MAZDA 3 2017

Body, cabin and cargo space

Easily accessible and quite roomy in front, notably due to the long seat sliders. Good headroom despite the sunroof. Excellent side support, though seats may be tight for larger builds. Adjustable lumbar support offered only on GT with Premium package; its manual lever is small and hard to manipulate.

Excellent driving position: telescoping steering wheel with good range, well centred and pleasing to grip with thick and supple leather cladding. Well-positioned foot rest. Low seat adjustment lets you enjoy the car’s dynamic performance. Cup holders reduce the width of the centre armrest to a point where it becomes slightly uncomfortable on long trips.

Tight rear seating; poor legroom for an adult or a child in a booster seat behind a 1.78-m (5 ft. 10 in.) occupant. Average headroom, but the sharply sloping roof requires bending and twisting to gain access. Bench seat is comfortable and well-padded except the middle, which is high, narrow and hard.

Cargo space is disappointing in the hatchback model with the rear seat up. Adequate length (88 cm) but limited width (102 cm). Height only 47 cm under the luggage cover, and even when it is removed, the sharply raked hatch hinders loading bulky items. Folding the seatbacks creates a nearly flat floor, 151 cm long.

Finish and convenience

Attentive finish, even luxurious in GT trims with leather seats. Very nice colour scheme with the ivory interior. Precise fit and quality materials, including both soft- and hard-textured textures.

Analog speedometer in GX and GS models easy to read, tiny electronic tachometer is not. GT’s tachometer is analog and centrally positioned, and speedometer is digital. GT models also digitally display speed on the base of the windshield via a head-up display system, improved this year with colour graphics to replace the blurry, turquoise-blue digits of former model-years.

Main controls are simple and logical, including separate controls for climate control. Infotainment system combines a screen perched on top of the dashboard with two knobs and five buttons on the centre console. Seen more commonly in luxury cars than in mass-produced cars, we like this type of system for its simple logic, though some testers prefer a touch screen.

Bluetooth is easy to set up. Voice recognition is efficient. Two USB ports are standard in nearly all trims (just one in base GX sedan). Affordable navigation system; a dealer SD card is available for just $425. Also needed to display a GPS on the centre screen, since Mazda still does not offer Apple CarPlay or Android Auto.

Seat heaters a bit slow, but well graduated. Heated steering wheel now standard in GS trim; it is efficient but does not heat the top and bottom sections of the rim. Few open bins; glove compartment and covered centre bin too small. Only driver’s power window control is lighted.

Safety features

• Antilock brakes with economic brake-force distribution and brake assist
• Stability and traction control
• Hill-start assist
• Front airbags
• Front side airbags
• Side curtain airbags
• Front seat-belt tensioners
• Five head restraints (adjustable front, fixed rear)
• Active anti-whiplash front head restraints
• Backup camera (included as part of GX Convenience; standard, all other trims)
• Blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert, automatic low-speed emergency braking (standard, GS and GT; non-available, GX)
• Forward collision warning with all-speed automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning and automatic lane-keep assist, and adaptive cruise control (included as part of with GT Premium package)

Crash test results

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
Overall score: 5 / 5
Frontal impact: 5 / 5
Side impact: 5 / 5
Rollover resistance: 4 / 5

Insurance Institute For Highway Safety (IIHS)
Moderate overlap frontal impact: 4 / 4
Small overlap frontal impact: 4 / 4
Side impact: 4 / 4
Rear impact: 4 / 4
Roof strength: 4 / 4

IIHS Top Safety Pick+

Visibility

Adequate front and side, though the long front end is hard to situate. Mazda’s new styling language imposes more serious constraints towards the rear, as much because of the narrow side windows as the small rear window (hatchback) or high trunk shelf (sedan). Some testers also found that the door mirrors, though well sized, are too far back. The backup camera and blind-spot monitoring are very useful.

The halogen headlights on the GX and GS are efficient. They switch off automatically with the ignition, even without the auto-control function. GT models have powerful Xenon headlights; similar to many such systems, there is a sharp upper cut-off in the low-beam position.

Engine and transmission

The four-cylinder engines are unchanged for 2017. Their Skyactiv technology combines direct fuel injection, a very high compression ratio, low internal friction and an advanced exhaust manifold to lower fuel consumption without negatively impacting performance.

Mazda 3 GX and GS models are powered by a flexible 2.0L engine that delivers adequate performance for normal driving. However, it does not run quite as smoothly as the latest engines in competing vehicles, especially during warmup.

The GT’s smoother, 2.5L engine develops 29 hp more than the 2.0L, and especially, an extra 35 lb-ft of torque. Performance is much livelier, with better pickup. It is also quieter because it does not have to be pushed as hard as the 2.0L to obtain equal or superior performance in all circumstances.

Standard with both engines, the manual transmission is a real joy thanks to its ideal gearing and the short throws of the small gear shifter. Light, progressive clutch take-up, though some testers found the engagement point too high. The automatic transmission is smooth and well geared but shifts too quickly to the top gears, for improved fuel efficiency; it is better matched to the 2.5L engine, which is more powerful at low RPMs.

Official fuel consumption ratings from Natural Resources Canada for the 2.5L are less than 10 percent higher than those of the 2.0L. With the larger engine, our 2017 test vehicle registered 9.6 L/100 km, much worse, strangely enough, than the 8.1 L/100 km turned in by a 2014 model tested under similar winter conditions.

Ride and handling

The most dynamic for the segment, with the Ford Focus and Volkswagen Golf. The suspension is as well-balanced as ever; body lean is very well contained, and road defects are adequately absorbed. Surface imperfections are felt in the cabin, but without harshness, something like a German car.

Steering is very precise, quick and direct and provides a certain degree of road sensation, which is rare in these times of antiseptic driving. Very good straight-line stability boosts confidence during long trips. Braking is powerful and progressive, with satisfyingly firm pedal feel.

It is unfortunate that Mazda did not take advantage of this year’s partial refresh to improve sound insulation. Road noise is ever-present; several competitors easily do better. Wind noise around the roof pillars is also sometimes audible.
Driver assist systems are efficient without being too intrusive. The cruise control has a standard mode for drivers who do not like the adaptive function.

Inspection

The following comments were noted during an inspection at CAA-Quebec vehicle inspection centre:

• Easy access to most maintenance components, except the driver-side headlight bulb
• Positive battery pole has a black protective cover, could cause confusion; a mix-up when connecting boosting cables could have serious consequences
• Long, heavy, non-insulated hood supported by a simple metal rod
• Sturdy platform devoid of rust-proofing; few joints are sealed
• Steel fuel tank is protected against corrosion but could still rust over time
• Rear brake rotors too thin, could affect durability
• Parking brake mounted on rear calipers, could grip more easily
• Compact spare tire is standard