Interestingly, regular fuel is the recommended one, so rather than it incurring a power penalty, using the higher-grade stuff provides a bonus instead. The window sticker uses the lower figures as well, being a rare and welcome instance of a manufacturer underpromising and overdelivering.
That engine fires up instantly via the starter button and does not include a stop/start feature. The idle speed is imperceptible with no noise inside the cabin even though it’s direct injected, as well as being utterly smooth and vibration-free.
Pulling the gear lever (a normal one, no dial, monostatic nonsense, or buttons just to be different) into Reverse illuminates the image provided by the backup camera on the center screen, which proves to be crisp and clear with a wide field of vision to back up with, while swiveling one’s head shows that there is good visibility out the back as well. Once ready to go, pulling the lever further into Drive lets the car move forward again.
The transmission here is a 6-speed conventional automatic that shifts quickly and imperceptibly. While an 8-speed box may provide slightly better fuel economy, the 6-speed seems to be a bit of sweet spot in being perfectly adequate to the task of shifting, never seeming to be in the wrong gear, while still being quite efficient and presumably less complex and expensive.
What’s interesting is the sound of the engine, compared to how it presents itself in the CX-5 and CX-9, both of which we have tested here, it seems louder. Not obtrusive but not just along for the ride either, it makes a noise that’s quite distinctive, the best way to describe the warble it generates is as sort of a hybrid between an older Audi’s inline-5 and a Subaru flat-4.
Increasing in level and urgency the harder it’s pressed it adds a lot of character, but even at full chat isn’t annoyingly loud. If the sound appeals (and it certainly did to me), it encourages enthusiastic use of the accelerator pedal and then the engine is fully there to rocket the car forward and provide lots of usable power at any time.
This car was also equipped with Mazda’s i-ACTIV AWD system (optional on most Mazda 3 trims and required with the turbo), and coupled with Mazda’s G-Vectoring Control Plus system results in a drive system that simply becomes an extension of one’s brain, willingly pushing the car onto the road and around corners with aplomb.
Seeming very well balanced it encourages diving deep into corners and powering back out of them, with strong grip throughout while the computer moves the power around to the corner of the car that can use it most at any given time. The brakes were just as strong, the four wheel discs combining with the tires to slow quickly and cleanly time after time.
The tires on this car were Bridgestone Turanza EL440s sized at 215/45-18 and while not the ultimate performance tire, seemed very well suited to the application here. The weather was mostly good while I had the car so no opportunity to sample it in snow or heavy rain.
However even with heavy accelerator pressure there was never any instance of slip or awareness of beating the system to putting the power to the ground which bodes very well for adverse conditions, given that it isn’t exactly a meager power output at play here while the car is fairly lightweight, at 3,379lbs. On some surfaces I’d judge the road noise from the tires as perhaps higher than I’d prefer, but on some other surfaces it was dead quiet.
Loaded with tech, it made good use of it without being overbearing or annoying in use. For example the Lane Keep Assist will illuminate a small graphic (not just a light) inside the speedometer that shows the need to turn the wheel a little more if veering too close to the edge.
Not until you get even closer does then a subtle rumble-strip-like vibration enter the steering wheel before then gently helping to move the wheel a bit rather than doing it all at once or, even worse, just emitting a loud beep embarrassingly announcing your potentially imminent doom to all occupants. The car is your friend and helper, not your judge, helping you to save face.
Similarly the “Overhead Camera” feature is useful when pulling into a tight garage such as mine with stuff stacked all around the car. Getting close to the front I can see the boxes and tires stacked ahead of the car and see exactly how much distance is left before hitting anything. Or when pulling out of a parking spot the car can see what’s coming and if the view is blocked will alert the driver to the point of applying the brakes should a rear collision be imminent.
There’s plenty more stuff similar to this (such as how it can read your text messages to you and will take dictation to reply to them), but all of it is standard at this trim level which is refreshing and a welcome difference between the real “luxury” marques that generally upcharge for much of it and a more mass-market brand such as Mazda that here just provides the same luxury feel and features for a much more attractive price.
