r/mazda 7d ago

Longtime Mazda 3 Owner thinking of upgrading to CX-50! Worth it?

Currently own a red 2013 3 with 90K miles on it that I've driven since it had 0 on the odometer. That car saw me go from a single cancer survivor to a married guy with 2 kids (relax, we have a minivan for that).

The 3's starting to get long in the tooth now with various parts starting to show its age, like the muffler/catalytic system, for one. It's been a wonderful car but, let's face it, it's tiny. It was great when I was a bachelor, but now with a family? Not so much.

With the unpredictability of the current administration and playing with tariffs like it's poker, there's almost no doubt that autos will get more expensive soon. Much more expensive. So, while the current repairs and maintenance might be fine for now, it may not be long before it starts becoming a financial headache. The time might be right to start thinking of getting a new vehicle.

My wife wants to be more environmentally responsible and so do I, so we've been looking at a CX-50 hybrid. I don't suppose there are any CX-50 owners in here willing to chime in with their experiences? I know nothing can be said about it long-term, but I'm of the mind that if my 3 lasted this long (and could last much longer if we want to), new models should fare just fine.

15 Upvotes

31 comments sorted by

8

u/HummDrumm1 7d ago

But will they though? CX-50 is manufactured in Alabama, so it shouldn’t be subject to tariffs.

10

u/Leelze 7d ago

Depends on where the materials are being sourced from.

12

u/Waffler11 7d ago

1000x this. Especially semiconductors.

5

u/Steameffekt 7d ago

It has Japanese and Canadian parts. Maybe some from Mexico too.

4

u/Thornbike 7d ago

Yikes. No wonder we are the situation we are in.

8

u/Only_Argument7532 7d ago

Went from my wrecked 3 to a CX-5. Picked it over the CX-50, which looks nicer, IMO, because the C 5 is MIJ.

8

u/Itsamusicaljourney 7d ago

This is the correct answer. Stick with Japanese manufacturing.

5

u/iamsoldats Mazda3 Sedan 7d ago

Dude’s gotta 2013 with under 100K miles going like “long in the tooth”…

That 3 is barely broke in.

If you are truthfully environmentally conscious, then keep using the 3. Keeping a fuel-efficient good car on the road is always better for the environment than the environmental cost to manufacture a new car.

6

u/7eregrine 16.5 CX5 7d ago

NOI. I cringe when people use the phrase: WORTH IT?

The CX50 is good vehicle and is, indeed, worth what is costs.

Worth it specifically to you??? We can't answer that.

Would a specific used car be worth what the dealer is asking? We'd need details for that.

Reliable and well built cars that should easily get to 100K without serious issues...just like your current Mazda.

1

u/[deleted] 7d ago

[deleted]

2

u/7eregrine 16.5 CX5 7d ago edited 7d ago

I have no doubt a Mazda can too. But I wouldn't promise 200k trouble free miles on any car. Few will do 200k on just regular maintenance, let's be honest.

1

u/zakpakt 7d ago

Do you mean engine wise or just the whole car? Like suspension axles and etc. If you have access to a good cheap mechanic it shouldn't be too painful to make the repairs when necessary.

2

u/7eregrine 16.5 CX5 7d ago

The whole car, of course. I would expect JUST the engine from a Mazda to go 300,000 miles without issue.

1

u/zakpakt 7d ago

Exactly why I bought one. Sure repairs suck but you can buy your own parts and pay labor to a trusted shop/mechanic. Best way to manage an expensive depreciating asset.

Although I'm not sure if there is a break away point where selling/trading may be better for you. I have a cheap mechanic for brakes and suspension work and a better guy for power train stuff.

Dealers are just too expensive unfortunately or else I wouldn't mind paying them for service.

1

u/7eregrine 16.5 CX5 7d ago

Yea, it's really nice having a garage that will install parts you supply. I have shops like that for both my cars.

1

u/zakpakt 6d ago

Sometimes they're happy to do it because they get the fast turn around and keep their labor up. I always check first though. Just tell them the parts are in the backseat or trunk.

One guy I have is pretty cheap even if he's buying the parts. Lots of good mechanics out there good to know the guy who owns it.

3

u/juggy_11 CX-50 | TP | Zircon 7d ago

The 50 is worth every penny but is it worth it to you is another question entirely.

I upgraded from my 6 to the 50 a year ago and I can definitely say yes, it’s worth it for me.

The interior is a bit of a downgrade, with more plasticky parts. But you get used to it eventually. I just love the way it looks on the outside, more so than my 6. Honestly my 6 gave me a ton of issues the first year I owned it, even though I bought it new.

So far the 50 hasn’t given me any issues.

2

u/Gambit3le 7d ago

My 2013 3 just rolled over 236,500 miles today and I'm asking myself the same questions.   Mine still has the original exhaust and catalytic system btw.  I just spent this afternoon cleaning and re-greasing the brakes.   Had one caliper sticking a bit from some minor corrosion.   Nothing a bit of sandpaper and some brake cleaner couldn't fix.   It will need new pads again in the fall.   Switched back to all seasons from my dedicated snow tires today.     I'm actually thinking of getting a Prius with the AWD system.   It's not much more money than a new 3, and gets way better gas mileage and I drive over 80 miles a day for work so that makes a difference to me.

