2018 Mazda CX-3 vs 2019

What's the difference?

With the obvious exception of Two and a Half Men, things are usually popular for reason, and that is they're good. And the CX-3 deserves to be duking it out for the top sales spots in the segment.
 
It's a city car, of course, and so it shines brightest in the urban jungle, but its stylish design and top-class safety offering are pretty sizeable selling points for Australias's city dwellers. 

This is the good-looking alternative to a sporty city-based hatch that so many people are apparently lusting after.

There are cheaper, roomier and more practical compact SUVs on the market – like the Mitsubishi ASX and Honda HR-V – and there are even very capable purpose-built small 4WDs, such as the Suzuki Jimny, but the CX-3 straddles the great divide between city and country pretty well. 

Sure, in a CX-3, you should avoid anything more challenging than well-maintained gravel or dirt roads but you can still have plenty of adventures in something like this, even a front-wheel drive version.

And the Akari LE gives you the opportunity to tackle off-bitumen trips on the way to your favourite campsite with a real sense of confidence, style and more than a little of substance.

The good news is, it still looks very good. But mostly because it hasn't really changed.

And that's no bad thing. In fact, we think it might be the best-looking option in its segment - something that has hurt its sales not at all - owing mostly to its swooping, perfectly-proportioned exterior that makes the CX-3 look both fashionable and fast.

Mazda’s littlest SUV is unashamedly built for the city, but the use of black body cladding lends a vague sense of ruggedness to its design, while the power-domed bonnet hints at sportiness - even if it never quite materialises from behind the wheel. 

Climb inside, and the CX-3’s interior is simple and unfussy, with a padded panel that runs the length of the dash breaking up the harder plastics. It's a clean and premium-feeling design, and only the materials in places would prevent it from looking at home on a far more expensive model.

CX-3s don’t get by on their looks alone but that’s why a lot of people seem to buy them and, for good reason, because they are very easy on the eyes, no doubt about that.

Inside is suitably plush – with a clear, clean lay-out and a real prestige look and feel about the entire interior. 

Fit and finish is impressive, nice and solid, and there are plenty of soft-touch surfaces.

There were nice white leather sections in our tester – the alternative is Dark Russet nappa leather in the Akari LE – but good luck keeping those bits clean if you plan on doing any adventuring outside of the city limits.

You can basically split the city-size SUV field into two categories: small and smaller. And the CX-3 falls into the latter category. The 4275mm long, 1765mm wide and 1550mm tall CX-3 is based on the Mazda2 city car, so while it might be the most stylish in its segment, it’s not the most practical. 

Life is good for front seat riders, though, where the cabin doesn’t feel tight at all. There are two cupholders on offer, along with two USB points and a 12V power source, and each of the front doors has room for bottles.

Things do get tighter in the backseat, where even a single (bulky) car seat can swallow up most of the available space - something I know from personal experience. Best stick to two grown-up passengers back there, too, as shoulder room feels much tighter than legroom.

Backseat riders are at the mercy of the driver and front passenger when it comes to entertainment or climate, with no USB outlets or air vents. But there are two ISOFIX attachment points, one in each window seat in the back. 

Boot space is a roadtrip-limiting 264 litres with the 60/40 split rear seats in place, but that number grows to a usable 1174 litres when they're folded flat.

It’s on the right side of practical but it’s on the wrong side of tight. Stay with me here.

Fair enough, the driver and front passenger get room enough – head, shoulders, legs – but over the back things get a bit squeezier.

Legroom in the back seat is okay for an adult, but not great – you feel cocooned in here rather than cosy. Throw your two kids in here – or one of your vertically-challenged mates – break up the travel time into two-hour chunks, and it’ll be fine. 

There are several storage spaces around the small cabin: glovebox, bits-and-pieces receptacle in front of the shifter, two cupholders between driver and passenger, as well as two in the back-seat’s centre fold-down armrest, single-bottle holders in all doors, and seat-back map pockets. 

Boot space is 264 litres with the seats up, so that means you’ll have to pack creatively – read: don’t take much – if there are four of you.

That cargo space grows to 1164 litres with the seats down so the Akari is a more appealing packing proposition if it’s two mates or a kid-free couple.

The Akari LE Front Wheel Drive is $35,500 (manufacturer suggested retail price).

