Hi guys, am contemplating whether to get the new Honda Civic or Mazda 3 sedan. Wondering how is the overall comparison in terms of fuel consumption for both cars. For the Honda Civic, I am referring to both the 1.8 and 1.5 turbocharged variants. In comparison to the high spec Mazda 3 Skyactiv sedan.

Seen some reviews mentioning about the road and tyre noise for the Mazda 3. Is it significantly better in the Honda Civic? Had test drove both but could not distinguish between the two, perhaps not enough "highway" speed to try out with.

Handling for Mazda is top notch, but the Honda has much larger cabin space. Is the trade for cabin space worth it in the Mazda? Or vice versa?

Opinions from any sifus here or Mazda and Honda owners are much welcome. Thank you.

If between Honda Civic 1.8 and 1.5T..go for 1.5T if you can afford it...the FC is better than 1.8.....

Between Honda vs Mazda...go for Honda laaa..better aftersale service....

civic anytime. I heard there's a lot of problems with mazda 3's electronic.

if you are able to get the 1.5T of honda.... just go for honda.... ask yourself... whether you value the space that much first... keep on asking the question.... and i do feel the NVH in mazda 3 really kinda weak.... and the Honda is definitely for comfort... and decent driving performance for the driver.... of course... you cant have comfortable car and good handling at the same time... ask yourself... which you value more....

What problems? I'm in a few Mazda 3 chat forums and almost nobody report any problem with electronics. As a Mazda 3 owner myself I have encountered zero electronic problem after 1 year.

family ? is this second car?, highway cruising?

Both are great cars. You need to be specific in your usage type .
Mazda excels in the ride and handling department but will sacrifice comfort, and road noise.
From how much space they sacrifice, it is very clear that this car is purely driver oriented.

Personally I feel civic has a better "overall" package although not the best in that category.
Above average in ride and handling, above average in NVH, above average in cabin space.

This post has been edited by Drian: Jul 25 2016, 09:52 AM

Tyre road noise for mazda 3 terrible i can tell u,haha.. Power wise 1.5T Honda is better.. Depends on what u want la, if u wanted an all rounder car, better go for civic, spacious n comfy while maintaining the handling above average... Resale value also much much better... After sales wise, mazda after sales service is quite satisfying too.. Go for mazda if u looking for a driver oriented n fun to drive car..

For example??? Would like to hear from u..

This post has been edited by ZaiZai1989: Jul 25 2016, 09:47 AM

Me too bro, been 1year plus, it gives me zero electronic related problems..

Maybe he is referring to the cx3 which meter jumps like crazy , door locks and unlocks by itself.. Which is due to water in ecu during engine bay washing...

seen both, frankly speaking like the civic better.... HOWEVER... dat pricetag.....

2 different car cater for different people, what you want first? Like for own or family use?

Mazda 3 - Driver oriented, sporty drive

Honda Civic - Executive, family car

BTW the civic 1.5 turbo engine is not performance type and mated with a CVT to save fuel. Turbo engine you need more maintenance compare to N/A engine in long run, just look at the engine bay of 1.5T.. Lots of tubing, sensor and wiring..

honestly after testing driving both cars,
i would go with mazda 3.

the CVT is boring AF & the price is insane for the 1.5T
maybe few years later it might be a good buy

I switched from Toyota Altis to Mazda 3.. No regrets and loving the Mazda more & more.. U'll definitely see heads turning for the Mazda.. I am predicting growth for this brand

Mazda for the win!

Depends on the size of your family. If usually only 2 kids at the back go for Mazda 3. If you are particular about road noise go for the GL with 16" rims which will be kinder on your ears and your wallet. It's still the same engine and body and frankly you don't really need all the gadgets in the HS.

If you want to get the civic, get the 1.5T. Frugal if you drive normally, but power is there if you need it. Don't think of it as a "Turbo" per se, but an efficient 2.4L engine. People may say a lot about the CVT, but you'll see the speedo numbers going up up up, even though you may not "feel" it coz it's very linear.

