I had a 99 Civic EX and loved it but it was time for a new one. Last month I
was ready to buy an 05 Civic to replace it, but I was not impressed with the
body style or the cheap looking interior. My old one was much better
looking. The ride of the new one was about the same as the old. Then I
checked out the Mazda 3 and took a test drive. It blew me away and I bought
it on the spot. FAR SUPERIOR in my opinion. I got the 4 door S version. LOTS
of power compared to the Civic (160 hp) and great handling--fun to drive.
It cost a little more (with all the sports package that I got on it) but was
worth it. Drive them both before you choose.
"nash123" > wrote in message
oups.com...
> Hello,
>
> I am an extremely happy owner of a 1999 Civic EX 2dr @70K miles. I am
> thinking about getting a four door car since we just had a son. I know
> that I want to get a new 2005 4 door Civic EX to replace the old one,
> but I also looked at Mazda3 S and liked the specs and the looks (have
> not test driven either the Civic or the Mazda3 yet).
>
> I have come across some posts comparing the two, but most go back to
> 2004/early 2005. I am wondering if any Mazda3 owners have come across
> any problems since then (I have noticed that some owners had some
> issues with rattles etc, and some said that they did not think the
> quality of the car was not as good as a Civic and did not think it
> would last as long). In my mind, my top 2 picks would be Honda and
> Toyota, and right now I cannot decide if I should add Mazda to my list.
>
> I saw that both Civic and Mazda 3 with side air bags are "Recommended"
> picks in the Consumer Reports mag (both got poor without the side air
> bags) but Civic received "Excellent 5/5" for crash ratings whereas
> Mazda 3 got "Good 4/5". I guess this is the most important factor for
> me when it comes to decide on which car to buy. The second factor is
> reliability (the car should not break down and leave me stranded in
> the middle of nowhere - never had this problem with any of the Civics I
> have owned to date).
>
> Also, does anybody know anything about the new (2006) Civic line? What
> are your recommendations? Any comments appreciated.
>
> Thank you.
>