Mazda has slimmed down its CX-3 vary for 2024, however nonetheless presents a wholesome line-up consisting of 5 trim ranges.

All 2024 fashions now get wi-fi Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, power-folding mirrors, and home windows that may be dropped from the important thing fob.

The Mazda CX-3 shares its underpinnings with the smaller Mazda 2 hatchback, which lately was additionally handled to an replace. It doesn’t stray too removed from its hatchback sibling, as each provide a city-sized package deal with affordable gas economic system.

With a rise in trip top, black cladding across the bumpers, and the modern CX badge although, the CX-3 is courting SUV patrons as a substitute of hatchback lovers like the two.

The CX-3 debuted in 2016 globally, and the Mazda 2 it’s primarily based on dates again to 2014. Most of its rivals are youthful and now provide both a hybrid or extra highly effective engine.

Though it’s an outdated participant within the section, the Mazda CX-3 nonetheless outsells its rivals comfortably. Let’s discover out why.

How does the Mazda CX-3 fare vs its rivals?

View an in depth breakdown of the Mazda CX-3 towards equally sized autos.

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CX-3

How a lot does the Mazda CX-3 G20 Evolve price?

The Mazda CX-3 G20 Evolve is the mid-range variant inside the line-up.

It has a price ticket of $31,050 earlier than on-road prices, which places it intently according to the Nissan Juke ST+ 2WD ($31,140) and the Toyota Yaris Cross GXL 2WD ($31,000).

The pricing can also be inside attain of bigger fashions just like the Hyundai Kona 2WD ($32,000) and Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross ES ($31,490). The bigger Mazda CX-30 is round $1940 costlier to get into than the Evolve on take a look at right here.

Mazda CX-3 pricing:

• 2024 Mazda CX-3 G20 Sport: $26,800
• 2024 Mazda CX-3 G20 Pure: $29,300
• 2024 Mazda CX-3 G20 Evolve: $31,050
• 2024 Mazda CX-3 G20 Touring SP: $34,300
• 2024 Mazda CX-3 G20 Akari: $38,620

All costs exclude on-road prices

What’s the Mazda CX-3 G20 Evolve like on the within?

The Mazda CX-3 G20 Evolve has a novel White Maztex leatherette and Tan Grand Luxe suede inside which appears to be like nice till it’s a wet day and also you realise your white upholstery isn’t going to remain white for very lengthy.

The centre tunnel is all black apart from the chrome bits from the local weather controls, infotainment selector, and drive modes, and it feels modern and fashionable regardless of the CX-3’s age.

There’s room for one 600mL drink bottle forward of the centre console however I did discover the bottle rolls round generally throughout cease/begin visitors.

The centre armrest is comfy whereas driving, it feels smooth and good to the touch. It’s a characteristic we actually missed within the cheaper Mazda 2, so it’s good to see the CX-3 justify its greater worth with a fuller characteristic checklist.

The leather-wrapped gearshift and steering wheel elevate the texture of the inside ever so barely. The steering wheel itself adjusts for attain and tilt, whereas the entrance seats provide handbook adjustment.

There’s an adjustable headrest for the driving force and entrance passenger, in addition to seat again pockets for the second row.

Forward of the steering wheel is a retractable head-up show which is taken from the Mazda 2. I didn’t have any points with visibility throughout the day however the clunky retracting movement is noticeable whenever you flip the automobile on and off, and taller drivers in our crew have complained in regards to the lack of adjustability relative to a extra fashionable projector system.

The air vents, local weather controls, and infotainment show are straight out of a base Mazda 2, and make the automobile really feel barely low cost and outdated in comparison with its bigger sibling, the CX-30.

The infotainment system options wi-fi Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, together with two USB-A ports, an SD card slot, and a 12-volt socket.

The Mazda 2 and CX-3 are the one autos within the vary to nonetheless have the MZD Join infotainment system.

I prevented the native system as a lot as I might as a result of it felt clunky and outdated in comparison with Apple CarPlay. The rotary dial on the transmission tunnel additionally takes some getting used to for many who are used to touching a display screen for an immediate response.

Given the Mazda CX-3 is focused at youthful patrons who’ve grown up with lightning-quick telephones and tablets of their arms, it’s a miss.

Down again, the second row is just a little squishy for tall youngsters or adults, due to the small quantity of house between the primary and second rows. Legroom is tight.

I did attempt to match a child seat in right here, and managed to suit an ultra-compact reversible automobile seat however sadly it left little room for the entrance passenger to journey comfortably. There aren’t any air vents, nor are there USB ports again there.

Boot house is pretty restricted. It has a 264-litre capability which suggests there’s house for a grocery store for one or two folks, and maybe your fitness center bag or a small carry bag;.

In addition to the Suzuki Jimny and Ignis, the CX-3 has one of many smallest boot house capacities in its section. The rear seats fold 60:40, and capability will increase to 1147L with the second row flat.

What’s underneath the bonnet?

The Mazda CX-3 is powered by a 2.0-litre naturally aspirated four-cylinder petrol engine, growing 110kW of energy at 6000rpm and 195Nm of torque at 2800rpm.

It’s now out there completely with front-wheel drive and a six-speed computerized transmission. All fashions have idle cease/begin know-how.

The 2024 Mazda CX-3 makes use of 6.3L/100km on the mixed cycle, we noticed 7.3 litres per 100km on per week skewed to metropolis driving. It runs on 91 RON common unleaded gas and has a 48L gas tank.

How does the Mazda CX-3 G20 Evolve drive?

The CX-3 gained’t blow you away with the way it performs, nevertheless it has sufficient punch for all times within the metropolis.