Above and beyond the rest of the range’s lists of standard features, the LE has a stack of gear befitting a top-spec model including Nappa leather seats, 18-inch allow wheels, a power sliding-and-tilt sunroof, heated front seats with 10-way power adjustment and memory settings, 360-degree view monitor, adaptive LED headlights, lane-departure warning and more. 

Apple CarPlay is not onboard yet, but Mazda owners will soon get the option to have kits installed at an expected cost of $500.

It has a five-star ANCAP rating and safety gear includes Mazda’s Smart City Brake Support (an AEB equivalent), blind spot monitoring, and as already mentioned lane departure warning.

The CX-3’s naturally aspirated 2.0-litre petrol engine produces 109kW at 6000rpm and 192Nm at 2800rpm - plenty in a car that weighs 1282kg - sending that power to the front wheels (though an AWD option is available) via a six-speed automatic transmission.

The Akari has a 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine – producing 110kW at 6000rpm and 195Nm at 2800rpm – and a six-speed automatic transmission. 

It’s a mostly workable pairing although the CX-3 tends to hold gears for too long and it’s a much better drive if you cycle through the transmission in manual mode.

Offical claimed fuel use is pegged at a frugal 6.1 litres per hundred kilometres on the combined cycle, with emissions a claimed 146g/km of C02. The CX-3’s 48-litre fuel tank will accept cheaper 91RON fuel, too.

Best fuel consumption is listed as 6.3L/100km (combined). We recorded 8.1L/100km on test after more than 400km of driving and that included on plenty of gravel roads. The Akari has a 48-litre fuel tank.

The great white shark has evolved over millions of years to become the perfect apex predator, perched at the very top of its food chain. Just so long as you keep it in the ocean. Drop one in the Serengeti, for example, and things aren't looking quite so rosy for old Jaws.

And it’s the same with Mazda’s little CX-3, only in fast-forward. The city SUV segment has only had the a handful years to complete the evolution process, but its been every bit as effective. Keep the CX-3 in its natural, urban habitat and it feels positively meant to be. 

The engine feels perky and smooth if you use gentle inputs, the steering is light and direct, and its diminutive dimensions make it an absolute doddle to park just about anywhere.

Vision from up front is great, and it’s a mostly quiet and smooth drive across the city’s blacktop.

Vision from up front is great, and it’s a mostly quiet and smooth drive across the city’s blacktop. It shines on twisting roads, too, where the firm-ish suspension inspires confidence, and the smooth surge of the naturally aspirated engine shifts the little CX-3 in and out of corners with ease.

But venture outside the city walls and it feels out of its depth. This is not designed as a long-distance cruiser. For one, the engine can get a little loud and unrefined when you really plant your foot, and with the rear seats in place, the boot is really only big enough for a pair of soft bags - big, hard suitcases need not apply. Road noise, too, creeps in at freeway speeds. Like a shark in the Serengeti, then.

But it should surprise nobody that CX-3 shines brightest in town. And if you’re city-dweller, the CX-3 is a popular choice for a reason.

At 4275mm long (with a 2570mm wheelbase), 1765mm wide, 1535mm high, and with a kerb weight of 1309kg, the Akari is a light, compact vehicle and feels balanced and responsive when on the move.

It’s nice to drive: the tilt-and-telescopic-adjustable steering is pretty precise on all surfaces, vision is good all round, and that engine and auto work well together. Mostly. It tends to hold gears for too long – especially on long, gradual uphills – and, as mentioned, is much more lively a drive if you’re in manual mode.

It does, however, sit nicely on the road – squat and settled and composed – and its suspension is alright on bitumen, and even gravel roads, although it can be firm, even quite harsh, when driven through surface irregularities that are particularly sharp or deep. 

With a 10.6m turning circle, the Akari is an easy turner in the city or on a tight bush track.

The Akari has a five-star ANCAP rating. It has, among other things, six airbags, Mazda’s AEB system, blind spot monitoring, lane departure warning, reversing camera, two ISOFIX points, three top tether points and that handy 360-view monitoring system. 

Mazda has not followed the long-warranty lead of Hyundai, Kia and others, instead offering a three-year/unlimited km warranty. The CX-3 will require a trip to the service centre every 12 months or 10,000km - a trip that should be made less painful thanks to capped-price servicing, with service pricing listed on Mazda's website.

The CX-3 range has a five-year, unlimited kilometre warranty.

Servicing is scheduled for every 10,000km/12 months and costs $289, $317, $289, $317 and $289.