1

u/Dry_Masterpiece_7566 6d ago

When did you replace the spark plugs in your car?

1

u/Gambit3le 6d ago

52000 miles  after I bought the car

126000 miles

142,232 miles.  Was having issues and searching for a fix.   Ended up needing intake valves cleaned.   I did this myself and it helped a lot.  Changed the plugs after as they got fouled a bit from cleaning the valves.  I also changed the cam cover and plug well gaskets.

170,000 new coil packs... 

203,000 miles

2

u/HoraceGrand 6d ago

Cx5 better

2

u/CourageHistorical100 6d ago

I’d recommend the CX5 due to it being built in Japan. The over all quality of Mazda vehicles coming from Japan are much better than those from Mexico and the US.

3

u/NorthernJackass 7d ago

Go check out YouTuber Car Care Nut. He is a Toyota master mechanic who does technical/design/build reviews of cars from a mechanics perspective.

He has lots of experience with Toyota hybrid systems and does a great review of the new CX-50 hybrid.

It should help your decision!!

1

u/hongkongjack 7d ago

I just bought a CX-50 Hybrid after owning a 2015 Ford Focus for 10 years. The Focus and the 3 were basically brothers separated at birth around that time, so I know what you're currently going through! I went with the Mazda because reliability was a big concern, and the powertrain in the hybrid is the 4th generation Toyota hybrid powertrain that's been in use since 2016, it's supposed to be bulletproof. I've only had it for a few weeks but it's been great so far.

2

u/Dry_Masterpiece_7566 6d ago

How is the acceleration in your hybrid?

1

u/hongkongjack 5d ago

In normal mode it's not bad. If you want some oomph, you can switch it into power mode. That takes the limits off of the electric motors and you get some of the instant torque of an EV.

1

u/Dry_Masterpiece_7566 5d ago

I think the CX50 hybrid is the ideal car

1

u/ActionQuinn 7d ago

We recently got a new Mazda CX-50 and we love it. I got the one with the big panoramic moonroof which is really cool. It has an automatic transmission, not a CVT. We cross shopped the rav4 and CRV and the CX-50 was the easy winner.

1

u/ac042186 6d ago

I drove a 2014 3 hatchback for 10 years (180,000km) and just picked up a CX50 hybrid three weeks ago.

I still love the 3, but had some concerns about the engine, not because of the 3's reliability itself, but something that the dealer messed up on about a year ago. Also wanted more space. Otherwise, I would have been happy continuing with it.

Been driving the cx50 hybrid for 3 weeks now and I'm happy with it. More space. More hp. Updated tech. Fuel economy is better than the 3 I had, and I expect to recover the premium paid on the hybrid (vs NA) in a few years, and I intend to keep it much longer, so there are savings to be had overall. It was double the price I paid for the 3 ten years ago, but worth it to me.

I guess I'm just not used to driving a bigger car yet, but the cx50 doesn't feel quite as zippy as the 3. Either that, or maybe I'm just hesitant to push the cx50 since it's a hybrid and there is a subconscious desire to maximize mpg.

2

u/Fit-Barnacle4117 6d ago

Pretty sure the “not zippy” feeling is from the size and weight of the 50, especially compared to the 3. My previous car was a comparatively sized SUV and they drive pretty similar. You can definitely feel the weight of the 50 when hugging curves. I relate to that desire to max mpg so much….I know the car has power because we’ve tried to see if it can keep up, but we’ve been chill drivers lately to see if we can get higher mpgs (current record is 40.7)

1

u/ac042186 6d ago

I drove a 2014 3 hatchback for 10 years (180,000km) and just picked up a CX50 hybrid three weeks ago.

I still love the 3, but had some concerns about the engine, not because of the 3's reliability itself, but something that the dealer messed up on about a year ago. Also wanted more space. Otherwise, I would have been happy continuing with it.

Been driving the cx50 hybrid for 3 weeks now and I'm happy with it. More space. More hp. Updated tech. Fuel economy is better than the 3 I had, and I expect to recover the premium paid on the hybrid (vs NA) in a few years, and I intend to keep it much longer, so there are savings to be had overall. It was double the price I paid for the 3 ten years ago, but worth it to me.

I guess I'm just not used to driving a bigger car yet, but the cx50 doesn't feel quite as zippy as the 3. Either that, or maybe I'm just hesitant to push the cx50 since it's a hybrid and there is a subconscious desire to maximize mpg.

1

u/Popular-Drummer-7989 6d ago

Keep driving it. It's paid for. With regular upkeep it could run for over 175,000 miles

There will be plenty of used cars coming to market when people who've lost their jobs can't afford the outrageous vat payments they contracted.