Mazda3: Everything you need to know

Compare the different Mazda3 models

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?

• Highly appraised by car reviewers

  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.”

• Contemporary styling

  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.

• How does the Mazda3 compare on price?

  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.

• There’s no hot hatch Mazda3

  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.

• Cramped interior/boot space

  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.

• Rear visibility

  Many experts observed the heavyset, sweeping C-pillar robs the driver slightly of rear visibility.

• Upmarket feel

  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.

• Safety

  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)
  • Roll stability system
  • Secondary/multi-collision brake
  • Speed assistance (automatic/intelligent speed limiter)
  • Manual speed limiter
  • 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.

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Loans.com.au - New and Dealer Used Car Loan		From 4.67% (fixed)	5.22%	$5,000	3 to 5 years	$400	$0		You'll receive a fixed rate from 4.67% p.a. based on your risk profile Finance a new car and benefit from features such as fast approval, no ongoing fees and an optional balloon payment. Note: Settle the loan before 30 November 2020 and enter the draw to win a $1,000 fuel voucher. Terms & conditions apply.	Go to site More Info	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
IMB New Car Loan		5.45% (fixed)	5.8%	$2,000	1 to 7 years	$275.12 ($250 Application fee + $25.12 PPSR registration fee)	$0		You'll receive a fixed rate of 5.45% p.a. A low minimum borrowing amount of $2,000 that you can use to purchase a new car or one up to two years old.	Go to site More Info	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Beyond Bank Low Rate Car Loan "Special Offer"		5.29% (fixed)	5.53%	$25,000	1 to 7 years	$175	$0		You'll receive a fixed rate of 5.29% p.a. Take advantage of a competitive rate, pre-approval and no early repayment fees when you finance a car under two years old.	Go to site More Info	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Credit Concierge Car Loan		From 4.45% (fixed)	5%	$10,000	1 to 7 years	$350	$0		You'll receive a fixed rate of 4.45% p.a. with a comparison rate of 5% p.a. Get access to over 20 providers to fund a new or used car.	Go to site More Info	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
RateSetter Car Loan		From 4.69% (fixed)	6.03%	$10,000	3 to 7 years	$499 (from $499)	$9		You'll receive a fixed rate from 4.69% p.a. Borrow up to $100,000 with a RateSetter Car Loan and benefit from no early repayment or exit fees.	Go to site More Info	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
NRMA New Car Loan		From 5.69% (fixed)	6.39%	$5,000	1 to 7 years	$499	$0		You'll receive a fixed rate from 5.69% p. a. Purchase a new or used car up to 2 years old and benefit from a fixed rate and no monthly fees. Pre-approval available within 5 business hours.	Go to site More Info	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
RACV New Car Loans		From 5.69% (fixed)	6.39%	$5,000	1 to 7 years	$499	$0		You'll receive a fixed rate from 5.69% p.a. A larger loan of $5,000 or more to help you buy a new or used car. 5-hour pre approval available and no ongoing fees.	Go to site More Info	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Wisr Secured Car Loan		From 5.19% (fixed)	6.08%	$5,000	3 to 7 years	$655 (Includes PPSR registration and private sale fee, if applicable)	$0		You'll receive a personalised interest rate from 5.19% p.a. to 19.49% p.a. based on your risk profile A flexible car loan from $5,000 - $50,000 with personalised rates and rewards for strong credit customers.	Go to site More Info	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Stratton Finance New Car Loan		From 3.85% (fixed)	5.43%	$10,000	3 to 7 years	$700 (for private seller vehicles this fee is $608)	$8.25		You'll receive a fixed or variable rate depending on the lender you are approved with Apply for up to $250,000 and use cash or trade in a vehicle to use as a deposit. Optional balloon payment available.	Go to site More Info	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Jump Payments Car Loans		From 4.69% (fixed)	5.51%	$5,000	1 to 7 years	$295 (Varies by lender, starting from $295)	$10		You'll receive a fixed rate from 4.69% p.a. and comparison rate from 5.51% p.a. Borrow between $5,000 and $250,000. Get access to customised finance options.	Go to site More Info	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
IMB Secured Personal Loan		6.45% (fixed)	6.8%	$2,000	1 to 5 years	$275.12 ($250 Application fee + $25.12 PPSR registration fee)	$0		You'll receive a fixed rate of 6.45% p.a. Benefit from this competitive rate by securing the loan with a vehicle up to 6 years old. Use this flexible loan for any purpose.	Go to site More Info	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
NRMA Used Car Loan		From 6.99% (fixed)	7.7%	$5,000	1 to 7 years	$499	$0		You'll receive a fixed rate from 6.99% p.a. Finance a used car with NRMA and benefit from a fixed rate term and no monthly fees. Pre-approval available within 5 business hours.	Go to site More Info	Compare	loading Fetching your data...

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