Go for mazda 3, life is too short to be driving boring CVT cars.

Mazda 3 facelift coming out next year you dont wanna buy a car now den sulk up looking at more hensem 1 next year.

honda maintenance is free same as mazda?
if not mazda 3 better in after sales service.. in fact all mazda vehicle are with 3 years or 60k/100k km free maintenance..

Civic
-spacious interior
-cavernous boot space
-fuel sipping EEV-certified drivetrain
-potentially better resale value than Mazda 3
-potentially cheaper parts prices
-Rear a/c vent

Mazda 3
-smooth & powerful engine
-great handling
-better looking interior & exterior
-better built quality

yup all experts here. lets hear from owner themselves, hopefully without bias la

Honda have 5 years unlimited mileage warranty....
Great to those travelling salesmans who covered 80K km per year

free labor only, no free parts i think..
mazda each time service no need to pay at all.. 5 years warranty mean u have commitment to send to SC for 5 years..

so have pro n cons there..
3 years with free parts n labor - mazda (engine oil, oil filter, cabin filter etc FOC)
5 years with free labor - honda

that free labor for how many times for honda? is it for 5 years too? if yes quite nice..

Civic 1.5T doesn't have the power of a 2.4L engine. I would say it is closer to 2.0L

There is very little physical change over the existing model but you get the new "torque steer" electronic aid for cornering. Not a lot to wait for and price may go up.

You have to fight tooth and nail to claim warranty from Honda when your car is less than 3 years old. After 3 years good luck to you. Hopefully you haven't added in any accessory to give them reason to void your warranty.

and why boot capacity for civic is smaller then city?
519 liter civic vs 536 liter city

while mazda 3 only a mere 419 liter for sedan.. even the new perodua bezza is 509 liter

as for mazda, my friend CX5 got no problem claims warranty.. its below plastic cover damage due to hit something hard.. ask mazda to replace while in warranty, they do it with no question ask..

depends on where you service your Honda. I never had that problem when it comes to claims.

However for Mazda, i had bad experience with their service center. won't be buying any mazda in the near future.

if u buying honda civic 1.8 better choose mazda3 if u wanna more oomph. Otherwise if you prefer tech, go for civic.

If you need more oomph go for civic 1.5TC

The sophisticated multilink rear suspension take up a lot of space....

It is performing as a 2.4L engine - the only exception seems to be Mazda SkyActiv engines which runs a very high compression ratio of 13.0:1 - then yes, Civic 1.5T is close to the Mazda 2.0 engine performance. But when compared to Honda, Toyota, Mitsubishi cars, it's performing like a 2.4L engine. Look it up

Just get the car that you "feel" connected or really want to own. No need to think so hard about the differences. Go test drive both cars, all the variants, be thick face enough to test drive a few times and longer distances. Request to drive on longer routes, preferably those that you use the most like those to and fro workplace. IF they don't allow on that day itself, schedule a time where they can make arrangement to block longer time for you. If they still don't allow. get another sales adviser or another dealer.

I test drive for more than 70km totally more than 1 hour on the Mazda3 and dealer and sales adviser entertained my request happily. The sales adviser also let me go up to highway (toll bayar sendiri la of course), drive above speed limit almost the whole stretch. The SA some more mention don't know why people don't dare test drive further and harder, so i must be a rare one. Just that another sales advisor with a potential customer kind of angry as they waited longer than expected.

Engine performance wise is pretty much similar for normal driving. The Civic might have better response as it is a more powerful turbocharged engine after all. However, the Skyactiv engine is no slouch either and can rev up quite easily. The behavior is also different due to the type of transmission used. So again, go test drive and "feel" which you prefer.

