Introduction: The Mazda 3 was introduced in 2004 as the Mazda Protege's replacement. The Protege was still called the 323 in a few markets and proved to be a reasonably successful car but not something that scared the leaders of the segment. Using Ford of Europe's C1 platform for the successful Euro Ford Focus, Mazda decided to use this platform for the Mazda 3. By this point Mazda dropped the original numbering scheme 323 and 626 in favour of just the 3 and the 6 while the 929 would not return with a successor. Since its introduction the Mazda 3 has become one of Mazda's all time best selling vehicles in certain markets belonged to the top 10 selling vehicles. As a global vehicle the Mazda 3 found in one location was stylistically the exact same in another car market. The Mazda 3 offered a sedan and hatchback body types, one could also buy a Mazdaspeed 3 which had a 4-cylinder turbo engine making it one of the quickest FWD hatchbacks sold in most markets. Mazda would replace the current 3 in 2010 with a new redesign, due to the old 3's success Mazda rather than totally change the vehicle decided to fine tune what they believed made the 3 so successful.
The Mazda 3 was one of the later vehicles I got to drive, I was very curious about how this one would drive. I have driven the Protege and while I liked it, the Protege suffered from not having the performance I thought would make it great. I really wanted to see whether the Mazda 3 was different for better or for worse.
Performance: The Mazda 3 we have in fleet only have the 2.0L which produces 148 hp and 135 lb.ft of torque. Much to my surprise this engine actually was more than adequate to move the Mazda 3 despite its slightly lower torque rating. Its actually less noisier than the Mazda 6's 4-cylinder engine making it a good engine even for highway usage. Acceleration numbers for the Mazda 3's bigger 2.3L engine is an impressive 7.4 seconds for the 2.0L I drive the estimate is somewhere between 8.5-9 seconds to reach 100 km/h from 0. Not bad. If I had to pick out a flaw, its not as fuel efficient as a Civic or Corolla.
My Score: 8/10 - Despite being the base engine its reasonably smooth, decent power and is a non-issue for a regular motorist.
Handling: I mentioned the C1 platform's capabilities in the Focus review. The Mazda 3 was the car that showed me how great this platform is and confused me why the 2008+ Ford Focus didn't use it. The Mazda's ability to take corners is one of the best among the compacts and subcompact cars. I've never had an issue with ride comfort either making it better than a Honda. Lastly steering feel...incredible, I instantly fell in love with how the car felt when making even a simple turn. The Celica GT I reviewed a while back is the best handling FWD I've driven, the Mazda 3 felt it had about 95% of the Celica's cornering ability. I actually think the steering feel in the 3 is better than the Celica's, the Celica had a tougher wheel which I do like but the 3 has a lighter one that still gave the same great feeling. Fantastic.
My Score: 10/10 - Want a very fun, conventional car? The Mazda 3 is so far ahead of the competition here.
Interior: Like I mentioned in the Mazda 6 review, Mazda seems to enjoy having black sporty interiors. I guess its to go with the image of their cars being more sporty than others. The Mazda 3 doesn't try to hide the fact most of the interior is plastic, fortunately its decent plastic. Interior room is also pretty decent although the rear isn't as spacious as other vehicles and the trunk is a bit small. The problem with the Mazda 3's interior...its very difficult to clean. The carpets are the biggest obstacle making it frustrating if you want the interior clean when the vacuum is not cleaning the way it should. The Mazda 3 is built in Japan, I've not seen a build quality flaw in the Mazda 3 and thus I considered them well built.
My Score: 7/10 - Mostly plastic, few colour choices and difficult to clean but functional and styled alright, built very well.
Styling: The Mazda 3 does have a bit of a generic look to it but like I would say for a Subaru Legacy not in a bad way. Its a regular car but it just looks its part, its not very boring and its different than your typical Toyota or Honda. The headlights show a tad bit of aggression while the tail lights flow with the round body very well. I just can't complain, while not the most beautiful car certainly a pretty good looking one.
My Score: 8/10 - Good looks, it just doesn't go far enough to reach absolute beauty
Value for money: Having a sedan and hatchback option really do put the Mazda in a good position. For a car this well built and this good to drive and its also not expensive to run...its hard to argue against its value. A Mazda badge also helps since Mazda is still trying to make a name for itself and doesn't overcharge like Toyota or Honda do. If the regular 3 is not sporty enough, Mazda offers the Mazdaspeed 3 which is much better than anything Honda or Toyota offer. A reasonably priced family car that's rewarding to drive and due to popularity won't depreciate quickly...its one of the best deals out there.
My Score: 10/10 - Worthy every single penny regardless of what options you choose, its the new industry standard
Overall: 43/50 - One of the best family vehicles I've ever come across.
