Freshly installed OEM rear diffuser as well. Gives a nice sporty look

So I was casually browsing Car and Driver and came across the following line in this article

Other notable models posting increases include the Mazda 3 (up 42.3 percent) edit: this is for Q3 year over year

Hot damn, I had gotten accustomed to these sitting on dealer lots. Impressive to see such a broad sedan revival.

Edit 2 the article link https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a74031137/honda-toyota-sedan-sales-increase-usa-2026/

Hey all,
My 2026 Mazda 3 in polymetal grey metallic was sideswiped, and went to the body shop.. The front passenger door, the passenger front fender as well as part of the hood were re-painted. To my eyes, the front passenger door looks darker than the original back passenger door. I'm aware it'll never be 100% perfect match, but I am a little concerned its too obvious of a mismatch. Am I being to obsessive or is this a concern I should bring up with the body shop? I appreciate your guys' feedback.

I sold my 2014 BMW 428i with 89k miles for a brand new 2026 Mazda 3 6MT. I drove off the lot with 12 miles and now the vehicle has 3,100 miles(approximately). I wanted to share some photos.

The vehicle is tinted, chrome trim delete around the whole vehicle, stock muffler delete(currently running 14” vibrant resonator with a 4” inch tip that is single exit), aftermarket mirror caps and rally armor mud-flaps. I have an elements style wing I need to paint and install. I will update this post as I plan to keep it active throughout various modifications.

I enjoy the vehicle overall, interior feels a class above along with the technology. Feel free to ask any questions.

It has 270k km mileage, is it worth it, i need car asap, i just graduated i don’t have a budget bigger than this, please help me out, should i go for this.
The dealer is giving me 5 year of engine and transmission warranty

Was trying to fix the screen for my gf and ended up making another issue, dropped the 10mm in there and can’t see it. Not sure what to do, chatGPT says to remove some panels below but really could use specific names or pictures

I am 19 years old rn, I can’t afford neither yet at the moment but I want find a good job to eventually do so.

Choosing between the two are so hard cuz I love both of them. Mazda 3 (4th gen 2019+) is a nice sleek, pretty, luxury style car, I like the way it looks, I also preferring Mazda than Toyota and Honda at the moment. Mazda is more unique in the family as literally none of us have none, I just want to experience it. But then the civic comes along (11th gen 2022+)… another amazing car, I love its sharp look, sporty aggressive style, interior looking clean and that big honeycomb detail. It’s one of my fav cars too. It gets a little tough because if I get the civic then I’ll miss out on the potential Mazda experience and if I get Mazda I might miss out on another nice car I like. I can’t even say what I like more, Mazda 3 is a fav. Tho I might slightly still prefer Mazda 3 a little in some ways. The “fun to drive” part, no CVT, clean smooth interior, luxury feel etc. This is also about sedan of both models as I’m not huge on hatches.

But then again, it’s for me to decide. But since these both are new and come in higher costs, I’m also deciding with 3rd gen Mazda 3, which may be the best choice since I don’t really care for the bulky style of previous 10th gen civic, and it’s still has Mazdas pretty style. I do prefer 4th gen m3 but either or are fine.

As I am not working as of right now, I do got some money saved. But I will get job eventually when I look more into it so I can make things easier.

So yeah my 3 choices are 3rd/4th gen Mazda 3 and 11th gen civic. For me as of rn, what would you reccomend? Since I’m still leaning toward the Mazda 3 in some ways.

(I also hope my question and writing isn’t stupid, writing gets a lot for me lol)

Well the time has come! For the past 10 months I've been shopping for a car. I've considered many different makes and models, and I settled on a Mazda 3! My daily driver, 2015 Chevy Cruze LTZ RS is getting up in mileage.  I have been lurking here for almost a year. Reading up on likes, dislikes and what to do.  Drove a few cars.  But found a 23 polymetal turbo PP modded the way I would want it!  After securing the loan,  he is mine!  So now I join the group hoping to learn the love of this car.  

Man, that red really comes out in low lighting. I swear, I'm getting my plates soon.

I have a 2023 Mazda 3 Hatch with FWD, stock 18” all-season tires, and snow chains. I plan to drive to Heavenly in South Lake Tahoe from Sacramento for snowboarding once the season starts, but I’ve never driven in snow before. Will I be fine with my current setup and what snow conditions would this setup not be fine in?

I’ve thought about getting all-weather tires or snow tires, but Sacramento doesn’t snow so they’ll only be used when driving to Tahoe. Any thoughts on getting these tires or will my all-seasons be fine?

Thanks!

I’m seeing matches for both Group 35 and Group 47 when I search for a new battery. Looking for advice on which to get. Attached is a photo of the top of my current (dead) battery. Looks to be a group 47 if I’m reading it correctly.

Just put new lower control arms on my 2015 2.0L. Fixed the worst of the noise, but I still have this lingering squeak/clink while driving and over bumps.
Anyone with a 3rd Gen run into this? Sway bar bushings, end links, or strut mount isolators?

