I've kept the miles low on my 8 these last 2 years of ownership (9K)
with plans of handing it down to my son when he's old enough.

I've been looking at the Mazda 3 or 6 for a daily driver.
Anyone own one of these? How do you like it?

I kind of like the looks of the Mazda 3 5 door ...

 

I owned a 6S prior to the '8.

Great car in every way. Now that the Accord V6 can be purchased with a manual it kind of loses its luster somewhat, but it's a very good car and the best-looking sub-$30k midsize sedan on the market, IMHO. If you want more zoot than the 3-liter in the S model, there's always the Mazdaspeed6.

The 3 is also a great car, better even than the 6 when comparing it to other cars in its segment. Perhaps you should wait a little bit and get a Mazdaspeed3 when that hits the market. ;-)

 

I agree with getting the Mazdaspeed 3, I drove the Mazdaspeed 6 and it felt real fast, I can't imagine that engine in the 3!! I might be trading my car for the Mazdaspeed 3......Maybe.....I'm definetly gonna test drive it.

 

so let me get this right...
your son gets the 8 and you get a 3 or 6? lucky son of -_-
:]

 

I had a 6 prior to my 8 also, great car, had the 3 been out at the time I got my 6, not sure what I would have done as the extra space the 6 provides I didn't really need.

the 3 5 door is a great car, had one as a rental, tight handling, lots of room in the back and peppy even with the auto.

If you like the hatch, the MS3 is not a bad thing to wait for.

 

For a daily driver, I would definately choose the Mazda 3 hatch as opposed to the 6. Have you sat in both of them yet? The interior quality of the 3 is by FAR SUPERIOR to the 6's. Also, if you're planning to get a manual transmission in either one, I can tell you that the clutch in the 6 is very harsh compared to the 3's. However, if you're planning on the auto, then both of them have great autos. I test drove both the 3 and 6 before purchasing the 8. 3 hands down...you should really test drive both.

 

I don't understand where all this pooh-poohing of the 6's interior comes from... Though having said that, the '06 6i that I drove a month and a half ago didn't have as nice an interior as my '03 6S did. I figured that was a trim-level thing... The seats, especially, weren't as nice, and the cover for the cup holder seems to have gone missing.

Other than that, the interior was fine. Never drove a 3, though, so maybe it's got the greatest interior on planet earth and deserves all these accolades. I'm not a huge fan of the 3's styling, especially that divot taken out of the top of the rear bumper on the hatchback models. Without having driven one, I'd likely still buy a 3 over any of the true competition in its segment (Civic, Corolla, Impreza, etc.).

I never found the clutch in the 6 to be "very harsh", either, except for the fact that it started to chatter at around the 20k mile point when the weather was extremely humid and the car was "cold"... It would do this for the first half-dozen shifts and then go away.

 

My son is only 9 years old so it'll be 6 or 7 years until he'll inherit the 8.
I still have my 67 RagTop Vette to play with...

 

I hate you.

 

yeaaaaaaahhh... i'll take my comment back now...
can i be your son?

 

i had an 05 3 sp23. great car. great on gas for a daily driver and comfortable. i had all the amenaties to it. interior build quality is greaaaat. fun to drive but traded it in for my 8. good luck.

 

My wife and I just bought a 3i (2.0 liter engine) as a commuter car. My wife was tired of driving the minivan and wanted something with better gas mileage. The 3 is a great little car and is very sporty, handles very well in the curves. I too now leave the 8 covered in the garage, its an 04 with only 10k miles on it. It's now a weekend escape and track/autocross car.

I also have two sons ages 8 and 5 and they are definitely not getting the 8 when they turn 16. They may get the 3 or the minivan to drive!

Here in the Raleigh, NC area there were 4 teens who died in an Rx-8. The driver was trying to take a highway onramp at around 120. The car hit the side, went airborne off the ramp, fell 60ft and burst into flames. Charred beer cans were found at the scene. The Rx-8 belong to the driver's father who is not commenting on whether he allowed his son to take the car.