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Richard Dredge
COMPARED with many of its rivals, Mazda is a relative newcomer to car manufacturing. It didn’t produce its first passenger car until 1960, but since then the company has built a reputation for making high-quality cars that are reliable and great to drive, plus they tend to look great, too. All of this is true of the Mazda 3, and although the small family car segment is hotly contested, the Mazda manages to stand out from its rivals in many ways. Entry-level models feature a rather ordinary cabin, but posher editions feel much more premium. Whatever you buy, you’ll revel in the brilliant driving experience, impressive reliability and low running costs. And while the Mazda 3 was costly when new, prices are much keener on the used market.
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CO2/tax 119g/km £30
Running costs
55mpg (2.0 Sky-G 120) £83 fill-up
Performance 0-62mph/top speed 8.9 seconds/121mph
NEEDTOKNOW
THERE was a choice of hatchback or fastbackbodies; the former has five doors, while the latter is a four-door saloon. Both came with 2.0-litre petrol or 2.2-litre diesel engines, but the fastback wasn’t offered with the 1.5-litre engines.
History
THE Mazda 3 Mk3 arrived in January 2014, with 99bhp 1.5-litre or 119bhp/163bhp 2.0-litre petrol engines (badged Skyactiv-G); diesel fans could buy a 148bhp 2.2-litre Skyactiv-D diesel engine. The Sport Black special edition arrived in April 2016, with red or white paint, a 118bhp 2.0-litre petrol engine, 18-inch alloy wheels, leather and suede interior trim, plus a bodykit. A 1.5-litre diesel engine joined the range in May 2016, then in October 2017 a revised Mazda 3 went on sale, with styling tweaks, updated suspension, improved refinement, better connectivity and optional adaptive LED headlights. From April 2018 there was another Sport Black limited edition, with blue, red or white paint, 18-inch alloys and extra equipment including a heated steering wheel, navigation and a Bose hi-fi.
BUYER’SGUIDE:Mazda CHECK ON...
Driver assist The earliest Mazda 3s are getting old, but they still have standard hill hold assist, speed limiter and auto emergency braking.
Codes The first Mazda 3 was codenamed BK. The second was the BL and the Mk3 was known as the BM, or BN for facelifted cars (from 2016).
Spare wheel The 3 didn’t come with a spare wheel, but you can buy a space saver. You’ll also need a foam mould to make it fit under the boot floor.
