Mitsubishi ASX vs Mazda CX-3

What's the difference?

There is no question the new ASX is a much better car to drive than the model it replaces. This one is actually fun behind the wheel. The tech represents a massive upgrade, so too does the interior design and practicality. The fact is, it’s a much more expensive car than the old ASX. It is a European built and designed small SUV with loads more tech and features so when you consider that, the pricing makes more sense.

Regardless of the previous model, this new ASX impresses. It’s not perfect - the LS is missing too many items, no hybrid, slightly firm ride - but it’s now a genuine rival for higher quality rivals in the small SUV segment. If the ASX is in your price bracket, it might be time to add it to the consideration list.

‘You get what you pay for’ comes to mind with the CX-3, which is interesting given it’s neither the newest nor most feature-packed SUV in its class.

The ageing light SUV does however offer one of the best-put-together experiences in a car of this size and its engine is powerful for the class. Build quality feels well above par and there aren’t any annoying inclusions that are becoming more common in new cars.

There aren’t many downsides unless you were hoping for a big screen and the ability to play around with software functions, but at this end of the new car spectrum, a car that drives this well and remains stylish a decade on should be applauded.

Put aside its relative (but forgivable) lack of efficiency and somewhat smaller boot than rivals, and the CX-3 nails everything it needs to.

The look of the new ASX is not a huge surprise given it’s based on the second-generation Renault Captur that launched in 2021. Actually the ASX we get is the mid-life facelift for the ASX/Captur twins in Europe, so the design has been refreshed.

At 4238mm long, 1797mm wide, 1585mm tall and with a 2639mm wheelbase, the new ASX is 127mm shorter, 13mm narrower, and 55mm lower than the original, but the wheelbase is only 31mm shorter.

It has a round almost bubble like quality to the exterior design, and not in a bad way. The redesigned front end has Mitsubishi flavour thanks to the ‘Dynamic Shield’ front-end signature, while the sleek headlights and black and chrome grille give off an almost menacing look.

C-shaped tail-lights at the rear flank a massive ‘Mitsubishi’ badge and the lower cladding ensure there’s no doubt this is an SUV.

It’s a handsome car and should get some attention on the road.

Inside, it’s not the last word on interior design, but it’s well laid out and functional. It’s definitely another massive leap over the old model.

At the launch there were no LS grades to drive, but the Aspire comes with cool grey cloth trim and roofliner that adds a nice contrast to the darker plastics and finishes. It’s more vibrant than the top-spec Exceed which has an all-black interior with leather-appointed seats.

The top two grades feature a floating console where the gear shifter is housed (a standard shifter in LS, and notch-like ‘eShifter’ in Aspire and Exceed), while the big multimedia screen dominates the dash.

For one, there’s the way it looks inside and out.

The Mazda CX-3 hasn’t remained the most popular car in its segment on price, so the fact its styling continues to age gracefully in the design-focused light SUV segment (aimed at young or first-new car buyers) must have something to do with it.

While it’s been lightly updated a couple of times since 2014, the CX-3 is still in its first generation and has stood the test of time.

Looking like a jacked-up Mazda2, the CX-3 brings some traditional aesthetic to a category peppered with more divisive and daring (but admittedly admirable) designs like the Hyundai Venue, Suzuki Ignis (RIP) or the cute but prohibitively expensive Jeep Avenger.

Some elements of the CX-3, like the chrome trim around the grille or the black plastic cladding along the bottom of the body and around the wheel arches, seemed in the past like they had the potential to age poorly, but Mazda’s design language has only slowly changed since 2015, and the CX-3 still looks at-home in the brand’s line-up.

It’s not the most adventurous - even inside its layout is quite basic - but it does give off a premium vibe and the fact it plays things a little bit safe means the CX-3’s broad appeal is undeniable.

This is an area the ASX excels in.

Up front there are loads of storage options. Multiple nooks for mobile phones, keys and other items, and the Aspire and Exceed get a wireless charging pad and extra storage under the shifter.

