Good morning,


I currently own a 04 RX8 in great condition and one I haven't had any issues with. I bought my 8 used and due to the year and several other factors I have a higher monthly payment than I want. After a friend test drove the new 2012 Mazda 3 I have started looking into it and was wondering if this new 2012 skyactive technology was actually worth it as well as trying to get some impressions on this years model as well thoughts on the reliability of the 3 in general.

I am looking at the 2012 Mazda 3i ( I believe that's the one with skyactive) in a hatchback for the extra space.

 

a friend of mine at work has a 2010 mazda3 and I can say that it is very different from a rx8.

I moved from a rx8 to a 2012 madzaspeed3 recently. I like the mazdaspeed3 but it's not an rx8 and I still miss the old rx8. The mazdapseed3 is like a sledgehammer where a rx8 was like a finely balanced impact tool. Although I could never do things around the house, like I can now, with the rx8. The MS3 is so much more versital. i just wish it was more comfortable and better looking like the rx8 was.

The regular mazda3 is a nice vehicle that is definitely a little more sport minded then the average economy minded small sized sedan. The complaint from my friend on his 2010 mazda3 was a little less gas mileage then it's competitors I'm thinking the sky activ technology has solved that complaint. Although there is a lot of options in that market and a lot of competition. I would look at the competitors as well as the mazda3. I still think you mind end up with the 3 in the end but you should really look at your options as they are vast.

For the area that I was looking it, there wasn't much competition. A sports car that I could also take to home depot to do weekend warrior type stuff. So i wanted 5 seats and a large trunk opening and settled on a hatchback. It also had to be under 25k. I also drive a lot of miles for work so I wanted to buy new. That narrowed it down to the mazdaspeed3, GTI and subi. The MS3 came to be the cheapest out of the 3.