The Mazda3 is a compact model, offered as a five-door hatchback or a sedan. Where some competitors produce appliances, the Mazda3 combines car ownership affordability with a fun-to-drive ownership experience.
What's New for 2017
Now standard across the model line is G-Vectoring Control, proprietary technology that uses the engine to refine steering and handling to match the driver’s inputs. Enhanced sound insulation coincides with an update to the Mazda3’s interior.
Mazda also simplified the Mazda3’s trim levels. The top-end Mazda3 Grand Touring edition now offers the Premium Package and a suite of advanced i-ACTIVESENSE safety technologies. Equipment shuffling and additional new packages accompany these changes.
Choosing Your Mazda Mazda3
The 2017 Mazda3 is offered in Sport, Touring, and Grand Touring trims. To simplify matters, the previous “i” and “s” designations representing the smaller and larger engines, respectively, have been dropped.
Now, all Sport and Touring models are powered by a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine, while the Touring 2.5 and Grand Touring are powered by a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine.
The base engine makes 155 horsepower and 150 pound-feet of torque; the larger engine makes 184 horsepower and 185 pound-feet of torque. Fuel economy for both engines comes in as high as 28 mpg in the city and 37 mpg on the highway.
Very few models offer a manual transmission across all trims, but that’s what Mazda does except in the Touring hatchback. If you have never driven a stick shift before, the smooth shifting manual in the Mazda3 is easy to learn. As for the much-heralded MazdaSpeed3 performance edition, rumors of its return are just that: rumors.