2018 Kia Cerato vs Mazda 3

What's the difference?

The third generation Cerato is small, nimble, looks handsome and can carry four in absolute comfort. It’s safe as houses, great value and cheap to look after, too. 

What’s not to like? Well, it’s not as easy to hop in and out of as a small SUV, the engine is a bit harsh, and Kia’s suspension crew needs to really look at horses for courses – a base model small sedan doesn’t need to feel like it’s heading for a rally special stage.

Still, the new-gen Cerato is set to hold its position as Kia’s best seller, and with very good reason.

We'd pick the $23,690 Cerato Sport as the sweet spot in the range, thanks to its 17-inch alloys, nicer interior trim and standard sat-nav. We'd also add the optional driver aid pack for $1000 to create an even safer Cerato.

The 3 is a terrific car and continues to improve with every yearly update, however minor. The uplift in the Neo Sport may not look like $1000 worth, but having that proper screen and reversing camera - along with standard AEB - starts to make sense over time.

In 2017, I said the pick of the range was the Maxx and I still reckon the Maxx Sport is the one to go for - it has a good package of safety equipment and a sensible spec list, without the frippery of the increasingly oddly priced Touring. The not-that-much-more SP25 is similarly specified, but only worth it if you want the extra power. Not everyone does.

The new i30 and forthcoming new Corolla are giving the Mazda3 more of a hurry-up these days, especially in price and spec but the i30 now has the driving dynamics to go with it. And with the Kia Cerato rapidly closing in, every little bit of competition is making the 3 a better car than before.

And it's still by far the best-looking car in the segment. For many, that's what will tip them over the edge.

Kia claims the new fastback-style exterior design is inspired by the larger Stinger, with the bluff nose and stylised roofline the obvious keys. Its dimensions have grown 80mm in overall length, despite having the same wheelbase as the previous generation Cerato.

The large grille and wider lower front bar is reminiscent of the Stinger, for example, along with larger headlights and the sculpted bonnet. The windscreen has been pushed back 127mm which lengthens the bonnet, while the rear spoiler has been replaced by a small ducktail swoop to tidy up the airflow over the roof and boot lid.

If you’re looking for a more complete body kit, you’ll need to wait for the Cerato GT, which will come later in the year.

The interior treatment is new, too, with a wider dash, turbine vents in the dash, redesigned seats and a multimedia screen that sits higher on the centre console.

The 3's exterior design is still a winner to my eyes. Based on Mazda's Kodo design language, it looks great in just about any colour and the company's commitment to beautiful paint some years ago is still paying dividends.

It's a lovely, flowing design that looks best in the sedan and few cars in the segment are as genuinely pretty. About the closest you'll get for commitment to design is the Alfa Giulietta.

As you climb the range, the detailing in items like the lights and brightwork mark out the spec level, with additions like chrome exhaust tips and LED daytime running lights.

The range is available in seven colours - 'Sonic Silver', 'Jet Black', 'Deep Crystal Blue', 'Titanium Flash' (a sort of bronzey brown), 'Snowflake White' and 'Eternal Blue'. Mazda continues to be absurdly generous and offer those colours as no-cost options. 'Machine Grey' and 'Soul Red Crystal' (this one is a ripper) are a still-reasonable $300.

Unlike previous versions, there's no yellow or purple paint available.

Inside is well-executed but is a bit grey and drab, especially in the lower-spec versions. I recently drove a Touring with contrasting colour panels in the doors, but it was a deep rich red that barely stood out from the grey. 

Some touches, such as satin silver dash parts, do lift the colour a little but it's fairly nondescript. Mazda also persists with the frustrating single-dial-with-wings dashboard that I really don't like very much. Still, few others complain, so it's probably just me.

It hasn’t gotten much bigger from gen to gen, but the four-door, five-seat Cerato is still a pretty decently sized little car in its own right.

