Mazda 3 cars

About the Mazda 3

Despite its tough competition, the Mazda 3 is still one of the most desirable family hatchbacks on the used market, thanks to its great styling, economy, practicality, driving feel and overall quality. 

Its main rivals are the Volkswagen Golf, Ford Focus and the Mercedes-Benz A-Class. However, despite this tough competition, we think the ‘3’ has the edge because of its looks and interior quality. 

When it came out in 2003, the ‘3’ sat above the Mazda 2 hatchback but below the larger Mazda 6 saloon, and filled a niche in the market for being a car that could take on the popular mid-sized hatchback market. 

Is the Mazda 3 reliable?

Being a Mazda, you’d expect the ‘3’ to be very reliable – and it is. It scores consistently well among recognised consumer surveys and therefore isn’t likely to cause you any trouble.  

The Mazda 3 scored a full five-star rating following its Euro NCAP crash testing, thanks to its excellent onboard safety features. 

Standard kit includes nine airbags, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross traffic alert, hill-start assist, intelligent speed assist, lane-keep assist, lane departure warning and a driver attention alert system. 

It’s pretty safe to say that the Mazda 3 is an all-round reliable and safe family hatchback that punches way above its weight. 

It’s also worth remembering that when you buy a used car from us, you get a free 90-day warranty that can be upgraded to cinchCare to ensure the longevity of your vehicle in due course. 

What are the Mazda 3 features?

Inside, the Mazda 3 is a very pleasant place to be and offers an interior quality you'd expect to find on a car double the price. It’s full of soft-touch materials and leather throughout, creating a very comfortable atmosphere.  

Newer models come as standard with an 8.8-inch infotainment system display and a partially digital gauge cluster, which works very well and can be connected to your smartphone via Apple CarPlay or Android Auto. 

All the controls are driver-focused and everything is placed well throughout the cabin. Another thing that Mazda has absolutely nailed with the 3’s interior is the steering wheel, which feels expensive to the touch, and the gear selector that's ergonomically pleasing and shifts like the manual found in the sporty MX-5 models. 

There’s a total of 351 litres of boot space available and enough room in the cabin to comfortably seat four people, with the option of five if needed.

What's the Mazda 3 like to drive?

The two most common engine options available on the used market are either a 2.0-litre petrol engine that produces 122hp or a 116hp 1.8-litre diesel engine. 

If you drive a lot of miles, then you should probably consider choosing diesel over petrol because it will return greater fuel economy and is happier on longer motorway journeys. 

However, if you tend to do shorter drives or you like a sportier feel, go for the 2.0-litre petrol. 

Older models can be available with other engine options such as a 1.5-litre diesel, but this isn’t available on nearly-new or current brand-new models.