The Mazda3 (known as the Axela in Japan – a portmanteau of "accelerate" and "excellent") is the car brand's fastest-selling model. To date, there have been four generations of Mazda3. The first shared a common architecture with the second-generation Ford Focus and the 2004-2012 Volvo V50 wagon, among others.
In Australia, the Mazda3 consistently sells well. In 2006, it was the fourth most sought after passenger car. Likewise, it also ranked fourth overall in 2018.
What to consider when buying a Mazda3
What should you think about before buying a Mazda3? Why would you go for the Mazda hatch over one of its rivals, like the Hyundai i30 or Volkswagen Golf?
The Mazda3 currently holds the highest aggregate score in our hatchback comparison. We averaged out five expert reviews, giving us the final score of 83%. The nearest rival is the Hyundai i30 with 82.2%, followed by the Golf Mk7.5 which has a Finder score of 82%.
In the opinion of car reviewers, the highlights include a bold exterior, high-end passenger compartment, good ergonomics, heaps of safety features and solid noise insulation. Apparently, it is also a thoroughly well-sorted car to drive.
Finder's hands-on car tester, Alex Jeffs, echoed the findings of other reviewers:
Mazda's latest generation hatch is a well-built, elegantly styled car. Everything feels sturdy and of quality material. It boasts plenty of safety technology, and it wears an upscale-feeling cabin. If you look at the standard features, the increased prices seem justified.”
Yasutake Tsuchida is credited with the 2019 Mazda3's design. Tsuchida said he wanted to achieve a level of attractiveness by removing and simplifying the styling, forming the shape to capture reflections of the car's surroundings. Car reviewers commonly gave the Mazda3 their seal of approval in this area, describing it as classy and contemporary.
The Mazda3 isn't the cheapest mass-market hatchback on sale. Here's a comparison of the lowest-priced hatchbacks, as of October 2019.
Model
Entry-level model
High-end model
Ford Focus
Trend: $29,707
Titanium: $38,462
Kia Cerato
S: $24,567.70
GT: $36,927.70
VW Golf
Trendline: $24,990
Highline: $34,990
Mazda3
G20 Pure: $28,888
G25 Astina: $41,758
Toyota Corolla
Ascent Sport: $26,925
ZR: $35,989
Honda Civic
VTi: $24,990
VTi-LX: $37,238
Holden Astra
R: $22,990
RS-V: $31,740*
*Manufacturer Recommended Listing Price (MRLP)
As you can see, the Mazda3 isn't the cheapest of hatchbacks. In fact, the top-of-line G25 Astina is the most expensive, non-performance model on the market. It does have a slightly increased specification than the sector average, however.
Most hatchback builders produce a hot hatch version, with a more powerful engine and less compromising sports-tuned suspension. Hyundai has the i30N, and Ford makes the ST. However, Mazda stopped making a performance-centric model way back in 2013, when production of the Mazdaspeed3 ceased. In Australia, the company made the hot hatch available as the MPS Sports.
One common pet peeve cited by reviewers was the internal space, from the B-pillar back. For this fourth-generation, it seems motoring journalists found the rear cramped and offered little by way of legroom. An additional grievance was the small boot, which with the seats up measures 295 litres. Mazda doesn't provide figures for the rear row dropped down.
For reference, the Ford Focus has 273 litres, but other models like the Volkswagen Golf and Hyundai i30 have more than 350 litres.
Many experts observed the heavyset, sweeping C-pillar robs the driver slightly of rear visibility.
Apparently, with this generation of the hatch, Mazda aimed to raise the quality of the 3. Consequently, prices rose slightly, but it seems the changes have been well received.
All variants of the Mazda3 received the maximum five-star ANCAP crash safety rating in April of 2019. The score broke down to a 98% assessment for adult occupants, 89% for children, 81% for vulnerable road users and 76% for its safety assists.
