Used 2021 Mazda 3 Hatchback Consumer Reviews
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You Don’t Want to Stop Driving It
Clayton R, 06/09/2021
2021 Mazda 3 2.5 Turbo 4dr Hatchback AWD (2.5L 4cyl Turbo 6A)
73 of 73 people found this review helpful
There’s one huge problem with this car— it is so fun that you don’t want to stop driving it! The 2.5 turbo is superb. It has plenty of power and torque but is also efficient. For the first few days, you’ll want to drive it like you stole it because it seriously takes corners like no other car I’ve driven and has acceleration and passing power like something out of a luxury car. The AWD paired with the turbo really helps keep the car planted and under control when aggressively stepping down on the accelerator. While it’s very peppy, the engine remains very modest and quiet when you’re driving normal or idling. I will also add that it’s paired with a silky smooth transmission that shifts effortlessly. No CVT or DCT! Just a perfect transmission made directly by Mazda. The safety features on this car are also fantastic. The adaptive cruise control is very smooth and offers four different spacing options between you and the car in front of your. The lane keep assist is not very evasive in its steering or keeping you in the lane, which is great, and the blind spot monitor is extremely helpful given the huge blind spots in the hatchback. Those are the only safety systems I’ve tested so far, and they’ve excelled my expectations. Also, the safety systems link into the head up display, which is even more brilliant. The audible warnings associated with the systems sound great and don’t scare the heck of you when they go off. The infotainment system and interior components… WOW. Amazing. I love the fact that it doesn’t have a touchscreen, honestly. Mazda makes you use a rotary dial, with a cool clicking sound as you turn it, to control all aspects of the infotainment so that you keep your eyes peeled on the road. At first it thought that would’ve been an issue, but after using it, I wouldn’t want it any other way. Not only is it much easier than having to reach for the screen, but it keeps fingerprints off the screen, which are huge pet peeve of many. The infotainment system itself is very fast, has no lag navigating from menu to menu, and the graphics are super bright and crystal clear. When you use this, you know you’re in 2021. Next level technology. There is no wireless CarPlay, but with the center compartment having enough room to fit your phone and hide cords out of the way to keep a clean look, it doesn’t bother me one bit. In fact, it forces you to not look at your phone while driving, which I’m sure is what Mazda intended. The seats along with any place that’s in reach and meant to be touched regularly feel AMAZING. The arm rests in the center and on the door panels are like memory foam! Comfort you can literally see with your eyes. The knobs have great haptic feedback and clicking sounds that are satisfying if you’re weird like me. Everything feels very high quality and like something that will hold up beautifully for many years to come. Very little plastic pieces inside with the exception of the gear shift panel that will scratch if you’re not careful. The exterior on this car speaks for itself. My car has black paint with black rims. It looks stunning with the design of the body. The paint quality is great with the metallic flakes that flicker in the sunshine. I would recommend, as with any car, to get a paint protection film, because of how close the car is to the ground. You are very likely to get rock chips—huge ones if you like to drive fast like me! Overall, Mazda hit the ball out of the ballpark with the Mazda 3. I’ve read reviews where people complain of the high price point, but it’s worth every penny & you see why it’s more expensive than other rivals the moment you get behind the wheel and drive it. I’m not sure if I’ll want to leave the Mazda brand after driving this car, and I’ve driven MANY car brands. It’s that great of a car. Plus, you get a car that’s actually made in Japan and the Japanese are huge perfectionists when it comes to their work, which explains a lot in this car. If you’re on the fence, just do it. I promise you will not regret it.
