2017 Mazda 3 vs Mazda CX-3

What's the difference?

The 3 is a car that will satisfy growing families, couples or a sole driver who likes a bit of space or a bit of metal around them. While the Neo is a bargain basement starter, competition around that price point comes thick and fast from Japanese and Korean rivals, with Euros not far behind in the form of VW and Skoda. Like I said, it's a tough market.

The pick of the bunch is the Maxx, with all of the good safety gear and an options list so short it's not worth bothering with. The rest of the range features largely cosmetic bits and pieces that are perfectly fine but not fundamental to the experience.

It might be among the smallest of the growing mini-SUV crowd, but the CX-3 is a very strong contender. While the diesel edition might be priced close-ish to the petrol-powered Countryman and Q2, those cars can't match the Akari's safety package and overall feature set. The devil might be in the detail, but the CX-3 has a long spec list.

Unless you need the extra space of its rivals from Nissan and Honda, the CX-3 remains the best of the segment. The Akari might only make up one in 10 CX-3 sales, and the diesel a small chunk of that, but it's a terrific car. I'm just not entirely sure about the price...

The 3's third iteration is sleek and fluid, as befits Mazda's successful 'Kodo' design language. In both sedan and hatch, it looks low, sleek and classy. Whether rolling on 16 or 18-inch rims, the car has a good road presence and there isn't a bad angle on it.

The hatch is arguably less-balanced, in profile at least, its shorter exterior dimensions obvious in photos. The choice is between which you prefer for style and/or boot size.

The cabin is equally nice to look at - Mazda interiors continue to impress. Materials feel good and even the cloth trim is nicely textured to make you feel like you haven't cheaped out when going lower in the range.

The only real complaint is that on some models, it's very dark as the plastics are all dark grey or black with little to break up the expanses of... well... black and grey. The interior photos tell the story, although some models feature flashes of colour to lift the mood.

We're often asked "Where is the Mazda3 built?" and we can tell you it's at Mazda's Hiroshima plant in southern Japan.

While only two years old, the CX-3 is still fresh. It looks terrific on the road, hugging close to the deck, and the 18-inch wheels are attractive units. The LED lighting also distinguishes the Akari from lesser spec cars.

Inside, it's all very much a lift from the Mazda2 this car is based on, with the same excellent design of the interior to maximise what little space is available. The materials are all quite dark, with rich red flashes thrown in to help lift the mood a little. The leather-like material seems pretty hardy and the fake suede very comfortable and especially warm in winter, while not butt-searing in summer.

The CX-3 does also suffer the silly instrument pack from the 2, but it has been fixed up a bit with clearer dials. The head-up display is much better, too, with high-res graphics that are much easier on the eye.

The 3 has grown over the years, with the sedan measuring 4.6m long, 1.8m wide and 1.45m high.

With the boot of the sedan lopped off and replaced with a hatchback, the 3 is 110mm shorter, which translates to a much smaller cargo area. The hatch can carry a still-reasonable 308 litres of stuff when full, while the boot swallows another 100 litres exactly. The hatch stands slightly higher at 1.47m high but is the same width as the sedan.

There's little choose in the cabin as it is basically, riding as it does on the same length wheelbase (2700mm), meaning virtually identical interior dimensions. There is plenty of room for four adults, offering good rear legroom for even those over 183cm (six feet) - I've had a 3 with four adults in it, with no (real) complaints or issues from the back seat passengers.

If you want a cup holder, the 3 has two up front and two in the rear, with bottle holders in each door as backups. Some models feature seat back pockets where you can store the kids' gadgets while in transit.

It's an easy car to park in either hatch or sedan, which is lucky because park assist is limited to front and rear parking sensors and no auto-parking as on some rivals.

Ground clearance when unladen is 160mm, so lumps and bumps won't turn into scrapes. Kerb weights range from 1258kg for a Mazda 3 manual Neo to 1336kg for an auto Astina. Gross vehicle mass ranges from 1800kg to 1875kg.

Dealer accessories for organising your stuff include a cargo tray which also acts as a boot liner. You can also twist your dealer's arm to throw in floor mats on Neo, Maxx and Touring - they're standard on SP25 and up.

