 I had this car about 1 year before tranny went out, and had it replaced. Mazda did help out though so I give them props.  They paid for the tranny, and I paid for the labor.  It was only 1,000 miles over warranty at the time.  This car's interior and exterior is awesome, best bang for the buck.  It really is a dog of the line, but 3rd gear and up performs ok.  The rubber around the lights peels off.  The paint has a defect in the side mirrors which causes them to chip off really bad.  You can usually take them to Mazda and have it replaced for free.  Oh, and the gas mileage of this car is horrid; check the forums.  Everyone is complaining that their cars are getting nowhere near MPG that Mazda states. 