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Awesome Hatchback
Rhyno, 02/10/2021
updated 02/22/2024
2021 Mazda 3 Premium 4dr Hatchback (2.5L 4cyl 6M)
73 of 79 people found this review helpful
I test drove two different Mazda 3 Premium hatches before buying the second. The first one was the "soul red" color with black leather interior which was a beautiful paint job. The one that I purchased is "polymetal gray" and I ended up liking this color better, it looks sort of blue-gray on cloudy days and more gray-gray on sunny days. The interior is red leather which looks much more like an "ox-blood" color in person than it does in pictures - absolutely gorgeous and a very premium look and feel. This car does drive very well overall and has a sporty feel to it without really being a sports car. The 18" wheels do look very nice especially in the gloss black color and I find it's contrast to both the Polymetal and Red colors to be pleasing to the eyes...however this does translate to some roughness on rougher roads...not a deal breaker for me though. I did not initially intend to get such a high trim level, but buying a car with a manual transmission was an important factor to me so I ended up with the premium trim. The MT is VERY smooth in my opinion and took very little time to get adjusted to since I have previous experience with manuals. The clutch is light and easy to push and the shifter is smooth. This is a very forgiving car for someone to learn to drive MT, especially with the hill-hold button. The features and tech in this car are fantastic and way more than I had ever intended to get. I find the heated seats and heads up display to be particularly useful. The infotainment system is a little cumbersome to get used to in regards to using the different menus but after getting the hang of it it's not so bad. The hand controls for the infotainment are really nice to use once getting accustomed to them and I find the location to be perfect for my hand in its resting place. You can tell that these cars really are designed around the DRIVER as everything is pretty intuitively placed. The backseat is definitely a little cramped but my wife and I do not have kids so this was not much of a concern for us. I have not yet had to load anything massive into the cargo area but am looking forward to testing out the space with the seats folded down. The appearance of this car is just stellar to me and looks much sleeker and sexier than most any small hatchback I have seen on the road... and I do not see many of these updated 3's on the road (especially in hatch form) so it is nice to not have the same box that everyone else has. The other cars I was considering before purchase was the Honda Civic Hatch and the Subaru Impreza Hatch. The Civic looks like a transformer to me (very angular) and the Subaru just didn't float my boat... kind of dull. As much as I would like to say it doesnt matter to me, the aesthetics of what I was going to spend my money on was pretty important to me. I want to smile and be excited when I look at my vehicle and this is definitely a much better looking vehicle than my aging 06' Ford Ranger lol. I bought my new car on January 16th 2021 at Flow Mazda of Greensboro NC which was a good experience overall. I only have about 600 miles on the car but 1st impressions are good and I am happy that I purchased this car. This is my first Mazda but it looks like it won't be my last as long as I continue to be happy with this purchase. My wife may end up in a CX-5 when she is ready to upgrade. -Rhyno (happy new Mazda Owner) Update 08/10/2021: The Mazda 3 Premium Hatchback with MT is still a joyous car to drive and I do not have any complaints about the vehicle. I only have about 4,800 miles on it after 8 months as I am babying it to preserve its glory lol... Very fun with the MT, takes off and shoots through traffic when I need it to, runs smooth as butter around town. I am glad I purchased this car and hope that it has much longevity over the course of my ownership. Thanks Mazda, keep up the good work! Update 02/11/2022: Just a little over a year after purchase and I still very much enjoy driving this car! It looks fantastic and I have honestly gotten countless compliments on its sexy appearance - definitely stands out as a looker compared to most other things I see on the road. The manual transmission is still fun and I am glad I went that route. The fuel mileage seems to have improved slightly over time... Not sure if this is due to just being more broken in or if it is just my improved smoothness with shifting since being used to it at this point. Wonderful car, please do not stop making these Mazda and consider bringing back the "Speed 3" so a version with turbo + MT can be obtained! I will probably be upgrading my exhaust/intake/tune once my factory warranty has expired :-P Update 08/18/2022: The car is still fantastic at 14,xxx miles, drives/handles/shifts/rides very nicely. The car does have some pretty bad blind spots but that is the tradeoff for such sexy styling! Update 02/21/2023: I have a little <20,000 miles on the 3 hatch now and have had no true issues to speak of. It is still a fun car to drive, I enjoy the manual transmission very much. When I step out my back door and see it sitting there waiting on me it definitely puts a smile on my face. Update 08/22/2023: Still a great car. Go get you one before manual transmissions go the way of the dinosaurs. WU-Tang is for the children yall Update 2/23/24 She's a keeper, and a lover. Get yourself one while you can.