There are two cupholders line astern up front, nestled next to a manual handbrake. Partitioned door cards front and rear can accept medium bottles, while a pull-down armrest provides another two cupholders. The top spec Sport+ is the only one to offer rear vents, but there is only a single USB port up front, next to a 12-volt point.

There’s an additional 20 litres of boot space for a total of for 520 litres (VDA) luggage capacity, with seat-back dropper switches located in the boot space – but frustratingly, there’s no boot lid release on the actual damn boot lid. No roof racks are fitted as standard.

Firmer seat cushions and new seat frames make for decently sized pews, while the multimedia screen is 68mm higher on the dashboard, which is itself 18mm wider. The Stinger makes its presence felt again, too, via a pair of circular turbine-style air vents on the dash.

In the rear, there’s a surprisingly generous amount of leg and toe room, and head room is also sufficient even for a tall adult. The rear door aperture is relatively small for the space, which could make tossing small children into their ISOFIX mounted seats a bit of a back straining pain.

The 3 comes in two body styles - four-door sedan and five-door hatchback. The most popular is the shorter hatch, despite the loss of luggage capacity. The different boot space dimensions deliver 308 litres in the hatch while the sedan has 408 litres. For load capacity, the sedan is the clear winner.

The hatch's boot size isn't exactly a world-beater but it does feature a cargo cover to hide your valuables.

The interior dimensions are unchanged, meaning good if not outstanding rear leg room. The cabins are basically the same, so if you refer to our interior images, you'll note only minor differences.

The cup-holder count differs depending on which specification you choose. The Neo Sport has just two, for the front passengers. In the rest of the range there are two up front and two in the rear, with bottle holders in each door as backups. Some models feature extra storage space for books or devices but there's no sunglass holder until you reach the Touring.

The turning circle is a fairly standard 10.6 metres, so most suburban streets need a three-point-turn manoeuvre. Park assist is limited to beepers and the reversing camera.

Ground clearance when unladen is 160mm, so all but the steepest driveways won't present a challenge, but going off road is not on the menu. Kerb weights range from 1258kg for a Mazda3 manual Neo to 1336kg for an auto Astina.

Gross vehicle weight ranges from 1800kg to 1875kg.

How much does a Mazda3 cost? The price list spans $21,490 through to $35,490 and encompasses five models in the range, two engines and two transmissions. These prices are RRP, you'll have to attack your dealer for a drive-away price or wait for a promotion. To compare models in detail, see our snapshot guide. As always, pricing is identical whether you choose the sedan or hatch variant.

All Mazda3s are now front-wheel drive - it's been a long time since Mazda sold an AWD car at this level. Of course, if you do want a 4WD Mazda, you're spoilt for choice with the small CX-3 and mid-size CX-5. If you must have a turbodiesel Mazda, your best bet is the forthcoming CX-8. 

Even sadder than the lack of a 4x4 version is the absence of rear-wheel drive, for which you have to stretch back into the 1980s to find a 323 that was rear driven.

With the Neo Sport upgrade, Mazda's full infotainment system is on all 3s. It used to be one of the better entertainment systems but is starting to lag a little. 

You can't fault its usability, with touchscreen when you're stopped and a rotary dial with shortcut buttons for when you're on the move. 'MZD Connect' also powers the GPS navigation system (where fitted). The USB port will handle your iPhone or Android phone and will look after MP3-compatible devices too. Remember them?

The entry-level machine is now called the Neo Sport to reflect the bump in specification over the 2017 model.

Up to the SP25, the sound system features six speakers. The GT and Astina each feature nine Bose-branded speakers, including a subwoofer.

There is no 'radio CD player', DVD player, or CD changer available any more and, frustratingly, you still can't get Android Auto or Apple CarPlay. 

There are five trim levels, two of them newly renamed. The entry-level machine is now called the Neo Sport to reflect the bump in specification over the 2017 model. Starting at $21,490 for the six-speed manual transmission (vs $23,490 for the automatic transmission), the MY18 price is up by $1000. 

