Mazda's updated its smallest SUV the CX-3 to be a little bit classier for 2019
but it remains a choice for buyers who value driving fun and style over maximum
utility. People who want the dessert first.
The changes on the outside are subtle but it does get a new stronger grille,
some chrome accents, new wheels and a new LED tail light design. The biggest
changes in the CX-3 for 2019 are inside. It gets leather upholstery for the first
time, standard in the Grand Touring model, which also has microfiber trim on the
dashboard and some nice red accents. The seats also are reshaped to be more
comfortable. They don't feel as narrow or heavily bolstered as the old model. Still
hold you in but a lot more comfortable for a long day's drive. But the real star
of the show is the new console. They went to an electric brake rather than a
handbrake so you get more space and they used it to create an actual console bin
with storage and a cup holder that this time you can use without flipping the
armrest up. Still if you need two cupholders you got to go back to
flipping up the armrest, but baby steps. The CX-3 was something of a leader in
small SUVs in multimedia tech with these features when it came out in 2016.
A relatively big 7-inch screen, it's a touchscreen when you're stopped, a knob
controller when you're on the go, plus steering wheel controls. The interface
however is now looking a little dated compared to the HD graphics in some
rivals. It also still takes a lot of steps to do some simple functions. For
example just to get a radio station that I wanted to tune there's no tune button
so I'm going into a menu, I'm going into another menu, I'm doing a dial, I'm going
back, now I have my station. And Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are still AWOL
on this car. The available head-up display packs in more information, it's
brighter and clearer to see, but it's still on a pop-up plastic panel that
limits its height rather than being displayed on the windshield. Where the
CX-3 is at the top of the tech game among small SUVs is in safety and driver
assistance tech. A low speed automatic braking system,
blind-spot warning and rear cross-traffic alerts are standard on all
models. A package with full automatic braking, adaptive cruise control with
stop and go, lane departure warning and adaptive headlights with automatic high
beams is now an option on all trim levels, including the base the CX-3. It's
standard on this Grand Touring model. It's clear that the CX-3 aims to be a
sporty hatchback, not a family hauler, when you get in the backseat. There's
enough room for adults for short trips, not for road trips, and I never could get
this big clamshell headrest into a comfortable position for me. It does
however have new cupholders in the armrest although they're kind of a
complicated flip up arrangement, they do work. Family shoppers should note that
the rear seat also did not impress Cars.com's child safety seat experts. The
scores for the various seats we test were so low that honestly this really
shouldn't be a choice for families with young children. Mazda's bigger CX-5
would be a better choice. The cargo area really isn't family size either.
You won't be hauling furniture around even with the split folding backseat
folded down for a nice flat floor but the space behind the rear seat is a
decent configuration, a decent shape to get a couple of bags in. Enough stuff for
a weekend or even a week on the road. More than just looking sporty the CX-3
drives like the sporty hatchback car that it really is. It sits lower than
many rivals at about 6 inches off the ground.
That helps handling but it really hurts go in the snow compared to some other
sub compacts that are two or two-and-a-half inches taller. But in
better conditions the CX-3 will run donuts around those rivals thanks to its
light weight and a really well tuned chassis. The steering has less precision
than Mazda's best cars but it's nicely weighted. Ride is firm but Mazda tweaked
the chassis and tires for 2019 to improve comfort and more sound
insulation makes it a quieter ride as well. The 2-liter engine also has been
updated. It gets a couple more horsepower for 148 but more importantly it's been
tuned for more torque at lower rpm. Coupled to the crisp shifting 6-speed
automatic, no CVT here, the CX-3 feels plenty zippy. What's more, sport mode makes
it more aggressive and you can shift for yourself. The Grand Touring
model adds paddle shifters. A bonus is excellent fuel economy as well.
With a 31 mpg EPA combined rating for the front drive models, 29 with all-wheel
drive. And in the real world I actually beat the highway rating in heavy traffic
between Washington and New York. The CX-3 doesn't try to be all things to all
people. It's more a sushi knife than a Swiss Army knife. There are better small
SUVs for hauling things, for fitting child seats, for plowing through the snow. But if
you want a fun to drive, good-looking hatchback with good gas mileage, this
should be on your list.