It's not for everyone. It has looks and quality many people appreciate and demand. But, its personality with the turbo is not what you'd expect. It has low end grunt that matches the 6-speed auto pretty well. The transmission doesn’t shift hard and chirp the tires because it's not supposed to and you'll never see 6000 rpm because...you're not supposed to. If you want your engine to scream like a strangled cat, there lots of other choices. What it does do is accelerate to 60 under 6 seconds and on an entrance ramp to a freeway it simply digs in and carves through the turns while the torque is a constant thrust as you launch from one turn to another. On a track, well, what the hell are you doing on a track with this car? That's why it's not marketed to the type r, wrx/sti, gti/gli lovers. They've said all along, think A4 as competition and you'll see ehat their philosophy is. You don't have to agree, but maybe you'll understand. I use mine for personal and business and I look forward to getting into it every time. Everything...just...works. So glad there's no true performance aftermarket for this car. I typically don't see many younger folks driving these because the money doesn’t match the performance character you're seeking.
Yep, i had this car as a 4 door and i changed it because it wasn't sporty enough for me. But inside and out it was beautiful, excellent fit and finish and very equipped. For someone who understand that this isn't a sport car, they will love it.
Tunes, Supercharger, rear sway bar, tower strut bar. And revised suspension if you must. All things available to make this thing a potential little monster.
I like your point of view. You do kind of dog those who wish for a little more performance from this vehicle. 20 or 30 more HP is never a bad thing. Most of It's competition is offered in higher performance orientations. I like the Mazda 3. I would like to see a six speed with a higher HP engine available? We own an Integra type S. It's a blast, but it could use a little more of this cars luxury content. I wish you success.
The C Pillar is not that big of a deal. Just position your mirrors correctly and you will be fine. Also I love the Infotainment System ! Been using this car for almost a year and I don't miss a touch screen. It is clean and minimal. Doesn't distract you from the road.
The infotainment system is probably my favorite thing about my 2024 3 Hatch BECAUSE it's not a touchscreen. The rotary knob feels great to use and is very tactile, unlike awkwardly reaching to poke something on a screen while driving. The screen is intentionally hard to reach because Mazda doesnt want you to be touching it.
I'm waiting in the UK on a factory order of a Mazda 3 the infotainment system not being a touch screen was a plus point. From 2025 the EU ENCAP safety system will down grade cars with touch screens. These car will have a higher insurance rating and no doubt in future touch screens will be banned
The look of the mazda3 aged like a fine wine 👌 I have a 2021 Mazda3 FWD Premium and I mainly use Android Auto and the rotatory knob works really well and did not take long at all to get used to.
This 4th gen Mazda3 is the most aesthetic hatchback in my opinion. The exterior design would be hard to improve upon. The interior is luxurious. I bought a 2024 premium and I absolutely love my car.
The dial navigation of Mazda is amazing. I can navigate with such an essy turn and press of the dial/knob. I despise touch screen displays in cars. Especially when driving, i find the dial scrolling accurately onto options is better than me floating my hand in a moving vehicle and often times missing this button.
The infotainment system takes getting used but once you get the hang of it, it's one of the safest and easiest systems to use while you're driving. Safer than any touch screen for sure.
Fully disagree. As a long time mazda fan I have owned dozens of them over the years. They have always been reliable and fun vehicles. I had a 2022 mazda 3 for about 6 months. I absolutely despised that horrible infotainment system. It ruined the entire car for me. I am a bit of a techy person and like to use all the fun little features that I spent my money on. When trying to do so with this system it was agonizing to use. Since then, I have bought 2 new vehicles and wont even look at a mazda dealer. If\when they get rid of that system, I will gladly consider them again, but not a moment sooner.
And I fully agree, I’ve owned a CX30, and the knob took some getting used to, but after a year of ownership, it was easily the most intuitive system I’ve ever used. Need Google Maps? Why reach over to see where your finger goes on a touch screen, when you can simply press the Map button near the knob? After I switched to a ‘22 Accord with nearly a year of ownership, lord Jesus no lol, the touch screen is absolutely less safe to use when driving vs the knob.
