2020 Mazda3 Road Test and Review

When someone buys a luxury car, they’re usually looking for an upscale design, rich interior materials, an extra-solid driving experience, lots of features, and a prestigious badge. Now, we won’t pretend the 2020 Mazda3 meets that final criterion. But Mazda’s compact car ticks all the other boxes.

Though it’s priced from a reasonable $21,500 as a four-door sedan and $23,700 as a five-door hatchback, the Mazda3 isn’t much like its on-paper peers. This isn’t a functional, fuel-sipping economy car. And despite Mazda’s performance-focused brand image, it’s not a zippy little sports car, either. Rather, it delivers a convincingly high-end flavor that eludes even some luxury brands — along with a rare all-wheel-drive option — and does so at bargain prices. If Mazda’s unique take on the compact car sounds intriguing, keep reading as we discuss all its pros and cons.

Mazda redesigned the Mazda3 for the 2019 model year, and the changes make the vehicle look more upscale and classy. The previous Mazda3 was a spunky economy car, but this new one is a convincing luxury vehicle. The redesign whittled away at excess bulges or rounded areas, resulting in slim, purposeful headlights flanking a bolder grille, and removing arcing curves from the side doors. At a glance, the Mazda3’s redesign was conservative — the overall styling theme carries over intact. But the design team did fantastic work with the material.

The Mazda3’s vibe varies depending on whether you choose the crisply classy sedan or the sports-car-looking hatchback. The latest Mazda3 sedan has a sharply creased trunklid, which adds more definition to a rear end that felt like almost an afterthought in the 2014-2018 generation. The hatchback, meanwhile, hunches forward more aggressively, with its forward-leaning stance and fat roof pillar looking more like a three-door hatch than a typical five-door.

The Mazda3’s cabin also enjoys high-end design and detailing that elevate it above mere economy cars. Materials look and feel rich, and — in a notable upgrade over past Mazdas — the switchgear operates with smooth precision. As before, the only dashboard buttons and knobs are a few adjustments for the climate-control system, providing a cleaner design. Not everyone will love the unconventional control layout, though, especially since the big 8.8-inch infotainment display isn’t a touchscreen. You navigate its functions using a rotary knob and other buttons on the center console.

The biggest downside to the Mazda3’s cabin is its spaciousness. The front seats offer plenty of room, and they’re a perfect balance between supportive and relaxing — they hug you gently so you won’t slide around, but they don’t confine you between big bolsters. But the rear seat is cramped even for a compact car, meaning passengers may have to wedge their knees against the front seatbacks. Trunk space is more competitive but still not outstanding: 13.2 cubic feet in the sedan and 20.1 cubic feet behind the hatchback’s rear seat. The hatchback expands that volume to 47.1 cubic feet with the backseat folded down.

Mazda received some criticism from driving enthusiasts when it redesigned the Mazda3. The vehicle has long been known for its sharp-edged, sporty handling, with quick responses, communicative steering, and high limits. The current generation takes off some of that edge.

But this is still a car for someone who appreciates a fine driving experience. There are plenty of fun-to-drive cars that make you grin but make you endure a bumpy, noisy ride or a cheap, tin-can feel. Mazda isn’t having that with today’s Mazda3. It hasn’t become a cushy isolation chamber, but its focus is now more about composure than thrills. The steering is reassuringly firm without being too heavy, and it responds quickly during normal driving conditions. The ride is steady and stable, and noticeably quieter than the past Mazda3. The difference is when you push it harder — it lacks the precision of past Mazda3 models. But if that’s not your driving style, the Mazda3 is thoroughly enjoyable.

While most cars have adopted advanced transmissions and small-displacement turbocharged engines, the Mazda3 sticks with the old-school power of a large-displacement engine. In this case, it’s a 2.5-liter four-cylinder that makes 186 horsepower and 186 lb-ft of torque. Those figures are above average for the compact car class and on par with the base engines of the smallest luxury sedans, like the Audi A3 and Mercedes-Benz A 220. And without fancy turbocharging, and with a choice of a simple six-speed automatic transmission or six-speed manual, the Mazda’s power delivery is smooth and linear.