That buys you standard features such as 16-inch alloy wheels, trip computer, air conditioning, push-button start, electric power steering, central locking, projector-style halogen headlights, rear parking sensors, reverse camera (new to the entry level), 7.0-inch MZD Connect touch screen, cruise control, lightly tinted windows, automatic door lock, a power window in each door and mirrors and a space-saver spare tyre.

The Maxx Sport builds on the Neo Sport's spec and is also a new badge to the range. Priced from $23,490 for the manual and $25,490 for the auto (both up $600), you get the same size rims, but you pick up dual zone climate control, rain sensing wipers, leather steering wheel, auto headlights, electronic park brake (replacing the manual park brake), gear-shift paddles, the first appearance of sat nav and additional safety features in the form of reverse AEB, blind-spot monitoring and rear cross traffic alert.

The last of the cars with 2.0-litre power is the Touring. With just a modest $200 price rise, the Touring starts at $25,490 for the manual and $27,490 for the auto, the Touring picks up leather seats and keyless entry and start (smart key).

The 2.5-litre range starts with the SP25, with the manual starting at $25,990 and the auto $27,990. The SP25's spec is somewhere between the 2.0-litre Maxx Sport and Touring, but you get LED headlights, 18-inch alloy wheels (Mazda jumps straight over 17-inch alloys), twin exhausts, and the leather disappears and is replaced by perfectly reasonable cloth trim. Prices are up by $300 for 2018.

For the GT ($29,990/$31,990, manual vs automatic), you pick up leather seats, heated folding mirrors, adaptive front lighting system, traffic-sign recognition and driver-attention detection. The sound system jumps to nine speakers and the dash gets a swanky colour screen between the dials.

The top of the range is the SP25 Astina, starting at $33,490 for the manual and $35,490 for the auto. The Astina ships with everything the GT has but ups the ante with plenty of safety gadgets. 

In addition to the sunroof, forward collision warning, lane-keep assist, lane-departure warning, active cruise control and rear light LED. The bright finish 18-inch alloys and LED daytime running lights complete the picture.

There is also a the 'Kuroi Sport Pack' body kit, which adds side skirts, a front spoiler, and a very modest rear diffuser, while keeping the rear wing spoiler.

Neither the SP25 GT nor Astina have copped a price rise for MY18.

The extensive accessories list includes alloy pedals, cargo liner, floor mats, cargo trayroof rack kit, tow bar and welcome lighting.

There is also a the 'Kuroi Sport Pack' body kit, which adds side skirts, a front spoiler, and a very modest rear diffuser, while keeping the rear wing spoiler.

No Australian 3 comes with a full-size spare, heated steering wheel, homelink, autopilot, HID or bi xenon headlights, panoramic sunroof, carbon-fibre roof, carbon-fibre engine cover, driving lights, roof rails, bull bar, nudge bar, seat belt extender, sport exhaust system, red brake calipers, performance brakes, chrome wheels, limited-slip differential or a luxury pack option.

There’s not a lot of change in the specs here, with Kia opting to retain the same four-cylinder, 2.0-litre non-turbo MPI petrol engine from the second-generation car.

Modest engine specs of 112kW and 192Nm are the result. Both the manual and the automatic transmission have been updated slightly, but the engine is a direct carryover.

Kia did look at its inventory of drivetrains around the world to see if it could go down a different path - even considering a CVT auto/Atkinson-cycle motor combo with an engine size of 2.0-litres - but it elected to stick with the status quo.

It’s not the quietest nor the most inspiring producer of horsepower on the planet, but the MPI four-potter – which runs a timing chain, not a timing belt – has a great reputation, with few if any engine problems reported over the years.

It’s the same for automatic transmission problems; Kia’s in-house self-shifter has a terrific reputation. 

While a towbar can be fitted, towing capacity is relatively modest at 1100kg of braked trailer, with a very low 75kg downball weight limit.

In the obvious questions department, the front-wheel-drive Cerato doesn’t come in diesel or LPG, nor does it come in 4x4 or indeed 4WD guise – so brown roads are a no-no.