The central bin isn’t massive but doesn’t need to be with all the other cubbies, and there is ample room for large and tall bottles in the door bins.

A pair of USB-C ports and a 12V port up front handle electronics.

Thankfully there are physical controls for climate control at the base of the multimedia screen. The other functions housed in the screen like vehicle information and connectivity options are logically laid out and the system is not overly complicated.

Opting for the Aspire or Exceed means you get the brilliant Google Built-in, which is exactly what it sounds like. It’s essentially the Google operating system but for your multimedia screen so you have in-built Google Maps, Play and Assistant. Log in to your Google account and all your favourite places show up on Maps, and you can also log into Spotify and the like. It's a great set-up.

The seats are supportive and well bolstered. Much nicer than the old ASX’s overly cushioned seats.

The second row has more space than you’d expect looking at the car. It’s not cavernous by any stretch, but clever touches like scalloped out front seatbacks and roofliner ensure decent leg, toe and headroom, even with the sunroof in the Exceed. However, three adults in the rear isn’t super comfortable - we tried. Kids should be fine.

Amenities include more USB-C ports, rear air vents (very rare in this category), storage for small bottles in the door, phone holders in the door arm rests, dual map pockets, but no central armrest, which is no great loss.

That rear pew is comfy and more supportive than the old ASX. And it has a neat party trick. You can slide the entire row (via the base) forwards by up to 16cm, making for more cargo space in the boot. It also folds 60/40 split and when the boot floor is in its highest setting the seats fold flat, aiding loading.

Yet another clever feature is the split level boot. It features under-floor storage that adds a handy 183 litres to the cargo capacity.

With all seats in place Mitsubishi says the cargo space is 484 litres, which is 23 per cent more than the old model. If you slide the rear seat forward as far as it goes that increases that figure to 616L. And if the second row is folded flat the capacity is 1596L.

Interestingly, despite having space for one under the bottom boot floor, a spare wheel (even a temporary one) is not a standard feature. Instead the ASX comes with a tyre repair kit and offers a temporary spare wheel as part of its accessories offering for $750. If you’ve got the space for a spare wheel, why not make it standard? Especially when Mitsubishi is a popular brand in regional and rural areas.

The Mazda CX-3 isn’t the most spacious light SUV on the inside, but from either of the front seats it’s clear a lot of thought has gone into the best way to make the cabin work.

For example, precious space hasn’t been wasted by two dedicated cupholders, instead there’s a cupholder in the central storage compartment that’s relatively easy to reach into.

Like its design and some of its features, the CX-3’s layout can’t hide its age - there are still big physical controls for the climate settings, the speedometer is a physical dial and the gear selector is a very traditional style.

Mazda’s soon-to-be-gone media control wheel persists in the CX-3, which is by no means a bad thing. It falls nicely to hand, as with many of the controls in the CX-3. Its seating position isn’t too high and the positions you’re able to get the seat and steering wheel into should accommodate most humans.

Behind the front seats it’s a little more spartan. Space is at a premium, with my 178cm frame fitting in the back seat just enough that I had a fair bit of headroom, but my knees were able to brush the seat in front, set to my own driving position.

There are no ports for charging or vents in the second row, but the fold-down armrest has a clever fold-away cupholder. The window shoulder is a little high for young kids to properly see out, but there’s enough light that it doesn’t feel cramped.

The boot is similarly diminutive, a 264-litre space becoming 1174L with the second row folded down. Compare it with the Hyundai Venue and its 355-litre boot, or the Toyota Yaris Cross and its 390 litres, and the CX-3’s simple, well-constructed interior starts to lose points.

Upon updating the Mazda CX-3, the Evolve variant is now a $32,100 ask before on-road costs, which is $900 more than before. It’s a little step up from the $30,370 entry price of the Pure, but falls well short of the top-spec Akari’s $38,890 sticker price.