@@joshm2248 If you are touching the screen that much, you are using android auto or apple car play wrong. You should be able to use voice commands for everything phone, radio, navigation related. But in the case of the mazda that doesnt save you from that knob when you actually want to use many of the features you paid for that can only be accessed through that knob.
What a crap review. The back seat is totally useable. I’m 5’10 and friends/family fit just fine behind me driving. The infotainment is actually not bad as there is the option buried in the menu to allow CarPlay touchscreen usage while driving. You can mute the audio with a push of the volume knob on the console.
I have a GR86. That has unusable back seats for anyone that isn’t 8 years old or younger lol. I sat in the back of the hatchback and found it to be fine. A little tight yes. But doable.
This was on my short list for my last car, I ended up going with a GTI because it was more practical in the backseat and cargo area, gets all it's power on 87 octane, and the manual. But the 3 is beautiful and pretty darned fun to drive.
Regarding the infotainment system, I got the hang of it after maybe 1 day. I have a 2023 hatch non turbo and the screen is 100% non touch. Guess it depends on the person. 🚘👍
I like Mazda (& my 2022 CX-30 CE), but not a fan of how they use the main headlight projectors as the DRL instead of some separate, elegantly-designed signature LED lights that don't include using the main headlights as DRL. Also, turbo engines don't age well unless they are driven & treated a certain specific way as a matter of routine, & also if oil change schedule is aggressive (every 3-4K miles). Watch the Car Care Nut video on turbo engines before deciding to buy one.
Does this thing have decent seats for distance driving? I like it. Good looking vehicle. We take road trips, primarily in Honda products. Long distance comfort is very important for us. This vehicle, could be a future purchase?
I owned a 2021 Mazda 3 Hatchback Turbo Premium Plus with white exterior and red interior; IMO, the car was "sexy" and the power was more than adequate, however, I ended up selling it because I ultimately realize it wasn't practical (interior room and financially). I've considered getting a newer model year of the exact same trim I had but when I think about the price, I might as well get the CX-5 for a little more as it would offer more versatility/practicality.
I wish the top trim in the sedan & hatchback with the 2.5L turbo-4 of the Mazda3 & CX-30 offered ventilated front seats since they offer that as an option in the CX-5 & up in their lineup
Audi A3 2024 35 TFSI Sportback is cheaper in EU than Mazda 3 186HP Hatchback by about 5000 USD and still has much better features like auto cooling system, rain sensor etc. Performance is the same 8sec to 100km/h.
Because of the torque, it doesn’t need to drop down a gear or two…that is what makes it a great fun car to drive! I’m 65 and enjoy everything about this car! The German cars and high end Japanese cars just aren’t worth the cost of maintenance that they require and always needing 93+ octane!
Taking on the A3....? Maybe in price, but that is about it. The Mazda blows Audi away with what you get for the money by a long shot. Dont even get me started on the reliability of Mazda vs Audi or in reality and Japanese vehicle vs any German product.
@@dnice362 The mazda 3 with turbo ranges from like 33-36k. You can add a bunch of crap to make it 40k but you can say the same about the WRX. Look at that sorry ass GT trim and the even worse TR disgrace. You get way more car and a much higher quality vehicle with the mazda. The horrible rotary knob turned me away from mazdas, but I owned 5 prior to that. I now own a 22 BRZ and a 24 Impreza RS. The Subarus are lower quality vehicles hands down.
@@boost331 yes for 30k the Mazda is good deal a penny more is a little high for that and it’s not practical at all. Sub is more fun and useful space and also AWD
It's well made, quick but no where as fast as you might think, comfy, good looking but cramped, smalll and a bit dated. It's just not that fun to drive. It drives sort if vanilla like despite the low end punch. I can see why it struggles to sell.
