Mazda3 2020 review: G20 Touring sedan

While the new shape Mazda3 hatchback has a modern vibe, this sedan is not as swanky as it's hatchback sister. It feels fresh and looks good with a low profile and sleek, elongated headlight shape, but I still prefer the hatchback exterior to the sedan.

Inside feels quite bare, or should that be minimalist? (image: Dean McCartney)

Inside feels quite bare, or should that be minimalist? It's got a smooth, black curved dash that looks good and the leather steering wheel and gear selector add to the premium feeling. This Touring model has leather seats and will be easy to clean with kids. The centre console is nicely designed but I do think the screen would look better if it was incorporated into the dash rather than popping out at the top.

It still does feel quite stark, which probably felt fresh a few years ago but now looks too stark. Or it's minimalist! Depending on how you see things.

The Mazda 3 G20 Touring costs from $30,590 for the automatic. (image: Dean McCartney)

By all accounts this car fit our family of four perfectly fine, though it doesn't have the ideal amount of space for a family, it is certainly doable and it also depends on how big your family is.

I was comfortable in both front seats with enough leg and headroom and it has enough space for the taller members of my family. The kids were happy in the back seats with enough room between them that they didn't feel cramped, though you can't get a third child seat in there, it's not that kind of car.

I fit easily in the back seat at 161cm and it doesn't have the sloping roofline of a hatchback so I think taller people might find it more comfortable to sit in the back seat for long journeys, as it definitely lets more light in than a hatchback.

The boot in the Mazda3 sedan is much bigger than the hatchback version, with 444 litres (VDA) cargo capacity compared with the hatch's 295L. It's big enough to fit the bulky CarsGuide pram and you'll have room leftover for groceries and schoolbags too.

I fit easily in the back seat at 161cm and it doesn’t have the sloping roofline of a hatchback. (image: Dean McCartney)

There is keyless entry on this G25 Touring model. The front seats are 10-way power adjustable. There is a head-up display in the windscreen that shows your speed and the speed limit in the area you're driving which is super convenient.

You'll find two cupholders in the front, a spot for keys and a phone and a large centre storage bin for this size of car. There are also bottle holders in each door. Rear passengers get two cupholders in the centre armrest and also rear air vents, which is a nice plus in this segment.

There are bottle holders in each door. (image: Dean McCartney)

There are seven airbags in the Mazda3 that cover the driver and front passenger and include side curtain airbags that cover the windows on the back row.

It comes standard with the full run of advanced safety including auto emergency braking (AEB) which works in forward and reverse, rear cross- traffic alert, blind spot monitoring, lane departure warning and adaptive cruise control.

I was comfortable in both front seats with enough leg and headroom and it has enough space for the taller members of my family. (image: Dean McCartney)

If you spend an extra $1500 for the Vision Technology pack, you'll also get a 360-degree surround view camera, a more advanced cruise control system, driver monitoring tech, front cross-traffic alert and front parking sensors.

You'll find two ISOFIX points and three top-tether points to fix kids car seats in safely. The Mazda3 scored the maximum five stars when it was tested by ANCAP in 2019.

The Mazda 3 G20 Touring costs from $30,590 for the automatic. Fuel consumption is a claimed 6.1L/100kms, and my colleagues at CarsGuide have seen real world usage of 8.0L/100km in typical driving in the past.

It's covered by Mazda's five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty, and servicing is required every 12 months/15,000kms.

Fuel consumption is a claimed 6.1L/100kms. (image: Dean McCartney)