2020 Mazda3 AWD Review | Watch out, Acura
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- Опубліковано 12 чер 2024
- Can Mazda really move upmarket, and is the 2020 Mazda3 a true premium competitor?
Shop for the new 2020 Mazda3 on CarGurus: cargur.us/tT6Zn
Mazda redesigned its compact sedan and hatchback for the 2019 model year and, in doing so, transformed two of the best-looking small cars on the road into something truly special.
Aside from trailing edge of the trunk lid, you’ll hardly find a single straight line on this vehicle. At the front of the car, there's a terrific blacked-out mesh grille and spectacular round running lamps. Down the side, you can see how just enough body has been carved from the 3’s profile to give it an athletic muscularity. Keyless entry is standard across the board, and these 18-inch wheels, which really make a statement in the 3’s small wheel wells, come standard as long as you avoid the base-spec trim level.
On the inside, everything is grounded in simplicity and minimalism, except comfort. The seats are incredibly supportive, but also soft. The seating position can range from commanding-for a compact sedan-to sports-car levels of low. Everywhere you touch is covered in extremely soft, padded, cushioned leather, and everywhere you don’t normally touch is swathed in nice materials, too.
Arguably the biggest change with the fourth generation Mazda3 is its infotainment system. You’ll still find Bluetooth connectivity, Sirius XM satellite radio, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto… but touchscreen capability has been dropped entirely. The system is noticeably faster, and the command controller is more fully featured. You still have some shortcut buttons, the volume knob remains between the front seats, but you can use it to skip forward and back now, and the big controller has grown a size to make it easier to grasp.
If anything falls short of Mazda’s “premium” goals, it’s gotta be the engine. 186 horsepower and 186 pound-feet of torque, supplied by the naturally aspirated 2.5-liter 4-cylinder is predictable, and predictably slow. Luckily, if that’s the only real gripe, it will be resolved soon enough. Mazda’s promised a turbocharged 2021 Mazda3 that should arrive late this year, offering 250 horsepower and 320 pound-feet of torque with premium fuel.
The Mazda3 is also safe. It got a Top Safety Pick award from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, and it includes standard safety tech ranging from automatic emergency braking and lane-departure warning, to blind-spot monitoring and adaptive cruise control.
If the goal was to move up-market, Mazda has succeeded with the 2020 Mazda3. Yes, it costs a bit more than the competition. I said this competes with the Subaru Impreza, but that configurations for that car tend to fall $2,000 less than their Mazda counterparts. Still, you won’t find an interior anywhere near this nice in a Subaru.
For more information on the 2020 Mazda3, read our full coverage on CarGurus: cargur.us/BNVjr
Presenter: Matt Smith
Cinematography: Elliot Haney
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Check out our 2020 Test Drive Reviews playlist: • 2020 Volvo XC90 - The ...
Sedans and Hatchbacks: • 2020 Nissan Sentra - A...
0:00 Introducing the 2020 Mazda3 AWD
1:19 Exterior Impressions
2:53 Interior Impressions
5:05 Infotainment Discussion
6:10 Driving Impressions
8:40 Backseat and Cargo Space
9:40 Conclusion and Final Thoughts - Авто та транспорт
![ПОЛНАЯ ИСТОРИЯ ЭКЗОРЦИЗМА [Топ Сикрет]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/qBySr6Bt0B8/mqdefault.jpg)
This thing already outclasses the ILX (based on the now ancient, and arguably worst gen Civic platform) once the turbo hits showrooms, anyone would have to be clueless to choose the overpriced ILX over a Mazda 3T.
Oh, and I think they got the proportions of the sedan just right, no more rear overhang needed, and the long hood look stands out in the compact class. Ironically, the rear reminds me of the first gen Acura TSX, not a bad thing.
Wow! This is a gorgeous car. Mazda’s are on another level🏎
I just bought a 2021 Mazda 3 with the premium package but without AWD. It is an easy equal to a Mercedes/ BMW luxury car without the huge price. Mine was under $28,000. This car is gorgeous inside and out.
I guess I got a better deal than I thought. In February 2021. I got a soul red 2021 mazda 3 premium AWD for $26,900. It also had the silly cargo ma
Great presentation. I appreciated your delivery and composure.