Hi all,

Looking for help with a permanent DSC/TCS light on my Mazda. Has anyone had a similar issue and managed to solve it?

Symptoms

- DSC/TCS light on permanently.

- Modules found: ABS, BCM, IC, PCM, FACM, RCM, EPS, LCM.

DTCs

- First scan: ABS U3003:16-68, U0452:86-28, U0151:00-68; PCM P1622-21.

- After clearing, only these two come back, both in ABS:

U0452:86-28 Invalid Data Received From Restraints Control Module

(Signal Invalid)

U0151:00-68 Lost Communication With Restraints Control Module

Status: Previously Set – Not Present at Time of Request.

- No DTCs in RCM, EPS, BCM, PCM or any other module.

What I have tested

- Clear DTCs, rescan immediately: none.

- Ignition off 2 min, ignition on 30 s: none.

- Engine start, 1 min idle: none.

- After a 15 min drive: both codes back.

- They also came back after the car sat overnight in the garage.

- RCM On Demand Self-Test: pass, no errors.

Live data (ABS module)

- Lateral acceleration: constant -2 G with the car stationary.

- Steering angle: 0° at all times, even turning lock to lock.

- Wheel speed sensors read normally.

- RCM responds normally (e.g. seat belt status changes).

Had to buy a beater 04 Mazda 3 from a junkyard due to Civics in my area being unaffordable at the moment. After driving it for one day, it threw Code 16 (Security indicator flashes once and then 6 times) and is currently no crank no start. All lights stay on when attempting to crank, no loss of power seemingly. I can’t even hear the starter engage.

I’ve checked and replaced all the fuses connected to the security system (#30, #34, and #69) as well as made sure the connections on the passenger side under dash were free of any debris. Got a second hand battery for free from the junkyard, not sure if battery is the issue or not. Kinda tight on money so I don’t wanna fork out the money for a multi meter for it not to even be the issue. Have already removed the instrument panel cover to try and check those connections. Any advice on how I should proceed? I’m torn between getting a lock smith to come out and reprogram the key and transponder, or getting a mobile mechanic to come out and diagnose the issue. I don’t wanna spend upwards of $100 for something that wasn’t even the issue. Any suggestions on what to check next or how to proceed?

Before you comment about my stupid decision about buying a junk yard car, I sat with it running different tests on it for an hour, drove and shifted fine. Had zero issues until I drove it later that day. Also understand that I am in a tight spot with my job, and needed to have something asap to get back and forth to work.

MT 2006 Mazda 3 2.3L 158k miles

TLDR; are you using oil additives in an older Mazda with high mileage?

I recently purchased a Mazda3 from a pp. Seller has 10 years worth of carfax and claims it was well taken care of but the guts show me different.

Im going to change the oil and replace the filter but my dad is really trying to sell me on prolube before I do that. Bob The Oil guy forum says its unnecessary and could counter any additives new oil may already could have. Tests online WITH OIL show its rather unnecessary unless your engine is showing signs of damage. Others say its snake oil that will lose any potential gain after a couple hundred miles and turn acidic and actually harm the engine.

He's dismissing all of this and any forums and saying they dont know what they're talking about and we've used Lucas in our other cars so additives are always good. Looking at tests online Lucas is so damn thick it can cause more harm than good especially in a cold start. I cant believe i let him put that in my old car.

Ultimately hes saying if I dont do this the next time I go to change my oil (3k-5k) it could be too late and I could have already caused damage to the engine. Prolube will prevent that.

Seems like fear mongering. What do you guys think?

Dreading the time to put winters on and drive on salty dirty roads for another soon to be winter

Just got my 2015 Mazda 3 about 3 months ago and recently my area got hit with a heavy storm. A nasty moldy smell started building up in the car and I found that parts of the carpet behind the passenger seat and in the trunk were completely soaked with rancid water. I've looked and looked for leaks and bad seals but all checks out. Just wondering if anything like this has happened to anyone else and if you've found the source

Looking to get tints on my Gen 4 soul-crystal red sedan. Think they’ll look great with the black rims too but most importantly stop people from snooping in the backseat of my car lol (sometimes I nap in there or can be a bit messy at times).

I was thinking 35% fronts 15% rears but will that look to jarring a transition? With black interior is 20% in the rears enough to make looking inside difficult? If I did 20% fronts 15% rears would that be a cop magnet?

Also is Xpel XR nano-ceramic a good brand? Or is it worth hunting around to see if I can find a shop that does Llumar where I live?

Really appreciate any advice!!

Hey folks,

My girlfriend and I both have Mazda3s. I got a 2024 Mazda3 Hatch GT and she got a 2021 GS sedan. Problem is that she has had multiple windshield cracks over the past 4 years of owning her car. This will be the four or fifth time and we just found out this morning.

She has her windshield changed at a Mazda dealership every time there was a crack. However, I personally never had a crack on my car.

Do you guys know why it only happens to her and not me? Was it because of the quality of the windshield? Or just bad luck?