It struggles to sell cause it’s overpriced. For the same money you can get a CX5. Which offers more and is bigger. Unless you 100% wanted a smaller hatchback. It doesn’t make sense to get this. Edit: that cx5 would also have the same turbo. Plus order power hatch, ventilated seats, usb + vents for back seat plus heated seats etc. it just doesn’t make sense for a 3 unless it was cheaper.
It's not for everyone. It has looks and quality many people appreciate and demand. But, its personality with the turbo is not what you'd expect. It has low end grunt that matches the 6-speed auto pretty well. The transmission doesn’t shift hard and chirp the tires because it's not supposed to and you'll never see 6000 rpm because...you're not supposed to. If you want your engine to scream like a strangled cat, there lots of other choices. What it does do is accelerate to 60 under 6 seconds and on an entrance ramp to a freeway it simply digs in and carves through the turns while the torque is a constant thrust as you launch from one turn to another. On a track, well, what the hell are you doing on a track with this car? That's why it's not marketed to the type r, wrx/sti, gti/gli lovers. They've said all along, think A4 as competition and you'll see ehat their philosophy is. You don't have to agree, but maybe you'll understand. I use mine for personal and business and I look forward to getting into it every time. Everything...just...works. So glad there's no true performance aftermarket for this car. I typically don't see many younger folks driving these because the money doesn’t match the performance character you're seeking.
Yep, i had this car as a 4 door and i changed it because it wasn't sporty enough for me. But inside and out it was beautiful, excellent fit and finish and very equipped. For someone who understand that this isn't a sport car, they will love it.
Tunes, Supercharger, rear sway bar, tower strut bar. And revised suspension if you must.
All things available to make this thing a potential little monster.
I like your point of view. You do kind of dog those who wish for a little more performance from this vehicle. 20 or 30 more HP is never a bad thing. Most of It's competition is offered in higher performance orientations. I like the Mazda 3. I would like to see a six speed with a higher HP engine available? We own an Integra type S. It's a blast, but it could use a little more of this cars luxury content. I wish you success.
I like the Mazda 3 hatchback it has the looks and the performance. Very nice car.
The C Pillar is not that big of a deal. Just position your mirrors correctly and you will be fine.
Also I love the Infotainment System ! Been using this car for almost a year and I don't miss a touch screen. It is clean and minimal. Doesn't distract you from the road.
The infotainment system is probably my favorite thing about my 2024 3 Hatch BECAUSE it's not a touchscreen. The rotary knob feels great to use and is very tactile, unlike awkwardly reaching to poke something on a screen while driving. The screen is intentionally hard to reach because Mazda doesnt want you to be touching it.
I sold my 2022 because I hated it.
I'm waiting in the UK on a factory order of a Mazda 3 the infotainment system not being a touch screen was a plus point. From 2025 the EU ENCAP safety system will down grade cars with touch screens. These car will have a higher insurance rating and no doubt in future touch screens will be banned
The look of the mazda3 aged like a fine wine 👌 I have a 2021 Mazda3 FWD Premium and I mainly use Android Auto and the rotatory knob works really well and did not take long at all to get used to.
I still love my 2011 mazda3 GT
This 4th gen Mazda3 is the most aesthetic hatchback in my opinion. The exterior design would be hard to improve upon. The interior is luxurious. I bought a 2024 premium and I absolutely love my car.
The dial navigation of Mazda is amazing. I can navigate with such an essy turn and press of the dial/knob. I despise touch screen displays in cars. Especially when driving, i find the dial scrolling accurately onto options is better than me floating my hand in a moving vehicle and often times missing this button.
The infotainment system takes getting used but once you get the hang of it, it's one of the safest and easiest systems to use while you're driving. Safer than any touch screen for sure.
Fully disagree. As a long time mazda fan I have owned dozens of them over the years. They have always been reliable and fun vehicles. I had a 2022 mazda 3 for about 6 months. I absolutely despised that horrible infotainment system. It ruined the entire car for me. I am a bit of a techy person and like to use all the fun little features that I spent my money on. When trying to do so with this system it was agonizing to use. Since then, I have bought 2 new vehicles and wont even look at a mazda dealer. If\when they get rid of that system, I will gladly consider them again, but not a moment sooner.
