Mazda3 Review (2013-2018)

What is the Mazda3?

Mazda has long had a competitor in the mainstream family hatchback class, previously badged as the 323 before becoming the Mazda3 in 2003. This third generation Mazda3 was produced between 2013-2018, in both five-door hatchback and four-door saloon (dubbed fastback) guises.

The company has a long and proud history of stylish and cleverly engineered cars, and the Mazda3 exemplifies this with its stand-out looks. Mazda refers to its design philosophy as ‘KODO: Soul of Motion’. The moniker might be confusing, but it makes for a car that stands out in a class that’s frequently mired in conservatism.

With a spacious cabin and equipment levels often greater than those of its rivals, the Mazda3 should have made a bigger impact in the sales charts. But its corner of the market is dominated by Ford, Vauxhall, and Volkswagen, which meant the Mazda was more likely to be considered alongside the likes of the Honda Civic, the Toyota Auris or the Seat Leon. It was replaced by the fourth-generation model in 2019.

How practical is it?

The engineers pushed the wheels out right to the corners of the Mazda3, which improved stability and sharpened its handling, but it had the knock-on benefit of creating a more spacious interior. Front seat occupants have plenty of space, and while there’s excellent legroom and shoulder room in the rear seats, headroom is tight due to the 3’s rakish roofline.

The 364-litre boot is a decent size, too, though the hatchback’s space is easier to access than that of the saloon. If there’s a shortcoming, it’s the quality of some of the interior plastics, which are below the class best, and by a significant margin in some areas.

What's it like to drive?

Mazda has bucked the growing trend for smaller capacity turbocharged engines, instead applying its SkyActiv technologies, which aim to reduce consumption, increase power, and reduce weight. The results make for some excellent engines and keen drivers will love them, especially private buyers. However, in the number-crunching fleet world, fuel economy and emissions are pipped by rivals with smaller, turbocharged engines.

The company is famous for producing the most accessible of driver’s cars – see the MX-5 sports car for details – and put a great deal of effort into making the Mazda3 enjoyable to drive. It’s right up among the class leaders in this regard, the engines revvy and responsive, the steering nicely weighted and accurate, and the chassis surefooted and agile, but with a supple ride.

Technology, equipment & infotainment

All models of this generation came with air conditioning, alloy wheels, and a Bluetooth connection, which was generous for an entry-level family hatchback of the time. The infotainment system is decent, too; it’s not a touchscreen, but with plenty of connectivity and some steering wheel controls, it works well.

Mazda3s further up the trim level range could be had with equipment such as a head-up display, and options such as a lane departure warning system, which were relatively new to the class back when it was introduced.

Mazda3 running costs

The Mazda3 might not quite have offered the super-competitive fuel consumption and CO2 emissions with its diesel engines that would rocket it to the top of fleet buyer’s charts, but neither was it so far behind that it should be ignored by private second-hand buyers.

Tested on the old (and often unrepresentative) NEDC combined cycle, the Mazda3 in its most economical form – the 2.2d saloon – achieved fuel consumption of 72.4mpg and CO2 emissions of 104g/km. The hatchback uses a little more fuel, at just under 70mpg, with emissions of 107g/km. You won’t achieve that in reality, but it’s not unreasonable to expect the 2.2-litre turbodiesel to return in excess of 45mpg, and a bit more than that on a long steady motorway cruise.

A 103bhp 1.5-litre turbodiesel was offered later in the Mazda3’s life, but the 45bhp deficit over the 2.2-litre turbodiesel only brought a slight improvement in economy, with 74.3mpg and emissions of 99g/km. An improvement, but you pay for it with sluggish performance.

The petrol engines – a 118bhp and a 163bhp 2.0 – couldn’t hope to match the economy of the diesels. Their quoted figures are in the region of 48-55mpg but expect more like 30-35mpg in reality.

Mazda3 reliability

Japanese brands generally have an enviable reputation when it comes to reliability, although Mazda came a middling eighth out of 31 manufacturers in What Car?’s 2024 reliability survey.

This generation of the Mazda3 has been subject to a few recalls and has some noted faults. None of which, we should add, are catastrophic, but it’s worth being aware of them. A recent recall highlighted the build-up of soot in the intake shutter valve, which requires cleaning and a software update. Other recalls include inoperable window wipers, loose injector mounting nuts, and a software glitch controlling the fuel injectors. The government’s online checking tool will tell you whether or not any car has been subject to a recall.

Those few small problems aside (and this sort of thing isn’t uncommon among rivals) the Mazda3 should be reliable. Save for the aforementioned low-rent plastics, the cabin is well built, and it will take the daily abuse of family car life in its stride. In short, the Mazda3 is likely to be more reliable than any of the big three alternatives from Ford, Volkswagen and Vauxhall, so in that regard, it’s a strong contender.