It’s also decently economical, my overall average over 413 miles came out to 26.9mpg as opposed to the official ratings of 23city, 32highway, and 27average. I drove it to the Boulder, CO vicinity twice via mainly freeways for about 200 miles of the total with the remainder being local town traffic as well as some limited medium speed highway as well as a fair amount of driving in our mountain foothill roads up to about 8,300 feet of elevation.
While regular is recommended I used premium fuel to get the most out of it (and did refill it at about halfway through during my time with it) but am not positive what the supplied tank of fuel consisted of. The tank is not overly large at 12.7 gallons so 400-mile stints may be difficult to achieve.
The Mazda 3 sedan lineup consists of multiple trim levels with the base one equipped with a 2.0liter engine and FWD retailing at $20,650, then several 2.5liter-engined trims quickly come into play with AWD as an option, and up through the range to this, the range topping 2.5liter turbo Premium Plus with AWD. At this level the price starts at $32,450 plus the $945 Destination Charge.
Built in Hofu, Japan, with the engine and transmission part of the 80% of Japanese content, the standard equipment list is quite long. Some highlights include the black painted wheels, LED lighting at all corners with adaptive fronts, AndroidAuto/AppleCarPlay, Auto-dimming frameless interior mirror, Blind Spot Monitoring System, Rear Cross Traffic Alert, Radar Cruise Control with Stop and Go capability, Rain-sensing windshield wipers, Paddle shifters, Lane Keep Assist and Departure Warning and many of the other items I’ve mentioned previously.
The Premium Plus Package (which was listed as a no-charge option on the Monroney Sticker for some reason and seems to be included as standard online) consists specifically of the Leather Seats, Front and Rear Parking Sensors, 360Degree View Monitor (Overhead Camera), Traffic Jam Assist, Auto-dimming exterior mirror, Traffic Sign Recognition, Navigation System, Homelike, Rear Spoiler, Rear Cross Traffic Alert with Braking, and Rear Smart City Brake Support.
The only actual extra cost options were the Machine Gray Exterior Paint at $495 and All Weather Floor Mats for $125. Altogether this totals out to $34,015, which seems to be an extremely good value for a fast, safe, very well equipped sedan that easily is far more luxurious inside that anything from Germany’s big three luxury marques at anywhere even remotely close to that price.
It’s a shame that the market isn’t responding better to the Mazda 3 in its current iteration as it’s an extremely likable and competent sedan that should make an excellent long-term companion. Not to mention being attractive on many levels far deeper than just the physical, it presents a value proposition that should be extremely compelling to anyone considering the smaller premium sedan offerings from Europe.
It’s a real winner, it just needs opportunities to play in the game rather than seemingly being shut out of the big leagues. Perhaps the world’s slow emergence from the current global situation will cause some to reprioritize their needs and wants to Mazda’s (and their own) benefit.
Thank You to Mazda for providing us this car along with a full tank of gasoline last week!
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While walking in my neighborhood recently, I saw this car in dark red and had to go over to walk around it and check it out. I was extremely impressed with the design, features and sophistication of the car. Comparing it to its competiition, it comes off as taking a passenger car in the compact class to a much higher level of design development. Great review here but the the dark color and wheels of the car photographed hide the outstanding looks of this car.
Mazda was previously considered competition for Honda, Toyota, etc. and it was priced accordingly. Now it is suddenly supposed to be a premium brand competing with BMW and Audi. Why? How?
Sales of all sedans and small hatchbacks are dropping. Civic and Accord sales still lead their segment, but are down compared to previous years. Mazda3 sales are down based on its segment and it’s attempt to move upmarket at the same time.
This is indeed an attractive car. And you are absolutely right – buyers are liars. Everyone says what they want (like a brown station wagon with a stick shift?) but very few buy them. People mainly buy what makes them look socially acceptable. And Mazda is not really one of the brands that says that about a person.