Bring your family along if that's a concern to you. If not, better don't as will be more opinions and viewpoints that confuses you. If you're an active person that does sports, bring along your sports equipment and see whether you can secure/fit into the cabin/boot properly. Big is nice but doesn't always mean best. How likely are you to fit the boot to the brim in your current car's ownership. Hardly or never right?

Road noise is a bit subjective. Some can be higher pitched, some lower pitched. Tyres also play a part. Mazda comes with a set of performance tyres from factory. These tyres' is noisier in nature as the compounds are harder for better grip and lesser sidewall flexing. The Civic on the other hand comes with normal tyres. Hence will be more cosseting.

The mazda definitely losses out in interior space, but I ferry my family around with it including a baby in a baby chair and no one complains about being squeezy. If you're close or above 6 feet, only than the difference can be greatly felt. On a side note, my baby likes it when I corner hard on the mazda

IF still really can't decide, just go for the Civic. Even halfway through you hate the car, you can ditch it easily as the resale market for it is good.

This post has been edited by wkc5657: Jul 25 2016, 03:34 PM

Just tested the new Civic (but never driven the M3 before), I can say it drives quite well.

Other than the fact that is a front wheel drive, the engine response is good and fairly immediate. I was changing lane from 2nd to 3rd and i had no problems getting up to 3rd lane speeds. Cornering was good too for a front wheel drive car.

Kit wise, the medium spec without the LED or Nav is good enough as the car has the killer feature of all, Mirror Link for iOS and Android. I think all cars should have this feature regardless of what make and to have it at this price point and integrated in to the car system, makes it a very good ownership prospect of the potential buyer. It may not have the exterior styling of a M3 but it won't be too boring to look at in the long run.

Hw abt ford focus Eco boost?

I often floor the pedal when test drive but before I do that I will always ask the SA OK nor not. Fast U turn. Bad roads. Otherwise why call it a test car?

If like it at first drive, come back another day and see still like it or not. Who knows, may be 1st test drive the star and the sun are in my favor but not the next?

WTH did u trying to convey? Honda to Honda comparison?
I'm sure u have never driven M3 before.

I'm trying to convey that Mazda's engine are indeed powerful bro. Mazda's 2.0 Engines are close to Honda's 1.5T or 2.4L engines. Do read carefully

This post has been edited by isr25: Jul 25 2016, 06:50 PM

My comments with the Civic would be:

1) The welding of the car doesn't seem up to par
2) The rear door needs strength to close, maybe i tried when the car was still new lol.
3) 1.8 Civic seems sufficient for city driving to my surprise

The new EarthDream CVT make the 1.8L civic felt more powerful that it actually is. Damn good gearbox!

Oh yes, that gearbox made the 1.8 awesome!

I think Honda's free labor is every alternate service provided you achieve your mileage on time

Thanks to all the sifus here.

Went to test drive both cars again and now the choice leans more towards the Honda Civic 1.5 turbocharged variant. It is fairly powerful, with less tyre noise and better sound insulation in my opinion. The more spacious cabin also provides a more comfortable ride, especially for passengers. The Mazda is more sport oriented. Hence, the Civic is more suited for families in my opinion.

This post has been edited by soliddragon88: Jul 26 2016, 01:10 AM

agree on NVH department.. mazda NVH is below average for its class.. even for CX5 is quite bad, but it being counter by BOSE sound system (which exaggerate most of the time)

The NVH isn't the deciding factor but the Civic is a better choice for a growing family plus it has very good resale value.

Ya agree on the suitability of civic for the family, except honda should offer foldable rear seat.

been driving my mazda 3 bm 2.5 (aus variant). The issue that annoys me the most would be the tyre and road noise when cruising on the highway. planning to install sound proof in the door panels.

other than that everything is good

installing sound proof on door panels do no improvement in reducing road noise but rather sound quality..

i did on my 4 tyres fender and cover... much much better..

Going around posting the same crap i see. And now saying its someone else's comment. Why don't u use your original nick then if uve nothing to hide?