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2021 Mazda 3 for sale near you
Showing 3 of 52 listings
- 2.5 Turbo 4dr HatchbackMSRP: N/A16 mi away
- Premium 4dr HatchbackMSRP: $19,998In-stock online
- Preferred 4dr HatchbackMSRP: $19,222In-stock online
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The perfect little hatchback!
Joe, 05/31/2021
2021 Mazda 3 Premium 4dr Hatchback (2.5L 4cyl 6M)
15 of 16 people found this review helpful
This is such a fun car to drive. Got the Wolf Gray (the blue gray) with the red interior. It's such a nice combination, but I didnt get this vehicle for the aesthetics, which are so much better than anything in this category. I bought this car because of the fun to drive ratio! Its a refined GTI, with Audi styling, Toyota reliabilty! The infotainment is very simple and easy to use, even the Android Auto interface, while not touchscreen, is sooo intuitive. Back to the driving dynamics, its a Miata with cargo space. I cannot sing enough praises of the PURE DRIVING JOY this car offers. I'm coming from a Kia Stinger GT2 with 365hp, while that car was way more refined and luxurious (commuting to work, had to get something economical, wish I could've kept both cars!), this car has a purity of driving pleasure behind the wheel that is unmatched. The Stinger was a pure joy on the freeway, the Mazda 3 is a pure joy everywhere else :) Test drive one, you wont forget it! This thing gets amazing gas mileage, Miata driving dynamics, with decent cargo space. Luxury cars you lease, this car you BUY!
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Great Overall Car
Zach Robbins, 12/12/2021
2021 Mazda 3 2.5 Turbo 4dr Hatchback AWD (2.5L 4cyl Turbo 6A)
7 of 7 people found this review helpful
I did a lot of research before buying a car because I’m pretty picky. The Mazda3 hatchback turbo checked a lot of boxes for me, and in my opinion, at a great price. The driving experience is great overall. I love the engine, and it packs a lot of punch. It’s definitely one of the best turbo 4s out there. It could use a little more horsepower though as the thrust peters out when you get higher up in the rpms. The handling is great and inspires a lot of confidence even though the steering doesn’t offer much feedback. The styling is great inside and out. Definitely one of the prettiest hatchbacks on the market right now with an interior rivaling much more expensive cars. I love the simplicity of the design. The sound system is great and so is the infotainment system which features an Audi style rotary controller instead of a touchscreen. My only complaint there is there is a minor glitch when using Spotify with Apple CarPlay where it sends you back to the Spotify Home Screen sometimes after you go to Now Playing. Visibility out the back isn’t great, but the driver assistance systems make up for it. Another minor annoyance is that the parking brake is always on in park, meaning when you put it in drive you still have to disable the parking brake. Also I’m not a big fan of the cup holders being placed under the dash instead of near the armrest. Aside from my few minor grievances, this car is really great and offers a ton for the money. After putting 1000 miles on it, I can highly recommend this car for someone who wants something practical, fun to drive, with a lot of features and doesn’t want to break the bank.
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Beware of faulty parts!