186hp 186ft lb is not bad at all compare to Subaru Impreza or any other compact cars LOL
True with a few exceptions among brands that offer higher performance optons. The VW GLI, for example, offers the GTI's engine and drive train with considerably more HP and torque And the Civic Type R and Subaru WRX offer substantially greater HP/Torque but those are arguably niche vehicles. In any event, the more powerful base engine of the Mazda3 hasn't helped its terrible sales. It ranks at the bottom of all mainstream compact vehicles.
That's more than enough for a small sedan.
@2WIREG As I said, vehicles like the WRX and Civic Type R are "niche" performance vehicles. The GLI, on the other hand, is only about $1700 more than a comparably equipped Mazda3 sedan in terms of MSRP. Whether that difference holds up in real world pricing is another matter considering that the VW is typically discounted by about a thousand dollars.
In any event, neither a price nor a performance advantage seems to have helped the dismal sales of the Mazda3. So far in 2020 the Jetta is outselling the Mazda3 by over 2 to 1.
The mazda is the best among the bunch. I actually prefer the sedan to the hatch. It's not polarizing from any angle. Those led lights at night are a gem. Currently own a 2011 sedan and I would love to own the new one if I can afford it. The awd is def a bonus for Canadian winters.
The AWD with Winter tires would be largely unstoppable.... check out a review on the 3 from SavageGeese. They took it off-road 2 miles (stock tires) before it got stuck in deep snow. Trucks sent to rescue them got stuck! Haven’t gotten a lot of snow here yet to try out my 2020 3 AWD but it handles very nicely in pouring rain I have found so far.....
I compared the GT trim to the near the top spec’d Subaru Impreza to match features for features and the Subaru would’ve cost me $3K more easily! Ended up with a Mazda 3...didn’t care for AWD and the Subaru had 2.0L boxer engine and CVT (fail)!
Definitely going for this one ❤️
Beautiful car, splendid!!!
Bought a 2021 Mazda 3 HB with 6 sp manual. I test drove other compact cars with 6 sp manual and they didn't hold a candle to the quality and gorgeous design in this car. I've driven Toyota my whole life, but this car was so beautiful inside and out, plenty of power, smooth as silk clutch and shifting, tight on the corners, getting 39 mpg on highway so far and this car isn't even broken in yet. I don't understand some of the complaints I've read about this car. I suppose if you were using it for racing it would need more power, but it accelerates in 6th gear up the steepest hills we have in our area including the mountain passes. The infotainment beats touch screen by a mile (hate touch screen - takes too much focus, doesn't always respond to touch, no different than messing with your cell phone while driving IMO). With no touch required, Mazda was able to set the screen back farther into the dash so your eyes aren't looking down at all - only over, and it's angled toward the driver. Ya, it took a bit (couple days) to memorize what buttons do and the few patterns I use most often, but after a week I can do most everything without even looking at the screen. All of this coupled with voice control and it's eyes free control. And a favorites button brings up anything you mark as a favorite so you don't have to search for your favorite siriusxm or radio channels or destinations. Most anything can be put in favorites. I'm glad I rediscovered the Mazda brand.
👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
do a comparison of 2020 Mazda 3 premium vs 2020 Nissan Sentra sr Premium.
I would certainly buy this over the Acura ILX.
Great Review. This gets the nod over a base A3, ILX for sure. This is really going to kick ass once the turbo AWD debuts...Mazda needs to add rear seat a/c cents.
Doubtful that it will "kick ass" in terms of sales. Though very popular among internet fanboys, high performance versions of mainstream sedans are very, very slow sellers. Only 5% of Camry sales have the 305 HP V6 engine, for example. Considering the meager sales of the current Mazda3 if the turbo version increased sales by 10% (a VERY optimistic estimate), the total increase in annual sales would amount to about 3000 vehicles. It's a desperation move on Mazda's part to draw customers into showrooms but it's not going to help much in terms of sales.
Stephen Hendricks the 3’s sales are being cannibalized by CX30......
I'm surprised how little room there is in the back given it's length. Looks great, but Mazda has a history of building lovely looking sedans such as the 1500/1800, 929 and Eunos sedans.
It has no length. 12" more would be huge for cargo space.
I wish Mazda offered the sedan with a 6 speed manual. Personally, i prefer the look of the sedan over the hatchback.
Mike G Here in Canada the Mazda 3 sedan is offered with a 6 speed manual transmission but only on the base and mid level version. If you want leather and sunroof forget it.
