Revscene Reviews: 2016 Mazda3 GT Sedan
 

Review: 2016 Mazda3 GT Sedan



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Photo Credit: Edmunds.com/Mazda
Since 2004, the replacement for the outgoing Mazda Protege, the Mazda3, has been the choice for people who wanted a commuter car with a soul. While most vehicles in the compact economy segment are cheap, they also severely lack any sort of driving feel, the word "appliance" coming to mind. While some companies resorted to creating "sportier" models by using larger engines, the core of the car is the same, kind of like that one uncle we all have that tries to be cool by attempting to wear sunglasses indoors. In the case of the Mazda3, the entire car is like the cool cousin we looked up to growing up, engineered from top to bottom to create driving dynamics that work in complete harmony. Over ten years later, the formula has been continually improved, still outshining other cars in the segment in terms of driving quality, but does tone down a few things in exchange.


(Full Disclosure: Due to inclement weather during my time with the car, I was unable to properly take photos of the vehicle itself. As such, press photos are used for this review, with all sources and credis given.)

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Photo Credit: Edmunds.com/Mazda
Moving well away from the polarizing smiley face of the last generation, the company's "Kodo" design language is well evident in the overall styling of the Mazda3. The body has swooping lines and curves that give the car a fluid look, put together with a slightly aggressive front end with a surprisngly ling hood. The GT tester I recieved had the 18-inch alloy wheels, which worked very well against the metallic bronze paint. While the hatchback is well known to have plenty of space for hauling enough of the IKEA catalog to furnish a small apartment, the sedan has a cavernous trunk that has more than enough room for a full grocery run.


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Photo Credit: Edmunds.com/Mazda


Under the hood of the GT is the 2.5L 4-cylinder. While some say that the 2.0 of the lower trims is a bit anemic, the larger engine is definitely worth the additional cost. At 184hp and 185lb/ft of torque, the engine has a bit of urgency when called upon. A touch noisier than similarly sized engines I've listened to, it does contribute to the overall experience that this is a car that wants you to enjoy your commute, especially when opened up to merge on the highways. Throttle response is quite good, considering I never felt hesitant when needing to quckly change lanes in moving traffic. The Skyactiv technology, a combination of technological and engine developments to improve fuel economy and power, allowed me well over a 250km range over half a tank of fuel on my mostly highway commute, not a bad figure considering my daily driver is a diesel.



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Photo Credit: Edmunds.com/Mazda


Inside, my GT tester was loaded to the teeth with every possible accessory available. Navigation, paddle shifters, LED headlights, sunroof, leather, backup camera, Bluetooth, heads-up display, you name it, it was there. Sitting in the driver's seat, it was well-bolstered, comfy enough to sit in for long drives, and supportive when cornering. Cabin visibility was good, lateral blind spot checking not an issue. The sunroof did take a bit from headroom and does create a small problem with seeing over the front of the car for taller folks. Road noise was adequate for a car of its class, insulated well enough to not create much complaint at highway speeds. The dial-based controls for the audio and navigation system takes getting used to, but becomes second nature very quickly. The Bose sound system was loud and clear, perfect for when you want to bump that one driving-related Ludacris track that comes up on the satellite radio.


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Photo Credit: Edmunds.com/Mazda


Driving the car itself was quite lively, and I have to say it was an improvement over the last generation due to the change from a Ford-based platform to one developed in-house by Mazda. Steering was a touch heavy at all speeds, but it was the kind of weight that instills confidence in car control, responding without hesitation. The suspension had a stiffness that kept the car planted when going into corners, the Mazda happy to rotate a bit when pushed into a sharper curve. Bumps were soaked up adequately even with the harder suspension, only the nastiest of divots causing a jolt up the spine. The automatic transmission was surprisingly decent, not lagging when asked to downshift, and pleasant to use with the flappy paddles. It would have been nice to see how well the car drives with a manual, but for most, the autobox will be the selected option.


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Photo Credit: Edmunds.com/Mazda


The Mazda3 starts at $17,270 for the base vehicle with the 2.0L engine. The 2.5L GT as tested with full features and the Bose sound system is $29,270. While this does price up close to some enthusiast-oriented vehicles (and therefore not directly competing with the likes of those cars), the balance of luxury-like features and driving dynamics renders the current Mazda3 GT as a well sorted out daily driver for the person that wants an economy car without feeling like they're driving something boring.

Exterior 8/10
Interior 7.5/10
Tech 9/10
Powertrain 8.5/10
Noise 8/10
Economy 8/10
Overall: 49/60

A car review without a single photo of your own just doesn't cut it.

