Honda Civic or Mazda 3

I've test driven the 2005 Mazda3 w/2.3 engine and the a/c worked great. It was also a very fun car to drive. I've test driven the '05 Mazda3 2.3 and the '05 Civic Si. Both were very nice cars and it may come down to preference. I like the fact the Hondas have features that are standard but they are options on the Mazda. I've never driven the 2006 Civic but hear it's an awesome car, with more power than before. Also love the design of the new Civics - saw the EX the other day. It was nice. Both are supposed to be reliable but I tend to trust Honda reliability more. Also like their manual transmissions more.

It'll probably come down to test driving both and seeing which you like better. If budget is an issue, don't forget to check the cost of maintenance and fuel economy along with the final price of each vehicle.

-Dave

Civic gets much better gas mileage and has a proven reputation for reliability. Those alone make Civic a better buy than the Mazda3, IMO.

Very true. Just saw a 2006 civic on the highway today. A great looking car, I almost thought it was an Acura RSX until I got a close look.

I liked mazdas better for thei r looks, now I'm not so sure... buy the civic for its looks AND its long term reliability record. : )

There ya go! Another thing I did not like about the Mazda3 - the layout of the interior, especially the radio. Very cluttered. Wonder what they were smoking when that was designed?

If it was me, I would take the honda over the ford

"Jamco" wrote in news:cBR2f.9954$y_1.9181@edtnps89:

Good Point Jamco - I hope to take delivery of my new 2006 Honda Civic Ex Coupe later this week. They are scarce here right now.

I just test drove on...I must say its definately a much nicer ride then the previous generation of civics...but I still prefer my RSX :)

I have the 06 civic ex atomic blue. Dont know much about the mazda, but i love my new civic and all the features. and what about the dash? best part of the new civic.

Walter wrote in news:Xns96EB17791701retired99hotmailcom@198.164.200.20: