Mazda 3 2014 review

The new version of Australia's favourite car among private buyers has arrived. The third-generation Mazda 3 is being unloaded at dealerships, and not a moment too soon.

The Mazda3 narrowly lost last year's new-car sales race to the Toyota Corolla after two years at the top, but it's expected to regain the title this year thanks to a new-from-the-ground-up car that goes way beyond the fresh metal, and includes new engines and new technology.

As before, the new Mazda3 turns heads with its stylish good looks. But does it still deliver on value and the driving experience?

VALUE

Mazda had warned that the new model would go up in price. The previous Mazda3 could be had from $19,990 drive-away -- about $3000 off its full RRP -- for most of last year while it was nearing the end of its run.

The starting price of the new model is $20,490 plus on-road costs, which equates to about $23,000 drive-away for a manual or $25,000 drive-away for an auto at the full list price.So, as is the case with most just-released cars, the price has crept up. But Mazda says it is still $1500 less than the launch price of the previous model six years ago.

Given that Australia is the most competitive new-car market in the world, with more than 65 brands vying for business, it will be interesting to see how long Mazda can hold this price.

There are six models in the range, which stretches to $38,190 for the top of the range Astina, which will translate to $40,000 by the time it's on the road. That's dearer than the starting price of a new Mercedes-Benz A-Class.

It's also the dearest Mazda3 in the company's history (aside from the high-performance Mazda3 MPS), but also a sign of the growth of the small-car class and the broader availability of luxury and technology features.

Across the range there is a choice of 2.0-litre or 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engines matched with six-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmissions. A diesel is expected to join the line-up in 12 to 18 months. There's no official word yet on a turbocharged Mazda3 MPS.

TECHNOLOGY

The new Mazda3 is one of a growing number of cars to offer a cheaper form of heads-up display -- but only on the top-end models. Rather than reflecting the vehicle's speed and other critical information (such as navigation instructions) into the windscreen in the driver's line of sight, the information is reflected into a small plastic shield that swivels up on the dash in front of the driver. It's a less elegant solution, but a solution nonetheless.

Top-line models also come with a central display screen that looks like a computer tablet, and helps the driver control the audio and navigation system and key functions tethered to the phone, such as the Tune-In Radio app.

On models equipped with navigation, Mazda has moved from the user-friendly TomTom-based system to Here Maps (also used by Nokia and others), with 3D images of cityscapes. It comes with free map updates for three years; a premium service that provides traffic, weather and fuel pricing is free for two months, or $50 for 1 year and $100 for three years.

Unfortunately, the base model gets no navigation system and the small central display screen in its place is more Casio calculator that Apple iPad in appearance.

The base model (55 per cent of sales) also misses out on the heads-up screen. A Mazda-approved rear camera (which shows an image in the rear-view mirror) is a reasonably priced $800 dealer-fit option on the base model, while genuine rear parking sensors are an expensive $450 dealer-fit option.

All models gain big improvements under the bonnet. The previous Mazda3 was among the thirstiest cars in its class, but two all-new engines have brought big savings (up to 30 per cent) to fuel economy.

The changes mean that the fuel economy of the Mazda3 has not only been brought back to the rest of the pack, it's among the most frugal in the class. Importantly, and unlike some rivals, the promise on the rating label (a figure derived in laboratory conditions, as per government guidelines) can be achieved in the real world.

DESIGN

The new Mazda3 is the same length as before, but looks more sporty because it has a lower roofline and a wider body, as well as some curves in the right places.

In the rich metallic red (an optional $200, unlike the other seven colours which have no extra charge), you could be forgiven for mistaking the new Mazda3 for an Alfa Romeo, and thinking that this was somehow a preview to the joint venture with Mazda and the Italian brand on the next generation MX-5 roadster. Alas, Mazda did this all on its own. Rarely has a car from Japan looked so good straight out of the box.

The Mazda3 is the company's third model to adopt its new design language. We'll spare you the whole Power Point presentation but apparently, in the right light and in side profile, the bulging lines on its flanks are intended to create “the dynamic feeling that a cheetah has while it's running”.

SAFETY

In addition to a five-star safety rating thanks to the six standard airbags, all but the base model come with a rear-view camera as standard. 

Top-of-the-range Mazda3 models come with automatic emergency braking (a milliwave radar scans the road ahead and will slam on the brakes in slow-moving traffic if the driver isn't paying attention). It's part of a $1500 option pack (with blindzone warning and reverse traffic alert) on the more basic models.

Top end versions of the Mazda3 are now also available with radar cruise control (which maintains a distance with the car ahead) and lane departure warning (if you wander from the lane without indicating).

But if you get a flat tyre, a skinny space-saver spare awaits under the boot floor, which means you have to limp at a maximum of 80km/h to the nearest tyre repairer, and hope the workshop isn't further than 150km away (the wear limit of the temporary spare tyre).

DRIVING

On a preview drive on the outskirts of Adelaide the Mazda3 acquitted itself well, which shouldn't come as a surprise. The engines were relatively smooth and refined (although still a tad noisy), but it steered well, felt secure and predictable in corners and absorbed bumps with a minimum of fuss.

The 2.0-litre matched with a six-speed automatic lacked a little pulling power from low revs but will be fine for those who do mostly city and suburban commuting. Those who want a little more power should opt for the 2.5-litre engine which is much perkier from low revs and sounds better.

But there are a few minor areas for improvement. The new Mazda3 is nowhere near as noisy as it used to be, but it's still not class-leading in this regard and would benefit from more insulation or quieter tyres or both.

The stop-start system (which automatically cuts engine power when stopped at the lights and restarts in a fraction of a second) is not the smoothest operator, and tends to jolt back into life as opposed to some of the more quiet achievers (such as the Volkswagen Golf, for example).

The speed zone warning in the navigation system was wrong in one town (it said the posted limit was 60km/h when in fact it was 50km/h, hence the disclaimer on start-up) and didn't display a posted speed at all in some others.

The silver frame for the large central display screen could flare into your eyes on certain angles along our route (on a clear blue, 40-degree day) and the screen itself could do with more brightness to better handle super sunny days.

The tapered side window line that gives the new Mazda its sleek Alfa Romeo appearance also limits over-shoulder visibility when parking or when trying to spot freeway traffic. Most new cars tend to have a wide-view convex mirror on the driver’s side but Mazda has once again persevered with a 1:1 mirror which restricts visibility.

Overall, the Mazda3 hits the mark and the price. Just wait a few months if you want to do a sharp deal because Mazda dealers won't be in the mood to budge much on price at least until the middle of the year.

The 2.0-litre is worthy of being put on any small car shopping list but the 2.5 is the better of the two for not much more money, hence the different scores (3.5 vs 4 stars).

VERDICT

It's the most mature Mazda to date, and probably the best small car to come out of Japan. But the Volkswagen Golf is still a cut above in the small-car class.