It is a little bit amazing to me how Mazda has managed to be the market leader for over 30 years with a sports car that appeals to almost every demographic, yet the rest of their lineup has never really blossomed despite offering oft-compelling cars. I will raise my hand as being as guilty as the rest in not buying them when it was time to put my own money down.
Exactly. We are a two-Mazda family; CX-5 and CX-9. They are as luxurious as entry-level Audi’s and have been far more reliable. As for maintenance costs – an oil change at the dealer is less than 80 bucks; the glorified oil change at the Audi dealer was six times that.
All I can figure is that people either want to display their disposable income via front grille emblems, or they are buying Toyota and Honda as the safe Japanese choices. The irony with respect to the former is that the entry level German models from the Big 3 are no better than the Japanese now – tinny bodies; loads of plastic in the interior, and four-cylinder turbos, all for at least 10 grand more.
Oh, what fools these mortals be!
I can’t argue against the value proposition vs. Audi, but the CX5 and CX9 are at a distinct disadvantage in rear seat and cargo capacity vs. the Honda and Toyota competition. That won’t matter to everyone, but for the last 8 years those have been important metrics in a family vehicle to me.
True – the Hodan Pilot and Toyota Highlander have more space and in particular a better thrid row than the CX-9. For me, those attributes were less important than the driving dynamics. I wanted a three-row CUV that doesn’t feel like one on the road. I have the luxury of grown children now, so I could make that choice. The latest generation of Pilot and Highlander are much better in that regard, but I don’t think I’d make a different choice today.
As for the CX-5; I don’t think there is as big a difference between it and the CRX/Rav4; althought the latter’s hybrid model is a bit of a hot rod. Since the CX-5 is my wife’s, I didn’t care, bt if that were my vehicle I might have sprung for the Toyota.
Very nice review. I’m a fan of a light-colored interior, so this is really appealing. Shame the 3 doesn’t get more attention.
Looking forward to the new Mazda 6 coming next year with the new inline six cylinder. I just have this feeling it will be very good, receive multiple accolades, and still be an afterthought to an Accord or Camry.
The Audi A3 seems to be the clear bogey here – the center console layout is identical (down to the satellite volume control knob), as is the HVAC control layout and position. Unfortunately, Mazda is chasing a very small niche here – The A3 is one of Audi’s slowest-selling models.
The compact luxury segment is a small and dying segment – most people don’t want to spend $35K+ for a compact car like the Audi A3 when for a few bucks per month more that get a larger A4. This is America, and bigger is always better, amirite?
I seriously considered getting a Mazda 3 before getting my A3 a few years back. At the time, the turbo engine was unavailable, which was a dealbreaker. But even with the turbo, I noticed other “random acts of cheapness” that belied the Mazda3’s economy car roots, like lack of a passenger-side power seat, or the missing rear-seat air vents and power ports. Yes, the A3’s MQB platform is also shared with the Golf and Jetta, but it does a much better job of hiding its economy car roots.
One also expects a certain amount of image when buying a luxury car, and again this is where Mazda comes up short. The German compacts (A3, CLA, and 2-series) all carry a certain amount of cachet that the Mazda3 does not have. I suspect that the 3 would do slightly better if it carried a Lexus or Genesis badge.
In the end, I decided it was better to get the real deal, which is why got a lightly used CPO Audi A3 rather than buying a new Mazda3 for the same money. I suspect many other Mazda3 buyers are doing a similar amount of cross-shopping.
Mazda going upmarket is the same mistake VW has continually made. The only benefit is (probably) more reliability and less expensive parts and service.
That said, if they offered a decent mid-level trim of the sedan with a stick shift, I would be very interested. They could corner that (admittedly small) segment, but sales is sales, right? They already have all the red-tape done with the lone sub-model they offer it in the US with.