The downside is fuel economy, which falls near the bottom of the compact class. Most models (with front-wheel-drive and an automatic transmission) manage EPA ratings of 26 mpg in the city, 35 mpg on the highway, and 30 mpg overall on regular-grade fuel. That’s lower than a growing number of crossover suvs and mid-size sedans, though still better than most luxury-brand vehicles. And our tested all-wheel-drive hatchback, the least-efficient combination, is rated at just 27 mpg in mixed driving. The previous-generation Mazda3 had offered a smaller, less powerful, more efficient engine that’s no longer available.

We mentioned that all-wheel-drive takes a bite out of the Mazda3’s fuel efficiency, but it’s impressive that the car offers the system at all. It’s a common feature among today’s luxury sedans, but the Mazda3 is one of only two compact economy cars with AWD — the other being the more utilitarian Subaru Impreza. All-wheel-drive costs an extra $1,400 and is available on all Mazda3 trim levels except the base sedan, though only with the automatic transmission.

The Mazda3 shares its advanced all-wheel-drive system with the brand’s highly regarded crossovers. You won’t get a ton of ground clearance like an SUV, but the AWD Mazda3 should inspire additional confidence on slippery or snowy roads.

The Mazda3 earned the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s highest possible designation of Top Safety Pick+ for its crash-test performance and collision-avoidance technologies — the only car in its class to do so except the Honda Insight hybrid. It also earned the maximum five out of five stars in every National Highway Traffic Safety Administration evaluation, not merely the more-common five-star overall rating.

Standard safety and driver-assistance technology includes adaptive cruise control, a forward-collision warning with automatic emergency braking, a lane-departure warning with lane-keeping assistance, automatic high beams, and a driver attention alert. Blind-spot monitoring with a rear cross-traffic alert is included on all but the base sedan.

The Mazda3 is generous with more than just safety tech. Other high-end standard features include an eight-speaker sound system, the 8.8-inch infotainment screen, 16-inch alloy wheels, power-folding mirrors, and rain-sensing windshield wipers — all at the affordable base price of $21,500 for the base sedan. You can get cheaper economy cars with fewer features, but Mazda gives you a lot for the money.

The Select sedan ($22,700) and the equivalently equipped base hatchback ($23,700) is an even better deal. That small jump makes the Mazda3 into even more of a luxury car, with leatherette seats, leather on the steering wheel and shifter, big 18-inch wheels, automatic climate control, and keyless entry with push-button starting, plus the blind-spot monitor. It also adds Android Auto and Apple CarPlay smartphone integration — a frustrating omission from the base sedan — but leaves off seat heaters despite the leatherette upholstery. Other trim levels include Preferred ($24,200 sedan, $25,200 hatchback) and the top Premium ($26,500 sedan, $27,500 hatchback). Our Premium AWD hatchback test vehicle hit $32,065, but only after a heaping of pricey add-ons like a $595 paint job and $425 illuminated door sills.

You won’t find another car like the Mazda3. Its combination of poise, luxury, and value is unique. But it’s also far from perfect, and another small car might be the better fit for you.

One stellar all-around small car is the Honda Civic. It’s peppy and fun to drive, yet it also offers generous interior space and excellent fuel economy — a key difference from the Mazda3. But this competence doesn’t make it luxurious like the Mazda, and its infotainment is dated. The freshly redesigned Toyota Corolla is more stylish and powerful than before, but it still isn’t as fancy or fun as the Mazda3, or as roomy as the Civic. The Volkswagen Golf is polished, fuel-efficient, and fun to drive, but it doesn’t look fancy; its extra-fun GTI variant, meanwhile, is a performance bargain but costs more than the slower but more visually striking Mazda3. Lastly, you can shop the Mazda3 on its merits against subcompact luxury sedans like the Audi A3, BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe, and Mercedes-Benz A 220. The Mazda delivers a suitably high-end driving experience and cabin build quality, though its maximum horsepower and mainstream-grade infotainment system separate it from the elites.

If you like small cars because they’re cheap, useful, and fuel-efficient, the 2020 Mazda3 isn’t for you. You can get plenty of great cars that meet these criteria, starting with the Honda Civic, Hyundai Elantra, Kia Forte, Nissan Sentra, and Toyota Corolla.

In contrast, Mazda is selling a luxury sports sedan and hatchback at economy-car prices. Nothing else is available in the low $20,000s that has such a high level of overall polish, and its available all-wheel-drive is icing on the cake if you live in areas with slippery winters. If an upscale look and feel are more valuable to you than a big backseat, big trunk, fuel-sipping engine, and sub-$20,000 price, the Mazda3 is a winner.