Published: Tue, 01 Jul 2025 20:03:06 -0800
It wasn't too long ago I was posting about getting back behind the wheel of my old Saab 9-5. While I loved that car, it was a bucket of bolts, and needed more money to be put into it than the car was worth. A non-exhaustive list of issues were:
The first on the list was the real killer, the first 100 degree day here in Sac left me drenched in sweat and feeling the oncoming effects of heat exhaustion, all from a 45 minute drive to work with the windows down. A lot of the fixes could have been done myself, but others really needed an experienced hand, one which is harder to find by the day for a Saab. Not to mention the difficulties and/or cost of finding parts
So I started a hunt for a new car, needing to meet these criteria:
I ended up selecting a 2007 Mazda 3 hatch with the larger 2.3L. While there were some Mazda 6 wagons I also considered, and a few VW Passats and Jettas, I think I made the right choice. VW is a mixed bag when it comes to reliability and all the Mazda 6s I could find came with issues of their own; mostly having to do with the non-drivetrain components.
I think I got a lot of car for the $3.5K I spent. Sure, it has some issues, but any car worth driving at that price will. The brake booster isn't working, the neutral safety switch acts up, the passenger side window won't roll down, and the rear shocks are due for replacement, but fixing all this is very doable from my driveway and I was able to find the parts without the sticker shock. Replacing the neutral safety switch was an easy enough job, but my forgetful ass didn't remember to put the parking brake back on after testing it out, causing it to roll off the ramps and taking the drivers side door and fender as a price. Fortunately for me, there were three matching cars at the closest salvage yard (more if I drove a few extra miles) and within 2 days I was able to get the car put back together with a working, albeit scratched, door.
It's interior is simple and that's how I like it. No big touchscreens, 3 dials, 1 info display, about a dozen buttons, and all the meters you need right on the dash. That being said there are a few things that are not user-friendly, such as the combination of buttons you need to press in order to turn on the trip computer which required me to search in the manual to activate.
Boy is it fun to drive! Where the Saab was happiest between 2K and 3.5K RPMs, the Mazda loves to rev, getting peak torque around 4.5K RPM. Although a bit sluggish in the lower rev ranges, as soon as VVT kicks in, it shoots off like a rocket (or at least feels that way). It's extremely planted when taking sharp turns, thanks to it's independent rear suspension. It's comfortable on the highway, but shines best on surface streets and back roads. I've been averaging about 22.5 MPG, while still having fun with the car and running out the gears. Not a massive improvement over the 19.5 MPG I averaged on the Saab, but taking regular instead of premium gas has been making me feel a lot more content when leaving the pump.
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