2016 Mazda 3: Does It Zoom-Zoom?

"Justin Hughes" (justinhughes54) 05/27/2016 at 15:48 • Filed to: mazda 3

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Mazda claims that every car they make has the soul of a sports car. The Mazda 3 is their bread and butter compact car, a segment that tends to emphasize fuel economy, comfort, and an affordable price - pretty much the opposite of most sports cars. The old Mazdaspeed 3 is a barrel of laughs, but what about the lower grade rental car spec?

Read on Right Foot Down or continue below

My wife and I took my !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! to Montréal. We soon discovered that the combination of my stiff (stock) suspension and the cratered Montréal roads were a recipe for frustration and lower back pain. That, plus my wife being on a different travel schedule than me, led to us picking up a rental car. We were given a choice of a wide variety of compact cars, and went with the Mazda 3 since it had low miles kilometers, and to put Mazda’s claim to the test.

Ours was the Mazda 3 GX, one notch up from the bargain basement model. This is equivalent to i Sport, the lowest spec US model. It still comes with many features that you’d never find on a “low end” car just a few years ago - push button start, for example, and an infotainment system with Bluetooth, a backup camera, and both touchscreen and button/dial controls. More on that later. Being a rental, our car had the 6-speed automatic transmission, and the smaller of the two available engines, the 2.0 liter litre (we’re in Canada, after all) Skyactiv four cylinder. That’s the same engine that sits under the hood of the ND Miata, which means this car really does have the heart of a sports car, despite being the smaller of the two choices. How much like a Miata will the 3 feel on the open road?

We spent about a week in Montréal, during which time the Mazda 3 felt like just another bland economy car. The constant traffic on Boulevard Décarie never allowed the small Miata engine to get into the powerband, making it difficult to squeeze into small gaps. The automatic transmission sucked some of the fun out of the Miata motor, but it did save us from riding the clutch and cramping up the left leg. The suspension was firm, but not harsh like my BRZ. We felt the bumps but only the worst of them actually jostled us uncomfortably, even on the Boulevard. It also handled the sudden lane changes when finding parked cars blocking the right lane quite well. Brakes are good, which is useful for the short yellow lights with attached red light cameras.

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The Mazda 3 blended in just a little bit too well for my tastes. I lost count of how many times we had trouble finding it among all the other white sedans in a parking lot. We kept having to ask each other “Is this one ours?” before letting ourselves in, which we almost did with a previous generation white 3 that parked next to us. Let’s face it, you don’t get a car like this to stand out in a crowd. The 3 is a perfectly good looking car. After losing the ridiculed “anime grill” it’s the right blend of edgy, round, and smooth - just like every other car in the class these days. It’s really hard to tell this apart from a Kia Forte, Chevy Cruze, or pretty much any other car in its class.

Inside, the economy car roots are clear, but it’s still a nice place to be. There’s no leather or soft touch plastic, but the controls are well laid out and easy to read and use. An analog speedometer (calibrated in kilometers, because Canada) dominates the gauge cluster, with a digital tach to the left and a digital gas gauge with fuel economy display to the right. In the center is another one those infotainment displays that looks like someone crazy glued a cheap tablet to the middle of the dashboard. I hate this trend, but that’s a personal pet peeve, and Mazda is far from the only offender. The system itself is intuitive and easy to operate, either by the touch screen or using the dial and surrounding buttons similar to BMW’s i-Drive. A few years ago who would’ve thought such a thing would be available on a $25/day rental car? Yet here we are.

The only thing I don’t like about this system is the “teaseware” of the navigation system. Despite being available on the menu and by its own dedicated button next to the control knob, all I got when I pressed it was the world’s largest digital compass and a nag saying “If you want navigation you can buy it at your local Mazda dealer.” It’s such an obvious case of crippling a feature that the car is otherwise equipped for, just to make some extra money off you. Mazda has already done such a great job in offering features previously available only in high end cars. Why don’t they improve that reputation by including navigation as standard equipment if all it takes is a software upgrade?

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After our week in Montréal, we headed up to the Laurentian mountains to visit my wife’s family’s country house in Sainte-Agathe-des-Monts. This gave us our first chance to open the Mazda 3 up on the highway a bit. Once we were able to get the engine up to speed, we found it to be adequately zippy. We’re not talking heart stopping acceleration. I think my BRZ would beat the 3 in a drag race. But if you plant your right foot down and rev the snot out of the Skyactiv motor, it’ll get up and go just fine when you need it to. It’s rather like the Miata that way, actually. When using cruise control, it also displays the precise speed you have it set to, enabling you to maintain precisely 117km/h in a 100 zone to keep the Sûreté Du Québec off your back.

Then we set course for Ottawa to see some old friends of hers. Soon we were off the highway and on twisty two-lane roads through the mountains. I dropped the transmission into manual mode, downshifted to keep the revs up through the corners (and to get around one particularly slow moving Prius), and that’s where the Mazda 3, automatic and all, really came alive. Body roll was present, but handling was sharp, and it was quite easy to fling the car from one turn into the next. My wife had to point out to me that going more than 30km/h over the limit is a Big Deal (TM) in these parts, the 3 handled so well. It’s no Miata, of course, but for a good sized family sedan with no obvious sporting pretensions, it was still quite fun, even with the automatic transmission.

At one point we pulled off the autoroute for gas and found ourselves on 1km of dirt through a construction area. I wasn’t able to push nearly as hard as a certain !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! because it was a construction area, but here, too, the 3 was quite competent. Where my BRZ would’ve beat us up, the 3 took us with ease, and left foot braking was quite effective for pointing the car where we wanted it to go.

