2018 Mazda CX-3 Road Test and Review

The subcompact crossover class is exploding in popularity as more and more buyers are choosing small SUVs over sedans and coupes. It’s a segment packed with new products from manufacturers all over the globe, but the 2018 Mazda CX-3 remains one of our favorites.

As Mazda’s smallest and least expensive SUV, the CX-3 slots below the larger CX-5 in the brand’s lineup. Built in Japan, it was first introduced in 2016 and it remains one of the most stylish, fun-to-drive and fuel-efficient vehicles in the fast-growing segment, which also includes the Nissan Juke and Rogue Sport, Honda HR-V, Toyota C-HR, Jeep Renegade, Fiat 500X and Chevrolet Trax.

The 2018 Mazda CX-3 is available in three trim levels: Sport, Touring, and Grand Touring. All are powered by a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine and a six-speed automatic transmission. Front-wheel drive comes standard, with all-wheel drive optional. The engine isn’t a powerhouse with just 146 horsepower, but it’s very smooth and fuel-efficient. Unfortunately, the 184-hp 2.5-liter engine from larger Mazdas is not available. Neither is Mazda’s slick-shifting six-speed manual.

Prices start at $21,050, including a $940 destination charge. The Touring starts at $23,135, while the top-of-the-line Grand Touring starts at $26,105. All-wheel drive is offered on each trim level for an additional $1,250, which is a good value. With options, our front-wheel drive 2018 Mazda CX-3 Grand Touring test vehicle cost $28,365. Its $1,435 Premium Package added an extensive list of equipment features including a power driver’s seat, radar cruise control, lane-departure warning and a heated steering wheel.

With so many new small suvs flooding the market, many designers are doing all they can to create distinctive and memorable shapes. Today's subcompact crossovers range from radical and polarizing to conservative and understated. The exterior design of the 2018 Mazda CX-3 falls somewhere in between. Its large upright grille and squinted headlamps feel fresh but don’t take any unnecessary chances. Detailing is exceptional, from the perfectly placed dual chrome exhaust pipes to the achingly beautiful arch of its roofline. The carved aluminum trim around the Mazda’s grille is just art.

Dressed in a unique and enchantingly modern color called Ceramic Metallic, our CX-3 looked upscale and expensive. Its curvaceous body is sporty and youthful, with a muscular wide stance, short overhangs, and sports car proportions. However, unlike some other more daring designs in the class, the Mazda’s shape is clean, uncomplicated and uncluttered. We’re sure it’ll still look great in 10 years.

Mazda always makes comfortable, high-quality interiors, and the CX-3's cabin is one of our favorites in the subcompact SUV class. It offers quality materials, impeccable fit and finish, and artistic details, and it’s also driver-focused with a thick leather-wrapped steering wheel, a well-placed shifter and large center-mounted tachometer like you get from Porsche.

The heated leather front seats in our test vehicle are supportive and comfortable, even after hours of driving. The Mazda’s driver’s seat is also height-adjustable and a tilting and telescopic steering wheel is standard. Rear seat space is about typical for this segment, which means four adults fit comfortably, but you can fit five if the ride to dinner is short. Our loaded Grand Touring also packed such luxuries as a navigation system, heated steering wheel, sunroof, automatic climate control, power driver’s seat and keyless entry system with push-button start.

The Mazda’s 7-inch infotainment screen is well-placed and it’s large enough for a vehicle of this size. It acts as a touchscreen, but only when the vehicle is stationary. When you're moving, Mazda forces you to control the infotainment system with a large knob on the console behind the shifter. It’s an interface much like you’ll find in a BMW or Mercedes-Benz, but Mazda's suffers from some cumbersome menus and selections. We’d prefer if the screen was touch-sensitive all of the time.

Our test car also had a head-up display, which projects the speedometer and other information into the driver's line of vision, but it’s redundant information already found on the clear and concise gauge cluster. Bluetooth is standard, but the CX-3 lacks Apple CarPlay or Android Auto compatibility and onboard Wi-Fi. Also, the navigation system’s graphics seem dated, though it’s easy to input an address if the car is parked.