@@boost331What car do you currently own instead?
@@filetofish7688 Several.
2016 mustang gt, 2018 taurus SHO, 2022 BRZ, 2024 impreza RS, my old 2007 mazdaspeed 3 race car, and a couple motorcycles.
And I fully agree, I’ve owned a CX30, and the knob took some getting used to, but after a year of ownership, it was easily the most intuitive system I’ve ever used.
Need Google Maps? Why reach over to see where your finger goes on a touch screen, when you can simply press the Map button near the knob?
After I switched to a ‘22 Accord with nearly a year of ownership, lord Jesus no lol, the touch screen is absolutely less safe to use when driving vs the knob.
@@joshm2248 If you are touching the screen that much, you are using android auto or apple car play wrong. You should be able to use voice commands for everything phone, radio, navigation related. But in the case of the mazda that doesnt save you from that knob when you actually want to use many of the features you paid for that can only be accessed through that knob.
If they offered the stick shift with the turbo for around $33K I'd be sold.
This says more about the Audi A3 than it does about the Mazda 3 turbo, when the latter is seen as competing against a luxury brand.
I personally prefer the 6 speed. I find it kind irritating when the 8 speed cars constantly shift on every little hill in the interstate.
What a crap review. The back seat is totally useable. I’m 5’10 and friends/family fit just fine behind me driving. The infotainment is actually not bad as there is the option buried in the menu to allow CarPlay touchscreen usage while driving. You can mute the audio with a push of the volume knob on the console.
I have a GR86. That has unusable back seats for anyone that isn’t 8 years old or younger lol. I sat in the back of the hatchback and found it to be fine. A little tight yes. But doable.
I would go with the Mazda 3 sedan. It looks more premium.
But the hatch is a thing of beauty. That rear end is so nice.
Love my ‘24 sedan! The front ends on these 3’s are sleek and aggressive. ✌🏻
This was on my short list for my last car, I ended up going with a GTI because it was more practical in the backseat and cargo area, gets all it's power on 87 octane, and the manual. But the 3 is beautiful and pretty darned fun to drive.
Regarding the infotainment system, I got the hang of it after maybe 1 day. I have a 2023 hatch non turbo and the screen is 100% non touch. Guess it depends on the person. 🚘👍
Mazda needs to find that guy and bring back the Zoom Zoom marketing campaign. Put him in a tux since Mazda's doing refined classy zoom zoom now.
I like Mazda (& my 2022 CX-30 CE), but not a fan of how they use the main headlight projectors as the DRL instead of some separate, elegantly-designed signature LED lights that don't include using the main headlights as DRL. Also, turbo engines don't age well unless they are driven & treated a certain specific way as a matter of routine, & also if oil change schedule is aggressive (every 3-4K miles). Watch the Car Care Nut video on turbo engines before deciding to buy one.
You can disable the low beam and only have the halo ring show. It’ll match the rear. It should’ve used the turn signal strip as a DRL and signal.
Does this thing have decent seats for distance driving? I like it. Good looking vehicle. We take road trips, primarily in Honda products. Long distance comfort is very important for us. This vehicle, could be a future purchase?
I owned a 2021 Mazda 3 Hatchback Turbo Premium Plus with white exterior and red interior; IMO, the car was "sexy" and the power was more than adequate, however, I ended up selling it because I ultimately realize it wasn't practical (interior room and financially). I've considered getting a newer model year of the exact same trim I had but when I think about the price, I might as well get the CX-5 for a little more as it would offer more versatility/practicality.
but all rear vision has been discarded for design. if subaru can use high-strength steel for narrow pillars, why can't a 40,000 mazda!!!????
in fact, I want to get the Sedan.