Back on tarmac, we accidentally followed !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! straight into the Ottawa River. Fortunately, there was a ferry there to catch us.

A few short minutes later we were in Ontario. The Mazda 3 handled the boat perfectly, without falling into the river even once.

After a week and a few hundred miles kilometers in the 3, what do I think of this basic rental car version? This was no press loaner, and wasn’t optioned up to the gills like most of them are. But for $21,480 Canadian, it would make a great daily driver, even for an enthusiast on a budget. I’d stick with the stick - for fun, to save a few bucks, and for the extra zoom-zoom - but the automatic shifted smoothly, fairly quickly, and chose its gears well. Soul Red would work for me rather than Everyday White. I’d choose a hatchback rather than the sedan (the sedan’s trunk did easily swallow all of our belongings), and though the Miata’s 2.0 motor was sufficient, I’d jump up to a 3 S Grand Touring for the more powerful 2.5 Skyactiv motor and many more standard features for $25,445 American buckaroos.

So does the Mazda 3 genuinely have the soul of a sports car? Yes, I think it does.

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CB > Justin Hughes 05/27/2016 at 16:03

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Heh, I did a similar journey (Toronto-Ottawa-Montreal) a few weeks ago. Honestly, in Montreal I’d take the Metro over driving, every time.

Great review!

Justin Hughes > CB 05/27/2016 at 16:13

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Thanks! I’m enjoying your country, by the way. :)

CB > Justin Hughes 05/27/2016 at 16:18

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It really is quite lovely in this area. Glad you like it!

DavidHecker > Justin Hughes 05/27/2016 at 16:36

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You should be writing for jalapnik!

Justin Hughes > DavidHecker 05/27/2016 at 16:38

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Thanks! I wouldn’t mind... :)

Mid Engine > Justin Hughes 05/27/2016 at 17:17

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I’m one of the fortunate many that will likely be selling their TDI back to Volkswagen before too long, so I’ve been looking at alternatives. We test drove the Mazda 3 hatch and it seems pretty good all in all, 40mpgs on the highway, and a pretty attractive price. My ex had one for years and it treated her well, pretty reliable cars.

Incidentally, I’m from Montreal and moved to the U.S. west coast six years ago: when I’m visiting Montreal week of 6/6 I’ll be using the metro, the roads are fucking brutal.

Funktheduck > Justin Hughes 05/27/2016 at 17:29

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As the he owner of a Mazda 3 and as someone who mildly hijacked your comments section (last week?), I pretty much agree.

The gps is a $400 SD card option.

The manual is more fun and not terrible in Atlanta traffic.

I haven't driven the 2.5 so I can't say if it's worth it over the 2.0.

Justin Hughes > Mid Engine 05/27/2016 at 17:42

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If you want to max out fuel economy, stick with the Miata 2.0 and the car will drive like I described - no powerhouse, but definitely no penalty box, and both transmissions give you about equal gas mileage.

My wife’s originally from Montreal, and we’re up here visiting her family and friends.

Justin Hughes > Funktheduck 05/27/2016 at 17:52

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I’d want to at least try the 2.5. You take a mileage hit (25/37 vs. 29/41) but it’s not bad. It might not be worth the extra expense, though.

I’d also get the stick, but I’m pleasantly surprised at just how good the automatic is. If I was required to get the auto for some reason (health reasons or another driver who couldn’t drive stick), I could live with the auto.

Eric @ opposite-lock.com > Justin Hughes 05/27/2016 at 18:01

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It sounds like it is still a good car like the first gen. Good to hear. I like my GF’s first gen a lot - it’s one of the best cheap cars I’ve driven based on the handling and everything else I felt they got right. A new base-suspensiom Focus is about the closest car I’ve driven to it when it comes to handling, though I still think the 3 was better. Everything else in the price range I’ve driven felt like a cheap car...

Funktheduck > Justin Hughes 05/27/2016 at 18:33

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I drive a ton so those extra mpg matter for me but if I had a normal job I'd go for the 2.5

Green Mountain Car Guy > Justin Hughes 06/01/2016 at 13:54

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Justin - nice review of the Mazda3! I have to laugh a little internally when customers tell me they prefer the sedan because the hatch looks more girly. Ummm, really?? For a commuter car, the iGT is pretty damn good. 40mpg and lots of those bells and whistles that make spending a long time in your car more bearable. As for jumping to the 2.5L, 30hp makes a difference for sure - but it does snag a few mpgs - so it’s just a matter of which is more important! The only thing I’ve found on the 2.5L cars is that with the 18" wheels they dart around a little more on the highway or on roads that aren’t nice and smooth (such as the ones we have here in Vermont). But, that’s not dissuading me from getting one in the near future. 2.5L stick for me!

Justin Hughes > Green Mountain Car Guy 06/02/2016 at 09:24

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Thanks! I definitely prefer hatchbacks. They’re so much more practical than sedans. The 2.0 was definitely adequate. I suspect it would be a bit more fun with a stick, but I never complained about the automatic, and that’s rather high praise from me. I’d want to test drive a 2.5 before deciding which engine to go for. Though I’m also quite interested in a new GTI, as well as the WRX despite not being available in a hatch anymore.

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > Justin Hughes 06/10/2016 at 14:39

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I am still kinda confused why you had a rental when you brought your car with you. Anyways, I wonder how the gearing differs between the 3 and the Miata. I know that was the main difference between older generations of the 3 and Miata is that the compression ratio and gearing were different to make everything more direct in the Miata at the expense of some fuel mileage and highway comfort. I am just curious if they did the same thing this generation.