The Mazda 3 has become Mazda’s fastest selling model with total sales of over six million units globally, mainly because it has always offered customers a practical, value for money vehicle with typical Japanese reliability. Mazda hopes to continue with these massive sales figures with the newly redesigned 2019 Mazda 3, which also includes new technologies to further increase its desirability over its competitors.
SLEEK EXTERIOR
Mazda says it designed the new 2019 Mazda 3 to resemble an animal pouncing, so be prepared to get that imagination working when you first see the exterior design. Either way, you will immediately notice the 2019 Mazda 3 as a beautifully designed vehicle, with a sporty, sleek and agile looking exterior. A high waistline, sloping rear roofline, LED head lights and a huge grilled all help add to that powerful, menacing, aggressive yet sleek pouncing animal look.
Around the back end, the 2019 Mazda 3 can appear to look rather heavy, the C-pillars look huge which in turn means large rear wings, giving the wheels a misleadingly small appearance. The wide haunches, narrow LED tail lights and dual exhaust really help showcase the powerful sportiness of the design.
ELEGANT INTERIOR
The interior of the 2019 Mazda 3 is its best asset! Even the base model gets excellent levels of equipment and exceptionally good quality materials throughout. Mazda uses a variety of soft touch materials giving it a prestigious feel to the interior. A large, padded centre console separates the driver and front passenger and contains a great amount of storage space.
The ergonomic interior has intuitively placed controls, with a selector wheel to operate the touch screen infotainment system. Visibility could be improved due to the massive C-pillar restricting the view out of the rear of the car. Thankfully, a crystal clear reversing camera helps out when parking. The high waistline of the vehicle also gives poor visibility for rear seat passengers, especially little ones who will find it difficult to see outside. Leg room in the rear of the 2019 Mazda 3 is slightly restricted, which is common amongst the compact sedan class, so getting three large passengers in the back will be a tight fit.
All models get Apple and Android connectivity as standard and a variety of USB ports to help keep devices charged during your journey. Considering the compact nature of the car, cargo space is surprisingly huge. Two large cases and then some can be stored in the cavernous trunk, however a large lip may make it difficult when trying to load and unload heavy objects.
Overall, the interior feels sporty and beautifully designed. Soft touch materials everywhere, an uncluttered dash and the optional two tone leather all create a most inviting and luxurious interior space.
PERFORMANCE AND DRIVE
The GX entry level model comes equipped with a punchy 2.0L four cylinder engine producing 155hp and pairs with either a six speed manual or automatic transmission. The top of the line Mazda 3 GT gets a slightly larger 2.5L engine outputting 186hp and comes with the optional AWD configuration. While all the different combinations of engine, drivetrain and transmission will affect the mileage, it’s safe to say that the 2019 Mazda 3 achieves an impressive fuel consumption regardless of the power plant setup.
The previous year Mazda 3s suffered from a large amount of cabin noise, but thankfully, this has been addressed in the 2019 version and the interior does a great job of insulating the engine and road noise resulting in a quieter ride at all speeds.
Equipped as standard on all models is the G-Vectoring Control Plus (GVC Plus) system, which helps to improve handling and braking, creating a driving experience that’s more comfortable for drivers and passengers. For customers wanting increased performance and handling, Mazda offers the i-Activ all-wheel drive system which continuously monitors changes in driving conditions to forecast potential loss of traction in rain, sleet or snow.
Despite the low horsepower by the numbers, the 2019 Mazda 3 never feels like it’s lacking power. Great handling, precise steering and peppy accelerations help the 2019 Mazda 3 delivers a sporty and memorable driving experience.
FINAL THOUGHTS
The 2019 Mazda 3 is offered at $18,000 for the well-equipped base model GX and tops out at $26,200 for the top of the line GT model. This well balanced ride with a luxurious interior offers great value for money and should make every shopper’s short list.
