Used 2016 Mazda CX-3 Consumer Reviews
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Mazda Cx-3 Touring - 5 months in
Matt B., 01/21/2017
2016 Mazda CX-3 Touring 4dr SUV AWD (2.0L 4cyl 6A)
10 of 10 people found this review helpful
I have owned Hondas, VWs and Hyundais. This is my first Mazda and I am impressed now about 6k miles in and through the first recommended service. I am approaching my review with a comparison to those types of cars, this is not a true luxury brand, so when I say things are "great", it is in comparison to say a Honda SUV, not an Audi. If you pay 10k more for a car, you get more. I find the ride, which for me is a mix of highway and local roads everyday, to be smooth and pretty quiet. I am easily able to achieve the listed MPG and typically land around 30ish. Note that I do my own calculation based on miles traveled and gas put in as the onboard computer does over estimate by about 1mpg it seems. I find the seats to be comfortable up front for me, although they are almost all the way back (im 6'). I have been able to fit a fair amount of stuff on a trip to Lowes/Home Depot into this thing with the seats down. Its not huge, but for standard household projects, it gets the job done. So far zero issues in the world of maintenance. On the negative side, and these are things you just have to decide if they matter to you are - no interior storage. The cup holder locations are awful for any cup/mug that is sort of tall as it is under the front armrest. The glove box is pretty much all you have aside from some small bins in the doors. As mentioned, the backseat is cramped if you have people 5'9" or taller in the front. you will nto be taking 4 adults on a road trip in this car with or without luggage. The gas tank for the AWD version is 11.9 gallons. Not a deal breaker for me, but with my old Hondas and Hyundais I could typically get close to 400ish miles per fill up, its 300 on this one AND the low fuel indicator is out of whack (several owners report this). The "25 mile range" comes on for me when i estimate I have almost 75 miles left, and it shows zero range left and I can fill up to see there is still almost 2 gallons in the tank. I have asked Mazda at my local dealership about this and they just shrug. Overall I recommend the car, with the biggest note being, make sure the space is right for your needs.
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Handles like a sports car
Dave Newberry, 12/24/2015
updated 01/03/2018
2016 Mazda CX-3 Grand Touring 4dr SUV (2.0L 4cyl 6A)
9 of 9 people found this review helpful
This is an amazing Sub SUV. Handles like a sports car, safety and technology are amazing for the price point. Fun to drive like nothing in the class. Interior materials match much more expensive vehicles. The only drawback is the small interior space. If you need space get the CX5. My wife drives the 2015 CX5 and loves it. But this CX3 is a kick to drive. HUD is really cool. Recommendation for Mazda, don't over complicate your technology. There are more steps to switch, set up or navigate than necessary. It is very intuitive, but feels like everything takes one or two steps more than are really necessary. Obviously, this did not deter me as it is similar to the 2015 CX5 we have put over 45K and and love it still. Loved this CX3. Driven in rain, snow and dry pavement so far, amazing traction. Well a year plus later, I still. Love this ride. Great handling in the snow, we have 4 AWD vehicles, this one is like other brands that wait for a slip before engaging AWD. However, it works exactly as designed every time. I live on a steep hill, with a steep uphill driveway to get to the road. Without having to drive a beast or a German car, this is the perfect fit for us. Nice Job Mazda! 2 Years later and a couple winters under my belt, I am still a fan of this little Compact SUV. Everything I loved, I love more and the snow and ice traction are all I could have hoped for. The interior is small, but this little beast handles like a Miata in the mountain roads. Not for those who hall a lot of stuff or have regular backseat passengers. But for commuters in the Northeast who want some fun driving on winding roads.... I highly recommend the Mazda CX3. Another year and still enjoying the ride. This car is a bit small for a family but perfect for 1-2 people. I added an OEM Roof Rails and Bars so I could handle ski's and occasional long item form the lumber yard. Still a great looking vehicle and fun to drive like a sports car but with AWD for the snow and ice in CT. Mazda lives up to Zoom Zoom with this car. Make sure to update the tech on this. It has had several versions of NAV/Infotainment updates. Some early versions were quirky, but latest updates have made the entire experience very solid.