But regardless what nick u use, even if the points above were credible, I would still accept. But 90% of what 'you' wrote was complete bollocks. I would gladly thrash 'your' argument point by point if you use your original nick. The remaining 10% was accurate I must say.

FYI, I drive a F10 and my judgement of the Civic was based on that and I was impressed with the Civic. A car that gives so much for just 113K. That's value for money for sure.

Next time, if 'you' want to be taken seriously, at least come up with a more accurate and concrete overall argument.

I won't call the Civic 10th Gen a feminine pondan mobile. I think it looks masculine and aggressive while in comparison the Mazda 3 looks stylishly elegant. If cars are people the Civic would be loud and flashy like Elvis while the Maz 3 would be dignified and elegant like George Clooney.

Which part of my post was a personal attack? And I came up with substance which is a sharp contrast to the nonsense you posted.

How often do you fold the back seat?
I'm not even fold down my Myvi back seat for last 8 years.

Previously own vios, cannot fold seat. So cannot shop large item from ikea. But the foldable rear seat is useful to have.

couple of times to get umbrella from the boot during heavy rain

how often u buy billy from Ikea?

maybe he buy furniture once a week kot..huhu

No foldable seat, no buy lo. Delivery instead

i had a very bad experience with honda puchong SA, very cocky and not professional at all. Any good SA to recommend?

I am a happy M3 owner as well. Even if I am in love with it, i hate to admit that the NVH is darn bad couple with the special suspension sound effect But fortunately, the stock A/V is quite decent to counter it.

If spaciousness is a deciding factor, then you have to ask yourself how often your family and friends gonna ride with you vs how often you drive yourself.

In the end, both are good cars no matter what

Me too, I've not used this feature for ages. Nice to have but not a deal breaker and if I wanted to carry large items often, I'd rather buy an MPV or a at least a C-segment SUV. A fold-down seat on a sedan is not necessary to have.

hi jz want to check with you, if m3 pump full tank can go how many KM,do give me advise thanks,intend to buy m3 in term of pricing haha if compare to civic 1.8

Civic cvt is fast bro

LOL, have you driven VW DSG gearbox you will know which is fast. CVT is still CVT and it real purpose is to save fuel.

Driven vw Passat n jetta as well bro....like I said If i felt it was different i would have purchased the passat....but that was b7 maybe b8 better

Wah own self import? That 1 power 99(in terms of c segment economy car la) jeles sial
I ask mazda they no bring in for me

This post has been edited by FlamingASSH0LE: Apr 13 2018, 10:53 AM

no bro, im based in aus

Ahhh naise naise

With the price drop (no GST), am planning to change to either Civic 1.5 Turbo or Mazda 3 2.0.

I think many people in my position before to choose Civic or Mazda 3. Price wise, Mazda is a bit cheaper leh. Any suggestions from buyers who chose and bought? and from others?\

Thanks

Mazda 3 (GVC)
- Driver oriented
- Folding rear seats
- Loud tyre noise yes, but worth every feel
- Torque converter 6 spd auto transmission
- Raw 2.0l and feel every pull when you floor it
- Limited cabin space
- Front suspension squeaks and noises (from bushings mostly, can be rectified with Bermaz)
- No issues with electronics (make sure you replace the proper Q85 batteries)
- Limited Aftermarket support (so far I found MZstorethailand)
- Free service for 3 years

Civic
- Family oriented
- Large cabin space
- NON FOLDABLE REAR SEATS (Major con for me)
- Power delivery too linear but smooth cruising
- Quieter than the Mazda but don't expect Conti level
- Cheap roadtax (1.5 litre) but expensive insurance
- Expensive maintenance
- Bland CVT
- Big aftermarket support

This post has been edited by linkin182: May 25 2018, 12:15 PM

mazda 3 resale value very poor?
spare part is hard to get?