As I was – they no longer offer the manual at all for ’22.
When my older brother went shopping for a small sedan recently, I suggested he check out a Mazda 3, which he did with me along for the test drive. We were both impressed with the quality and luxury feel of the interior fittings which surpassed that of higher-end brands, and the car drove nicely. But that wasn’t enough to overcome three obvious drawbacks:
1.) the Mazda dealership experience is seriously lacking. My bro lives in a small city that didn’t have a Mazda dealer which was a major drawback for him. I live in a larger city that is reasonably close to a Mazda dealer, but it’s shared with a Ford dealership and an old one, which didn’t bother displaying any Mazdas in the showroom. These guys want to be a entry-luxury brand?
2.) The sedan is attractive, but the hatchback (hunchback) is hideous.
3.) Outward visibility is strikingly poor. Look how tiny that driver’s door window is. The beltline is very high, and I had the feeling of being a little kid sitting behind the wheel of my parents’ car. Visibility is especially bad in the hatchback, with the huge C pillar and narrow hatch window creating a huge blind spot.
My car history includes four Mazdas, but I’ll pass on this one.
I don’t know if they want to be an entry-luxury brand per se, but at least offer the in-car experience of the segment without the commensurate price tag and thus differentiate themselves that way. On that aspect I think they deliver, I can’t think of another car in this class that for this money delivers what this one does. The Audi, MB, and BMW are all quite a bit more when equipped the same way and even the canard of comparing it to a previously owned one of those falls down once it’s realized that sooner or later these too will be available used, presumably for less than the new price. Mazda unfortunately did suffer when they had to abandon their Amati sub-brand idea three decades ago as the cars they produce now could easily fill that vision.
I did notice the small (short?) window apertures myself, for me there wasn’t a visibility issue as my head is near the top of the window already, this could perhaps be an issue for others. The hatchback as compared to the sedan does in my opinion have very poor visibility out the back window as you noted. I too prefer the looks of the sedan in this case, which is rare for me when there’s an option.
The dealers do seem to be hit or miss, when I myself looked at a Mazda a couple of years ago, the dealer facility wasn’t on the level of the Europeans either – but similar to the other Asian brands here in town – Our Ford dealer happens to own our Mazda dealer as well, but at a completely standalone dealership. I reasoned that they might have more incentive to bargain and that I’d hopefully have little need to return for repairs down the road.
I myself have owned two Mazdas (626 and Miata), enjoyed them both and thus keep Mazda on my radar.
You nailed our two reasons for passing on the 3, despite all its good points. We had a terrible experience at two Mazda dealers when car shopping a while back. The 3 is good enough to fight through that, but we’re in the market for a hatchback, and the current one’s outward visibility is just unacceptable.
I too notice the short windows when I bought a 2018 and nothing has changed along those lines today. Really bugged me and made me feel like I had to look over a wall. Ah, but there was a solution. Like Jim, I too am 6’1″ tall, but with a 34″ inseam. That means my torso is 29″ while Jim is at 31″. His eyes are higher than mine in the car. I took a look at the seat and saw the lever to raise height and apparently it is set to the bottom by Mazda. I worked that lever raising the seat the max amount. My head did not hit the headliner and I felt so much better taking the car out for a drive. It truly made a big difference to me.
Yes, and that is the reason I include both measurements, so people have context in that regard. Most people taller than myself just have longer legs so they end up with less rear legroom if measuring behind themselves but may fit just as well or better in front. There is almost nothing more useless than reading a review that talks about how roomy or not roomy something is for the reviewer without the reviewer stating their own dimensions.
The first thing I need to do in almost any vehicle that isn’t a large truck, SUV or Van is figure out how to make sure the seat is all the way down. And not having a sunroof often makes a big difference.
I’m only 5’8″ but that wasn’t why I felt like I was sitting in a recent Camaro. Yes, I adjusted the seat upward. Even with my head not much below the sunroof, I still felt like a little kid sitting in Daddy’s car. The short height of the side windows and the tall cowl just make it feel claustrophobic inside, and I’m not a claustrophobe.
