. I wouldn't call it sporty but it's got a pleasant tone compared to other cars in its range. You get a lot of extras even in the base modells and the fully equipped sport models are still decent in terms of extras in 2023. I have sat in brand new cars that lacked some of the extras that are in my 12 year old car. What would be helpful is parkong sensors as with the saloon it's not that easy to reverse park. The rear window is big but at an angle that makes it hard to see out. The boot lid is tall and the spoiler obstructs even more view and you have the big extending bumper that protrudes a good 15 cm that you have no vision of whatsoever. So it's a constant guessing of how much space you have without any real help. Over the years I learned to park it but I bumped the car a few times two of which caused the bumper to break that is hard to not see. The car is a bit nose heavy as any front wheel drive but cornering is still pleasanat for the driver that is :) as it sits low on the ground and there isn't body roll to speak of. All in all I really like my car it's just not the best to lug things around with. But it's as realiable as a car can get with admittedly very little care on my part. Many times I drive on the motorway observing german and french cars in the hard shoulder next to an aa van. I wouldn't even consider having breakdown cover for this car as it would be money thrown away. Never in my 7 years driving it was I ever let down by it and had to call assistance. I would like a newer car but it's very hard to justify the purchase as saving money on a more economic car will take over a decade to pay for the difference and nothing else is there to entice me. So I'm gonna keep driving this for a few more years probably.