Other than looks, everything about the Mazda3 is better than the Civic. (are you talking about the sedan or coupe for the Civic?!?)

Even then, if you get a black Mazda3, the grill/smiley face isn't as obvious.

However if you are talking about a sedan Civic.....I can stand the look of that, and I would get a Mazda3 for sure.

My gf like the mazda3 so I'll say mazda. But both cars r not my cup of tea.
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my friend was in the exact same situation as you!! he picked the 2010 mazda 3... returned it after 1-2 weeks... got the 2010 civic sedan. he's really happy with his choice and has been driving it for almost half a year now.

civic is getting a face lift for 2012.

so i would hold it off until the face lift.

shippings may be in by late 2011.

???


dunno..

I prefer the mazda cause you can get it in hatch form, there are a billion on the road so I don't imagine the quality is alright. You get choices for more power too, they're offering some good discounts on the civic I think like 4k or something so that's probably something to consider, the civic should be a noticeable amount cheaper

I would seriously consider the MKVI Golf though, IMO the best exterior and interior in that price range, and the 2.5L has plenty of power and is really good fun. Test drives are in order, civic will feel like it's falling apart next to the golf. Can't say too much about the 3

too bad you guys narrowed it down to the two cars...


civic would seem the more "rational" choice... but hey, you never know. a 3 is less boring.

but for the same money, i'd actually get the new Hyundai elantra thats gonna come out in a bit.. those new korean cars are definitely worth the look. and yes i hate to admit it.

it really is up to you, there's both good and bad things about both cars. depends what the purpose is as well. but if it's just a car for general use, i'd go for the sportier one! the mazda 3:)

for 20k i would look for something like a 06/07 civic SI on craigs/rev/auto trader. in a 4door or something. (i noe i noe, no used cars, but bang for buck i like the SI even if its used man..)

other then that... if u want new, i gotta say mazda3. they give u a lot more options for ur money, and i kinda like the INTERIOR more.and maybe paper bag the front end?

^ +1
is there a reason as to why you're looking into a brand new car? there's many ways to spend the 20grand you have, but it depends on the purpose. like umpadupa posted, the best bang for your buck is to go for a si even if it's a few years old. personally, i'd get something that's cheap and spend the rest of the money on mods, etc:D

if you pick Mazda............ make sure you buy the extended warranty

i can't even look at this pic with a straight face...something about those 2 cars on the right side...
http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-..._5232953_n.jpg

Mazda3 can be loaded up with a lot of nice options like LED tails and Xenons, which are only available with the Acura CSX.

So I think it is only fair to compare Acura CSX + Civic vs Mazda 3.

Drive both and see which one you like best. Both a nice utility vehicles it is a bit of Coke vs Pepsi argument.

if you plan to sell it in the future.

the civic holds better value as in depreciation.
the mazda3 will be better equipped in terms of options.
and the honda will win in fuel economy.

The new Jetta is also surprisingly cheap... and comes with a lot of features as well.

However, I can't say much about reliability considering it's an all-new model, mechanically. The 2.5L engine has been pretty much trouble-free though.

the interior of the mazda 3 is much nicer than the civic's.

^

agreed except looking at the exterior makes u go LOL every time you try to enter your car

The Mazda3 is more fun to drive.

But I get better economy out of My Civic.
But the insurance on it was higher haha.

If it was a previous gen Mazda3, I'd say get that.

I just got my Civic in January and it rattles and shit already. Fucking annoying.

+1 for mazda 3

civic comes with LED tails.
xenons...nothing a $80 HID kit can't fix.

but then again mazda 3 comes with projectors.

Not if you want to be legal.

I know you are looking for a comparison.... but I think you should get a suzuki SX4 from us... we close tomorrow and only have a couple left. They come with much more than the civic/mazda 3 (awd, full sound system etc) and they are cheaper than either option right now cuz we need to get rid of them!ahhh i'm not a sponsor don't shoot me!

on the up side of the smiley mazda3.. u can always open ur window and look at it when life throws u curve balls :thumbsup:

Lol my mom drove one of those last year. She crashed it - i hated that car ;P LOL . But howmuch are they selling for right now? I'm just thinking I should keep my options open xD

For maintenance and repair, does anyone know if the civic or mazda3 is cheaper? Lol - for some reason for the years there's always something wrong with the cars my family drives

thanks for all the tips guys

plus: although I also agree with everyone that the smiley face on the mazda looks terrible - I still think overall it looks better than a civic , but I'm more into which one is a better buy , and since everyone's saying mazda3, that's more where I'm focusing now haha

Like everyone else has said, with the mazda you get more value and options for your money.

But here are some reasons why I bought the mazda 3 over the civic (GT model):
- I got $2800 off the mazda while honda would only offer me $500 (this varies though)
- Xenon/projectors
- Heated seats
- Dual climate control
- Nicer interior, black plastics/fabric vs grey
- 17" rims vs 16"
- Dual exhaust
- Ambient/entry LED lighting
- Flip-out key (nice touch)

Basically, its just all the extras that you wouldn't get with the civic that got me. Handles great and you get more horses without having to pay 91 octane. As for the exterior, I didn't have to "grow" to like it, I liked it when I first saw it and I couldn't care less about what another person thinks of my car.

IMO the car looks much more streamlined than the civic, I never liked how the windshield engulfs nearly half the engine bay of the civic and thereby creating this 4 inch mini window in the A-pillar. I can't speak for others, but I found it hard to see the apex when turning and I didn't like it.

We only have the top models left.... JLX Package... regularly $26,090, we have the last 3 on for $19,888... We are losing $2,400 on each one, but we lose $3000 if we send them back to suzuki.... Tomorrow is our last day, so we need to get rid of them.

^The sx4 has everything that matters above.... minus the projectors... and its AWD, 10 speaker stereo with sub, smartkey (no key needed to start car)... I know they aren't for everyone and not many people like suzukis, but put it this way.... Orca Bay Suzuki bought 10 new cars from us last week, for the same price we have them advertised for.... so you know you can't get a better price and after we close people will have to pay 3 grand more....