I would be cautious about importing a Mazda 2 for cheap thrills. If there is no domestic parts availability, your insurance costs might be high as they have to factor in what it would cost to have parts shipped from wherever its available and dealing with customs and fees. Have a rock hit your windshield and crack it? Well, if the Mazda 2 uses unique glass, which it probably does, then nobody is going to have it in the US. A cheap fix becomes an expensive ordeal.
We think 33,000 is a bit much for this car. What about the Mazda 3 GT and the CX-5 GT. This is getting up there for a lower end car, with some tech features. It's a nice car, don't get me wrong, but Mazda is way over-priced. You are paying for all this tech, like that head up display, which is a waste of time. The CX-3 is just not a car that should be in that high priced range.
Indeed it is a great little car. I picked mine up from the dealership pretty much a week after you uploaded this video. Good review, and I agree with you about it being the segment leader. I didn't bother testing the CH-R after I found out that Toyota doesn't sell it with AWD in Canada. The HR-V is well, a Honda with typical limp feeling Honda steering; I test drove my sister in law's after delivery of my CX-3 and I wasn't impressed at all. You should've mentioned that if someone wants a good all-around trim for the CX-3, it is definitely the middle line GS trim with AWD added as the only option. It's basically equipped like a GT minus the sunroof, the Bose speakers, the HUD and the 18" wheels; considering that the GS AWD starts at 27k and the GX AWD is already 26k.. a buyer is probably better of paying an extra 1k for the heated seats, heated steering wheel and the auto climate control.
Nostalgic Wanderer, which trim did you get? Agree it’s a small nimble and zippy ride! Just bought mine yesterday in GS AWD with luxe and I-activ sense pkg and got a really good deal on it ($1400 off Msrp and $1000 lease bonus) with zero % rate...Thought abt the GT but not fond of the 18” alloys due to its firm ride already even on 16”s...
A very good and informative review. A couple of months ago I purchased a new, 2018 CX-3 AWD and absolutey love it. I even got to drive it the end of Spring in a knarly ice storm and it performed great, fantastic grip and traction even on non winter tires. Overall, a fun to drive and enjoyable to own compact suv, highly recommend, just so long as you not looking for a lot of back seat or rear trunk space.
These sub compact crossovers really blur the lines between a traditional hatchback and a crossover. I suppose I need to put them in a class.. and they don't fit in either for me. With this Mazda, I saw one parked next to a Mazda 3 hatch. They were essentially the same height. Its all in appearance, really.
unless they have changed the system since the 2018 model the infotainment system can be operated with voice commands which everyone that reviews Mazda's neglects to mention......that way both hands can stay on the wheel instead of playing with big shinny knobs....the touchscreen can even be blacked out with voice commands so there is no distractions at all while driving, because when all is said and done it's just as much a distraction as a mobile phone, which in most civilised countries I have travelled to, is illegal to use while driving. I also don't think armrests and cup holders should really be a deciding factor when buying a car, lets face it if you want to be safe, keep both hand on the wheel and concentrate on the road.......by the way I love my CX3.
I am after a raised ride height car as I'm having trouble with my back. It sounds like this car ( that I really like incidentally ) wouldn't solve my problem. Can somebody shed some light on this please? Thanks
This isn't a tall car but as I'm 6''4', I was able to get in and out without too much movement. For a car I'd would step UP into, you'd have to look at the class above like the CX-5, Ford Escape, etc
Hey there! We have 2016 awd cx3. Will say it's awd is better than Subaru ( very surprised, we did our research and real time drive before we bought). I'm wondering if the 19 has more hight than 16 ( when the snow plow is late it is a bit low, high Sierra's CA). I noticed the arm rest is WAYYYYY BETTER than the 16 ( 16 is cheep and not sturdy 6' 1 200lbs). Thanks for your input as always!!! It's a great car!!! Only time will tell if it's as good as a Toyota for longevity!! At 60k. YES I WISH IT CAME IN MANUAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!UGGG
2019 definitely does not have more height to the 2016. The centre console was the most significant redesign of the CX-3, very glad they did it. That was my largest complaint with the previous CX-3 (although, I had the base GX). Thanks for your comment!
