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Cost of Ownership

Mazda Mazda3 Cost of Ownership

The 2026 Mazda Mazda3 is cheap to buy, but the real cost shows up over five years of depreciation, fuel, insurance and maintenance. Here is the full breakdown, plus a calculator to adjust it to your mileage.

The Mazda3 depreciates at a fairly typical 17% a year, so no single line runs away with the budget. From a $25k start, depreciation and fuel usually trade places as the biggest yearly cost depending on your mileage.

Key assumptions for this page

MSRP$25,450
5-year depreciation$15,425
5-year insurance$10,710
5-year fuel$6,182
5-year total cost$37,417

Sources: Edmunds · U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — figures are estimates last reviewed 2026; verify before purchase.

What is source-backed vs modeled?

Published sources help shape the baseline where available. Local insurance and ownership indexes are modeled estimates, not insurer or lender quotes — they combine public demographic and cost signals with conservative assumptions. Replace the defaults with your own quote before deciding.

Run your own numbers

Your numbers

True cost per year

$9,607

Cost per mile

$0.8

Cost per month

$801

Depreciation (annual avg, 5-yr)$3,894
Fuel$1,457
Insurance$1,800
Maintenance & repairs$1,100
Financing interest (annual avg)$1,356

Insight — For most owners, depreciation is the largest line — often more than fuel and insurance combined — yet it never shows up on a monthly bill. Insurance is the cost you can change fastest without selling the car.

What if Annual mileage changes?

Annual mileageTrue cost per year
6,000 mi $8,879
9,000 mi $9,243
12,000 mi · now$9,607
15,000 mi $9,972
20,000 mi $10,579

Shop your insurance the smart way

Know your benchmark here, then compare real quotes from several carriers — prices for the same driver vary a lot.

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Good to know

Specific, useful answers for this page.

Is the Mazda Mazda3 expensive to own?

Over five years, the biggest cost is depreciation (~17%/yr), followed by insurance and fuel. Its reasonable insurance factor helps keep the total down. The breakdown above has the full picture.

What's the Mazda3's running cost?

At 33 MPG, fuel is a moderate yearly cost. Adjust your annual mileage above to see your real number.

How much does maintenance add on a Mazda Mazda3?

Routine service on the Mazda3 is moderate for its class. On a $25k vehicle, parts and labor scale with complexity, which the breakdown above folds into the five-year total.