2018 Mazda 3 vs Volkswagen Golf

What's the difference?

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.

The Volkswagen Golf GTI Original is a peach. It's still just as fun to drive as the regular Golf GTI models - they haven't skimped with this car, it's pure VW engineering that just happens to be more affordable.

For me, this GTI is not only the Original - it's also the best.

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.

I'm pretty sold on the appearance of the Golf GTI Original. And while people might say three-door cars are useless, or annoying, the point of this vehicle in particular is both a historic marker, and to give it a point of difference.

Golf performance models typically account for a quarter of sales, and nearly all of the GTI and R models you see out there are five-door hatches. So, credibility where it's due - VW has done a bold thing by bringing in a three-door, affordable model.

There are subtle little styling changes like the red pin-striping on the charcoal finish 18-inch alloys, and an Original badge on the rear, which - if the three-door body didn't make it distinctive enough - will help separate it in the carpark.

Otherwise, there are the telltale styling cues we've come to expect from Volkswagen Golf GTI - the red trim line that runs across the grille and into the LED headlights with integrated LED daytime running lights, a tarmac-sucking body kit, GTI finishers on the front guards, a pair of twin exhaust pipes and LED tail-lights.

There's an accessory pack with a bigger hatch-mounted rear spoiler and blackened mirror caps for those who wish to add $1250 to their bill. Perhaps the biggest annoyance for me is that there are only two colours to choose from - red or white. I'd pay to see it in gunmetal grey.

One other thing about those doors: a lot of car parking spaces these days are narrow. These doors are very wide.

The tartan-clad (yum!) interior is lovely, with super supportive seats and a clean - but not cheap - interior finish. There is ambient lighting in the doors and nice finishes throughout, including the manual model's must-have golfball-style gearknob.

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.

For a three-door car, this is a hugely practical little thing.

Of course, there are no back doors, so getting into the back seat isn't as simple as it could be. But the seat fold mechanism is simple, and because the doors are so large you have a decent aperture through which to plonk yourself.

Once in the back row, the space on offer is pretty good. With the driver's seat in my position, I had enough leg and headroom to be comfortable for a longer-distance drive. The width is a little tight, but in place of door pockets (because there are no doors) you get a pair of bottle holders, and there's a fold-down armrest with cupholders, too, while up front there are bottle holders in the doors, and cupholders between the seats.

It may seem obvious, but if you have kids or frequently take people with you, you ought to reconsider a three-door car like this. Getting them in and out of the back would be painful. That said, if you like the three-door body and are a parent of younger children, you'll be happy to know there are ISOFIX and top tether child-seat anchor points.

Up front there's an 8.0-inch screen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, but unlike the more expensive Golf GTI models, it lacks sat nav.

The seats are excellent, and my favourite part of the interior is the tartan trim. Forget leather, this is retro sexy.

As for cargo space? Because the three-door is identical in length to the five-door, the boot is the same - 380 litres (VDA) with the seats up, and that jumps to 1270L with the seats folded down in 60/40 formation.

It's hard to argue against the value-for-money equation of the Volkswagen Golf GTI Original. 

How about a starting price of less than forty grand - drive-away!? That makes the GTI Original the cheapest version of the Golf hot hatch in a decade.

And this isn't a detuned Golf GTI - you still get the same punchy 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo engine under the bonnet, with the choice of six-speed manual (at $37,490 plus on-road costs, or $38,490 drive-away) or six-speed dual-clutch 'DSG' auto ($39,990 list, or $40,990 drive-away).

So why is it more affordable? Well, as you probably figured out by now, it's a three-door. That makes it inherently less expensive to make, but on the flipside it could also make it a lot less appealing to a lot of buyers.

You've got to miss out on something to get a car at this price, so the adaptive dampers, satellite navigation and push-button start/smart key have been removed. But that's not such an issue because the suspension tune is great (more on that below), you can use maps on your phone (provided you're not heading away from mobile coverage), and you still get a regular key with remote central locking.

Standard equipment includes a load of safety equipment (detailed in that section below), 18-inch 'Sevilla' rims with Bridgestone Potenza S001 rubber (225/40), tyre pressure monitoring, that 8.0-inch screen with Bluetooth phone and audio streaming, a CD player, SD card input, USB and auxiliary inputs, eight speakers, dual-zone climate control, ambient lighting, sports seats with red stitching, a leather-lined steering wheel and auto headlights and wipers.