Standard safety features include the following:
All-round intelligent seat belt reminders
Driver airbag
Front passenger airbag
Front-seats, side chest airbag
Front-seat head protection airbag
Rear seat head protection airbag
Driver's knee airbags
Adaptive cruise control (ACC)
Adaptive headlamps, auto headlights and high beam
Anti-lock braking system (ABS)
Autonomous emergency braking (AEB) - City
Autonomous emergency braking (AEB) - Interurban
Autonomous emergency braking (AEB) - Vulnerable road user (Pedestrians)
Blind-spot monitoring (BSM)
Daytime running lights (DRL)
Electronic brakeforce distribution (EBD)
Electronic stability control (ESC)
Emergency brake assist (EBA)
Emergency stop signal (ESS)
Fatigue reminder
Forward collision warning (FCW)
Hill launch assist
ISOFIX child seat anchors
Lane departure warning (LDW)
Lane keep assist (LKA)
Pre-crash systems
Rear cross-traffic alert (RCTA)
Reversing collision avoidance (camera and auto brake)
Speed assistance – speed sign recognition and warning
Tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS)
That must be one of the most all-inclusive lists of standard features and assists currently available.
When is the Mazda3 getting updated?
The fourth-generation Mazda3 only launched in 2019. In 2020, the company will launch Skyactiv-X engines in Australia. These gasoline engines use a combustion process that is similar to the principle a diesel engine works upon. Mazda promises this first mass-produced petrol compression engine is 20-30% more efficient.
Based on previous Mazda3 life cycles, it's likely Mazda will give the car a facelift, perhaps with some extra equipment and features in 2021. There may well be a second revision around mid to late 2022 before the model is replaced by 2024.
Which Mazda3 model is best?
The term best is subjective and depends on your individual preferences and style of driving. Therefore, different models of the Mazda3 will appeal to different buyers.
Which Mazda3 should I buy as a family car?
Any of the Mazda3 range would suit parent buyers. Even the entry-point G20 Pure, which starts at $28,888 has a heap of equipment. Standard safety features are plentiful and impressive.
Plus, the infotainment is equally well specified. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard inclusions. Unusual for the segment, even the lowest-end model has satellite navigation. Other highlights include an 8-inch widescreen display, a 7-inch multi-information display and radar cruise control.
The only downsides could be the pokey boot, but the rear row should be perfectly fine for families with little ones.
I want something sporty
Unlike competitors such as Hyundai, VW, Honda and Ford, there's no dedicated performance hot hatch in the Mazda stable. Even so, the G25 GT and G25 Astina have a sporty exterior design and offer some advanced safety assists that rival hot hatches do without. If you're fastidious, the manual models are almost 30kg lighter over comparable automatics.
Which Mazda3 has the most equipment and is the most luxurious?
For those who appreciate the finer things in life, the G25 Astina is comprehensively stocked. Key highlights include the following:
LED daytime running lights instead of halogen (LED is brighter and uses less energy)
Sunroof
Mazda adaptive headlights
360° around view monitor (an option on the GT)
Cruising and traffic support (an option on the GT)
Driver monitoring (optional on the GT model)
Front cross-traffic alert (FCTA)
Front and rear parking sensors instead of rear only
You also get leather seats, power adjustable and heated mirrors, dual-zone climate control, heated front seats and steering wheel, a Bose premium 12-speaker system and cylinder deactivation technology.
I like diesel cars, is there a diesel Mazda3?
Mazda Australia doesn't sell a diesel-engined 3.
Where is the Mazda3 made?
Mazda assembles the hatchback at their Hōfu, Nishinoura district plant in Japan. According to a company press release, the Ujina 2 Plant in Hiroshima also handles some of the manufacturing responsibilities.
Mazda3 financing
If you're thinking of buying a Mazda3, make sure to take a few seconds to compare different loans below. You could possibly save hundreds of dollars over the loan term.
Ben Gribbin is an automotive writer at Finder. He is a life-long car enthusiast, bringing many years of experience working with and writing about cars. During his time, Ben has been a freelance writer, editor and reviewer for a number of leading publications across the UK. He was voted the Guild of Motoring Writers Breakthrough Blogger in 2015.
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