Haven't driven too many competitors so I can't give a fair comparison. But I would say the wind noise is noticeable, road noise not so much. This CX-3 isn't as noisy as the EcoSport though
Another great review 👍 We live in Australia and we owned a Akari CX3 which was the top of the range for 18 months. It was a great car great to drive loved the front half of the interior... but the back seat and the luggage space is just too small even for a weekly grocery shop.
Sorry I should of said that we have bought a CX5 GT SkyActiv 2.2 Diesel and love it !! Great car , love the handling, fit and finish of the interior, ride, handling and that 2.2 SkyActiv Diesel is a smooth , quiet, powerful and economical engine . The CX5 fixes the lack of rear space issues that we had with the CX3. Having said that I would buy another CX3 in a heartbeat . Especially now that they have improved all of the things apart from lack of space that needed to be fixed - centre console is miles better, rear seat armrest 👍
Thanks for the reply, that's disappointing. Do you know whether they are being conservative or experiencing issues with the tests? They might fall behind with the competition in two years.
As far as I know, everything is running well in testing. It’s working out the last 10% in issues to achieve the perfect product that is taking the most amount of time
I am thinking of buying a 2019 cx-3. Has anybody had one for a bit and can comment on any problems or things they discovered later they didn't like or did like?
As an owner of the current generation Mazda3, I know the tire pressure monitor likes to go off when there is seemingly nothing to worry about. Sometimes the infotainment can take a bit longer to initiate on a colder day. Couldn't guarantee these problems carry over to the CX-3, but they are both using the same/similar hardware
You basically want to go for a 2017 model if you can find one. Anything newer has too many extra safety "features" that destroy the driving experience. It also comes in a vibrant blue in that year.
I own one. Have owned it since late July so about a month. I don't have much complaints about it to be honest, except the fact that the trunk space is smaller than the competition; but that is subjective and considering that I came from owning an RX-7 and Miata... the trunk of the CX-3 seems HUGE to me in comparison. The other thing that I don't really like is the small amount of legroom in the back seat but in all honesty I've put a 190lb, 6'0" guy in the back seat and he didn't complain at all about leg room despite riding behind me, and I'm 6'0" myself.
They have been so lazy in the changes they have made to the 2015 sport nav which I bought brand new in pearlescent soul red paint which looked amazing in the showroom, probably the nicest paint colour I'd ever seen tbh but chipped if you farted near it, I had the upgraded black half leather trim too. All they have done is robbed bits from their other bigger cars and bolted it onto this pretty much making it look a tad beefier and bigger. Added abit of suede to the cabin and got rid of the majority of the red fake leather. , plus swapping out the steering wheel for one out the other cars. The people I dealt with at the UK branch were absolutely horrendous and gave me a really hard time during the first service I had with them which I payed an arm and a leg for the 3 year plan which they couldn't even throw in with the deal. Didn't have the hire car which I'd been booked in for and they had to Rob one off Ford, then when I came to pick up my car it hadn't been valeted, been left beside the road under a tree and was absolutely covered in some type of sappy substance and bits from the road. The women even lied to my face trying to tell me they'd cleaned it the day before which my reply was laughing in her face. On my journey home my engine management light came on and it was because they hadn't reset my tyre pressure system on the dash and after cleaning my car I noticed they'd also dinged the front bumper and scratched my bonnet which they obviously completely denied. I was that angry at them after a few months had passed I went and sold the car. So yea worst experience I've ever had with any company and I'll never go back for sure, I hope none of you out there are treated so unprofessionally and poorly as I was and have better luck 👍
Poor body style funnels dirt onto the hatch making access a dirty mess and rendering the rear view camera useless. No apple or android. Why clutter up the dash for nothing. 1ST & LAST Mazda for me!
