Comments on: Mazda3 Hatch Revealed

By: maxrent

maxrent — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 08:50:07 +0000

Can anyone say Peugeot 307?

By: foobar

foobar — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 03:14:41 +0000

What will it take for them to get rid of those bloody huge triangular blind spots, I mean D-pillars?

By: GBG

GBG — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 00:31:10 +0000

Might have to get one in black to downplay the smiley face out front. I think that will also tone down the Matrix effect, which seems to be due to the slightly more chunky look this one has. I hope black paint fixes it. Otherwise, if the Volvo dies– it is in the shop for the “last time” right now– I’ll be in the market for a nice used 08 or 09.

By: Demetri

Demetri — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 23:29:50 +0000

From the preliminary pics, I’m liking it a lot more than the sedan. The weight gain that edmunds was talking about bothers me though. It’s a little too big for me, but if the price is right I may check it out. I could go for a 2.5 hatch for 18k. If Mazda offers the same 1k bonus for current Mazda owners that they’re offering on the new 6, I may consider trading in.

By: M316

M316 — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 23:02:36 +0000

Its looks from the front a lot like the Peugeot 307/308 (not a bad thing). Apart from that it’s good. I have an 04 and apart from the glass suspension it works really well.

By: Roadster

Roadster — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 21:16:20 +0000

“The 1% to 2% of Americans who’d consider a hatchback must be excited.”

I don’t understand that comment. After all, what is any minivan, CUV, or SUV? A hatchback!

By: rpn453

rpn453 — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 21:09:42 +0000

Those pictures are useless! I’ll wait to see one in person before judgement.

By: reclusive_in_nature

reclusive_in_nature — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 20:52:47 +0000

The 1% to 2% of Americans who’d consider a hatchback must be excited.

By: the duke

the duke — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 19:07:57 +0000

Edmunds Inside Line has a review driving the new 3. As usual, they do not know what they are talking about:

I have a new 2008 3s five speed. Its rated at 22/29 city/highway. So unless 21=22, the new 3s has worse city mileage! I’m keeping my 08.

By: the duke

the duke — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 18:59:07 +0000

Not bad. But I’m still glad I got an ‘08 hatchback. Though if they offer the 2.0L in the hatch that would be nice. I would have gotten a 2.0L base in the hatch if they offered it.

Definitely still too many buttons in that dash.

By: shaker

shaker — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 18:14:17 +0000

I hope that “sh!t eating grin” is caused by the wide-angle lens and not the car itself.

By: dushenski

dushenski — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 18:09:29 +0000

Sweet, sweet, hatchback goodness. It looks much better than the sedan. The sedan seems to have the Nagare design language taped-on with scotch tape but this does “flow” better, if you get my drift. Let’s hope that they keep the speed3 hatchback only!

By: psarhjinian

psarhjinian — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 18:01:13 +0000

I like the look of the hatch, but it seems to look a lot like the profile of the ‘09 Toyota Matrix.

There’s only so much you can do with a hatchback (or any bodystyle really). You can make it look like a Saab or Prius and slant the rear glass more, or make it look like a small minivan (like the Fit), or you can do something in between.

By: shabatski

shabatski — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 17:56:46 +0000

I like the look of the hatch, but it seems to look a lot like the profile of the ‘09 Toyota Matrix.

By: Conslaw

Conslaw — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 17:43:25 +0000

A basking shark called, it wants its face back.

By: elloh7

elloh7 — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 17:26:12 +0000

I can’t tell if its a great looking car or not. I wish they’d just take some decent shots that have some semblance of reality. These super-wide angle-tilted 45°-camera on the ground-press shots make it impossible to get an accurate mental picture of the cars actual proportions..

By: JeremyR

JeremyR — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 17:19:38 +0000

It is a great looking car, other than the slightly too “happy” look.

By: polpo

polpo — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 17:15:20 +0000

I agree with kazoomaloo. Just like with the previous generation, the hatch is better looking than the sedan. I like it, but don’t love it. When the ‘04 Mazda3 first came out, I loved it. I loved it so much that I bought one of the first ones off the line, which turned out to be a lemon. If only I had waited until the next model year.

By: kazoomaloo

kazoomaloo — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 17:11:17 +0000

The hatch really doesn’t look so bad, I think it might take the lines a little better than the sedan. Seems more, idunno, balanced, perhaps.

By: enderw88

enderw88 — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 17:07:25 +0000

Oops, the last four pictures link to pictures of the sedan…fixed now.