2006 Mazda 3 GS review from North America

Nothing due to the fact I have only owned car for a short time.

Transmission makes small whine sound in 1st gear, but I was told it's normal and it's always happened.

Performance:

Whether you have the auto or manual tranny they do a great job of squeezing lots of power from the engine. However the manual tranny is the way to go if you want serious performance and acceleration.

In 1st gear the thrust will pin you back in your seat no problem and squealing the tires is very easy. Second gear also has tons of torque to get you up to 40kph in no time. Third gear is very versatile and smooth. It provides smooth power anywhere from 25-65kph. At cruising or idle speeds the engine is whisper quiet to the point you'll sometimes wonder if the car stalled.

Performance was a bit less impressive on the highway. Going into 4th from 5th did not produce as much passing power as I would like, but it is still pretty good for a 4 banger. This is no V6 so we can't expect too much.

Handling:

This Mazda 3 is the best handling car I have ever driven period. Handling is precise and nimble, making you feel fully connected with the road. It will allow you to take twisting turns at very high speeds, but you will still feel confident that the car can stay on track. Mine has the 16" tires which helps even more.

I believe the car uses a combination of electric and hydraulic steering so there is not too much resistence in the steering wheel, but this is great for low speed cornering. I think it is just the right mix. The power steering also has its own motor separate from the engine so it does not rob it of power and it can stay running so you have power steering at least for a little while after you stall (maybe this is not an issue for most).

The M3's got 4 wheel disk brakes, which is great for this small a car because stopping power is amazing, but not too sensitive.

The suspension system is something that might be a deal breaker for some. It is pretty stiff to provide good road feel and handling and for me this is what I want. If you want a a cushy, floaty ride, get a Camry or some other vanilla family car.

Exterior:

You should all know by now that this is the hottest looking 4-door sedan in the world, at least in my opinion. The front is sporty and aggressive looking, but has smooth, slick lines all around. The windshield's angle is quite low and flows into the roof which gradually arches back to the trunk.

The back doors are noticeably smaller than the front and the combination of this feature along with the roof and rear window angle is what gives the car a "coupe-like" design. The rear spoiler really sets it off. So what you end up with is a sporty coupe wihout the inconvenience of having only 2 doors.

The 16" wheels look nice, but they are nothing special. They blend well with the rest of the car.

The rear of the car is quite high, which helps give the roof that smooth gradual slope, but there is a black trim that rises up from under the bottom about 6 inches. I believe this gives the rear the appearance that it is not too high or that the rear bumper is too large. The large tail lights also help in this regard and you can tell Mazda has really very carefully designed every aspect of the car.

Interior:

The appearance of luxury-like design are everywhere inside! They used a lot of different textured semi-rubber plastics that almost look like a hard leather. The audio system is well integrated into the design so it does not look like a generic stereo was thrown into a compartment.

The driver's dash has those huge ported readouts that glow a reddish-orange at night that looks stunning. The other very cool feature is a strip of light that moves back and forth as you change the audio settings.

The seats are made of a high quality fabric and have great side support and lumbar support. Tilt and telescopic steering also helps to give just about any size person the ability to feel comfortable.

There is a little more wind noise than I would like even with the sunroof closed, but it is still much quieter than my last car, the Hyundai Elantra 98.

The back seats don't have much head or leg room, but the seats are still very comfortable. I wouldn't want to fit 5 people in the car for too long though, but it could be done. Four would be pretty comfortable unless you are driving for 4 hours straight.

Summary:

As great as this car may be, you still need to take a test drive to determine if it is right for you. It can easily be a family people-mover car, but for someone who wants some spirited performance and likes the joy of driving, this car is the ticket.

I have researched many cars and for me the Mazda 3 was the perfect match. I wanted sporty looks, but 4 doors, good performance with fuel economy, reliability, but for a reasonable price and this is the car right here. The car also has a slew of other cool little features that I can't go into detail here. Just rest assured that Mazda's got you covered from all angles. You will not find such as finely designed car from GM or most other manufacturers.