Too bad car manufacturer don’t understand that some people chose manual transmission for the driving pleasure and engagement it ptovides, not so save some $$$ on the transmission so making it unavalable on top trim is actually counter productive
@@renegarneau8956 yeah you're right! I'd even go as far as saying that most people buying a manual transmission now a days are buying it for the driving pleasure and not necessarily to save money. They need to do more market research
Mike G Looks like Mazda listened and so now stick shift is available in the higher trim levels, at least in the U.S.
Rene Garneau go figure.... I think it’s the opposite here with the hatchback. I think you have to buy the hatchback in its highest trim to unlock manual transmission....
@@buchajo - Correct - just bought the 6 sp manual hb - comes only in premium, but as you said if you want manual you likely enjoy driving. I absolutely LOVE the car. Been a Toyota driver for 33 years. Mazda caught my attention with their 2019 redesign. Beautiful car.
What is the ride quality like? There were a lot of bumpy looking roads in the video. Is it a boneshaker or is it a supple ride?
I have one and it’s supple
The Interfering Russian I’ve driven a few times and supple is it
Quiet and smooth compared to any Honda and Toyota I've driven.
Very quiet - even at speeds over 100 MPH. A bit rough on crappy pavement but on smooth roads it just glides.....
For the price of this Mazda3, I'd move up to the Mazda6 for more rear seat room and more elegant styling
You and very, very few others. Mazda6 sales are especially dismal.
More elegant styling? This new mazda3 has the updated design which the Mazda6 doesn’t, yet.
@@Yoomaro "Updated" is not equivalent to "elegant." Neither in women's fashions nor in automotive design.
The current (2020) Mazda 6 is looks and feels outdated inside and out. The size of mazda 6 is great, but can't compete with mazda 3's new interior design.
The 3 is loaded full of tech. Other than CX30 other Mazda models need to catch up. I can start my 3 with my phone. I’ve got onboard Wi-Fi. So many goodies..... and don’t even get me started on the soul red and how it drives!!
Nice car
Question - Can the height of the front passenger seat be adjusted. I am thinking of buying a 3 but I am wondering if the passenger seat would be too low for comfort.
On the Premium hatchback the height can't be adjusted on passenger side. If you are under 5'4" that's a bit of an issue. That's one complaint I have. My wife is 5'4" and she's fine but my mom is 5'1" so when I took her to the doc she looked a bit like a kid peering out over the dash. Actually was quite funny, but wouldn't be ideal for the height challenged.
Yes it should be.... there should be a manual lever on the side of the seat (not to be confused with the reclining lever) .... you literally crank up/down the seat manually. Many people don’t realize this....
@@buchajo I couldn’t find one on my preferred package mazda 3.
@@shreyaspaturkar5160 I will check mine and report back - I also have 20 3 hatch Preferred.
@@shreyaspaturkar5160 yes I was able to check mine today and wow, there is no adjustment lever. That’s crappy. I ain’t going to lie. I don’t plan to really sit in the passenger seat of my car but that’s a pretty basic thing to have on a non-power seat so I’m disappointed......
Fascinating how same products in different markets are perceived. In UK Mazda is just the same as ford, Toyota, but with (failed) aspirations. And the Honda fit is the last car you buy before you give up driving for good
3:12 - 3:18 I wish Volvo inspired or actually copied navigation so you can use it without touching the screen!!!
Why isn't the Skyactiv X in the United States?
Mazda says fuel is cheap in America compared to almost everywhere else and Mazda's limited manufacturing capacity is aimed at markets where fuel efficiency is a higher priority.
@@stephenhendricks103 this is true and also government regulations..... it’s not a priority for Mazda right now with regard to North America...
Wow I dont understand how this car is slow.? I mean the 2 liter 150 hp version is good enough for me.. Well that probably depends on what country you came from..
Nothing wrong with it's power (the 2.5). Unless you're street racing. We have tons of mountains around us and none have required I shift out of 6th gear.
👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
Like the Mazda3? Do Mazda a favor and buy one. In 2018 US sales of the Mazda3 amounted to 64,638 vehicles. In 2019 sales dropped 21% to 50,741. But the worst was yet to come. In the first half of 2020 Mazda3 sales (sedan and hatch) amounted to 16, 228 vehicles, down 43% (!) compared to the first half of 2019. Granted it's a tough environment for auto sales with soft non-SUV markets, the ongoing inept response to the pandemic and unemployment that makes the "great recession" of 2008-9 look like a walk in the park. But Mazda has been impacted to a far greater extent than any other manufacturer. If sales of the Mazda3 reach 30,000 for 2020, it will be a stretch.
