Review: 2018 Mazda 3 GS Sport

Now I should start off by saying that this 2018 Mazda 3 Sport GS is actually my vehicle. I bought it brand spanking new in November of 2018. This is first new car I have ever bought which I wasn’t a big fan of at first. My parents have always driven older vehicle so I believed to be “fiscally irresponsible” for me to get a new one. After discovering I could get 0% financing on a vehicle that holds resale value quite well, I decided to go against the family grain. Now I bought this car for a few reasons:

1. I was driving a Ford F-150 at the time which was quite expensive. Payments were high, fuel isn’t really that cheap and insurance is a bit higher. I knew I could save money by off loading it.
2. Trucks are excessive. I didn’t really need a truck but I guess I was trying to keep up with the Alberta Joneses. I never really used the truck as a truck. Most of the time I was driving to and from work or traveling on paved highways on the weekend. I can count on one had how many times I actually “needed” a truck.

At that point the decision was made, I needed a car. After hours upon hours of reading car review and watching videos on YouTube, I came to the Mazda 3. This is a car for someone who enjoys to drive. I also realized that the Mazda 3 is one of the only cars left that can be bought with a manual transmission. It had been many years since I had driven a manual but I knew I wanted one! So I traded in the truck on this Mazda and took off (Zoom Zoom).

Fast forward to July of 2019 and things have been great with the Mazda! I have put on just over 11,000 smooth kilometers and I still look forward to driving it everyday. It is great on gas, insurance and fun to drive! Mazda has made it their goal to create fun everyday cars for people at an affordable price and I would say they’ve nailed it. Here are my 3 Top Likes and Dislikes.

Likes

1. The manual gearbox is fantastic. This car was made to be driven with a manual gearbox. It gives the driver the control and ability to use all of the 155 HP on tap in the 2.0L engine.
2. The car uses technology called G-Vectoring Control to help the car get around corners in a hurry and I must say it works great. It apparently brakes your inside cornering tire and increases power to the outer tire while ensuring the transmission and chassis of the car are ready for what comes next.
3. The Hatchback! The car is under attack by the SUV so to have the flexibility, space ,and convenience in a car is great!

Dislikes

1. The cup holders! They are in a fine place but they are no were deep enough! As an example, if you would like to put a water bottle in the cup holder it will be in the way every time you go to change gears. This setup might work for an automatic but it certainly doesn’t with a manual!
2. No Apple CarPlay. There shouldn’t be any vehicle produced in the year of 2018 without Apple CarPlay or Andriod Auto. It just doesn’t make any sense when some car makers have had it in their vehicles for years! Mazda, fix it out!
3. The manual gear box… I know what you are thinking, “wait wasn’t that his #1 favourite thing” and that’s correct! It’s kind of a love hate relationship. I find both fifth gear and reverse are a bit sticky going into gear in multiple situation which is a bit of a pain. Not to mention the arch nemesis to the manual gearbox is stop and go traffic! I don’t usually have to deal with such a beast but when I do, it quickly becomes dreadful…

Overall this car has been great and I look forward to spending many years and miles whacking my forearm off my water bottle in the shallow cup holders!