I hear you, hence the reason I’d never suggest anyone order a car without trying it on for size or driving it. I’ve wedged myself into a recent Camaro too, the 3 (for me) was significantly better than that, I did not find it comparable to that at all.
The Mazda3 is very much like the claustrophobic Camaro. (I wish that car had the roof proportions of the 69, not the chop top it has now). Compare the Mazda3 cowl to the low cowls of Honda’s in the 90’s. I don’t get it. It’s style over function. But ultimately a car is to be driven and not sit in a corner and look pretty.
Mazda historically offered rotaries, racing, Miatas, and competitive products at cheap prices on the piston-engined sedan and the small truck sides of things. Together, these elements used to drive buyer interest, a specific public image, and a large coterie of passionate “car people” influencers to encourage others to try or buy. Car magazines played up the various advantages of the Mazdas (as does this retroesque report full of hard and useful information, along with useful driving impressions), and readers paid attention.
For so many reasons, little of this plays out to Mazda’s advantage any more. Rotaries are history, and sports of all sorts have much less following these days. Car magazines and on-line substitutes have lost their broad influence. Miatas are the answer to any question, according to their acolytes, but that appears to be a closed group, as open top two-seater roadsters are not so coveted by large groups of buyers any more. Mazda has ceded the “cheap but good” sedan metric to the Koreans. Yet the upscale, low-key competence and brilliance of the Mazdas tends to fall on deaf ears. While Toyota and Honda thrive off of decades of consistent product supplied in identifiable nitches, and effectively use Lexus and (less so these days) Acura to fill the upscale end, Mazda has lost its old image without having effectively replaced it with a new one. Extreme competency only goes so far in an upscale position, as some version of brand hunger also has to be established among the pool of buyers, and it simply isn’t there for a Mazda.
As a huge Mazda fan, I have no answers for their marketing dilemma (as if they were asking the likes of me). Cars still go beyond the nuts and bolts, paint and performance, and must make an obvious and specific visual statement if they are a specialty brand (think of Volvo back when and Subaru today). Mazda does “best in class” In sedans, but they really don’t stand out and make enough of a visually distinct identifier for themselves. Part of that is because the sedan classes have many solid entires, and the design limits of such products are now tightly defined and leave little room for easy distinctiveness. Remember, too, that Mazda went for a distinctive look for its RX-8, and it was largely panned, which may have chased Mazda back to a certain level of design conservatism.
That was a great take, Dutch, and encapsulates it quite well, thank you. “Retroesque” review, eh? 🙂
“Retroesque”, to me, means that your reviews allow me to understand what to expect from the car, so that if I were to test drive, lease, or buy, little would be unexpected or different than what I had learned from your review.
Old time car magazines did a good job of this, but somewhere along the line, they became shills for the manufacturers, and the “road tests” became proxies for manufacturer press releases. Little real-world useful information can be gleaned from them. The manufacturers have actually lost a good feedback loop on their products, by not having these retroesque reviews widely available, and largely reinforcing each other, on what knowledgeable test drivers really think of the cars.
I think it is fair to say that your reviews, Jim, are consistently the best and most useful recent work I have seen in the realm of road test evaluations. I look forward to reading each one, as I see it posted in the CC queue.
Thank you!
I’ve seen a few of these on the roads here. The gunslit windows does give it a bit of a chopped-top look, but then that’s consistent with the trends these days. And yes, the hatchback is unfortunate, given that would inherently be my preferred body style.
Nothing stays the same. The sporty sedan market is croaking, and the German Big 3 are selling theirs almost strictly on brand image, which Mazda just doesn’t have.
It just occurred to me: this is the spiritual successor to the brilliant 2004-2008 Acura TSX.
To me, the questions are: what do the majority of compact sedan buyers want, and is it more productive to chase the heart of the market long dominated by Honda and Toyota, or fill a niche?