The CX-3 range now comes with updated autonomous emergency braking and adaptive cruise control, with the Evolve specifically scoring new fog lights and keyless entry.

The Evolve also comes with black machined 18-inch alloy wheels, synthetic leather interior trim and front parking sensors.

This is all on top of the CX-3’s standard kit which includes a leather-wrapped gear shift knob, handbrake handle and steering wheel, keyless start, an 8.0-inch multimedia display, wireless Apple CarPlay and wired Android Auto plus LED headlights, daytime running lights and tail-lights.

For its segment, the CX-3 isn’t cheap. The Evolve grade is more expensive than pretty much the entire line-ups of rivals like the Kia Stonic or Hyundai Venue, and its price somewhat lines up with the newer, hybrid-powered Toyota Yaris Cross.

But there’s more to the CX-3 than just a list of features.

For now, all grades of the new ASX use the same 1.3-litre four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine offering up 113kW of power and 270Nm of torque. That’s up on the old 2.0-litre naturally aspirated unit’s 110kW/197Nm.

This is paired with a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission driving the front wheels only, so there’s no all-wheel-drive version.

Mitsubishi is looking into the mild hybrid and full hybrid versions that are offered in Europe but not confirmation on those as yet.

The Mazda CX-3 is still powered by a 2.0-litre, naturally aspirated, four-cylinder petrol engine, as has been the case for years. Its outputs remain at 110kW/195Nm.

It drives the front wheels only, via a six-speed automatic transmission.

The new ASX consumes 6.4 litres of fuel per 100 kilometres on the combined cycle and emits 142 grams per kilometre of CO2.

That’s a decent figure for sure, but not quite as frugal as the 1.3-litre Nissan Qashqai, which manages 5.8-6.1L/100km.

The ASX drinks 91 RON fuel and has a 48-litre tank which makes for a theoretical driving range of about 750km.

Mazda claims the CX-3 sips 6.3 litres of fuel per 100km, minimum 91 RON petrol, though on test the small SUV returned an 8.1L/100km figure under a mix of urban, highway and some dynamic driving.

With its 48-litre fuel tank, that means you’re realistically likely to get about 550km to a tank, though theoretically given Mazda’s efficiency claim a 760km trip on a single tank would be possible - if you could recreate the test lab conditions.

Look, it’s fair to say the original ASX was not a driver’s car. Reliable? Yes. Spacious? Absolutely. Great value? You bet. But fun to drive? Not so much.

So it’s good news then that the new-gen ASX is much more engaging to drive. I quite enjoyed the current-gen Renault Captur the last time I drove it, and the underpinnings of the ASX are the facelifted version of that Captur.

The 1.3-litre turbo-petrol unit might not be ultra quick off the mark, but it is sprightly and really comes alive when you’re at speed. It also has a decent engine note.

I've recently driven another Renault model with basically the same powertrain but it suffered from dreadful lag - a combination of a turbocharger and a dual-clutch transmission.

I had expected the same of the ASX, but there’s little lag to speak of. And the transmission is much smoother in this application. It doesn’t hold gears or do anything DCTs are known for, which is a lovely surprise.

Steering is sharp enough and the feel can be adjusted in the settings. Aspire and Exceed grades come with Comfort, Sport and Perso mode, which is for personalisation.

Ride quality is fine on smooth roads but big pot holes and other bumps are felt in the cabin. It is a European car, so no surprise that it’s been tuned for a more European experience. It’s not so firm it’ll dampen the drive experience, but it could be a touch more supple.

On that, the ASX has not undergone a local ride and handling tuning program like the one its larger Outlander stablemate has benefited from.

That doesn’t mean you can’t have fun in the ASX - you can. It handles high-speed bends on country roads surprisingly well, with more grip than you’d expect. There’s a little body roll but nothing dramatic.

More time behind the wheel is needed, but the tight chassis means the ASX likes a corner.

The cabin has better insulation than the outgoing model but it’s still not the most hushed small SUV money can buy. But it’s another element that’s far from a dealbreaker.

