Subtle changes keep Mazda’s small hatch in the hunt, says Al Suttie
1 – It’s all too easy to overlook the Mazda 3 when the Ford Focus, Vauxhall Astra and VW Golf hog the limelight.
2 – Seek out the Mazda, though, and you find a mildly facelifted and very stylish small lower medium sector hatch.
3 – Aside from the looks, the cabin quality has been improved, and it was from shabby beforehand, so it’s absolutely top notch now.
4 – We did find the infotainment’s rotary control could take a minute to wake up and work at full speed.
5 – And we also became frustrated with our test car’s habit of locking the doors between getting out of the driver’s seat and attempting to open the boot.
6 – Otherwise, this is a very fine car that offers excellent comfort and a drive every bit the equal of any in this class.
7 – In fact, I reckon the Mazda 3 is the most fun small hatch when you have a quiet stretch of road in front.
8 – The 2.0-litre petrol engine of this car isn’t the obvious fleet choice, but 119g/km is decent. 43.5mpg average economy is less so.
9 – However, refinement is superb and there’s a lot to admire about Mazda’s approach to design and build.
10 – Pick the 2.2-litre diesel instead of this petrol engine and you have one of the very best cars in this class.
