Hi there,
I'm looking at a 2020 Mazda 3 select automatic FWD. I hear a lot about Mazda making a lot of improvements over the years. The Mazda 3 has a lot of nice features but my concern (as Scotty pointed out) is the electronic parking break. For reference I live in Texas and do mostly a mix of local and highway driving plus the occasional hilly area. Considering my driving habits, would it be as much of an issue with the electronic parking break? Or better off with a standard parking break.
On the other hand I had a 2019/2020 camry le on mind. But also the recalls for fuel pump were unsettling as I've had a fuel pump go out on me before. I'm weighing my options but what do you think between these 2 vehicles? Or a different vehicle with good reliability? Ultimately I'm looking for something within the last 4-5 years.
Thanks!
You can't run away from a lot of electronic things in Modern cars. If the car comes with an electronic hand brake, it doesn't necessarily mean the whole car should be avoided.
Both are good cars but as you know, toyota has the best reliability.
Toyota is fixing the fuel pumps for free - as usual for a recall. If it fails in the future, Toyotas have an access panel so you can replace the fuel pump without dropping the fuel tank like on many cars.
Unless you drive a hella lot or badly, you should get good 5 years of service from any Mazda, Toyota or Honda. Camry vs Mazda is mostly a comfort vs handling IMHO.
Probably more important for a 5-year ownership is how much depreciation there will be. I wouldn't be surprised if the Camry depreciated several thousand dollars less over 5 years.