It seems mazda tried to be an alternative to Toyota and Honda throughout the 90s and early 00s and was always second fiddle. Then the Zoom-Zoom niche, and we know how that went. Now the budget luxury niche…and we’re seeing how that is likely to pan out for the sedans. Good thing they have the CX5.
The reasons for Mazda’s failure to launch despite their merits has long been a subject of speculative chatter in the forums. I don’t know what the real reason is. I shopped a 2010 and 2014 Mazda3, liked the way they drove, but the backseat was too small compared to the Civic, Corolla, and Jetta. The current 6 is a strong candidate in my opinion, and I’d probably own one now instead of our 16 Camry XSE if I’d found a good one on the market when I was looking.
This Mazda3 looks superb. From an aesthetic, emotional, perceived quality standpoint there’s nothing remotely close. We have a local dealership and it’s modern and attractive and far more upscale in approach than the Toyonda. If I wanted an automatic compact car, turbo or not, I don’t see Toyonda unseating this.
Warning: Buyers-are-liars rant ahead: Shame the manual is available only in the upper trim non-turbo hatchback. VW, Honda, and H/K offer more powerful handling-oriented trims with a stick shift for similar or less money. If they want to sell as many manual turbo 3s as brown diesel station wagons, they’d better get with the program.
The women in my family (wife and adult daughter) are Honda drivers. We cross-shopped the Honda, Toyota, and Mazda for a recent lease. There was not enough of a margin between the cars for the Honda loyalty to be overcome. The Honda was “good enough” for the task. Anticipated resale value kept the lease payments low. A history of consistently good Honda experiences won the day. I don’t think any competing car could have captured the deal, as long as the Honda was perceived as good enough and worthy.
Interesting, and therein lies the hurdle small companies like Mazda must overcome with shoppers.
Can I ask what models and trims were being compared between the three brands?
Toyota RAV4
Mazda CX-5
Honda CR-V
Base models all, 2020.
We never test drove the Mazda or Toyota, as the CR-V was deemed “good enough” on the test drive, and that was that. Had there been any significant faults with the Honda, then we would have kept going. The only things that are not ideal (to us) are the bulbous rear lights and the weird center console slider-door-panel thingy. Also a blind spot area around the big overhead center panel structure and windshield blackout area. All small nits, really. Big center dashboard knobs for the radio volume and a/c controls are most welcome.
That describes the modern buyer to a T, build something that doesn’t piss them off and they will come back to look again, if that new thing is at least the same and hopefully slightly better than the old one it’ll be a repeat sale, it doesn’t matter how good Brand X may be as it’ll never be looked at. The sale in this case is Honda’s to lose, not everyone else’s to win.
Honda has earned — and I do mean earned — incredible owner loyalty by building solid, hassle-free cars (excepting the V6-automatic transmission failures). My sister drove an ’85 Accord for 13 years, followed by two Odysseys, a CR-V, then two more Odysseys. I don’t see her ever driving anything but a Honda. Better than my other sister, who for some inexplicable reason, keeps buying ugly Nissans.
IMO the blame for the lack of sticks is the fact that damn near every car sold today is bought off a lot. The dealers have no incentive to buy anything with a less than 20% take rate that has any chance of staying on the lot even an extra couple weeks. This also accounts for the neutral drab paint colors.
I’d absolutely go buy almost any sub$35k car with a stick, even a relative stripper, but even for brands that technically offer them (eg Subie) they’re incredibly rare on the lot and itt harder/ slower to place an order than it used to be.
So it recognises speed limit signs. Will it recognise my collection of CDs in the dash?
My retired Parents own a ‘17 CX-5 Grand Touring (rare FWD model). It’s extremely competent and premium feeling. They love it. The big “but”, however, for Mazda in my estimation are two very obvious flaws.