There are two engine specs in the 3 range. Both are equipped with Mazda's 'i-Stop' stop-start technology but goes without the 6's 'i-Eloop' regenerative braking battery charging tech. Every model comes with a choice of gearbox, either a six-speed manual or six-speed automatic. The automatic is a traditional auto rather than the dual-clutch you might find in a Golf.

Both engines run on standard unleaded, use a standard oil type. Oil capacity is model dependent, and can be found in the owners manual. An oft-asked question is whether the 'SkyActiv' engine uses a timing belt or chain - we can report the engines are both chain-driven.

The Neo Sport, Maxx Sport and Touring all come with the 2.0-litre SkyActiv with 114kW and 200Nm of torque.

The SP25, SP25 GT and SP25 Astina are, as the name suggests, equipped with the larger 2.5-litre motor which churns out 138kW (almost exactly 200 brake horsepower in the old money) and 250Nm.

Towing capacity is rated at 1200kg braked and 600kg unbraked regardless of engine size.

The diesel vs petrol argument has long since been settled with the demise of the punchy but not particularly popular XD. So you won't have to worry about a diesel particulate filter replacement any more. There is no LPG or turbo sport edition, like the unruly old MPS3 performance car.

Performance figures vary between the two engines - the SP25 auto should complete the 0-100km/h acceleration test in just under eight seconds, with the 2.0-litre cracking it in around nine seconds. The manuals will likely be a tenth or so slower.

At a kerb weight of between 1295kg and 1332kg, the Cerato is about 19kg heavier than the outgoing car, despite a slightly lighter body, and it’s actually a tiny bit thirstier than the outgoing model, at 7.4 litres per 100km on the combined fuel consumption economy cycle.

At 7.6L/100km, the mileage from the manual is also slightly higher than the auto. Remember when fuel consumption figures for manuals were always lower? Not any more… There is an 'Eco' mode button in the Cerato, which changes the throttle and gearbox maps, but it won’t save much fuel.

Over 120km, we posted a combined fuel economy figure of 7.9L/100km in an auto Sport variant.

The fuel tank capacity is 50 litres in size.

Fuel-consumption figures vary slightly between the models. While the 3 has never been a fuel-economy star, as years have gone by its mileage has improved.

Official figures suggest that the 2.0-litre burns petrol at 5.8L/100km for the auto and 5.9L/100km for the manual, while the 2.5-litre consumes 6.1L/100km for the auto and 6.5L/100km for the manual.

Our own statistics suggest these ratings are a little on the optimistic side, which is no great surprise. We regularly get about 8.0L/100km in the 2.0-litre (a neat 12.5km/l) and around 11L/100km for the 2.5 (around 9km/l).

Fuel-tank capacity is 51 litres, regardless of engine size, and there's no need for premium fuel.

As I've already said, Mazda doesn't offer an oil-burner anymore as diesel fuel economy just isn't the drawcard it used to be.

Kia is known for ‘localising’ its suspension set-ups – or perhaps more accurately, improving the often compromised set-ups that come standard from the factory.

As is par for Kia’s course, the end result for the Cerato – which has MacPherson struts up front and a torsion beam rear end - is a firm ride at lower speeds which relaxes as loads and road speeds start to climb. 

It’s a deliberate ploy by Kia to separate itself from its Korean sibling and rival, but I reckon the company could roll back from that stance a bit. 

Around town and on broken surfaces at lower speed, the Cerato can be a bit fussy and overbearing, especially from the passenger’s side, though it’s tempered by gold star body-roll control and surprisingly pleasant steering. Ground clearance is on par with a typical small car at 150mm.

A new steering column gearbox has been added, which basically realigns the column in relation to the steering rack, and gives a better, more natural feel under the driver’s hand. 

The six-speed auto is the pick of the two gearboxes, too; the manual feels flimsy and underdone in the palm, and while the clutch is lightly sprung, it’s got very little feel. Brakes, on the other hand, are great, with a nice, firm, well-modulated pedal feel.