There’s plenty of storage inside the Mazda’s cabin. There’s a console bin, a cubby ahead of the shifter that's perfect for your phone and wallet, and large door pockets with slots for water bottles. The two large front cupholders accommodate mugs with handles and are well-placed behind the shifter, so tall drinks don’t block the controls. However, they do interfere with the center armrest, which can be flipped up out of the way.

If cargo volume is a priority, the 2018 Mazda CX-3 may not be for you. It offers just 12.4 cubic feet of space behind its rear seat, which is small for this class. Every CX-3 comes standard with a 60/40 split-folding rear seat, which lets you expand that volume to 44.5 cubic feet. Surprisingly, the Mazda3 hatchback offers more.

The CX-3 lives up to Mazda's reputation for building fun-to-drive vehicles. The CX-3 is agile and athletic with exceptional balance and handling. Its steering, which is among the best in the segment, is perfectly weighted and responsive, contributing to a solid, stable and substantial feel. The CX-3 also packs a smooth ride, especially out on the highway. With 146 horsepower, it isn’t going to embarrass any muscle cars, but there's enough punch to satisfy most buyers. Accelerating from 0-60 mph takes about eight seconds, which is good for the class and a whopping three seconds quicker than the Toyota C-HR.

The CX-3's six-speed automatic transmission is well-tuned and well-matched to the engine, and its manual mode lets you choose your own gears. There's also a Sport mode, which is activated with a button on the console. It increases the engine’s throttle response and recalibrates the transmission to hold gears longer. The changes aren’t radical, but the additional performance can be felt.

The CX-3 is one of the most fuel-efficient crossovers. With front-wheel drive, the Mazda is rated at 29 mpg in the city and 34 mpg on the highway. The additional weight and mechanical complexity of the optional all-wheel-drive system drops the CX-3's EPA ratings by 2 mpg. I averaged 29.7 mpg during a week of mixed driving around Los Angeles in our front-wheel drive test vehicle. Still, there are more fuel-efficient options in this class, including the Kia Niro hybrid. Although it’s not offered with all-wheel drive, the gas-electric Niro offers incredible fuel-efficiency with EPA ratings of up to 52 mpg in the city and 49 mpg on the highway.

The CX-3 has also has received the highest crash test ratings. It has been named a Top Safety Pick by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and it has a five-star overall rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Parents using car seats will appreciate the Mazda’s easy-to-reach LATCH connectors in the outboard seats and three easily accessed upper tether anchors.

Mazda has expanded the CX-3’s long list of standard safety systems for 2018. This year, Mazda’s Smart City Brake Support system is now standard on all CX-3 models. In emergency situations at speeds between 2 and 19 mph, this system can automatically apply the brakes to lessen the severity of a collision. Mazda’s G-Vectoring Control system, which sounds like something out of the space program, is also standard. The software system, which operates without notice from the driver, increases the SUV's stability by quickly reducing the engine’s torque to help its front tires grip the road.

All CX-3s also come with a rearview camera, and Touring and Grand Touring models get standard blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert. The Grand Touring also gets adaptive headlamps, which turn with the steering wheel to help you see around corners, as well as available radar cruise control, a lane-departure warning and automatic High-Beam Control.

If you’re looking for a comfortable, fun-to-drive and fuel-efficient subcompact SUV, the 2018 Mazda CX-3 is a very desirable overall choice. Although some may find the Mazda’s infotainment technology to be a bit dated, it offers one of the finest interiors in the segment, exceptional safety features, the highest safety ratings and class-leading dynamics. Few SUVs are as satisfying to drive.

The Sport trim level is an exceptional value, but we recommend stepping up to the CX-3 Touring for the additional $2,000. You’ll appreciate the additional features over time like the 18-inch wheels, upgraded upholstery, keyless entry, heated seats, automatic climate control and blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert. The top Grand Touring adds more features, but for its price, we might step up to the larger and more powerful Mazda CX-5 instead.