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Should I keep my Mazda 3?
Keeping an 8-year-old (2018) Mazda 3 at typical mileage costs about $4,606 a year: $784 in value it loses, $1,077 insurance, $1,298 fuel, $1,347 maintenance and repairs and $100 registration. A new one costs about $7,281 a year to own, mostly because new cars lose value faster.
By model year
What a Mazda 3 costs to keep, by year
Next 12 months for a paid-off car at 12,000 miles a year, average insurance costs, $3.30 gas. Click a year to run your own numbers in Keep or Switch.
| Year | Value today | Cost to keep next year | Value lost | Maintenance and repairs | Efficiency | Repair complaints |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $20,613 | $5,349 | $1,940 | $716 | 30 MPG | About average |
| 2024 | $18,112 | $5,042 | $1,647 | $739 | 30 MPG | About average |
| 2023 | $15,972 | $4,859 | $1,369 | $868 | 30 MPG | About average |
| 2022 | $14,165 | $4,721 | $1,107 | $901 | 28 MPG | About average |
| 2021 | $12,666 | $4,857 | $1,073 | $1,123 | 28 MPG | About average |
| 2020 | $11,245 | $4,591 | $833 | $1,194 | 30 MPG | About average |
| 2019 | $10,100 | $4,619 | $808 | $1,269 | 30 MPG | About average |
| 2018 | $9,013 | $4,606 | $784 | $1,347 | 31 MPG | About average |
| 2017 | $7,982 | $4,454 | $570 | $1,428 | 31 MPG | About average |
| 2016 | $7,190 | $4,608 | $719 | $1,513 | 32 MPG | About average |
| 2015 | $6,277 | $4,585 | $628 | $1,602 | 32 MPG | About average |
| 2014 | $5,480 | $4,579 | $548 | $1,693 | 32 MPG | About average |
| 2013 | $4,784 | $4,715 | $478 | $1,788 | 29 MPG | About average |
| 2012 | $4,176 | $4,737 | $418 | $1,886 | 29 MPG | About average |
| 2011 | $3,646 | $4,929 | $365 | $1,988 | 26 MPG | About average |
Should you keep it?
Keeping vs replacing your Mazda 3
- Cheapest year to keep: 2017, at about $4,454 a year.
- Older isn't always cheaper: value lost shrinks as a car ages, but maintenance and repairs grow, from $716 a year for a 2025 to $1,988 for a 2011.
A paid-off car is usually the cheapest car you can drive, even with repairs: a replacement starts losing value the day you buy it and comes with tax, fees and often a loan. Switching tends to pay only when repairs get large and frequent, or a much more efficient car cuts fuel costs enough. Keep or Switch compares your Mazda 3 against any replacement, including the costs of switching.
Questions
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a Mazda 3 per year?
For a 2018 model at typical mileage, about $4,606 a year in value lost, insurance, fuel, maintenance, repairs and registration, not counting any loan. Years in the table range from $4,454 to $5,349.
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