The MAZDA3 has long since been considered the drivers' alternative in the affordable
compact segment, delivering the company's hallmark goodness from behind the wheel. And
for 2014 the heritage continues. This is the all-new Mazda MAZDA3 5-door.
For Mazda, it's imperative that this car does well. As their global best-seller it carries
much weight on its shoulders. And this new version, still available in sedan and hatchback
body styles, continues with its Skyactiv mission of shedding weight and boosting fuel economy.
Gone is the debatable smirk, replaced with a more aggressive and sensuously swoopy design
Mazda calls KODO. It 's a look that gets better as your eyes sweep over the sheet metal from
front to rear. I've always favored the style and added practicality of the 5-door model
and that remains true here though you pay $2,000 more for it.
The exact car I'm testing here is the MAZDA3 i in the highest Grand Touring trim. The i
models run with the smaller 2.0-liter direct-injection engine, producing 155 horsepower and 150 pound-feet
of torque, working here through an easily manipulated, precise shifting 6-speed manual
or if you prefer, a 6-speed auto for an extra $1,050. Downshifting often to find that zoom-zoom
acceleration, I won't go as far as to call it underpowered but I will say that if you
consider yourself at all a speed aficionado the 2.5-liter engine is where you should turn,
though you'll have to give up $3,250 and the stickshift to get it. The S models make 184
horsepower and a near equal amount of torque and by in large erase any underpowered talk.
Gas mileage is rated at 29mpg city/40mpg highway just about the same as the automatic-equipped
model and I averaged 30mpg in what I would describe as a very economical driving style,
shifting into 6th right when the indicator told me so. Furthering the fuel efficiency
though available only on s models, Mazda introduces i-ELOOP, a capacitor based regenerative engine
braking system that stores electrical energy to power things like headlights, climate control,
and the like.
Lower and leaner with a wheelbase that's 2.4" longer yet in a car that's .6" shorter, the
retuned, fully independent suspension has been engineered for better straight line stability
and grip , while dialed in electric assist steering and better brake response
provide this MAZDA3 that elevated fun-to-drive factor for which it is known. As for things
I'd change -- these new Yokohama AVID tires wrapped around 16" wheels don't seem up to
the challenge of sportier driving and despite Mazda's claim that they've added new noise
absorption material this cabin is anything but quiet at highway speeds where you'll really
have to crank the Bose 9-speaker sound system in order to hear it. It's also crashes a bit
over rough pavement. But all told, it's a car that connects itself to the driver in
an appreciative way.
Leatherette seating with red stitching, a sporty, classic Mazda dash design and a new
touchscreen navi which vastly improves upon the small unit in the previous model make
this cabin visually appealing and easy to learn, with most technology inputs done right
here. In the back, suitable for 2 more, are seatbacks lengthened nearly 2" for greater
comfort. Overall passenger volume increases a smidge while the 22 cubic feet of luggage
volume is up significantly from before.
Base price of this Grand Touring model is $24,040 while my tester with a few small options
tallies $24,635. It's no Hyundai in that you don't get LED light treatments, fog lights
or heated seats but the MAZDA3 Grand Touring with the base engine is a stylish way to get
your MPGS and driving enjoyment, too.