For one, they all are small feeling in their defined categories. Back seat space in the CX-5 and the 3 are really tight relative to their competitors. At 6’1” I can only go so far to say the parent’s car is only “tolerable”, and it’s a CUV. The other problem, as others pointed out, is the dealer network. It’s nowhere near as large as Toyota/Honda/Nissan levels, and in my experience, you are more likely to find a bad one over a good one. That itself is a complete deal breaker when you are trying to market a superior product. I’m also of a time and place where Mazda’s across the board rusted faster than you could imagine, and that only recently has changed for the new driver demographic. The first 3’s and 6’s could be ate up by year 5.
Let’s not forget that there is a car market outside the US. Here in NZ, every other car seems to be a Mazda, and globally Mazda 3 sales are only second to the CX-5 in Mazda’s fleet. Not saying that Mazda is a particularly successful brand, or that my anecdotal evidence is meaningful, but I wonder if there’s a different perspective that could apply here?
To be fair, I recognise that the majority of CC readers are from the US.
Australia sounds like NZ. No surprise, eh?
Mazda 3’s are all over the place here. The 3 used to be duking it out with Toyota’s Corolla for top selling ‘small’ car, year after year, back in the days of the first and second-gen models. Maybe they mightn’t be selling quite that well nowadays, I don’t keep up with the figures, but they’re still a commoner sight than, say, a Honda Civic. There was a kerfuffle in the magazines when this generation 3 came out, about Mazda going upmarket. Thing is, Mazda had established its credibility (‘fan base’?) with the previous 3s here; they could pull it off, as a cheaper and more reliable alternative to the Germans. But does everybody necessarily want to be moved upmarket? No.
But it’s a shocker to see there’s no more room in the back of this car than in my old ’05 hatch. And for Jim to be mentioning road noise tells me they still haven’t addressed the number one flaw of the first-gen model; very much a problem with our road surfaces in Australia. So it seems like a lot of new tech and premium goodies in a nice body, but…..
Same here in Austria, where Mazda is the best selling Japanese manufacturer…
Mazda have replaced other competitors at the top of reliability ratings and over here do not even offer the excerable CVT trans keeping to real auto boxes
If they learned how to make a reliable diesel I’d be keen but their diesels are problematic and not reliable.
My sister just bought a CX5 after 10 years in a 6 sport, yes they did try other makes as rentals and test flights but gravitated to the trusted brand again, I should have bought her old car 6K under retail value for a top of the range car with everything sounded like a deal to me but it was dependent on the tradein offer and the dealer got it.
I spend my days in Auckland traffic and Mazdas are everywhere here.
It’s not a CVT in this car, I don’t believe Mazda offers one over here either.
If only the nearest Mazda dealer wasn’t 81 miles and an hour and a half away, I would have been very willing to shop there for a Mazda 2 or 3. VW, Honda, Toyota, Nissan, KIA and Hyundai are 15 minutes away.
Bingo. Can’t sell wares where you don’t exist. We haven’t hit online car shopping quite yet.
For me, the 3 had too narrow a cockpit and not enough room in the back seat. I don’t carry rear seat passengers often, but when I do, I want them to be comfortable. And I want to be comfortable too. Chose a competitor compact car that had about 2″ more width for my knees (yes, I brought a tape measure).
“Pulling the gear lever (a normal one, no dial, monostatic nonsense, or buttons just to be different)… ”
Thank you, Jim. Some manufacturers should take note.
Obviously a great car but the styling makes the side of the car look like it’s dented. that would be a deal breaker for me.
Check out the side of the new Toyota Highlander. That’s pre-dented also.
I seriously considered the Mazda 3 hatch but two things kept me from pulling the trigger: bad visibility, and the lack of any protection for the (admittedly good-looking) shark nose front. I live in the land of street parking and only had to wait a couple of months to see a neighbor’s new 3 collect a nice dent on the nose.
Opted for a 2-year old A4 and love it, but if it were a (well-styled) hatch I’d be even happier.
