Trying to decide between Prius and a Mazda 3.

I think the responses are going to be predictable. Ask the question on a Prius forum and the majority will recommend the Prius. Ask the same on a Mazda forum and you'll get an opposite response.

I think the Prius is the better value because it's a bigger car that's more efficient. Most cars have some parasitic drain while the car is off, in fact a coworker's 2003 Lexus didn't start yesterday after sitting for a month. Since the Prius uses the HV battery and an electric motor far beefier than a regular starter to turn the engine over you should have no issues starting in the winter time. The 12v battery is only used to power the electronics that control the hybrid system, so it doesn't take much current from the 12V battery to get started in the winter.

I test drove a new Mazda 3 two years ago and really liked it. It's going to have faster acceleration, better handling, and a quieter ride on the freeway than the Prius. If you go with the Prius you'll enjoy a more spacious cabin and some really slick technology that's used to save gas. I'm sure I'd like a Mazda 3 just fine, and I really like my Prius. You really can't lose when choosing between these two.

 

My advice is to drive both and see which fits you better. What was right for me may not be what's right for you. I chose the Prius last June because I was more comfortable in it than the Mazda or the Ford Focus. It also has more cargo space, which was important to me. The clincher for me was the fact that I can run the air conditioner with the engine off while my wife goes into a store. If needed, the engine will turn on periodically to charge the main battery. Gas mileage was a factor for me but not the main factor.

If the car doesn't fit YOU, you'll never be happy with it, so drive each car long enough be sure it's comfortable for you and handles how you need it to.

 

I had considered the Mazda 3 and the Prius and went with the Prius because at the end of the day - you don't have to fill this thing up for loooong stretches of time. While the Prius may not match the 3 for driving nuance/cornering etc - I smile knowing that I get 20 mph + average more than the Mazda 3. If you go to Fuelly and look at the averages the Mazda 3 is pulling close to 32 mpg. My last hard calculation had me averaging 55 mpg as a rookie Prius driver.

 

The prius with the performance package is just as fun to drive if not more so. Although I don't think it's offered anymore?

HTC One X ?

 

Some specs related to : "just as fun to drive if not more so"

Prius Performance Package with 17 inch wheels, lowering springs and sway bar (Motor trend Sept 2013):

0 - 60 = 10.1 sec
Quarter Mile = 17.5 sec @ 79 mph
Lateral Acceleration: .81 g
Braking 60 - 0 = 125 ft

Mazda 2014 2.0 Liter Manual Tranny (Motor Trend Dec 2013)

0 - 60 = 7.8- sec
Quarter Mile = 16.1 sec @ 87. 6 mph
Lateral Acceleration: .64 g
Braking 60 - 0 = 120 ft

 

mazda, 'nuff said.

 

Yep, performance package or otherwise the Mazda blows away the Prius in almost every objective performance metric.

The Prius was never meant to be a hot rod though.

 

I live in minnesota. we have had an awful winter this year- it's even snowing today! the mileage in winter even with our heat blasted is still close to 40 mpg. Nothing comes close. it also handles fairly well in the snow.

 

FWIW, the battery that needed jumping is the 12V battery. It's used to power the computers that control everything.

The car does have a small current draw while it's parked, so if the 12V battery is a few years old it will go down after a few weeks sitting.

In terms of fuel economy, is your driving mostly highway or urban/suburban? It doesn't make sense to compare the hwy ratings if you're mainly driving around town.

 

Personally I wouldn't buy Mazda.. Up to you, but these cars are totally different IMO.

 

Where is here?

With the low miles, I would say go with the 3.

 

I would drive several times both before making any decision, but in the end you're going to have to decide based on what is important to YOU.

The Mazda-3 is a great car, especially the rebooted 2014. The G3 is a great car too, but it's starting to be a little dated and the G4 is expected to hit the streets sometime in 2015 - so if you're wanting to get a good deal on a new G3, I'd wait until the G4s start tricking out.
If you fear "first year" cars, then the Prius gets the point in this column.

The Mazda will be ORDERS OF MAGNITUDE more fun to drive (I've driven both) and it made C&D's top ten list this year without breaking a sweat - something that the last Mazda-3 didn't accomplish....good though it was.
The Prius is usually the butt of jokes in C&D - so if that kind of thing is important to you, well.....

The interior is vastly superior on the Maz-3 even though it's an entry-level 4-pax hatch. There are many posts in PC landblasting the seats in the G3. If the words 'sciatic nerve' mean anything at all to you or your height or BMI are close to the norm in America? Think about the Mazda or a really good seat insert.

The Prius will be roomier, and it will undoubtedly be more frugal to drive for 5-10 years, and it will also undoubtedly LAST that long if you take the least bit of care with filters and fluids.
If you live in one of the sloburbs in America, then the Prius will have a surprisingly higher resale value, dated chassis notwithstanding.
Also...if you're in a CARB state, then many of the hybrid components will be covered by an extended warranty, which will be important to you if you keep the car for >5 years.

Your Car.
Your Call.

Good Luck!

 

I'm on the market for either car myself. Friends of mine had a Mazda 3, I think the sportier model, that they actually traded in for a 2009 Prius years ago and in October upgraded to a 2013 Prius. When I asked her about both cars (Mazda was her husband's so not her daily driver) she said the Mazda had expensive tires because they were low profile and they wore out faster because of that as well.

I recently drove a used Mazda 3 for a day while the Ford dealership was fixing my Mustang. The car was nice, it was a pretty color and fun to drive. I'm used to driving manual transmissions as that's all I've ever had in 13 years of driving so automatic cars feel funny to me with the way they shift. The Mazda shifted so smoothly for an automatic, I was impressed. The Prius shifted well too but not as well as the Mazda. The technology differences got me a little as it didn't have Bluetooth, backup camera, navigation etc like I want in a Prius but this was a 2007 model.

One of the first things I checked out was the trunk/hatch space and it was a lot smaller in the Mazda than the Prius. That's what sets me towards a Prius immediately. I have a one year old and I need more car than I currently have and the Mazda looks to have the same space as the Mustang. Why oh why didn't I listen to my husband warn me to buy a family friendly car instead of the Mustang.

 

Because you wanted a Mustang?

 

"Why oh why didn't I listen to my husband warn me to buy a family friendly car instead of the Mustang."
That was a rhetorical question.

But yes. Only now I wish I hadn't. Not that I don't love my car, I do, but I should have listened to Mr. Practicality.

 

I've driven the "10 Mazda 3. Its a fine vehicle, but the Prius is roomier and definitely a more refined vehicle. The Mazda is more "sporty" in and out.

It really comes down what you prefer. I am not into zoom zoom styling, they tend to be more aggressive, while Prius offers a more classic, sort of a Hybrid future look.

 

The more I look at Mazda's the more I find their "smile" to be comically cute.

 

Yep, all it needs are some of those long eyelash thingies.

SCH-I535

 

My friend has a 2012 Mazda 3 Hatchback, so I can't quite comment on the new gen, but her biggest comment when she rode in my PiP was how huge the Prius is. She finds the Mazda 3 to feel like a much smaller car on the inside.