Affordable, then. But far from cheaply equipped.

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.

As mentioned earlier, the Golf GTI Original carries over the same potent 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine, with the same 169kW of power and 350Nm of torque. The beauty of this engine is that the torque curve is long and flat, with that 350Nm spanning from 1500-4600rpm - making this a super flexible engine.

By my reckoning, this is the most powerful small car at this price-point. There are more powerful cars - like the Commodore 2.0T (also a hatch) and Camry V6 - but hey, this thing steals some thunder off the Ford Focus ST, which is $38,990, but has 184kW.

The three-door Golf GTI is slightly lighter than its five-door brother, with a manual kerb weight of 1304 kilograms (five-door: 1329kg), while the DSG version weighs 1326kg (five-door: 1352kg).

That doesn't affect the 0-100km/h time claims for the GTI Original, though: both mirror their five-door GTI equivalent models with stated 6.4 second run times.

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.

Volkswagen claims fuel consumption of 6.7 litres per 100 kilometres for the manual model, and 6.6L/100km for the DSG.

Neither of those are cringeworthy figures, and a glance at the trip meter after a spirited drive through some terrific roads south of Sydney showed up 9.1L/100km for the manual and 9.4L/100km for the DSG - which is perfectly acceptable when out for a punt.

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.

Brilliant. I probably don't need to say much more than that, but I suppose I should. I loved driving the Golf GTI Original, and in particular I was smitten with the manual model, which felt a little more involving in every way.

Not just because you to keep both hands busy in the bends, but because the shift action is such a cinch - you could teach a teenager how to drive in this hot hatch without any hassle or fear or burning out a clutch. It is light in its action, and the shift is smooth - it doesn't have like a Honda clicky feel, but it just has a slinky motion to it.

The engine has such flexibility, you can essentially choose third gear and pound through a series of bends without having to worry about shifting - but it's also nicely settled when you do choose sixth on the highway.

I drove the DSG model, too, which has a bit going for it if that's your preference: the exhaust flatulence between gears is more prominent, and the shift speed is undeniably quicker than any ham-handed human.

The downside is the DSG can still be a bit slurry when you're getting away from a standstill, particularly if you aren't mashing the throttle in a hurry.

The steering is superbly accurate, and while there can be a tiny hint of understeer in tighter bends, the electronically controlled front differential lock allows you to make it pivot on itself really nicely if you decide to grab it by the scruff of the neck. It turns in brilliantly, and it's also really easy to get a good flow between bends. Superb.

While it may not have adaptive dampers like the other Golf GTIs, I think that's to its advantage. The suspension is so well sorted - beautifully controlled and never annoyingly firm, even over patchwork city streets. The MacPherson front suspension and independent rear suspension is a lowered sports set-up, and it deals with rolling bumps exceptionally well on country back roads.

The Volkswagen Golf front-wheel drive range continues to roll on with a five-star ANCAP rating that it scored back in 2013, with the safety authority applying it to all '7.5' series Golfs with FWD.

The standard safety equipment includes a reversing camera, front and rear parking sensors, driver fatigue monitoring, front assist with auto emergency braking (AEB) and pedestrian monitoring, a system called 'Manoeuvre Braking' that'll stop the car when you're parking and fail to brake for an obstacle.

It also has seven airbags - dual front, front side, curtain and driver's knee.

There's an optional driver assistance package, which consists of plenty more kit: blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert, adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning, lane-keeping assist, auto high-beam headlights and semi-automated parking. It costs $1600, and is money well spent in my opinion.

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.

Volkswagen backs all of its cars with a three-year/unlimited kilometre warranty, and you can extend that warranty to five years/unlimited km.

The standard warranty includes the same cover for complimentary roadside assist, and the same is true if you decide to extend the warranty plan.

We've levelled this criticism at VW before, but the company's cars just aren't that affordable to maintain. There's a five-year/75,000km capped-price service plan (maintenance due every 12 months or 15,000km, whichever occurs first), and the total over that period for the DSG model is a rich $2950. The manual, at least, is a little better: $2581.