A few weeks ago I was given the chance to try out the Mazda 3 with a Skyactive engine. The Mazda3 is by far the best selling type of Mazda vehicles and accounts for nearly two-thirds of Mazda’s U.S. sales! The Mazda3 offers a quality interior, a very athletic chassis and Skyactiv engine and transmissions.
The Mazda3 is avaliable in six types. Two versions (the i SV and i Sport) come with the standard, 148 horsepower MZR 2.0-liter I-4. Two versions (i Touring and i Grand Touring) come with the new 155 hp Skyactiv-G motor, 167 hp MZR 2.5-liter I-4 (that’s the s Grand Touring); and mighty Speed3 that comes with a turbocharged 2.3-liter with an impressive 263 hp and 280 lb-ft of torque. This is one car- with options to literally make it what you need or want in a car!
Adaptive HID Headlights
If I could take any one feature of the Mazda3 and incorporate it into every car I will ever own in the future, it would be the adaptive HID headlights. The adaptive front lighting system (AFS) automatically adjusts the headlight beams to the left or right in conjunction with the operation of the steering wheel after the headlights have been turned on and the vehicle speed is more than two miles per hour. That means when you go around a corner, the headlights follow you around the corner instead of pointing in front of you!
Room For Large Car Seats:
The Mazda3 could not fit three car seats across unless you had three small seats, like the Dionos. However- I was able to fit two huge car seats in the back seat at once with plenty of leg room for both children and enough room in the middle for an older child or a small adult.
SkyActiv:
The SkyActive technology completely separates the Mazda3 from similar sized competitors cars. SkyActive improves fuel efficiency and decreases emissions It has more torque than normal cars, while keeping the exact same MPG numbers we want. The video explains it a bit more-
Mazda Advanced Keyless Entry and Start System:
This smart feature is one of the smartest ‘simple’ unlock buttons I have ever seen! You can use the advanced keyless entry to unlock only the driver’s door which is great when it is just me getting into the car. You can of course also lock and unlock all doors, and operate the panic button. Turning the car on is pretty neat to. You do not need to actually put the key in the ignition! Simply make sure your key is close to you, like in a purse, diaper bag of cup holder and push the start engine button to start or stop the engine!
Junk In The Trunk:
The Mazda3 has 11.8 cubic feet of trunk space, which is pretty large for a smaller car. I was able to fit everything I needed for a day out with two kids in the trunk. A double stroller, diaper bag, change of clothes and all our bags from shopping!
The vehicle I tested has a price of $21,145.00, which included SKYACTIV, 16-inch aluminum-alloy wheels, Dual-zone automatic climate control, Advanced Keyless Entry and Start System, Push button start, 6-speaker audio system, Bluetooth® hands-free phone and audio capability, Rear-seat center armrest with cup holders and a Leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob!
You can find a dealer near you to test drive or purchase a Mazda3 by clicking here.
Special thanks to Mazda for letting me test drive the Mazda3 for a week.
It’s great that the carseats fit so great in the car 🙂
This is my sweepstakes main goal.. to win a car. It is why I started I can’t afford to buy a car or make payments. I have 5 kids yes 3 are grown but I am here to tell you they always come home at one time or another. I just lost my mom to ovarian cancer and she was my main source of help my husband and I both work FT minium wage jobs and I drive a car that is well over 10 years old over 15 miles just to work everyday. So, I said I am going to win one and when I do I will come back and tell you this one would be perfect!!!!
I love the keyless entry and start button. How great to not have to fumble for keys in your purse!
wow. the headlights thing sounds completely amazing… as does the leg room in front of the car seats in the back! it looks nice on the outside, too – but that’s just icing on the cake because i honestly could care less about aesthetics – safe and reliable is plenty for me.
Very nice, I love the color too or should say my husband would love the color more than me.
The keyless and start button are neat! It is also nice the two car seats fit great 🙂
I love the Keyless Start on my own car, and it’s definitely something I would look for in any future vehicles.
Thanks for this post! This is one of the cars my husband is considering for his next car, so it is nice to hear the opinion of someone besides the dealers! 🙂
The Mazda3 looks very nice. Thanks for the interesting and informative review!
I owna Mazda 3 hatchback, I love the ride, and the “zoom zoom” factor, My baby girl loves riding in daddy’s car.
This sounds like a super nice car. I had a Mazda years ago and loved it. It was very reliable.
Im loving this car! I had a Mazda 323 way back in 1989 & loved it. I think the 323 was renamed to the Protege. Anyway, Im loving the features this car has! The headlights the follow your turn is nice. My favorite feature is the Advanced keyless entry & start system. I would love to have that! The color of the car you reviewed is awesome!! It would probably be my choice of color if I purchased this car! The price isn’t bad at all either!
awesome car! I want one!
This car is adorable! Hubby and I have been looking for something a bit smaller than what we have. The space that is there with a car seat in place is so important. I don’t want my daughter to be all cramped in, and I want enough room for another seat if any surprises happen down the road lol. This looks like it would work great!
This sounds like a very good car. I’ve never has a Mazda. Your review really explained them well.
I saw one of these in a show room Saturday. (I was buying a very used Jetta for $1000 haha) It was gorgeous! I jokingly told the salesman I’d rather have it but he said he really didn’t think they’d sell it for the same as the Jetta I bought. Oh, well. It is a great looking car though.
omgoodness, that blue color is SO stunning. I would LOVE one of these!