2017 Mazda 3 Review

The 2017 Mazda 3 should be right at the top of your list if you're looking for a compact car that doesn't feel cheap or entry-level. For the last several years, the Mazda 3 has been one of our favorite compact cars thanks to its upscale interior, fun-to-drive personality and easy-to-use infotainment controls. And this year, the Mazda 3 gets a host of small improvements, including an updated dashboard design and changes that Mazda says help improve both handling and ride comfort. The best, it appears, just keeps on getting better.

Practicality and versatility are still part of the Mazda 3's repertoire, too. It is available as either a sedan or hatchback, so you can pick the hatchback if you need some added cargo-carrying capacity. And on the 3's higher trim levels, Mazda offers some advanced features to choose from, such as adaptive cruise control, a recently updated (in color instead of monochrome) head-up display and a special i-Eloop package that helps boost fuel economy.

As good as the 3 is, though, you might also want to check out a few other cars. The 2017 Honda Civic is another favorite of ours thanks to its roomy and well-appointed interior and sporty performance. The 2017 Ford Focus is also worth a closer look, as is the redesigned 2017 Chevrolet Cruze. And if you're looking for something with a bit more value, check out the chic but affordable 2017 Kia Forte. Overall, though, the 2017 Mazda 3 is a great choice.

Standard safety equipment on the 2017 Mazda 3 includes antilock disc brakes, stability and traction control, active front head restraints, a rearview camera, front side airbags and side curtain airbags. Low-speed forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking and a blind-spot monitoring system with rear cross-traffic alert come standard on Touring and Grand Touring models. Other optional safety equipment includes a lane departure warning and intervention system and a more capable forward collision warning and mitigation/braking system.

In Edmunds testing, a Mazda 3 Grand Touring hatchback came to a stop from 60 mph in 120 feet, which is an average distance for the segment.

The 2017 Mazda 3 crash test ratings have not yet been released, but the 2016 ratings have been. And because the car's structure hasn't changed significantly, those ratings will likely carry over. In government crash testing, the Mazda 3 received five out of five stars for overall crash protection, with five stars for total front-crash protection and five stars for total side-crash protection. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) gave the Mazda 3 the highest possible rating of Good in its moderate-overlap and small-overlap front-impact crash tests. The 3 also earned a Good rating for the side-impact, roof strength and head restraint/seat (whiplash protection) tests.

The 2017 Mazda 3 is a compact car available as a four-door sedan or a five-door hatchback. Both are available in four different trim levels: Sport, Touring, Touring 2.5 and Grand Touring.

A huge part of the 2017 Mazda 3's appeal is how well it drives. With both the 2.0-liter and 2.5-liter engines, the 3 accelerates quickly and smoothly. Given the choice, we'd go with the bigger 2.5-liter engine, though, because it is more powerful without sacrificing much in the way of fuel economy. Shifts from the six-speed automatic transmission are quick and smooth as well.

In the past, we've criticized the Mazda 3 for having a rough ride with the 18-inch wheels and tires. This year, though, several updates were made to the suspension in an effort to remedy that ride stiffness. We haven't had the chance to fully test this new suspension yet; we also haven't driven the Mazda 3 with its new G-Vectoring Control, designed to improve handling. We'll update this review once we've thoroughly tested both.

The interior of the 2017 Mazda 3 has been one of the best in its class for several years, and this year it appears to have become even better. The cabin is full of high-quality panels, materials and switches, all of which are laid out in a logical and user-friendly manner. What's more, the Mazda 3 feels upscale in its class thanks to features such as imitation-leather or leather upholstery standard on almost all models, a color head-up display, adaptive LED headlights and adaptive cruise control. Most of that stuff just isn't offered on many of the Mazda 3's competitors.

Previously criticized for looking a bit tacked-on, the Mazda 3's center console screen gets a new housing this year that helps it look slightly better integrated into the dashboard. The screen itself is operated with a BMW/Audi-esque center console knob that makes commands extremely simple and quick. But if you don't like the knob, the crisp 7-inch center display is also a touchscreen, which makes it ideal for either preference. Few systems in the compact car class are as likable.

Also top of their class are the 3's front seats. They are very comfortable on long road trips, yet they're sufficiently bolstered to hold you in place during enthusiastic driving (which you'll probably want to do a lot of in this highly enjoyable-to-drive car). Rear seats are comfortable, but legroom is an inch or two behind class leaders. Rivals such as the Toyota Corolla or the Volkswagen Jetta offer more room for adults to get comfortable or for bulky child car seats. The sedan's 12.4-cubic-foot trunk is a bit small for the class and so is the hatchback, with 20.2 cubic feet of cargo storage behind the rear seats. When you fold the seats flat in the hatchback, though, it opens up to 47.1 cubic feet of storage, which is a few cubes above average.