Once more I’m stricken by the chasm between here (Austria) and there (the US). Here, Mazda is the best selling Japanese maker by far with Nissan I believe the 2nd, Suzuki the 3rd, Mitsubishi 4th, Toyota (yes, that Toyota) 5th with Honda, Lexus and Subaru closing the list with paltry numbers too embarrassing to mention (Infinity is not even being imported into Austria). I’m not sure what percentage of sales is represented by the 3 but the model is visible out there; not in big numbers but it really only started to sell last year and then COVID-19 happened, so. Perhaps the disparity between us and North America is that Mazda (in particular with its sedans) produces the most European-feeling car with suspension calibrated for driving through curves rather than for comfort; my previous model 3 rides like a VW Golf GTI which may not be what buyers look for in the US but here is acceptable (or better).
Oh, this discussion is never complete without mentioning the Camry: we now have had the US-made model in its hybrid variety on sale for a year and so far I have not seen even even one on the road…
I honestly don’t understand why Mazdas aren’t more popular, especially after reading consistently positive reviews like this one. Across the product line, they’re very good looking, have exceptionally nice interiors, especially at their price point, and drive extremely well, particularly if you’re an enthusiast. The Mazda 3 should be clobbering the hideous Civic, bland Corolla and craptacular Sentra, but it isn’t. Beats me why.
I’ve been a Mazda fan for years, even before I bought my ’91 Miata in 2015. I put my money where my mouth is and bought a leftover 2018 Mazda 6 turbo in September, 2019. Got a smoking deal, but that’s not why I chose it. I bought it for all the reasons above, and I’m completely satisfied. In a sea of SUVs and crossovers, my sleek sedan stands out, and I like going my own way. I just wish more discerning drivers would consider a Mazda. I feel like they deserve greater success.
I get an impression that Mazda is making a better BMW than BMW these days.
The dash screen in this car seems ill-suited for navigation. It looks 3x as wide as its height. Wouldn’t you want to orient a street map so forwards was upwards on the screen? That way, forward on the screen = forward on the road. This panoramic screen layout would give you a short view ahead and long, useless views of side streets you’re not taking. Seems like a triumph of style over function. This is why I still use an iPhone on a dash mount, and why vertical screen layouts are better for navigation.
Mazda needs more dealers and perhaps stores, in retail areas, like an Apple store or a Tesla store. The one Mazda dealer shut near me, now it’s about 50 miles either way… and this is Northern California, where there is such a market for foreign cars.
I’ve recommended Mazdas over and over -and it’s close to winning with several buyers who ultimately wound up in Volvos. In my opinion, the negatives are just: No power folding mirrors. No premium dealership experience. Otherwise, it when I tested a CX-5, it felt better quality than my friend’s Q5. So close… and heck, they’re killing it with the CX-30 and 5, so maybe the sedans are just to fill a niche. They are beautiful machines.
Late to this one, but just acquired a 2013 i SV base sedan, 2.0 148 HP MZR engine, 5 speed auto. Not the Skyactiv engine, this engine dates back to ’04 and the trans first appeared in 2010.
The car was practically gifted to me, after driving it for the last month and a half it really is quite nice to drive and has impressive build quality. It won me over, she’s a keeper. The ’86 Jetta is now enjoying a well deserved retirement. Back seat space is tight, I’m 6.0 and have about one inch of knee room when sitting behind my properly adjusted front seat. But I rarely carry passengers so not an issue. The fold down rear seats are nice, Jetta has fixed backrest.
It was time to upgrade, and this car basically fell into my lap. Even came with new tires and battery, and 6 airbags, stability and traction control, 4 wheel disc brakes with ABS are all good things to have, hard to believe it weighs over 700 pounds more then the Jetta. Seems to get about the same MPG, but of course with 58 more HP is a lot more lively.
Nice review, too bad Mazda sales are slow, reliability for the Mazda3, at least 2nd gen, seems to be very good.