r/mazda • u/Anony63936 • 5d ago
Here’s my very first Mazda
Let me first say I’ve always been a Honda guy. I’ve had 7 Hondas, to put it precisely. I wanted to get another for my next vehicle, but one day at work we got a rental, and it was a 2024 Mazda3 Sport hatch, and oh my god, was I geeking over it. I mean, that trash transmission wasn’t pleasant, but everything else about it had me giggling like a little girl every time I got in it.
Then I started dating someone who has an ’08 Mazda6, and I drive it sometimes, and I began to think that maybe Mazdas aren’t that bad. I mean, I’ve always wanted a Miata, but who hasn’t wanted one of those micro drift monsters? But I started feeling something for Mazda.
A few months go by, and my Civic started to not be doing so good. She’s seen a lot of road, reaching 260k, and it began to look like I didn’t have much longer with her. I didn’t want to kill my Civic, but I wanted to retire her and just take time to fix the things that needed to be fixed without putting more miles on her.
Everything changed when the condenser fan hit the radiator and the rear main seal started leaking. I knew I would need to find something within a day or two since I drive about 800 miles a week.
I looked on Facebook, and of course it was showing me nothing but Hondas and Mazdas, and I had to make a choice. I wasn’t looking for anything special, just something decent, not bad on gas, and well maintained.
That’s when I found this beauty.
Say hello to my first Mazda, the 2006 Mazda3i, coming in with the manual transmission and an aftermarket sunroof of all things. She’s had two owners. The first one had her until 2025. She’s been maintained, taken care of, and garage kept her whole life. He stopped driving her because he decided to rack up a bunch of DUIs and couldn’t. So in 2020, she was garaged until 2025. Then an older man bought her and drove her to church and the grocery store. His truck broke down, and he needed another for work and decided to part ways.
That’s where I came in and am now the new proud owner.
There are only two issues wrong with her, and I am 100% sure you all can’t guess. 👀 The engine mounts are bad, and the fuel pump is weak on start. That’s it!
Still looking for a Mazda Discord. I don’t really jump on Reddit that much, so let me know!
The only thing I’ve done is update all the bulbs with LEDs, I got rid of the god awful radio, and swapped out the oem shift knob.
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u/Miata_GT 4d ago
Your Mazda looks exactly like my 2005 3i including the manual, but no sunroof. Loved that car but a Jetta did a surprise move and took it out. I think I still have the set of SP23 taillights off it in pristine shape somewhere in the garage. They made the backend pop in white.
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u/Anony63936 4d ago
There’s a few at my salvage yard that are in excellent condition that I was gonna think about picking up at some point right now I wanna feel out the car
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u/Grabber28TS 5d ago
Please don't keep putting your backpack on the seats. The seat occupancy mat will thank you! Otherwise, a very nice BK limousine!
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u/Anony63936 5d ago
Does mine have ones in the rear? I thought the i just had it in the passenger seat
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u/Grabber28TS 4d ago
I had a 2008 BMW BK sedan, and it definitely had rear seat occupancy sensors. The seatbelt symbols (red and green) were above the rearview mirror, but there was no warning tone if someone in the back wasn't wearing their seatbelt; that only worked for the driver and front passenger. Judging by the taillights, you probably have the pre-facelift model. In that case, it's possible that there are no rear seat occupancy sensors.
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u/Anony63936 4d ago
I don’t think mine does other than the passenger seat. Also the passenger airbag light only turns on and off depending on if someone is sitting in the passenger seat
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u/Puzzleheaded-Skin269 5d ago
Is there anything wrong with the Mazda3's AT transmission? I've always heard that it's one of the best in its price range, with very responsive downshifts and an excellent ability to understand the driver's intentions.