I wish the top trim in the sedan & hatchback with the 2.5L turbo-4 of the Mazda3 & CX-30 offered ventilated front seats since they offer that as an option in the CX-5 & up in their lineup
The sedan is more stylish than the hatchback.... the C pillar creates a gigantic blind spot. Blind spot warning ⚠️ is a requirement.
Love the way it looks, but it's quite expensive here in Saudi Arabia, especially the hatchback.
I love it 🥰 but it could never be in the same league as the GTI .
Audi A3 2024 35 TFSI Sportback is cheaper in EU than Mazda 3 186HP Hatchback by about 5000 USD and still has much better features like auto cooling system, rain sensor etc. Performance is the same 8sec to 100km/h.
My fav contributer!
Because of the torque, it doesn’t need to drop down a gear or two…that is what makes it a great fun car to drive! I’m 65 and enjoy everything about this car! The German cars and high end Japanese cars just aren’t worth the cost of maintenance that they require and always needing 93+ octane!
Zoom Zoom 😉
Lol….zoom zoom! I have this Mazda AWD Turbo in the Red….love it!
Nice engine power and I’m sure handling , but that older model for almost $40k … I’m not sure !!
Lol i have this car and just got back surgery. Not looking forward to getting in and out of it. Gonna be a biiiiootch
You really like to use that word truncating…😂
What. Is. With. The. Pauses. When. You. Talk.
I'm reporting you for bullying. Keep this a positive place and take your negativity elsewhere.
Taking on the A3....?
Maybe in price, but that is about it. The Mazda blows Audi away with what you get for the money by a long shot. Dont even get me started on the reliability of Mazda vs Audi or in reality and Japanese vehicle vs any German product.
I'd rather get a Golf R
Put the mx5 6 speed in the turbo hatch, fix the battery issue, need a touchscreen.
Until then, civic SI all day.
Battery issue? Please explain.
The MX5 6 speed would explode in this car. It can barely handle the amount of torque the MX5 makes
Women really like this car ;)
True, my sister and one of my former colleagues love their new mazdas
No way at this price, Wrx all day
If you get a manual YES. If you need an automatic and buy a "performance" car with a cvt you need mental help.
NAILED IT!@@boost331
@@boost331 if you buy this for 40k then you need mental help
@@dnice362 The mazda 3 with turbo ranges from like 33-36k. You can add a bunch of crap to make it 40k but you can say the same about the WRX. Look at that sorry ass GT trim and the even worse TR disgrace. You get way more car and a much higher quality vehicle with the mazda. The horrible rotary knob turned me away from mazdas, but I owned 5 prior to that. I now own a 22 BRZ and a 24 Impreza RS. The Subarus are lower quality vehicles hands down.
@@boost331 yes for 30k the Mazda is good deal a penny more is a little high for that and it’s not practical at all. Sub is more fun and useful space and also AWD
I’m sorry no two seater Mazda is worth 40K
No Mazda is worth US$ 0.01.
@@thyristothat’s some strong stuff you’re smoking
😂😂@@thyristo
@Ve😂😂rryJerry90
Mazda...NO MAZDASPEED 3 is so lame. 40K...LMAO!
Last proper review this channel made was the one about the KIA EV9.
Everything outside of Chinese and South Korean BEVs and Teslas is just a scam.
Way overpriced 😮
It's well made, quick but no where as fast as you might think, comfy, good looking but cramped, smalll and a bit dated. It's just not that fun to drive. It drives sort if vanilla like despite the low end punch. I can see why it struggles to sell.
Agree, they need to widen a bit. Very cramped and the driving dynamics are over blown by reviewers
I think people just need to lose weight lol.
It struggles to sell cause it’s overpriced. For the same money you can get a CX5. Which offers more and is bigger. Unless you 100% wanted a smaller hatchback. It doesn’t make sense to get this.
Edit: that cx5 would also have the same turbo. Plus order power hatch, ventilated seats, usb + vents for back seat plus heated seats etc. it just doesn’t make sense for a 3 unless it was cheaper.