The CX-3 is not the biggest car in the segment and that's reflected in the rear-seat space and the small boot. If you're over 152cm (five foot) you're in strife in the back, with further drama if you want a drink, because there's no armrest or cupholders. Or vents. Having said that, it's comfortable, and the cabin is small enough for the air-conditioning to quickly sort out the temperature. And there are bottle holders in the doors.

Front passengers enjoy the use of a pair of cupholders and bottle holders in the doors as well.

The boot is the smallest in class at 264 litres, which is just a bit more than the Mazda2 it's sitting on. There is a clever false floor for hiding valuables or expanding space and with the 60/40 split fold seats down, the boot expands to 1174 litres.

The Akari tops the extensive CX-3 range, with this auto diesel all-wheel drive (AWD) lightening the offset account at $37,890, or around $18,000 more than the Neo manual 2.0 petrol, and some $7000 more than a front-wheel drive petrol. You can also have an AWD petrol Akari.

That will land you a fetching-looking machine with 18-inch alloy wheels, a six-speaker stereo with 7.0-inch touchscreen and DAB+, climate control, reversing camera, front and rear parking sensors, keyless entry and start, cruise control, electric driver's seat with memory, sat nav, auto headlights and wipers, active LED headlights, partial leather interior (not all cow, in other words), head-up display, power folding and heated mirrors, seats with suede inserts, sunroof and comprehensive safety package.

The touchscreen is supported by Mazda's 'MZD Connect' media system, which is quite good. Ripping off good ideas from BMW and Audi, it is controllable by a rotary dial while on the move and touchscreen when stationary. It's the best of any Japanese head unit, but still goes without Apple CarPlay or Android Auto and could do with a graphical update.

The only available option is the lovely 'Soul Red' metallic paint for a very reasonable $300, the rest of the seven colours are offered at no extra cost. This would not happen on an Audi or a Mini.

The Mazda3 range is available with two transmissions and two engines. Since the demise of the MPS3, there is no AWD turbo version and with the departure of the XD, diesel problems are nothing to worry about. There has never been a factory LPG option.

The 2.0-litre SkyActiv-branded engine produces 114kW/200Nm.

SP25 models run the 2.5-litre SkyActiv, with 138kW/250Nm, a useful increase in horsepower.

The 3 features stop-start with the manual transmission and the auto, and the 3 was the first model to feature Mazda's 'G-Vectoring' technology which helps sharpen up the steering during cornering.

For those keen on load capacity ratings for towing, the 3 is rated at 1200kg braked and 600kg unbraked. Towing capacity is the same for all engine and transmission combinations.

Both run on standard unleaded, use a standard oil type. Oil capacity is model dependent, and can be found in the owners manual.

A regular question is whether the 3 makes use of a timing belt or chain - we can report the SkyActiv engines are both chain-driven.

Performance figures vary between the two engines - the SP25 auto should complete the 0-100km/h dash in just under eight seconds with the 2.0 cracking it in around nine seconds.

The Akari's diesel engine is Mazda's own 1.5-litre 'SkyActiv-D'. Available only with a six-speed automatic but with a choice of front- or AWD, the four-cylinder turbo unit delivers 77kW and a more impressive 270Nm (considerably more than the petrol).

The 2017 iteration of this engine has had a thorough re-working to improve responsiveness and refinement. Successfully, as it happens.

The CX-3 can tow 1200kg braked and 800kg unbraked.

Mazda claims the 2.0-litre will return 5.3L/100km on the combined cycle for the manual and 5.0L/100km for the automatic. For the 2.5-litre, the official combined cycle figure is 6.5L/100km for the manual and 6.1L/100km for the auto.

Fuel tank capacity is 51 litres.

Recent Mazda3 reviews for CarsGuide reveal varying mileage figures. I drove the 3 Touring and got 8.0L/100km and when I drove the Neo saw an indicated 8.2L/100km, so you'll get around 600km to a tank with the 2.0-litre petrol motor.

In the 2.5-litre SP25, Richard Berry did not spare the road and returned 11.1L/100km, suggesting a range of under 500km if you're having fun. Calm down and you should get reasonable fuel economy from the 2.5, if still closer to 9.0L/100km than the claimed figure.

Mazda claims the diesel AWD returns 5.1L/100km, 0.3L/100km higher than the front-wheel drive. I got 5.9L/100km in a mix of high-speed highway running and bashing about in suburban and urban traffic; a pretty good effort.

