if i were to list all of the sub compact SUVs on the market right now we could
eat up half of this video
there are a lot and most of those models are brand new
that's the case for the 2016 Mazda cx-3 it looks to be one of the smallest and
sportiest but is it to find out let's start in the back and work our way
forward to begin with one of the distinguishing characteristics of the
cx-3 is that it has less cargo room then essentially all of the competitors
some of them have you know several cubic feet more behind the back seat
now with the back seat folded it's a little different the MINI Countryman has
a little bit less maximum though still more in this area back here alone but
bear in mind even with the limited cargo area here in comparison
it's not a trunk and that gives it some utility and versatility that you might
not otherwise get
here's a story that will sound a little familiar the back seat in the cx-3 has
leg room that's pretty much the least you can get in this class
some of the competitors are just a few tenths of an inch more all the same here
i am with the driver's seat all the way back and all the way up where I had it
and I'm six feet tall and I'm I'm in here here in the front seat it's a
similar story in one regard because the numbers show very little headroom yet
here I am at my height with the seat all the way up and a moon roof which comes
in this top trim level 2 grand touring and my head's not hitting the ceiling
the interior quality in the cx-3 is on the high side among its competitors
absolutely now it's pretty common for the hills here to be hard materials and
that is the case here but must attend to put the money where it matters most
the seats to begin with for the sport trim level which is entry level are
cloth you go to the touring and they are imitation leather and cloth and then
here in our grand touring we have leather and faux suede inserts which are
quite nice good distinguishing differences between the various trim
levels you get there
accent stitching and panels and the suede inserts on the doors as you move
your way up
you'll also notice the screen here which is a touch screen when you're sitting
still
but not when you're moving at that point you come to the multifunction controller
down here this is called mazda connect and it is standard even in the entry
Sport trim level but you don't get navigation until you are in the top
grand touring that we're sitting in here
the Mazda cx-3 is absolute high point is its powertrain the four cylinder has
really good torque broad curve
partly because of very high compression ratio enough so that even with just a
six-speed as opposed to a nine-speed or a CVT it taps into the power and it does
its job
possibly more important than that though it doesn't hunt
it doesn't hesitate this is something that's wide spread around all vehicles
these days and especially CVTs and nine speeds so generally speaking weather and
road drive mode or in sport mode very responsive very good you never even
think about it and even with that
just having six feeds this car matches or beats all the other competitors for
mileage including the CVTs and the nine speeds sportiness is an area where the
cx-3 definitely shines in this class again not a class known for sportiness
but even aside from that the handling is very good on this car
I liked the touring trim level with 16-inch wheels that would happen to have
front wheel drive but i actually prefer the all-wheel drive with 18-inch wheels
which is what we have on the Grand Touring behind me now over all the all
wheel drive is good
mazda says it is an intelligent system it doesn't give you a rear-wheel-drive
feel it's not real biased and in the end you still have about sixty percent of
the weight in the front so there is understeer but generally the dynamics
are very good especially for a car with a inexpensive torsion beam rear
suspension the steering uh does the job
it's good some of my colleagues think that the feedback is good i actually
descent i find it
a little bit artificial feeling but there's no question when it comes to
handling in a small SUV like this
this one really has it down there something amusing to those of us who
like hatchback cars and even god forbid station wagons about this whole movement
towards sub compact SUVs or crossovers if you must
and that is there's not a whole lot that distinguishes them and the cx-3 is a
great example
yes it offers all wheel drive but mazda also happens to have a hatchback version
of the front wheel drive mazda3 compact compared to that this one has less
passenger room less cargo room
the driver sits just two tenths of an inch higher the ground clearance is the
same and the mazda3 hatchback starts at a lower starting price