The Mazda3 should make you reconsider that heavy, impractical SUV or the overpriced prestige European cars. If you’re money smart, you’ll take a test drive…
The Mazda3 is basically a luxury sports sedan. It’s beautifully styled, elegantly finished, laden with features, and although it’s not as energetically zippy as it once was — a pleasure to drive. The Mazda3 brings high-end experience at relatively affordable prices — starting from Php1,295,000
With a chic exterior design (the Mazda3 won the 2020 World Car Design of the Year award) and an interior fit-out to match, the Mazda 3 is a car that owners will be proud to show off. If you’re familiar with all the details of the car’s design, this new generation seems conservative at first, breaking little new ground over the 2014-2018 model. But the seemingly small adjustments work wonders to move the vehicle upscale. By straightening out curves and simplifying details, designers sculpted the new Mazda3 into a small car with much more presence and class. Slimmer, more angular headlights and taillights are crisply detailed, and the front end leans forward.
One look inside the 2020 Mazda3’s cabin and you’ll realize this is no ordinary small car. Even the base model with its cloth seats and black interior looks stylish. Most other trims get a convincing synthetic Leatherette, while top-line cars get the real thing. Soft-touch materials abound, covering the dash, door panels and center armrest. Cool white light illuminates the gauges and switchgear, while a bright 8.8-inch view screen serves as the hub for the audio and navigation. Mazda has upped the ante with this generation of Mazda3.
The touchscreen infotainment system itself looks incredible. It is well integrated into the dash and appears more like a work of art than a tablet slapped onto the dashboard. It works well with an intuitive menu system, but navigating Apple CarPlay using a rotary dial is annoying and time-consuming while on the move.
In terms of passenger space, both the front and rear seats are roomy, although headroom gets a little tight for taller people in the back. The back seats have air vents and cup holders, but no USB recharging ports – an important consideration for ferrying device-addicted children around. The Mazda3 also has provisions for roof rack mounting points.
The 2.0l inline four cylinder engine produces 152 hp and 200Nm of torque doesn’t sound like much but it’s one hell of a car to drive. The Mazda Jinba Ittai philosophy is still there, it feels balanced and poised so you feel one with the car. This is why i suggest you test drive the Mazda3 before any others on your shortlist. Because once you get a first-hand understanding how good this SkyActiv-G engine is, you may not go back. Or at least, you might be less inclined to mistakenly buy something German.
The steering is quite light, however, with little feedback from the front tires. After a few minutes behind the wheel, you know the rear tires will follow the fronts dutifully – there is no hint of rear roll stiffness that might make the handling any more playful. I’d love to see what lowering springs and a big rear anti-roll bar might do to awaken the soul within this car, but Mazda’s playing in the premium compact game now. Mazda’s engineers have done such a good job that the 3 retains its status as the most athletic car in its class. With its taut architecture and excellent steering feel, Mazda’s compact sedan and hatchback are made to carve corners. Even more impressive are this new Mazda3’s newfound levels of quiet. It has the hushed ride of a premium car.
Similar to many Mazda models, the 2020 Mazda 3 boasts an excellent array of safety features, including seven airbags (which includes a driver's knee airbag) along with high and low-speed autonomous emergency braking (AEB) with pedestrian detection.
The AEB even works while reversing the car, a rare feature in the small car segment.
Adaptive cruise control makes longer freeway drives effortless by automatically accelerating and braking the vehicle to maintain a safe distance from other vehicles.
The lane keep assistance system is best described as brash. At first, it vibrates the steering wheel if you meander out of the lane. If you continue to stray, it flashes up warnings on the digital instrument panel and gently steers the car back into the lane.
It doesn’t have that SUV-style commanding view of the road ahead, and the curvaceous concept car-inspired design makes rearward vision average.
However, the blind spot detection system is excellent, flashing a small signal on the left or right side of the head-up display to tell you if there's another vehicle close by.
Other nice touches are the LED “angel” lights at the front and rear that book-end the flowing bodywork and look spectacular.
he new Mazda 3 is an impressive machine. It feels like a big step forward from both the technology and styling fronts. Out on the open road it soaks up the miles and despite Mazda cutting a corner with the torsion beam rear suspension, it feels confidence
Mazda hangs its hat on building vehicles that are enjoyable to drive, and the Mazda3 most certainly is that. Additionally, it is exceptionally safe, is quite practical, and looks and feels like luxury at a mainstream price. If we were spending our money in this segment, the buyer really is spoilt for choice. The Mazda 3 presents very well. There are a couple of flaws however: tight rear quarters and lack of midrange punch. Mazda can’t do much about the former, but for 2021 the Mazda3 will be available with a turbocharged version of the 2.5L four – making 250 hp and 320 lb-ft of torque – that will push this impressive compact further upmarket.
PRICES
Mazda 3 1.5 Elite Sedan: Php 1,295,000
Mazda 3 1.5 Elite Hatchback: Php 1,320,000
Mazda 3 2.0 Premium Sedan: 1,495,000
Mazda 3 2.0 Premium Hatchback: 1,510,000
Mazda 3 2.0 100Anniversary Sportback:
Php 1,570,000
Mazda 3 2.0 Speed Sportback: Php 1,590,000
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