Love the handling and styling of my new Mazda CX-3
I had a 2016 Acura that I purchased earlier this year and it had a defect that could not be fixed so I decided to trade that car in. I saw the CX-3 on the road and loved the styling. I started researching and read the really good reviews on Consumer Reports and other various you tube reviews. I went and test drove the car and was not disappointed. I had a Mazda 6 in the past and this car handles like a little sports car and is very fun to drive. The acceleration is great, fit and finish are first rate. I was disappointed that you could not get a power seat, but to be honest I have not missed it. The Bose System sounds great, the navigation, bluetooth and infotainment system are really easy to use. There is a mute button instead of an on/off switch for the stereo so that also took some getting use to. The gas milage is really good and even with it small fuel tank I am only filling up once a week. For a small car the ride is very good, it is firm, but that is what makes it such a great handling car. Road noise is really good and even though the engine has a course sound to it, it sounds really sporty. I choose Soul Red with Almond Leather interior, it is beautiful. Update: The Mazda CX-3 is a great car, I still love it now with 6700 miles. It really handles well, has great acceleration for a small engine and looks very attractive.
- Safety
- Technology
- Performance
- Interior
- Comfort
- Reliability
- Value
Fun and comfortable car
I've owned the car for about a month and so far I love it. The interior is the nicest I've ever owned. The car is surprisingly quick for only 146hp, and is much more fun to drive than the CX-5. The NHSTA safety scores were just released and it scored the highest 5 Star rating. It's one of those cars that looks more expensive than it is. It has a perfect balance of luxury and sporty fun to drive dynamics. The only cons are that the cargo space isn't the best if the back seats are up and in use, and the fuel tank capacity is too small for this car. I have too many trips to the gas station compared to previous cars I've owned. It really needs an additional 1 or 2 gallons more capacity and then it would be perfect. Overall, great car though. *Update: After owning the car for 7 months and racking up about 14k miles, I'm still enjoying the car and its been very reliable so far. The only issue is the navigation software has some issues every now and then, but that can be corrected by a future firmware upgrade. The other thing that can get annoying is the armrest/cup holder set up. This needs to be changed/upgraded in future models. --I recently had the opportunity to take a 6 hour road trip with my family of 4(including me) driving up the coast of California. The car handled everything well, especially a heavily rain storm we caught on the way up. The AWD was excellent. The car was so steady, with NO hydroplanning at all. I averaged about 33mpg highway miles on the trip. Again though, the biggest issues that needs to be addressed in future models is a larger gas tank. Just another gallon or 2 would be perfect, otherwise I've been getting less than 300 miles on a full tank. Don't get me wrong, no car is perfect, I still love the car and am glad I bought it. It's a great and unique looking car and fun to drive. **Update #2: (11-28-19) after about 3 and a half years of use and I’m now at 72k miles. The car has still been reliable. No major issues. The only 2 things I would really change is the infotainment system, the software is slow and the navigation isn’t always accurate. The infotainment screen is also starting to crack a little on the corner. The other thing that Mazda has already changed In its newer models is the armrest which was always the flimsiest part of the car. Other than that, still happy with the car. The stock tires lasted 68k miles before I had to change them.
- Safety
- Technology
- Performance
- Interior
- Comfort
- Reliability
- Value
Great Car!!
I've had the CX-3 Sport AWD for about two months and I can honestly say that it handles incredibly well. The drive is very comfortable, and engine is very responsive. Cabin noise is very minimal (compared to my 2013 Honda Fit, this Mazda CX-3 is a massive improvement). I'm averaging about 26 MPG with mostly city driving. Seats are very comfortable and the technology inside is very user friendly and ergonomic. Only drawback is that the back seat is small. But other than that everything is great!
- Safety
- Technology
- Performance
- Interior
- Comfort
- Reliability
- Value
great car
, , I have had this car now for 1 1/2 years and continue to be impressed with it. It runs well, is reliable, and having the ability to extend the trunk space makes carrying bulky items easier.
- Safety
- Technology
- Performance
- Interior
- Comfort
- Reliability
- Value
Still Enjoying Our CX-3!
My parents and I have now owned our 2016 Mazda CX-3 Touring for a year and seven months as of June 2018 and we couldn't be happier. I've had my own car for a while now so I don't get to drive the Mazda as often as I used to. However, there's nothing to complain about on the driving experience. It is a very peppy, fun-to-drive car with good acceleration, great braking, and decent visibility despite having the typical thick airbag contained pillars. I love the rear-view camera on the giant iPad-like infotainment screen. It takes up the whole screen instead of being a puny little iPod size camera tucked in the center stack like a lot of cars. Also, the blind spot monitor really helps in traffic and on the highway, although it is a little sensitive as it goes off every time when you're turning in a dual turn lane which catches you off guard. Like I mentioned before, I love the simplistic interior layout with easy-to-use climate controls, steering wheel mounted controls, part digital and analog gauge cluster, round a/c vents, and the two-tone color scheme. To me it's one of the best modern car interiors you can get on a strict budget. It ain't no luxury car but it does feel pretty well-equipped for a sub-$20,000 compact crossover. It has had it's fair share of teething issues along the way like many all new models in the first year of production do. For example, there was a major problem with the headlights leaking. Everytime when it rains or you wash the car, the headlights would fill with water. Eventually it dried but it risked blowing the headlight bulb and daytime running light bulb. At first it was just the passenger-side and then it eventually spread to the driver-side. They've been replaced since then and seal water just fine but an example of teething issues for an all new model. In the summer of last year, we got a recall notice in the mail about the hatch struts. It mentioned that they will corrode overtime and result in them falling on your head. So we had to go to the dealer and get the struts replaced which work like a dime and are even a little thinner than the old ones. The hatch also seems to open more easily and faster. Although teething issues are expected in many cars and I still enjoy the car regardless, I do wish it had a few more features that you can get without upgrading to the most expensive Grand Touring package such as LED headlights and daytime running lights, LED taillights, foglights, nicer wheels, and suede seat accents. However, this will not stop me from dissing this car. It's been a joy to own and drive for the last couple of years and we plan to hold on to it for even longer. Hopefully Mazda will continue to make this car as I don't see a whole lot of them on the roads despite being released three years ago.
- Safety
- Technology
- Performance
- Interior
- Comfort
- Reliability
- Value