{"id":41948,"date":"2013-04-27T17:54:58","date_gmt":"2013-04-28T00:54:58","guid":{"rendered":"\/?p=41948"},"modified":"2017-10-09T14:19:39","modified_gmt":"2017-10-09T21:19:39","slug":"2013-mazda3-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cookiesandclogs.com\/2013-mazda3-review\/","title":{"rendered":"2013 Mazda3 4-Door Sedan Review – Family-Tested, Dog-Approved #Mazda3 @DriveSTI"},"content":{"rendered":"

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The worst thing about car shopping is when you sign the papers, get it home, and then discover you don’t like it. After all, there’s only so much you can learn from a 20-minute test drive. Some might rent a model they’ve been considering but that has its downfalls as well since many people thrash rental cars (sad but true). So, when I was asked to review a brand new car for a week with a full tank of gas, I said “YES”. Last Monday, I found myself in a 2013 Mazda3<\/a> I 4-Door Grand Touring. There’s something about driving a fiery red car that instantly makes you feel like a racer…<\/p>\n

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(NOTE: These photos ARE of the same car but the color looks different in each. Sorry!)<\/p>\n

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Mazda3 Family Tested Real World Review<\/h3>\n

The Mazda3 is extremely easy to handle. I’ve noticed that some cars take some ‘getting used to’ before you can drive it comfortably. Not so with this model. Just jump in and go. My husband had the same experience when he first took his turn behind the wheel.\u00a0I did pick up on that zoom-zoom factor Mazda has been advertising, even though the engine was only a 2.0L (our two cars have 2.5L).\u00a0The acceleration and overall drive experience in this Mazda3 was so smooth that I kept having to watch the odometer \ud83d\ude1b It also seemed like the car ran better when you took the turns with some speed. I kid you not. When the automatic transmission was changing gears, it was barely noticeable with no jerking or heavy revving. Sure saves on that gear-change whiplash! This certainly wowed my husband.<\/p>\n

The model was built with Skyactiv Technology, which gives it excellent gas mileage. This technology makes the engine more efficient, makes the car lighter without sacrificing strength, and lessens wind resistance with a more aerodynamic body. As much as we tried to drive the car, we could only use a half tank of gas! 44 miles per gallon on the freeway? Yes, please. Plus, even on a windy day, we would only hear a hum of outside noise and didn’t have to yell over each other while cruising down the highway. If you’re concerned that the Mazda3 is lighter weight-wise, don’t be as the car actually felt more stable and stuck to the ground than the two (much heavier) cars we personally own.<\/p>\n

My husband’s and my favorite feature is the Blind Spot Monitoring (BSM). Any time a car enters your blind spot on either side (when driving), a small graphic lights up in your side mirror. If you happen to turn on your blinker when that notice is lit, you’ll hear a notification beep. I actually missed the BSM when I went back to using my regular car. Having this extra safety feature reminded me to check carefully when switching lanes or turning and warned me if I didn’t see something. My husband kept saying how this option just made ‘so much sense’ and how he thought this should be standard on all cars. BSM is standard on the Grand Touring model.<\/p>\n

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I want to point out that we did have a pretty upgraded version of this car. That said, several of the extras were pretty stinkin’awesome.<\/p>\n