2018 MAZDA 3 ESSENTIALS: THE BEST SMALL CAR YOU CAN GET?

2018 MAZDA 3 ESSENTIALS: THE BEST SMALL CAR YOU CAN GET?
That depends on what you need your compact car to do, but Mazda’s little 3 could well fit your needs
The Mazda 3 for sale is well built, handles nicely and is good-looking. It’s been an Autoweek favorite for years. Our tester, the Grand Touring version, is the top of the line, above the Sport and Touring models. Touring and Grand Touring get you a half-liter more displacement and 29 hp more than Sport, but really you’d likely be happy with any 3.
The Mazda 3’s look was subtly upgraded in 2017 inside and out. For 2018 the 3 got more standard equipment including City Brake Support (autonomous low-speed braking) and LED headlights with auto leveling (on the Grand Touring). All models now have standard G-Vectoring Control -- the system uses software to put more load on the front wheels during turn in, aiding grip, responsiveness and handling.









“Once again,” says the Mazda press kit, “the Mazda spirit has been embodied in a compact car that is designed to be driven.”
I don’t usually agree with an automaker’s press kit but this time I mostly do. Mazda puts plenty of effort toward making driver’s cars, and if this car had a six-speed manual, and Volkswagen’s Golf didn’t exist, I’d remove “mostly” from the last sentence. With its quick steering and excellent ride/handling balance, the Mazda 3 is indeed an appealing driver.
It’d be even more so with a manual trans, but this example was fitted with the optional six-speed auto. The 2.5-liter equipped version accelerates quickly and smoothly for the most part and the automatic is smooth enough. And while the car isn’t really a hot hatch (with either transmission) at least the manual would let me get the most from the four and put the light, nimble chassis to best use.
I’m just going to add here that after five days of not driving on vacation, this 3 was a great little sedan to get back to. It’s not just the Miata that’s tuned properly by Mazda. The steering, in particular, is near perfect in this era of electric power assist. It feels dialed in on-center and has just the right weight buildup as the wheel turns.
It IS small. It’s tough with two cars seats in the back and two adults up front. It’ll get easier though when all of the kids are in forward-facing seats. As I write that I’m trying to decide if any family of four would go for this over a small crossover in today’s market. The Mazda 3 outsold the CX-3 crossover 3-to-1 in June, and about the same over the first six months of this year. So that’s good news. Maybe Mazda buyers are looking for a little more fun in their daily driving, hence fewer crossovers. On the other hand, it sold even more CX-5s than 3s and CX-3s combined, so maybe families are just stepping up a size.
This is a car that I would and do recommend often. If you’re in the market for a pre-owned Mazda 3 - visit Group 1 Cars here.



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