The light SUV category is an interesting one, as it feels somewhat like a gateway to bigger SUVs for those who get a taste of the higher seating position. But in city and urban areas, a light SUV should be as much car as someone needs - unless they have two kids or a bunch of equipment to get around with.

This comes down to the fact cars like the CX-3 are more efficient and easier to manoeuvre than their larger counterparts. And as light SUVs go, the CX-3 feels solid, confidence inspiring and more capable when outside its inner-city comfort zone.

Its naturally aspirated engine is big for the class. Even if it doesn’t feel the punchiest off the line it offers plenty of flexibility at higher speeds and makes overtaking on the highway feel less daunting than it would otherwise be in a car this small.

Its steering is light, which is an advantage in everyday driving, but has enough feedback that more dynamic driving is still engaging. It’s not sportscar-sharp, but you wouldn’t want it to be.

While its age would suggest the CX-3 should feel unrefined compared to newer small cars and light SUVs because of what lies underneath, Mazda’s work on the little SUV over the years has resulted in a car that feels mature and capable.

The suspension isn’t perfect, but it manages low-to medium speeds elegantly and does a decent job of maintaining stability at high speeds. It feels better than you’d expect from a car this size on the highway.

The 1294kg kerb weight and small-enough 18-inch wheels mean there’s not too much weight to manage, and there’s enough cushion in the tyres that harsh bumps don’t come crashing into the cabin.

While the CX-3 feels refined for its class, don’t expect a dead-quiet ride, as some road and wind noise make their way in above 80km/h. Then there’s the fact its engine and transmission will sometimes need to get a bit raucous when accelerating quickly. Aside from this, the CX-3 around town and in suburban areas feels nice and calm.

The Mazda CX-3 is technically unrated by ANCAP, though only because its original maximum five-star rating expired after seven years. While this means it easily passes many of ANCAP’s main criteria for safety (and strict Australian Design Rules - ADRs - to be able to be sold here), the CX-3 is missing some recent, more complex safety features.

Not everything is standard across the line-up, either. The Evolve misses out on adaptive headlights, a surround-view parking camera and traffic sign recognition. The base Pure variant also misses out on a front parking sensor.

Fortunately, there are plenty of other key features like seven airbags, dual-front and front-side plus curtain airbags spanning the sides. The CX-3 also has ABS and emergency braking with forward pedestrian detection and rear cross-traffic alert.

There’s lane departure warning, forward obstruction warning, blind-spot monitoring and a driver attention alert for those times you might miss something or - hopefully not often - are distracted.

All these systems are programmed well to minimise interference while driving, making the CX-3 refreshingly trusting of the driver to actually do the job of driving.

Mitsubishi's standard warranty is five years or 100,000km, but if you service your car exclusively at a Mitsubishi dealer, it extends to an impressive 10 years or 200,000km.

You’ll also get 10 years of roadside assistance and capped-price servicing. The servicing schedule is every 12 months or 15,000km.

Service pricing starts from $349, but bigger services every four years or 60,000km will cost circa-$1000. The average price of a service across the 10 years is $568, or the total overall is $5686.

Mitsubishi has an extensive network of 185 dealers across Australia and many in regional areas. So service coverage is among the best in the country.

Mazda offers a five-year, unlimited kilometre warranty, which is behind the curve for a mainstream brand these days. Rival brands like Kia and Hyundai offer seven years, for example, with some offering up to 10.

Servicing is undertaken every 12 months or 15,000km, whichever comes first, with servicing costing between $353 and $633 per visit. Total cost over the first seven years currently sits at $3233, averaging $462 a service, which is pricey considering the relatively simple mechanicals under the CX-3.

Mazda says there are more than 150 certified service dealerships across the country, with a tool to find the most convenient one for you. Given the CX-3’s advanced age, chances are there won’t be too many mechanical issues that haven’t been worked out in the last decade.