Thanks thanks thanks. this is tough really

single- get mazda
family- get Honda.

you pretty much sum it all.
I test driven both and chose the Civic... for additional reasons:

Civic
- far more quiet than Mazda3 (I would say on par with my boss' BMW 425i)
- softer suspension it glides over bumps and potholes
- steering wheel does not offer much road feedback

If you enjoy driving and rarely ferry passengers on long journeys: get the Mazda3
If you have kids/family: get the Civic

both are great cars in its league

What if you are single and planning to start a family?



This post has been edited by KnightSports: May 25 2018, 04:25 PM

If you're looking to own the car past 5 years or longer, not really an issue

mazda spare parts "seems/feels" lesser in the market because of lesser replica/clone part. Toyota and honda, does have more supply of spare parts because of larger manufacturer of replica and clone part. But i've been a victim of replica parts, although not something serious, but the same wheel bearing part i need to change 3 times on my old vios within 5 years. Original one lasted 7 years

Does that mean i'm the outlier as my mazda3 frequently ferries people around and i have 2 kids strapped on car seats that me and my wife go joy ride often

in malaysia , aftersales service and support is better on honda , summore civic offer OVERALL good package , servicing for Civic isn't really expensive , i would say it cheap seriously

my 1.5TCP first service RM2xx++ , and i do check the routine for servicing is around RM2xx-rm5xx , that very affordable , compared to other competition , honda really do give better offer & best price of after sales service


sometime we as customer must choose wisely that won't hurt our bank yet come with reasonable price and good package , unless u are rich and no care about any other factor , then just go for which u like

This post has been edited by chongkiatz: May 25 2018, 05:12 PM

2016 Mazda 3 driver here. With good handling the sacrifice is a lot on comfort. The low profile 18inch tyre is pain actually. I can feel all the road imperfections even something as a little bump. Which means you need to take care and slow down when approaching bumps or pot holes or it might damage the rims..

Now I'm considering to downgrade to 17inch rims and compensate with thicker side wall tyre instead of low profile.

However when the road opens up, the engine is fun to play with. The 6th gear is basically a cruise gear so you have nice 5 gears with balanced ratio to shift with. And it always a looker from the outside and the cabin dashboard inside is quite simple but elegantly made close to conti car design.

Rear leg room for Mazda 3 is limited probably because how the driver seats leaning towards the back. Almera and City has much better leg room for rear passenger.

Hope that helps.

M3 hv higher seating position. Less tiring on long distance driving.

Shorter length makes parking easier.

This post has been edited by cmk96: Jun 25 2018, 09:37 AM

Should opt for civic. Mazda cabin a bit 'claustrophobic' imho

Mazda 3 has a lot of cool features that the civic doesn't have. like I-activ sense technology..too bad Honda sensing isn't available on the civic

lol, correct.

Hi bro, would you mind to enlighten me on the reasons why higher seating position will be less tiring for long distance driving ?

Sorry noob here

Judging by your "claustrophobic-ness" statement, any c segment car won't cut out actually, I require at least a d segment car or a proper MPV to really cure my requirements

My point is that, the mazda3 interior despite inferior in volume, it is still doable for normal family use.

The only time where i see a real concern was when ferrying my half caucasian relative. Then only i understand why western countries classify cars like these as "compact".

For me, my thigh will be higher... less numbness sitting for long time.

Honda Civic using Android based infotainment system.
You can use Waze and Google Map by connecting your phone to the head unit via Android Auto. Possible can use Mirrorlink via HDMI also.

Not sure about Mazda 3, I think is proprietary system.

Mazda 3. +GVC

btw, TS which car you choose and feedback?

AFAIK
hdmi mirror link will disable once the car is in drive

mazda have own gps apps but not so stellar imo

they did say they will bring AA and ACP to their cars this years

I also would like to know. 😋 which one honda civic or Mazda 3?🤧

Looking for the same comparison - Mazda 3. +GVC vs Civic 1.5 TC-P..what ts chose?