So make your local Mazda dealer's day and go buy a vehicle. If you're feeling especially generous, buy two and consider making a Mazda6 one of them. Despite its excellent reviews the current generation of the Mazda6 has never sold well. In 2018 sales were about 31,000 in the US. In 2019, sales dropped to 21,500, a decline of 30%. Sales in the first half of 2020 were a meager 8000 vehicles, down 38% vs the first half of 2019. No one expects the Mazda6 to compete with the Accord or Camry (despite arguably being at least as appealing) but Mazda6 sales trailed the VW Passat by over 2,000 vehicles. And that is a very ominous sign.
Overall, the only semi-bright spot in Mazda's entire lineup is the CX-5, with 65,000 sold in the first half of 2020, down 13% vs the first half of 2019. But for the entire 2019 calendar year CX-5 sales amounted to slightly less than 155,000 and if total 2020 sales reach 130,000 they'll be drinking champagne at Mazda dealers on New Year's Eve.
Reviewers and internet fans love Mazda vehicles. The brand has a well earned reputation for engineering and innovation. But they are also the smallest independent mainstream automaker on the planet and sales in North America are dismal. If things don't turn around in a big way Mazda is likely to go the way of Saab, another brand known for building excellent vehicles that was absorbed by GM before going out of business, altogether.
Stephen Hendricks I’m planning to buy 3 hatchback stick shift in next couple months. Hope the dealership will give me decent discount. Otherwise I would go somewhere like Honda Civic hatch stick shift instead.
They (6sp manual) are hard to find (I drove 260 miles to get one), but I still walked out with mine for $27K. I keep hearing complaints about no touch screen, but I actually like the rotary/button controls between the armrest and stick for controlling the infotainment. It is WAY less distracting, and I've got all the stuff I use all the time memorized so I don't have to look at the screen. With touch you are forced to look to some degree.
Affordable? I bought one and had to negotiate it down. And it’s a 4 cylinder without turbo. It’s beautiful, but they’re finally going to bring out the turbo for a hefty price. Ugh
The highest trims are kinda expensive. This week I ended up buying the Preferred 3 hatchback instead of Premium. It is loaded up with goodies and tech. The moonroof would’ve been nice but it’s not a deal breaker. I can always drive my girlfriend’s CX5 if I need a moonroof drive. Turbo isn’t needed either. This car is very quick. 0-60 in the high 6s. I can wind it out to 60 in 2nd gear. I drive 90% city so I’m already in lose my license territory at the end of 2nd gear. It’s an absolute thrilling and exhilarating ride. My 6th Mazda in 15 years. The BEST one so far!!
Joe Buchanan Glad you are completely happy. Yes they’re expensive for a small mainstream vehicle and with the added turbo soon they’ll add another $1900 to the price tag yikes!!! I can do without the moonroof and equip it with the Bose. I love my music sounding awesome when I’m on the road...how about you? Did you get the Bose?
@@NevadaFederalBites ya on the Preferred it comes with leatherette heated seats and BOSE. I love it!
Tested one at the dealer, ended up not pulling the trigger. This car is soft. Not something i would drive enthusiastically, the steering is not as sharp as previous gen and the car feels heavy. Maybe the turbo is better.
its not the HP...its the weight.
although ,mazdfa has been s l o w l y increasing hp, they have been quickly adding weight for this new luxury car.
it will not be to soon that the turbo gets introduced!!!!
That's unlikely to help Mazda3 sales much. Sedan/Hatch sales are very soft and performance models add little to those sales. For example, sales of Toyota Camrys with the V6 engine constitute only 5% of all Camry sales. And if Mazda follows the trend of other automakers in offering higher performance engines only with FWD putting the extra ponies down on the pavement will be an issue in the Mazda3.
@@stephenhendricks103 oh, well...you are likely right.
but then again, the whole world has gone nuts on me.
i see people driving around alone with a mask on.
i see cars in texas with "beto" stickers on them.
so, ya, i guess more people will by a camry with a 4 cylinder over a 6.
it is just the way things are.
gonna go outside and talk to my fish in the pond.......
@@paulpellico3797 Happy to hear about the "beto" stickers in Texas but obviously YMMV. :)
@@stephenhendricks103 well, sorry...he lost.
but it does show an underliing illness in urban austin.