Whether in 2.0 or 2.5-litre form, the current 3 is by far the best. Mazda's engineers have paid close attention to complaints that dogged earlier 3s, including road noise and a lack of front grip. Both of these have largely been banished, with the teams delivering a well-balanced chassis that rides and handles well.

The 3 is front-wheel drive, but with no torque steer, it's an easy companion in the wet or the dry, with well-tuned stability and traction control systems keeping things in check. It's been a long time since a Mazda hatchback was rear-wheel drive.

There is still some less than pleasant noise under hard acceleration, but it's much quieter than before.

Part of the credit for the car's transformation goes to some more sensible use of sound-deadening to simply block the noise, but also in tweaks to the shell and the suspension itself. There is still some less than pleasant noise under hard acceleration, but it's much quieter than before.

Added to that was last year's update with G Vectoring, a system that helps smooth out direction changes by adjusting the torque across the front axle. It makes the 3 feel rather pointier than in years gone by while boosting driver confidence. It's subtle, but effective and feels a lot more expensive than it is.

Front suspension is by MacPherson struts and rear suspension is a multi-link setup that is slowly becoming the segment standard. The turning circle is a commendably tight 10.6 metres.

Given the 3 doesn't have a 4WD version or even reasonable ground clearance, its off road ability is somewhat limited.

As is Mazda's wont, the changes for 2017 are tweaks. The CX-3 was already a good machine, but had a couple of refinement issues, including road noise. In the case of the diesel, it was a bit clattery and not exactly the smoothest engine available.

Both of those have been attended to, which is pretty good going given the CX-3's relative youth. It's still not as quiet as a Nissan Qashqai, nor as stable on the rough stuff (the CX-3 makes do with cheaper torsion beam rear suspension) but it more than makes up for it with a tauter, more interesting chassis and better steering. The steering is further improved - although not as obviously as in the bigger 3 - with Mazda's 'G-Vectoring' tech, which helps the car feel more planted in the corners.

Part of the noise abatement is down to thicker glass and more under-carpet insulation, but the engine itself is far better than I remember. With a plucky 77kW, it's much more responsive to a floored throttle, but it's still no rocket off the line. 

The 270Nm of torque makes it a very relaxed highway cruiser, sailing along in sixth gear, barely above idle, and overtaking is as impressive as ever.

The bottom line is, it's still plenty of fun and will compare well with more expensive European rivals while showing most of its Japanese competition the way.

The CX-3 has six airbags, ABS, traction and stability controls, city emergency braking (forward and reverse) and hill holder. The Akari picks up blind spot monitoring, rear cross traffic alert and lane departure warning.

All CX-3s look after the young 'uns with three top-tether restraints and two ISOFIX points, one on each side of the rear seat.

All CX-3s carry a five-star ANCAP safety rating, the highest attainable.

Mazda's standard warranty runs for three years/unlimited kilometres and roadside assist starts at $68.10 per year or $83.50 for a few more inclusions. There is no indication of an extended warranty sold by Mazda, but a dealer will no doubt try and flog you a third-party offering.

Service costs are capped for the first five services. Visits to the dealer come every 10,000km or 12 months, whichever comes first. Service costs alternate between $297 and $324 for a total cost of $1539 for the five.

There are extras, such as cabin air filter ($64), and if you need oil, Mazda will charge a very reasonable $15. It's worth noting Hyundai's capped price servicing regime applies to the lifetime of the car.

If past models are anything to go by, durability shouldn't be an issue. The roads are still crawling with first-gen 3s.

Reliability faults seem few and far between, with no widespread reported transmission problems, gearbox problems or issues with oil consumption.

If past models are anything to go by, durability shouldn't be an issue. The roads are still crawling with first-gen 3s. For common faults, check our Mazda3 problems page for an idea of its general reliability rating.

The 3 enjoys good resale value, with a check of the price guide suggesting a 2014 Neo will fetch between 65 and 75 per cent on a private sale, suggesting few issues when you need to shift a second hand machine. Dealer trade-ins will yield around 51 and 60 percent of the new car price of $22,490.

The CX-3 is offered with Mazda's three-year/100,000km warranty package with optional roadside assist at $68.10 per year.

Service pricing is capped and you're expected to visit every 12 months or 10,000km.