Our cars - final report I’m a Mazda3 fanboy!
Our time with the Mazda3 is coming to an end. But would we recommend it to busy families? Richard Bush
We’re coming to the end of our six-month stretch with the Mazda3, and adapting to a hatchback that arguably prioritises style and coolness over practicality has been tough at times. I’ve certainly come to appreciate the personality of the Mazda3 and the fact that it doesn’t just feel like any old family hatch. Its distinct personality ensures there’s something to enjoy behind the wheel, no matter how short or long the trip. The hatchback market tends to be bland and predictable. For many customers, bland and predictable is fine. But for those who want a hatchback that feels different to their last one, or a car that makes you feel something – anything – your options are relatively slim. This is where the Mazda3 excels, albeit at the expense of a few family- related elements.
The drive of the Mazda3 remains its strongest asset. Most hatchbacks have little to no character behind the wheel. Anything approaching fun, or dare we say bohemianism, is diluted. That’s typically reserved for hot hatches. The Mazda3 challenges this norm however, with precise steering, razor-sharp manual gear changes, a cockpit-like driving position and a progressive naturally aspirated engine that can even make edging forward in traffic enjoyable. Don’t get me wrong, the Mazda3 is not an adrenaline-fuelled rocket ship that will have you grinning ear-to-ear, but compared to a bog-standard, A-to-B hatch, it’s practically a race car.
The Mazda3 is without a doubt most enjoyable when driven solo on the open road. And although casual trips to the supermarket can be fun, it was a twisty, long-distance journey, top-to-bottom in Wales that made me a Mazda3 fanboy. It manages to offer a great compromise between comfort and thrills, allowing the
Why we’re running it
to see if the humble hatchback is fit for a family of four.
driver to dial in as much vigour as they wish, whenever they wish – unlike a go-fast or go-home hot hatch.
And the naturally aspirated 2.0-litre petrol engine lends itself to this flexible character, with the lack of a turbo requiring you to rev out the engine – and that extra effort ultimately results in a more rewarding experience. I do wish the practicality of the Mazda3 was a little more finessed, particularly when it comes to boot space. I’m a firm believer that you can squeeze practicality out of pretty much any car, and even with regularly having two young kids and a dog in tow, I’ve managed to stretch the practicality of the Mazda3 to suit my needs. But when transporting things like bikes and Ikea furniture, space hasn’t been ample. With all that said, the Mazda3 has rarely left me wanting for much in the way of space. And for what it lacks in excess
storage, it makes up for in distinctness. Personally, I would much rather have a car with personality, than one void of it but with space for an extra suitcase.
I have previously moaned about the Mazda3’s fiddly rotary dial and its lack of touchscreen controls for its infotainment screen – and I owe Mazda an apology here (or half of one at least). My tech-savvy teenage nephew found a setting buried in the infotainment system that allows you to enable touch controls on the central display – although these only work on Android auto menus, not on Mazda’s own menus. This has made navigating the screen a little easier when driving, although the screen is clearly not set-up to be primarily used as a touchscreen as it sits deeply recessed into the dashboard, almost out of reach. I have
46 | April 2024 |
www.businesscar.co.uk
no idea why touchscreen operation had to be actively enabled for a screen that you’re never going to accidentally press – that seems crazy to me.
Regardless, the Mazda3 still has a special place in my heart. I now properly understand the age-old “car for the weekend” analogy. The Mazda3 is a family car that will happily act as a school run or supermarket companion, but it remains malleable enough to let you act like a big kid.
Mazda3 2.0L E-SKYACTIV G 122ps Centre-Line
P11D price £24,780 As tested £25,615 Official consumption 51.4mpg Our average consumption 38.2mpg Mileage 4,361
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