@@paulpellico3797 Off topic but current polls suggest that the strength Beto demonstrated in 2018 is carrying over to support for Biden in 2020. Biden may not win Texas but it's likely he won't have to and if he does, it will be a national landslide.
BTW, I lived in Austin for about 10 years and never felt ill. Unfortunately, the summers finally drove me out of Texas to the Pacific Northwest. :)
The interior is beautiful, but I will never go back to a tiny screen that’s controlled by a rotary knob.
8.8” isn’t tiny......see the new Mazda3. Next gen tech including starting car with your phone....
Touch screen in cars won't be available within a few years. Working a touch screen is no different that messing with your phone while you're driving. Touchless screen allows them to set the screen farther back in the dash and more in line-of-sight for the driver (no looking down anymore). I can already work the Mazda Infotainment controls without even looking - simple to memorize, and with voice commands to do most anything I frankly don't need the controls much of the time anyway.
Touch screens are super distracting and unsafe in my ever so humble opinion. My previous vehicle had one, and constantly looking away while driving to get where I wanted, made me feel uneasy. I got the hang of the knob/dial and memorized how to quickly navigate around the screen, and I feel much more comfortable and safe with this set up. ✌🏻✌🏻
I think it looks like any other car in 25,000 area not more not less
honestly why isnt it 15k new
15K?? I paid 10K in 1987 for a baseline Toyota Corolla FX16 hatchback - didn't have any safety features at that time (except a seatbelt). Not so much as power locks or windows - not even a clock - no technology. If I stripped my current top-of-the-line 2021 Mazda 3 manual 6 sp down to that 1987 car (there's no trim level offered that is that low) I'd bet it would be 15K at most, and it would get 9mpg better gas mileage than my Toyota FX16 with far more HP. I'm actually shocked I got the car I did for the price I did. Even at 3% inflation on average over 33 years, that 10K piece of garbage from 1987 would cost $27K today. I got my Mazda for less and it's so much more car it's no comparison.
You made quite the dramatic display of just how horribly tight and unusable the back seat area is for you, including hilariously over the top facial grimaces you made as you physically 'struggled' to fold your body into the center seating bench. Then grabbing your knees in order to pull them to your chest in order to exit. That was some one man show!
Your acting coach would have given you your money back.
A review should be more about how it drives compared to competition not about how it looks.
Everybody can see it.
At 9:13 it is reported that this car has 13.2 cubic feet or 373 liters of trunk capacity. It is the typical FAKE GOURMET sedan, the one that comes ready to be swallowed by an SUV. In the ranking of decent sedans (SEDAN TOP 500) this car does not enter. This trunk is smaller than the trunk of the Renault Megane hatchback sold in Australia which has a 434 liter or 15.3 cubic feet trunk.
The sedan looks great. For 20,000 it will sell huge. For 25,000 harder sell. Problem is in this segment Civic and Corolla are hard to walk away from because of world class reliability and resale. Still this is a pretty car in sedan. The hatch is ugly.
second!
Why is this review so terrible? It wasn't made by mazda. Man I couldn't get through the opening.
You pick Acura of all "premium" brands? Hell HondA makes better luxury products than Acura. Very low bar. No IRS at this price is a joke. The dated tech is terrible as well. Shiney black plastic on the inside definitely is not "premium"
Dated tech??
That Mazda3 has has one of the worst looking front-grilles ever. It looks like a fish. No thanks.
I love this grill and it’s done well. The Corolla looks like a fish
Love people that leave opinions and likely have never gone, seen it, drive it. I drove Toyotas for 33 years, discovered Mazda this year, and won't go back unless Toyota puts out as quality a car (even the sales manager at Toyota admitted the Mazda kicks Toyota's butt). All the Toyotas, Hondas, Kias, Hyundais - they all look the same. Ya, the Corolla hatchback is cute, but the Mazda 3 hatchback is gorgeous. I'd be more likely to confuse it with a European brand. The Mazda 3 won the 2020 World Car Design of the Year award and for good reason.
Blame Ford.... they started it in the mainstream?
The front end is the most beautiful part of the exterior styling. It’s unique and gorgeous! But, hey, to each his/her own. ✌🏻✌🏻
This looks like so many other Asian cars it's not even funny. Gone are the days of true uniqueness in a cars design. 😕👎