Mazda3 review - Engines, drive & performance

While many car manufacturers appear to be focused on in-car technology and driving aids ahead of almost anything else, Mazda still feels like a company run by engineers. For its latest model, there's been lots of research into the mechanics of humans and how they connect with the car they're driving. This has resulted in an excellent seating position, with superb ergonomics. It's an uncluttered interior and all the controls are intuitive to operate.

Even the infotainment screen is positioned as high as possible to avoid distracting the driver from the road, and touchscreen functionality has been removed so it's solely operated from a rotary dial on the centre console

Being left to enjoy the drive is no bad thing; the Mazda3 is even better than before, which is impressive. Unwanted body roll is kept in check, without the ride comfort being too stiff or uncomfortable, and the steering and feel of the pedals are real highlights. The car remains composed at all times, and only feels slightly less keen than the Ford Focus to dive into corners, while proving even more fun than the BMW 1 Series. Unlike many rivals, Mazda has managed to keep a sense of connection with the road through the steering, which is also accurate and responsive.

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Mazda3 petrol engines

The entry-level 2.0-litre SkyActive-G engine had 120bhp, lacked a turbocharger and admittedly felt quite lacking low down in the rev-range, but Mazda replaced it in 2024 with a larger 2.5-litre unit for better ‘real-world performance’. We’re yet to drive it, but it sports a punchier 138bhp and is backed up with mild-hybrid tech to make it more economical than it would otherwise be, so we’d expect it to feel better suited to the Mazda3 than the older, smaller engine.

The Mazda3 handles so well that it actually exposed the old 2.0-litre engine for how sluggish it was – happily there’s also the 2.0-litre SkyActiv-X engine with 183bhp, which gives the Mazda3 the power it deserves but is also quite expensive. Unlike any engine before it, the SkyActiv-X is a petrol that uses fuel in a similar way to a diesel engine, with a very high compression ratio. It's also supercharged but Mazda has tuned the engine to feel as much like a naturally-aspirated engine as possible. There isn't a surge of power as the engine gets going but progress builds smoothly all the way up to 6,500rpm.

Acceleration from 0-62mph takes a respectable 8.2 seconds and we suspect the Mazda3 would feel even quicker with this engine if it was geared for performance rather than economy. The sixth gear in the manual gearbox feels as if it’s intended purely for motorway cruising. We've also tried the four-wheel-drive version of the Mazda3 SkyActiv-X but we felt it was unnecessary for most UK drivers, and Mazda must have agreed as it’s no longer available. The extra weight makes the car slightly slower, and the front-wheel-drive car feels more agile.

Diesel engines

The 1.8-litre SkyActiv-D was only available for a few months after the Mazda3 launched, showing just how quickly the manufacturer decided to concentrate purely on petrol and electrified cars. If you do find a used one, it produces 114bhp, getting the Mazda3 from 0-62mph in 10.3 seconds provided you choose the manual gearbox.