Don't really understand so much complaints about not being able to rest your arm ... when you're driving, your hands, both, are supposed to be holding the wheels...
Hi. Can you please shed more light how is it possible you review 2019 model (that is already on sale in 07/2018) Isn't it a kind of cheating? Is it all about the number of views or future credibility of your channel ?
Hero Hour why? I used to drive a Toyota Avensis, now a Mazda 6. I am never going back. The latter is such a fun car to drive. Avensis was a good car but it was so boring to drive.
Jalopnik Article: jalopnik.com/tag/mazda2
I would be cautious about importing a Mazda 2 for cheap thrills. If there is no domestic parts availability, your insurance costs might be high as they have to factor in what it would cost to have parts shipped from wherever its available and dealing with customs and fees. Have a rock hit your windshield and crack it? Well, if the Mazda 2 uses unique glass, which it probably does, then nobody is going to have it in the US. A cheap fix becomes an expensive ordeal.
We think 33,000 is a bit much for this car. What about the Mazda 3 GT and the CX-5 GT. This is getting up there for a lower end car, with some tech features. It's a nice car, don't get me wrong, but Mazda is way over-priced. You are paying for all this tech, like that head up display, which is a waste of time. The CX-3 is just not a car that should be in that high priced range.
Just purchased one of these for my Wife. She loves it. I think they are a great little car.
Indeed it is a great little car. I picked mine up from the dealership pretty much a week after you uploaded this video.
Good review, and I agree with you about it being the segment leader. I didn't bother testing the CH-R after I found out that Toyota doesn't sell it with AWD in Canada. The HR-V is well, a Honda with typical limp feeling Honda steering; I test drove my sister in law's after delivery of my CX-3 and I wasn't impressed at all.
You should've mentioned that if someone wants a good all-around trim for the CX-3, it is definitely the middle line GS trim with AWD added as the only option. It's basically equipped like a GT minus the sunroof, the Bose speakers, the HUD and the 18" wheels; considering that the GS AWD starts at 27k and the GX AWD is already 26k.. a buyer is probably better of paying an extra 1k for the heated seats, heated steering wheel and the auto climate control.
Nostalgic Wanderer, which trim did you get? Agree it’s a small nimble and zippy ride! Just bought mine yesterday in GS AWD with luxe and I-activ sense pkg and got a really good deal on it ($1400 off Msrp and $1000 lease bonus) with zero % rate...Thought abt the GT but not fond of the 18” alloys due to its firm ride already even on 16”s...
A very good and informative review. A couple of months ago I purchased a new, 2018 CX-3 AWD and absolutey love it. I even got to drive it the end of Spring in a knarly ice storm and it performed great, fantastic grip and traction even on non winter tires. Overall, a fun to drive and enjoyable to own compact suv, highly recommend, just so long as you not looking for a lot of back seat or rear trunk space.
I upgraded to the CX5 a great upgrade from this lil CUV.
Good stuff. Thanks for the Canadian reviews. Always good to see Canmore.
Thanks for the comment!
These sub compact crossovers really blur the lines between a traditional hatchback and a crossover. I suppose I need to put them in a class.. and they don't fit in either for me. With this Mazda, I saw one parked next to a Mazda 3 hatch. They were essentially the same height. Its all in appearance, really.
Russell C is the same chasis of a Mazda 2 so its smaller than the Mazda 3
Not the same height at all!
unless they have changed the system since the 2018 model the infotainment system can be operated with voice commands which everyone that reviews Mazda's neglects to mention......that way both hands can stay on the wheel instead of playing with big shinny knobs....the touchscreen can even be blacked out with voice commands so there is no distractions at all while driving, because when all is said and done it's just as much a distraction as a mobile phone, which in most civilised countries I have travelled to, is illegal to use while driving. I also don't think armrests and cup holders should really be a deciding factor when buying a car, lets face it if you want to be safe, keep both hand on the wheel and concentrate on the road.......by the way I love my CX3.
