► Mazda 3 hatchback review
► Latest update adds new engine, smarter tech
► Still a quietly good family car
While Mazda’s gone a little quirky and off the wall with some of its most recent models, the 3 hatchback is still right at the heart of its model line-up.
This generation, the fourth, is now five years old, and yet the brand has been quietly and continuously introducing model year updates to keep it competitive and fresh. Is it still the sweet, smart family car that we’ve come to enjoy?
At a glance
Pros: Well-made and user-friendly interior, fantastic handling, refined, good value
Cons: Gutless engines, poor rear visibility
What’s new?
It’s mostly tech updates and engine tweaks for 2025, as Mazda keeps quietly refining and updating its perennial hatchback (and the Saloon spinoff).
The biggest change for the 2025 model year is a new engine – a 2.5-litre naturally-aspirated Skyactiv-G unit that replaces the entry-level powertrain. As usual, Mazda seemingly believes in the ‘no replacement for displacement’ point for expanding the size of its engine, almost as if the brand is allergic to turbocharging.
Tech changes include wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and cloud-based update capability for the infotainment.
What are the specs?
There is quite a range of choice available, so let’s start with the powertrains.
At the base level is that new 138bhp 2.5-litre Skyactiv-G engine. It’s a conventional setup and, as mentioned, does little more than prove Mazda is borderline allergic to forced induction as it’s the third time the Mazda 3’s engine range has been updated to eke a little more power since the car’s launch.
The other engine option in the UK is the 2.0-litre Skyactiv-X engine. This one is Mazda’s halo SPCCI (spark-controlled compression ignition) petrol engine that launched with the 3 back in 2019. Basically, it’s a petrol engine that burns fuel more like a diesel one. For the technically minded, that means mixing spark ignition with compression ignition – and this is a difficult thing to do with a petrol engine, as it requires a very lean fuel-air mixture. We’re talking mixtures that are lean enough to kick the rods out of your common-or-garden petrol engine.
The fuel burn is between two and three times leaner than a conventional petrol engine, and the unit can swap between spark ignition and compression ignition on the fly (for example, when the cylinder temperatures are high enough to ignite the mixture without a spark). Mazda says the system offers up to 20 per cent better fuel economy and lower CO2 emissions.
We first tested the technology on a 2019 Mazda 3 and, at the time, we weren’t all that convinced. However, Mazda made some improvements to the engine in 2021, swapping in some new pistons, adding some fresh software for the mild-hybrid system and lowering the compression ratio from 16.3:1 to 15:1.
The updates increased the engine’s power output from 176bhp to 183bhp, while torque climbed by 12lb/ft to a new maximum of 177 lb ft. So, the results aren’t earth shattering by any means – but the minor gains are still welcome.
Both engines are available with a six-speed manual or a six-speed automatic, and both are front-wheel drive. Both engines also come with mild hybrid assistance for smooth start/stop and a (very) gentle e-boost.
Mazda offers five trim levels: Prime-Line, Centre-Line, Homura, Exclusive-Line and Takumi. Every Mazda 3 benefits from a 10.25-inch infotainment system with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, part-digital instruments, rear parking sensors and camera and a head-up display. Homura is more about the look, tarting up your Mazda 3 with some black details, while upper trims like Exclusive-Line throw in kit like a Bose stereo system and proper LED headlights among other luxuries.
What’s it like to drive?
In a word – brilliant. The technically minded might lament the fact that the old car’s multi- link rear suspension has been swapped for a torsion beam setup, but we’re here to tell you that you’ll never notice the difference on the road. The ride comfort is perfectly judged, too, managing to be sporty without being uncomfortable.
What else? Well, the steering is precise and offers plenty of feedback, the cabin stays quiet at speed and the six-speed manual gearbox is up there with the best in the business with fabulously smooth shifts and a well weighted clutch. There’s also more grip than most drivers will know what to do with, which makes the Mazda 3 tremendously good fun to hustle along a B-road.
The engines are (quite literally) the weakest part of the Mazda 3’s package. Both are perfectly fine for pottering around town but, when you demand any sort of performance… the lights are on but no one’s home. That stubby gearshift is key here – the flat power band needs to be revved out through long gearing, as the juiciest bit of the powerplant is reserved for those comfortable reaching the top shelf – thereby ruining your efforts to be efficient.
The Skyactiv-X engine in particular also makes a whole orchestra of oddball noises – but, rest assured, they’re completely normal. On cold starts, for example, it sounds like a diesel with gruff grumbles and gargles at low revs. Only when you push the engine north of 4,000rpm does it start to sound more like a conventional petrol engine – and where you reach maximum torque.
Yes, plenty of us have been weaned for too long on small capacity turbo engines, but Mazda’s old-school approach to engine development means driving it in an old school way.
What’s the interior like?
The cabin is minimalist, but it’s made from high-quality materials that have been screwed together properly. It’s a welcome change from the technology-laden Mercedes A-Class or the cheap rattly plastics of the Ford Focus, making it one of the most impressive interiors of any family hatchback on sale today.
The Mazda 3 was designed to be a driver’s car – a point made immediately obvious by the cabin layout. Mazda has bucked the touchscreen trend and added a rotary controller for the infotainment system, so you barely need to divert your attention from the road to operate it.
There’s no widescreen digital instrument cluster, either – just a display inside the central speedo. The dials to the sides are physical and analogue. A head-up display is standard on all trim levels in Europe, which is almost an exclusive bragging right for Mazda. The driving position is excellent, too, and the seats are both supportive and comfortable.
Even smaller details that have come about since the car has been updated are sweet and very well thought out. There are quick-off physical buttons for the speed limit warning and safety systems, for example, so no fiddling around in menus. As we learned from our year-long test of a Mazda 3, though, the cupholders could do with being deeper so your cups don’t lean from side to side. Small point, but still.
Rear legroom is fine enough for adults, but the massive C-pillar and sloping roofline mean you’ll have to make a compromise on headroom. At 334 litres, the boot is a tad stingey, too. It’s big enough for most families, but a smidge smaller than a VW Golf.
Before you buy
Despite both engines not feeling particularly powerful, we’d still recommend going for the upper Skyactiv-X model for the best potential fuel economy. Feel free to choose any specification, but we’d likely go for a Homura model at a minimum for some bonus kit like heated seats and some more attractive wheels.
But we’re serious when we say the Mazda 3 should be on your family hatchback shopping list. In a sea of competition, including SUVs and conventional family cars alike, few will feel as satisfying to drive than the 3 will.
Verdict: Mazda 3
This is the third time we’ve road tested the Mazda 3 and, broadly, its improvements have only been small. The weakest link continues to be its underpowered engines, but the 3 makes up for that so significantly by being such a fabulous handling family hatchback that has an interior that’s best in class. It’s not showy or glitzy like a 1-series or A-Class, it’s better built inside and out than a Golf and handles better than a Focus.
Ignore the Mazda 3 at your peril.
Specs are for a Mazda 3 Skyactiv-X Homura hatchback