The powertrain won’t set new 0-100km/h records, but the acceleration of the naturally aspirated engine is acceptable, if not shattering. Engine noise is a bit of an issue when it’s being stretched, but it’s quieter than before.

These days the 3 jostles at the head of the pack for driving dynamics. The MY17 model scored Mazda's new 'G-Vectoring' technology, which subtly sharpened the steering. This, along with tweaks to the front and rear suspension, has delivered a driving experience that is hard to fault. While it would be nice to have a bit more performance (the SP25 is still no fireball), it's fun to drive if you have a bendy road ahead of you.

Most of the time, though, you're in the urban grind and it is here that the 3 excels. The steering is light, accurate and  cleverly geared. The auto is a good one and even in town the light clutch of the manual makes progress easy and unfussed. Forget about the Eco mode, though - it's doughy and slow.

Over the years, Mazdas in general, but in particular the 3, have suffered from poor insulation, resulting in road noise invading the passenger space. 

Past reviews of mine, and many others, will rail against the cabin noise. Things have gotten better and continue to do so. Where in the past occupants would suffer from tyre rumble and a cacophony of suspension noise, particularly from the front, that's no longer the case. 

The noisy suspension issues have been sorted in various ways across the whole Mazda fleet and the 3 is now a much quieter, if not class-leading, proposition. But it does come close.

One of the 3's standouts is the availability of AEB across the range, and a reversing camera has now been added as well. All cars come with a minimum suite of safety features, comprising six airbags (including side airbags), anti lock brakes (or ABS), electronic stability control (aka DSC), a clever traction-control system, emergency brake assist and hill-start assist.

As you work your way up the range, you'll see additions such as traffic-sign recognition, blind-spot monitoring, lane-departure warning, rear cross traffic alert with reverse AEB, forward collision warning and lane assist.

There are three top-tether baby seat anchor points while your ISOFIX car seat can go in a choice of two points.

Curiously, there's no tyre-pressure-monitoring system.

Regardless of specification, the Mazda3 scored a five-star ANCAP safety rating, which was awarded in August 2016.

The seven year/unlimited km warranty is the headline act here, along with a seven year roadside service offer and a seven year capped-price servicing schedule (up to 70,000km). The warranty can also be transferred to the next owner.

Servicing is recommended at 12-month or 10,000km intervals, and seven years of servicing will cost $2447, according to Kia – so you won’t have to worry about knowing the oil type. 

To grab a figure at random, the 30,000km service cost will cost $365. Just keep that owner’s manual up to date.

It won’t cover things like the battery, though.

While this is a new platform for the Cerato, there are almost no common problems, issues, faults or complaints about reliability to mention. Resale value is on par with other small cars in the class.

Mazda offers a three-year/unlimited kilometre warranty, with roadside assist subject to an additional yearly charge. So if you're worried about a flat battery or running out of fuel, the extra $90-$100 per year is a good investment. You can also purchase an extended warranty from your dealer.

Those worried about service costs will be pleased to know Mazda offers capped-price servicing. Your dealer expects to see you every 10,000km or 12 months, whichever comes first, and the prices are listed on the Mazda website, varying slightly between between engine types (by about $30 per service).

The 3 enjoys good resale value, with a check of our price guide suggesting a 2014 Neo will fetch between 65 and 75 per cent on a private sale, suggesting you'll have few issues when you need to shift a second-hand machine.

From what I've seen of older 3s, durability seems pretty good, even when in the hands of people who aren't all that careful with their cars. The 3 seems to suffer from few reliability issues. A quick swing through the usual internet forums uncovered no obvious common faults or defects. A search for automatic transmission problems, injector or transmission failure or other common problems yielded few genuine results. If you keep up with the maintenance, things seem fairly trouble-free for the current 3.

Diesel-engine problems are clearly a thing of the past, with no diesel offered.

Where is the Mazda3 built? An excellent question - all 3s come from Mazda's Japanese factories.