I am after a raised ride height car as I'm having trouble with my back. It sounds like this car ( that I really like incidentally ) wouldn't solve my problem. Can somebody shed some light on this please? Thanks
This isn't a tall car but as I'm 6''4', I was able to get in and out without too much movement. For a car I'd would step UP into, you'd have to look at the class above like the CX-5, Ford Escape, etc
@@maxlandireviews Thanks for your reply
Hey there! We have 2016 awd cx3. Will say it's awd is better than Subaru ( very surprised, we did our research and real time drive before we bought). I'm wondering if the 19 has more hight than 16 ( when the snow plow is late it is a bit low, high Sierra's CA). I noticed the arm rest is WAYYYYY BETTER than the 16 ( 16 is cheep and not sturdy 6' 1 200lbs). Thanks for your input as always!!! It's a great car!!! Only time will tell if it's as good as a Toyota for longevity!! At 60k. YES I WISH IT CAME IN MANUAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!UGGG
2019 definitely does not have more height to the 2016. The centre console was the most significant redesign of the CX-3, very glad they did it. That was my largest complaint with the previous CX-3 (although, I had the base GX). Thanks for your comment!
Whos idea was it at mazda where they wanted to put a smaller engine in their crossover than their mazda 3.......
Great looking vehicle. How was road noise?
Haven't driven too many competitors so I can't give a fair comparison. But I would say the wind noise is noticeable, road noise not so much. This CX-3 isn't as noisy as the EcoSport though
Great looking car but the engine is gutless. Maybe put a 2.5 in there and I reconsider buying one again.
Hey Max, noticed you're back in your channel! Do you still do videos for motormouth? Just curious...
Will be seeing my vids back on motormouth in the next week or so!
Another great review 👍 We live in Australia and we owned a Akari CX3 which was the top of the range for 18 months. It was a great car great to drive loved the front half of the interior... but the back seat and the luggage space is just too small even for a weekly grocery shop.
Sorry I should of said that we have bought a CX5 GT SkyActiv 2.2 Diesel and love it !! Great car , love the handling, fit and finish of the interior, ride, handling and that 2.2 SkyActiv Diesel is a smooth , quiet, powerful and economical engine . The CX5 fixes the lack of rear space issues that we had with the CX3.
Having said that I would buy another CX3 in a heartbeat . Especially now that they have improved all of the things apart from lack of space that needed to be fixed - centre console is miles better, rear seat armrest 👍
Really hope mazda brings the diesel CX-5 here soon, we are all waiting eagerly!!
When will it be released with the new Skyactive-X engine?
The next gen Mazda3 will be the first with Skyactiv-X and that car won’t be on sale for another 2 Years
Thanks for the reply, that's disappointing. Do you know whether they are being conservative or experiencing issues with the tests? They might fall behind with the competition in two years.
As far as I know, everything is running well in testing. It’s working out the last 10% in issues to achieve the perfect product that is taking the most amount of time
I am thinking of buying a 2019 cx-3. Has anybody had one for a bit and can comment on any problems or things they discovered later they didn't like or did like?
As an owner of the current generation Mazda3, I know the tire pressure monitor likes to go off when there is seemingly nothing to worry about. Sometimes the infotainment can take a bit longer to initiate on a colder day. Couldn't guarantee these problems carry over to the CX-3, but they are both using the same/similar hardware
You basically want to go for a 2017 model if you can find one. Anything newer has too many extra safety "features" that destroy the driving experience. It also comes in a vibrant blue in that year.
I own one. Have owned it since late July so about a month.
I don't have much complaints about it to be honest, except the fact that the trunk space is smaller than the competition; but that is subjective and considering that I came from owning an RX-7 and Miata... the trunk of the CX-3 seems HUGE to me in comparison. The other thing that I don't really like is the small amount of legroom in the back seat but in all honesty I've put a 190lb, 6'0" guy in the back seat and he didn't complain at all about leg room despite riding behind me, and I'm 6'0" myself.