Scott Zschappel, 02/16/2022
2021 Mazda 3 2.5 Turbo 4dr Hatchback AWD (2.5L 4cyl Turbo 6A)
33 of 39 people found this review helpful
I purchased the 2021 Mazda 3 turbo hatch in November and it has never been 100%. From the first week I had it the airbag light came on and I had it looked at by three different dealerships that have told me nothing is wrong. Finally found the problem almost four months later to be the airbag sensor in the drivers seat which happens to be backordered until the summer. The diagnosis itself caused even more problems. Now the car randomly vibrates somewhere and it’s not a safety feature or road related. No idea what’s causing it. And several very loud weird rattles that are road related coming from the back of the car, the seatbelt adjuster, and even from the HUD being loose. The installation of the sensor itself is invasive and they have to take apart the seat to get to it which leads me to believe that won’t be the last of the constant stream of issues I’ve been dealing with. Very disappointing as I have been a Mazda enthusiast for years. Other than the annoying problem and possible lack of airbag function, the car drives well and is very comfortable other than the strange noises that drive me crazy. The Bose sound system is the best feature in my opinion and the updated infotainment system is great.
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Classy Looks, Cheap Rattlebox.
Michael, 10/01/2023
updated 10/10/2024
2021 Mazda 3 Premium 4dr Hatchback AWD (2.5L 4cyl 6A)
19 of 22 people found this review helpful
Bought a 2021 Mazda 3 based off my previous 2015 Mazda 3. That car was a dream. This car has been frankly a nightmare of interior rattles, one after another. Its from cheaply made plastic parts, and the rattles are in the same spots in most Mazda 3s of this generation. Dealership cannot fix the rattles as most are so deeply built into the dash that there is not much else to do but sell it and pray someone who cares about ride quality will not notice. Speaker rattles during driving, glovebox rattles, my infotainment rattles, my seatbelt receiver rattles, and some other weird rattles during acceleration behind my infotainment center. Havent been able to enjoy a single day in my car.
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This feels like a more refined VW GTI!
Gordo, 12/13/2021
2021 Mazda 3 Premium 4dr Hatchback (2.5L 4cyl 6M)
6 of 6 people found this review helpful
This car has been such a hoot to drive! I moved cross country and sold my 2021 VW GTI manual; it was a second car that I didn't want to drag with me. After I moved and got settled in, I decided to look at a Mazda3 hatchback-I loved the styling and saw it also had a manual. I test drove it and fell in love! Great handling, it shifts smooth as butter, and is a very nice design overall. I added the larger spoiler from the Turbo model (it's a dealer accessory) and it looks absolutely sinister haha (black on black). This was to be my weekend fun car to drive in the country; my other vehicle is a Kia Stinger. As fun as the Stinger is, I find myself driving this Mazda everywhere more often. It does seem a little small on passenger room but I'm a single person so that doesn't really concern me.
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Very poor paint quality.
Fernando, 10/30/2021
2021 Mazda 3 Premium 4dr Hatchback AWD (2.5L 4cyl 6A)
34 of 42 people found this review helpful
With about 3500 miles and 1 year of ownership, my hood started to experience paint peeling from the rear edges of the hood (area closest to wipers). The car is parked in a heated garage year-round. Mazda has denied our warranty claims stating it is not a manufacturing defect, however, with just a little research you will see that Mazda uses a thin layer of water-based paint to cut costs and "reduce emissions". Too bad, since this car is okay otherwise. I just can't recommend it knowing the bare metal will begin rusting come winter.
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AWD is a nice addition, but also a step backwards
RichJ, 12/15/2022
2021 Mazda 3 2.5 Turbo 4dr Hatchback AWD (2.5L 4cyl Turbo 6A)
12 of 17 people found this review helpful
Having owned both a 2015s GT and a 2018 Mazda 3 GT hatchback it's probably easier for me to compare my current 2021 Mazda 3 AWD turbo hatchback to the previous years models than it is for many Mazda owners. There have been some noticeable changes over the past six years, most of which are improvements and greatly appreciated. A perfect example of that is the turbo in the 2021 model, which is what this car has needed for a very long time. No, it's not a Mazdaspeed, but it gives car a definite and much needed boost in performance and driving enjoyment. Contrast that to the rear suspension in the AWD model. As pitchy as the rear end was with the rear independent suspension in the FWD model, the switch to a fixed rear axle suspension in the AWD model can be positively brutal on pavement bumps and potholes. The driving experience improvement brought about by the addition of the turbo is often compromised by the solid rear axle, and it can make for a much less enjoyable ride. The reduction in rear cargo space in the AWD model is noticeable to my eye and not a welcome change. The front end suspension also seems to be less responsive and nimble than my 2018 model was, making for a bit less enjoyable experience. My 2021 model also has far more rattles than either of my two previous Mazda 3 hatchbacks. Other than those issues, I do enjoy my 2021 Mazda 3 hatchback and it still makes for a mostly enjoyable driving experience.
