Mazda3 2022 review: G25 Evolve sedan

This Mazda3 sedan is a new addition to the range for 2022. Dubbed the G25 Evolve SP, it currently wears an MSRP of $32,290.

Not so long ago we would have noted how expensive this version of the Mazda3 is. But in a world of consistent price rises this mid-spec car is looking more acceptable.

Still, rivals at this price include the top-spec non-hybrid Toyota Corolla ZR, top-spec Subaru Impreza 2.0i-S, as well as upper mid-grade versions of the Kia Cerato (Sport +), and Hyundai i30 (Elite).

Worth noting the Corolla comes with (arguably) more gear, the Impreza packs leather seats and all-wheel drive, while the Cerato has a seven-year warranty.

This Mazda3 sedan is a new addition to the range for 2022. (image: Tom White)

That’s not to say equipment on the Mazda3 G25 Evolve SP is poor. Standard features include, 18-inch alloy wheels, an 8.8-inch multimedia screen with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and built-in navigation, a 7.0-inch semi-digital dash cluster, eight-speaker audio, cloth seat trim with a 10-way adjustable driver’s seat, LED headlights, rain-sensing wipers, push-start ignition with keyless entry, dual-zone climate control, and leather highlights for the steering wheel and shifter.

Strikes me as a odd that this Evolve grade costs more than the G20 Touring ($31,390) while stripping out leather seat trim in favour of the blacked-out wheels and body highlights. It presents an interesting choice. Do you value these missing features more than the larger engine?

Like most Mazdas, the G25 Evolve SP comes with a healthy list of safety equipment which we’ll look at in the relevant part of this review.

Standard features include 18-inch alloy wheels and an 8.8-inch multimedia screen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. (image: Tom White)

Sedans are more practical than most give them credit for, characterised by extra back seat space and boot capacity compared to many small SUVs or hatchbacks, and the Mazda3 is no different.

Starting up front, the driver is treated to a generous space, with good visibility out of the main windows.

Seat trim is cloth, and the addition of power adjust for the driver's seat is a nice touch.

The front of the cabin features soft trims everywhere you’re realistically going to touch, ramming home the brand's increasingly upmarket ambitions.

Bottle holders appear in the doors and centre console in front of the shifter. Behind them there is a small phone-sized tray (perhaps a missed opportunity for a wireless charger).

The centre console box is also large and clad in a nice soft finish to enhance the 3's luxurious feel.

The driver is treated to a generous space, with good visibility out of the main windows. (image: Tom White)

There are a few small issues up front, though, which take away from this car’s overall practicality.

First, the 3 has the typical Mazda trait of the wing mirrors being mounted up on the doors and too close to the driver, giving them a limited angle of view.

Second, the multimedia system is not a touch unit, controlled only via a dial in the centre console.

This is great for the car’s stock software suite, which is clearly designed to be used this way, but navigating Apple CarPlay with a dial is beyond clumsy, especially while you’re trying to concentrate on the road.

It’s nice that there’s a separate volume knob, and easy-to-use climate functions, but I also wish the digital portion of the instrument cluster had a few more functions. It looks good but doesn’t really do much.

Access to the sedan's rear seat is much easier than in the 3 hatch as the doors are larger and the roofline stays consistently higher. This means it’s easy to hop in and out of for an adult.

The rear seats feature actual bolstering in their sides, although amenities are only okay. (image: Tom White)

Sitting behind my 182cm driving position, I had plenty of leg and decent headroom. The plush door cards continue into the rear with a single bottle holder, plus a drop-down armrest includes two bottle holders.

The rear seats feature actual bolstering in their sides, although amenities are only okay, with dual adjustable air vents for rear passengers, but no power outlets.

In fact, power outlets are an issue in the 3, with two USB 2.0 ports and a single 12V socket, but no USB-C jacks.

For the boot, the sedan version of the 3 offers an impressive 444 litres of space (VDA), an enormous increase on the hatch's 295 litres.

This comes with the caveat that the loading space isn’t as versatile, with a traditional 'three-box' design meaning it can be much more difficult to load larger objects.

Regardless, the 3 sedan easily fit our three-piece CarsGuide luggage set with ample space to spare.

The G25 Evolve SP automatic has an official/combined cycle fuel consumption figure of 6.5L/100km, which sounds a little fanciful for a larger capacity four-cylinder.

But I was impressed with the real-world results, which came back as 7.6L/100km after a few hundred kays.

Many turbo engines or stressed 2.0 litres will match or exceed this, and even though I stuck to largely urban use in my week, it still fell below the ‘urban’ claim of 8.5L/100km. I suppose this car is proof that sometimes simple is best.

Too add a little icing, the 2.5-litre engine is capable of consuming entry-level 91RON unleaded. The Mazda3 has a 51-litre fuel tank.

Safety equipment on Mazdas is generally excellent, and this grade of the 3 sedan is no different.

Standard tech includes auto emergency braking (with pedestrian and cyclist detection), lane keep assist (with lane departure warning), blind spot monitoring (with rear cross-traffic alert), the rare addition of front cross-traffic alert, rear auto emergency braking, driver attention alert, and traffic sign recognition.

It also features a radar-based adaptive cruise control system, although not with full stop-and-go capability as per some rival systems.

The only things missing, available elsewhere in the Mazda range, is full driver monitoring and a 360-degree view parking camera (although a wide-angle reversing camera is standard).

Safety equipment on Mazdas is generally excellent, and this grade of the 3 sedan is no different. (image: Tom White)

It’s one of the best suites on a car in this class and features extras like vectoring control and an auto hold parking brake on top of the standard array of electronic stability, traction, and brake systems.

The Mazda3 features seven airbags (dual front, front side, side curtains, plus a driver’s knee bag).

The entire range is covered by a maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating to the 2019 standard, where it scored highly across all categories.

The Mazda3 is generally a very nice car to drive. Mazda is keen on delivering a specific drive experience, designed to be consistent across its range.

And this car has been refined nicely relative to the previous 3, which handled well, but was a bit noisy and rough in the cabin.

Handling is excellent. The car feels secure with solid and direct steering feel, a firm but controlled ride (with more forgiving dampers than its predecessors), and good off-the-line responsiveness from the 2.5-litre, four-cylinder engine.

The engine pairs well with the six-speed torque converter transmission, ahead of the rubbery CVTs or glitchy dual-clutch autos found in some competitor offerings.

The engine is up and running and ready to go before you have time to think about it. (image: Tom White)

Keen drivers are likely to prefer it, however there's something dated about the experience.

The 2.5-litre engine is sufficiently powerful but feels lacklustre in its mid-range delivery compared to more modern turbocharged or hybrid alternatives. And it’s a bit noisy, to boot.

Road noise has improved from this car’s predecessor, but still isn’t stellar, and one thing which helps define the Mazda driving experience is a firmness which works its way through the whole vehicle.

It’s not just that the ride can be a little hard at times, it’s that you feel every bump through the steering and body of the car.

Road noise has improved from this car’s predecessor, but still isn’t stellar. (image: Tom White)

It’s worth calling out Mazda’s emissions-reducing stop-start system as easily one of the best executions of the tech on the market.

The engine is up and running and ready to go before you have time to think about it. Unlike some contemporary systems from rivals like VW, you never have to consider switching it off out of annoyance.

This leaves the G25 SP as an interesting option in the crowded mid-size hatch and sedan space. One which leans further into the sporty driver-oriented realm than the semi-luxury one seemingly promised by its design.