Thanks for the comments, if anything else comes up I would really appreciate your comments.
Thanks for the comments, if anything else comes up I would really appreciate your comments.
Im new to cars and looking for something like this. Can you list the closest competitors to this? So i can do some background research myself. Thanks
Hyundai Kona
Ford EcoSport
Kia Soul
Chevrolet Trax
Honda HR-V
Toyota CH-R
Nissan Kicks
They have been so lazy in the changes they have made to the 2015 sport nav which I bought brand new in pearlescent soul red paint which looked amazing in the showroom, probably the nicest paint colour I'd ever seen tbh but chipped if you farted near it, I had the upgraded black half leather trim too. All they have done is robbed bits from their other bigger cars and bolted it onto this pretty much making it look a tad beefier and bigger. Added abit of suede to the cabin and got rid of the majority of the red fake leather. , plus swapping out the steering wheel for one out the other cars. The people I dealt with at the UK branch were absolutely horrendous and gave me a really hard time during the first service I had with them which I payed an arm and a leg for the 3 year plan which they couldn't even throw in with the deal. Didn't have the hire car which I'd been booked in for and they had to Rob one off Ford, then when I came to pick up my car it hadn't been valeted, been left beside the road under a tree and was absolutely covered in some type of sappy substance and bits from the road. The women even lied to my face trying to tell me they'd cleaned it the day before which my reply was laughing in her face. On my journey home my engine management light came on and it was because they hadn't reset my tyre pressure system on the dash and after cleaning my car I noticed they'd also dinged the front bumper and scratched my bonnet which they obviously completely denied. I was that angry at them after a few months had passed I went and sold the car. So yea worst experience I've ever had with any company and I'll never go back for sure, I hope none of you out there are treated so unprofessionally and poorly as I was and have better luck 👍
Too bad the back seat is a bit too small. Otherwise it's a nice car.
good stuff...thank you
Thank you for your comment!
Hi is this ceramic metallic or snowflake white pearl color?
Ceramic Metallic
TheDriveGuyde thanks so much!! I think i will go with this color ;))
Its a great colour, reminds me a bit of Audi’s nardo grey!
Poor body style funnels dirt onto the hatch making access a dirty mess and rendering the rear view camera useless. No apple or android. Why clutter up the dash for nothing. 1ST & LAST Mazda for me!
It’s nice looking but I wish it was a little more sporty.
Wouldn’t it be great if we could the 2.5 in here!
TheDriveGuyde ~ I’m assuming that you’re talking about in engine? I know nothing about that, I just want the outside to be a little more sporty.
Yes, would love the 2.5L turbo from the new Mazda6 (have a look at that review). Styling is perfect to my eye, I wouldn't change a thing!
Ooh I love the intro music - Italo piano House!
This a car review in Alberta? Very nice
Yup, filmed throughout the bow valley
Don't really understand so much complaints about not being able to rest your arm ... when you're driving, your hands, both, are supposed to be holding the wheels...
Great review .
2018 very best
A Great Little Car! ????? little car?????
This dude wearing eye liner?! 🤔
Seriously bro, short pants? Haha, great review by the way
Hi. Can you please shed more light how is it possible you review 2019 model (that is already on sale in 07/2018) Isn't it a kind of cheating? Is it all about the number of views or future credibility of your channel ?
Many manufacturers release the 2019 model year in 2018. Not sure where 'cheating' comes into this conversation
jacek kaminski next years models usually go on sale in second half of the current year. Nothing new about that.
I'd rather drive a Toyota
Hero Hour why? I used to drive a Toyota Avensis, now a Mazda 6. I am never going back. The latter is such a fun car to drive. Avensis was a good car but it was so boring to drive.
lol toyota
no
So if you're in North America, especially Canada.. you'd rather drive a front wheel drive crossover over an all wheel drive one? lmao