Our cars
Boring family stuff - don’t read
We take a look at a bunch of the smaller, family-related practicality features of the Mazda3.
Richard Bush
If you haven’t got kids, stop right now! This article will probably bore you. The thing is, spec sheets can only tell you so much about a car’s practicality – especially when it comes to whether it’s fit for families. After driving the Mazda3 for four months now, I’ve started to properly get a feel for just how practical it is – and some of my favourite features are, admittedly, quite bland. From a cabin practicality point of view, I’ve found the Mazda3 to be pretty solid. The glovebox is big enough for wipes, spare nappies, sweets and tissues, the door bins will swallow large sports bottles and fistfuls of receipts, and the centre arm rest is wide enough to share elbow room and a bag of sweets – even with those in the rear. I also appreciate that the two cup holders up-front are next to each other and not in tandem – the latter set-up being impractical and confusing, especially when you and your passenger have the same coffee order.
The large storage space in front of the cup holders has been my go-to chuck-it spot for my phone, keys and wallet – which means that the under arm storage in the centre console always remains completely clear, which is ideal for road trips that require snacks.
The middle seat in the rear has proven to be road trip-friendly as well, as an adult can comfortably sit for a reasonable amount of time with a child seat either side of them. This is a godsend when one of the kids is having a meltdown and requires one of us to sit back. And this is where the snack bag-friendly centre arm rest really comes
Mazda3 2.0L E-SKYACTIV G 122ps Centre-Line
P11D price £24,780 As tested £25,615 Official consumption 51.4mpg Our average consumption 38mpg Mileage 2,837
Standard equipment: Dual zone cli mate con trol, DAB ra dio, cruise con trol, high beam con trol, in teg rated Mazda nav ig a tion sys tem with 10.25in TFT colour centre display, wireless Apple Car play and Android Auto, front and rear park ing sensors, re vers ing cam era, QI wire less char ging for smart phone
into play. Everything about the Mazda3’s curvy design says that the boot should be impractical, but honestly, I haven’t really found that to be the case. We recently bought a single bed and managed to transport its constructed frame in the car with little issue. The rear of the Mazda3 might be sleeker than your average hatchback, but the curved design of the glass gives you a handy pocket of space for long objects to nestle. The dropped boot floor has a lot to do with the Mazda3’s disguised flexibility. I’ll be the first to criticise a car with a high load lip, but I’m willing to give the Mazda3 a pass, given how much extra practicality the dropped boot floor adds. Without it, our dog’s travel crate wouldn’t fit in. But it’s not all sunshine, rainbows and lovely arm rests. There’s something that’s been bugging me. I’ve long praised the Mazda3’s drive, from its steering to its physical driving position. I love how the
centre arm rest is the perfect height to facilitate flick-of-the-wrist gear changes. I love the thin, easy to grip steering wheel, figure-hugging seat, quick-access climate control buttons and the HUD display, which keeps your eyes glued to the road. But I just can’t get behind Mazda’s rotary dial that’s used to control the infotainment system. At times, it can completely ruin the Mazda3’s near-perfect driving experience. The idea behind this rotary dial is to ensure the driver can navigate the car’s infotainment system without taking their eyes off the road. Unfortunately, in practice, this doesn’t quite work. As the rotary dial only allows you to scroll left/right or up/ down, you’ll frequently find yourself sifting through various unwanted options before getting to the one you want. Not only does this take longer than if you were using a touchscreen – the Mazda3’s screen being non-touch by the way – but you ultimately end up looking down at the rotary in frustration and thus taking your eyes off the road anyway. If it had a touchscreen, and the rotary dial was merely an option, not a necessity, that would likely solve this issue.
Why we’re running it
to see if the humble hatchback is fit for a family of four.
46 | February 2024 |
www.businesscar.co.uk
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53