If you happen to’re the type of driver who hates dropping a visitors gentle drag race, it could actually really feel sluggish off the lights – and the noise within the cabin makes it really feel as if it’s working laborious.

I had the automobile filled with baggage and three adults, and it simply didn’t fairly have the grunt to do it comfortably… which isn’t too stunning, given most CX-3 house owners will spend most of their life inside metropolis limits.

In that context, the cease/begin does work effectively and kicks in pretty shortly in comparison with a few of its rivals. It additionally feels very regular, with no awkward jerks or gear modifications whenever you’re cruising round city. There’s no studying curve right here, it simply does what you’d anticipate.

The engine does take a second to quieten down on a chilly begin although, and when it’s being pushed in the direction of its peak it does sound unsettled.

If you happen to do need extra punch, Kia and Volkswagen provide similarly-sized SUVs with turbocharged engines that may assist scratch that itch.

The suspension feels good and feels effectively tuned for metropolis driving, in case you’re in a position to keep away from the most important, deepest potholes popping up on the roadworks-affected streets round our workplace.

We’ve all the time mentioned the dealing with of the CX-3 is considered one of its highlights, and that is still the case with the 2024 mannequin. It’s enjoyable to drive, and makes zipping round tight metropolis streets pleasing as a substitute of a chore. It additionally feels extra planted and assured on the street, together with on the highways, than the bottom Mazda 2 we drove lately.

If you happen to plan to drive on the freeway as your each day commute, the CX-3 won’t really feel as robust in comparison with its rivals.
Though it’s planted and assured within the metropolis, on the freeway I did discover it was working laborious to maintain up with visitors whenever you come to an entire cease and must hit excessive speeds in a brief house of time.

One factor to notice is the auto-hold operate doesn’t keep on when you flip off the automobile. I hate retaining my foot on the brake throughout cease/begin metropolis visitors and I’m glad Mazda included the characteristic within the CX-3 because the Mazda 2 missed, however having to press the button each time appears redundant and albeit annoying.

The protection suite out there within the CX-3 Evolve is well-equipped for drivers who’re simply beginning out or those that have been on the street for years. The visitors signal recognition was attentive to altering visitors situations and the blind-spot monitor could be very useful contemplating Mazda’s zoomed driver-side mirror could be off-putting generally.

What do you get?

There are 5 trim ranges within the 2024 CX-3 vary.

CX-3 G20 Sport highlights:

• 16-inch alloy wheels
• Energy-folding exterior mirrors
• 8.0-inch infotainment display screen
• Wired Android Auto
• Wi-fi, wired Apple CarPlay
• 6-speaker sound system
• DAB+ digital radio
• Tilt and telescopic steering column adjustment
• Material upholstery
• Electrical parking brake with auto maintain
• Keyless begin
• Air-conditioning
• Cruise management
• Energy home windows
• 1 x 12V outlet

CX-3 G20 Pure provides:

• Rain-sensing wipers
• Computerized LED headlights
• Computerized high-beam
• LED daytime working lights
• Head-up show
• Satellite tv for pc navigation
• Leather-based-wrapped steering wheel
• Local weather management air-conditioning
• Auto-dimming rear-view mirror

CX-3 G20 Evolve provides:

• 18-inch alloy wheels
• Maztex leatherette/Grand Luxe suede upholstery

CX-3 G20 Touring SP provides:

• Heated power-folding exterior mirrors
• LED entrance fog lights
• LED tail lights
• Heated entrance seats
• Leather-based/Grand Luxe suede upholstery
• Energy driver’s seat with lumbar adjustment
• Keyless entry

CX-3 G20 Akari provides:

• Single-pane sunroof
• Adaptive LED headlights
• Leather-based upholstery
• 7-speaker Bose sound system
• 360-degree digicam

Is the Mazda CX-3 G20 Evolve secure?

The Mazda CX-3 is at present unrated by security authority ANCAP, as its five-star score from 2015 has now expired.

All fashions come commonplace with the next security gear:

• Autonomous emergency braking (AEB)
  • Ahead, reverse
  • Metropolis speeds
• Blind-spot monitoring
• Rear cross-traffic alert
• Entrance, front-side and curtain airbags
• Reversing digicam
• Rear parking sensors

CX-3 G20 Pure provides:

• Driver consideration alert
• Lane departure warning

CX-3 G20 Evolve provides:

CX-3 G20 Touring SP will get:

• Adaptive cruise management with cease/go
• AEB with Pedestrian, Bicycle owner detection
• Ahead collision warning
• Site visitors signal recognition

How a lot does the Mazda CX-3 G20 Evolve price to run?

The Mazda CX-3 is backed by a five-year, unlimited-kilometre guarantee and 5 years of roadside help.

Servicing is required each 12 months or 15,000km. The primary 5 companies are capped at $334, $526, $412, $526 and $334 respectively.

CarExpert’s Tackle the Mazda CX-3 G20 Evolve

Whereas the Mazda CX-3 stays king (or queen) of the sunshine SUV section gross sales charts, slowly rivals are creeping in with higher powertrains, know-how, and extra space.

Though there are some nice options within the mid-spec Evolve, it misses out on stuff like keyless entry, energy seat adjustment, and heated entrance seats. With that in thoughts, the Pure is the higher worth choose.

It sits slightly below $30,000 earlier than on-road prices, however all it misses relative to the Evolve are the white inside and fancy wheels.

There’s quite a lot of competitors for the CX-3, and it’s beginning to really feel its age. Though it nonetheless appears to be like good, inside and outside, it’s not fairly as dominant as its gross sales figures would have you ever consider.

It’s effectively price a take a look at drive, however know there are many rivals price take a look at driving alongside it.

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