Great but...
L.G, 03/09/2021
2021 Mazda 3 Premium 4dr Hatchback AWD (2.5L 4cyl 6A)
44 of 77 people found this review helpful
I absolutely love everything about this car except the seats. They are awful. I didn't notice in the test drive and coming from a Toyota Matrix seat comfort wasn't even on my radar as I had never had a problem with car seats in the past (Matrix's have some of the most comfortable seats). I have had the car for two months now and still can't find a comfortable position to drive in for longer than 30 mins. The bolstering is really narrow and I find that it hits me in a weird spot making it uncomfortable for long drives. Unfortunately I can't make the seat work and will have to trade it in for something else. I wish they would make new car seats with less "hugged" sensation. Some of us don't want to be aggressively hugged by our seat.
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review of Mazda 3 hatchback 2,5 L
Dante, 01/28/2022
2021 Mazda 3 Premium 4dr Hatchback (2.5L 4cyl 6A)
3 of 4 people found this review helpful
I have a Mazda 3 since June 2021. Good features: nice ergonomic interior, nice finish, good steering, sport feeling, nice handling, good power. Bad features: location and radio controls, very bad and difficult to use Mazda navigation system, annoying parking brake button. Consumption lower than expected: about 20.0 mpg, driving mainly in the city with 20% highways
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Second Mazda, Second Great Experience
Robert, 11/04/2021
2021 Mazda 3 2.5 Turbo Premium Plus 4dr Hatchback AWD (2.5L 4cyl Turbo 6A)
5 of 8 people found this review helpful
I brought a 2021 Mazda 3 Turbo Premium Plus Hatchback almost a month ago and I absolutely love it! After searching for the right vehicle for almost a year, I decided to go with Mazda because of its rave reviews by both consumers and critics. Nothing drives and feels like a Mazda. The materials feel superb and the car takes curbs more smoothly than any vehicle I have ever driven. My mom even commented on how impressed she was with how the car takes curbs. I also went with Mazda after having a great experience with my 2007 Mazda 3 Hatchback. It has been a good car and only has 120,000 miles on it. The only problem I have had with that model is the paint not holding up as long as I thought it should have. However, every brand has its own particular issues. I am hoping the paint on this one lasts much longer (this one is also white where the 2007 is purple). Regardless, the quality of Mazda is up there with Lexus. I joke with my mom and tell her I feel like I am driving a Lexus. Right now, I have almost 900 miles on it and have had no issues (e.g., technical, electrical, quality, safety, etc.). The only con I would list is that the back is tight. I would not buy it as a family car (unless it was for a small family). However, if it is mostly you and say a spouse, and you love to drive a car for the experience, then this is definitely the vehicle for you. I will try to give an update around 3000-5000 miles.
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Mazda3 2021
Memon, 01/23/2023
2021 Mazda 3 Select 4dr Hatchback (2.5L 4cyl 6A)
1 of 3 people found this review helpful
Awesome beautiful car
Best version for long term ownership
Doomedhuman , 08/28/2021
2021 Mazda 3 Premium 4dr Hatchback (2.5L 4cyl 6M)
1 of 5 people found this review helpful
In Canada - GS - 6MT - 17" Toyo Proxy - lightest weight version available with standard - $25,000 Canadian before taxes and fees - just drive
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