Brave the rain/wind
Underground parkade
Followup photoshot
Even pictures from a smartphone.

I daily drove the car between work and home, and consistently returned home when there was no light to the point that smartphone photos would look like garbage, and no parkades within range. Because it was a long weekend and I had to return the car early, I had no time to take pictures, and this is the first time I've reviewed anything with a write up.

Next time I'll have potato-quality, smartphone pictures, or do you just want me to give up while I'm ahead?

thank you for your valuable input. Rest assured the next one will be done better. Scheduling conflicts from the long weekend kind of messed up things.

apologies readers.

Don't get me wrong, you spent time to write up a review...props to you! Just the saying of "a picture is worth a thousand words" couldn't be more suitable than for a car review. Also since this generation of mazda 3 is in its 3rd model year, a few words on any updates would also go a long way to entice readers.

I look forward to your future reviews.

Ok review, but nothing new that I haven't read anywhere else. Reads more as a promotional piece IMO. I think future reviews would be better with more depth. I would be interested in knowing how certain parts of the cabins materials feel, how it handled in inclement weather, was the HUD worth the extra $$$, etc.

pretty solid review.


really shows how this is actually one of the top tier cars in its segment.

As a Mazda fan, I agree that the Mazda3 is very, very nice. IMO, it is really the best handling (new) small car in the market right now. Especially when it is equipped with the 2.5L SA engine, the car really hauls -- the rich mid range torque curve makes the car feel much faster than it is actually capable of, and that makes it perfect for street / highway use. The fact that the car can (theoretically) be had with a 6MT also makes it incredible -- it would make for a great all-rounder if I can only have 1 car.

One problem I see with the Mazda3 is -- despite all of its strengths, the majority of the market are still going to flock to its archrival -- the Honda Civic. Except for the grotesque stuff from the C-pillar and after, there is no question that the 2016 Civic is an awesome vehicle as well. But given its qualities and capabilities, the Mazda3 is definitely not getting enough attention and purchases it deserves compared to the Civic.

6 speed manual hatch w/ 2.5L motor. that'll be a great all rounder.


lots of tech, good build quality.


pretty strong resale too. Great Civic and Corolla Alternative. The new Civic has taken it up a notch, and i have yet to drive one... will see how the newest one compares to the 3!

the CVT on the civic turbo i rode along in the passenger seat was crap. Car felt dull and no urgency from the turbo.

I've always liked the mazda 3, unfortunately it's still overshadowed by civics and corollas, which is really sad because the 3 is a more capable and better packaged car.

I haven't tried the L15B7 Civic yet, but I've driven and even flogged the new K20C2 Civic a bit. The response from the CVT does seem a bit slow for enthusiastic driving, but I wouldn't call it "crap". IMO, you really have to see that the Civic is on a different mission compared to the Mazda3 -- they are shooting for the general consumer crown that just wants a basic, comfy, and reliable point A to point B car. For that purpose, the Civic is a grand slam home run, whereas the Mazda3 is probably only a solo homer.

funnily enough the mazda 3 hatchback is in the cards for my family. altho the ultimate decision goes to the wife
it fit the checkboxes i needed as it will be primarily the wife's car
under 30k
not an suv
not ugly
4 doors or more
room to grow, fits forward facing baby carrier
not gutless
automatic
good fuel economy

I quite liked it after a test drive
decent handling
good quality feel for an econobox
decent power in the 2.5 , an ecu reflash away from +25whp/tq
decent transmission in automatic form, small tq converter, clutch pack and real box
quite good fuel economy
fairly torquey down low in the place where it will spend 99% of its life

Just need the 3year 0% financing to be stretched to 4-6yrs once the 2017's start to trickle in.

I compared it to similar cars in its class (only looking at japanese cars)
corolla - lacked the power i wanted, altho looking decent in the s trim, that and its a corolla.
civic - i've never liked any honda in any form of automatic. worse yet cvt too. if manual was a choice, it would have been considered. also havent driven the new turbo motor but im not expecting miracles, 1.5L turbo will still be fairly torqueless to move a 3000+lb monster at around town speeds.
prius - new one its hideous
prius v - expensive if it was 5k less
wrx - fuel consumption, extra maintenance for axles, diffs, for basically a daily pointless, altho i like the styling.
sentra - cvt, see civic above

as with most cars under 30k there isnt really anything that wows, but the mazda 3 was at least fun to drive and didnt feel cheap.

i havent liked the civic since post EM1, mainly the time they stopped using double wishbones.
Honda did knock it out of the park with the EF, EG, EK generations.
and i feel honda knocked it out of the park into the wrong field since.

I like the new Mazda 3.... alot!