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2016 Mazda CX-3 for sale near you
3 of 31 listings
- Sport 4dr SUVMSRP: $14,150322 mi away
- Sport 4dr SUVMSRP: $16,998460 mi away
- Touring 4dr SUVMSRP: $14,750390 mi away
See all 31 listings
Perfect as a city car
Analogthought, 01/16/2020
2016 Mazda CX-3 Sport 4dr SUV (2.0L 4cyl 6A)
9 of 9 people found this review helpful
After initially purchasing a Honda CR-V while living in Brooklyn New York and driving it around for a week, it quickly became apparent that finding parking for a vehicle that size coupled with the lower end MPG for city driving, that a different vehicle might be a better choice. I initially considered the Scion IA due to being drawn to the interior, but wanted something with more cargo room. This was how I stumbled onto the CX-3. After eight months of driving it and several long distance trips later, I can safely say that overall I really enjoy this car on many levels but definitely have had enough time to find the faults. As mentioned, the interior is something I really appreciate about this car. The seats offer decent comfort but lack lumbar support for long drives. The ability to adjust the height of the drivers seat helps to find the best position but at six feet tall, I still sometimes find myself feeling a little cramped with everything adjusted as far back as it will go. I own the sport model, so no arm rest is included. After some quick research I have found one can purchased online for around $125 and fairly easily self-installed, however after reading various reviews the cost doesn't seem worth it. I was initially concerned about blindspots through the small rear window as some have commented on, but I have yet to find any issues with that short of what's more expected with the blindspots being relegated to the sides of the vehicle. The standard back up camera included certainly helps with parallel parking and backing up in tight spaces while driving in the city. From the start I wasn't much of a fan of the Mazda Connect infotainment system. It works but felt dated and a little laggy in responsiveness. This was easily corrected by purchasing and installing the Apple CarPlay kit, something that some quick YouTube searching made much easier to do thanks to step by step instructions. The navigation that came with the vehicle works off of an SD card which seems to get updated annually via Mazda, so having the addition of Waze/Google Maps has been invaluable as I found there were several times that the built in Nav was behind in terms of street closures and route changes. In the hottest weather the AC takes approximately as long as in cold weather for the heat to get hot as it does to cool off. In both cases, expect to wait between 15 to 20 minutes. Nothing unbearable, but in extreme temps of either direction, I've found other vehicle to perform better. Exterior styling seems current enough to stay fresh for years to come, definitely impressed on that front. I will also add my opinion to the list of others that find the paint job on the exterior prone to scratching pretty easily. The only actual issues I have with this vehicle is leaking in the hatch with water collecting in the reverse light built into the hatch lid, something others have experienced as well it seems. Something to check out when considering buying one of these. My other issue is the lack of rear cargo space. First impressions was that it would be doable and fine, but while in use over the past 8 months, there have been several times it was just a bit smaller than I would have liked. Just purchasing groceries (for one) can fill up the rear space pretty quickly. Gas mileage has exceed expectations with it taking just over two full tanks of gas to drive from NYC to Atlanta. Each fill up currently costing around $28. The suspension could be a little softer and sometimes feels very rigid when going over potholes or bumps in the road. Acceleration when merging onto highways is fine, but be prepared to utilize the sport mode option. In the cooler weather, the windows tend to fog up pretty badly but nothing that the climate control system can't pretty quickly fix. Backseat space is tight but feedback from adult passengers on a longer drive was that it wasn't as bad as many others have mentioned. In looking for any other faults with this vehicle, the only other thing I can think of is the severe lack of storage in the front seating area. There are large door storage areas, two cup holders in the center and very small area under the built in CD player (too small to fit anything larger than the smallest iPhone). Do I love my car and am I happy with my purchase 8 months later, yes, absolutely. Does it have it's faults, yes, absolutely. Would I buy another one? Yes, but I think my next Mazda would be the CX-30 in looking for that extra bit of space on the interior.
Small AWD fully loaded!! Love my CX-3!
Lauren Benoit, 02/23/2016
2016 Mazda CX-3 Touring 4dr SUV AWD (2.0L 4cyl 6A)
21 of 24 people found this review helpful
My previous vehicle was a 07 Kia optima that didn't even have traction control.... My terrible snow experience with this vehicle convinced me my next car MUST have AWD. I test drove all the SUV style vehicles but really didn't want something so big. Also within my budget I always had to settle for the base model. Until I stumbled upon this gem! One of my biggest issues is I will NOT drive a CVT transmission.... I want to feel the shifting and almost all makers are trying to convert to this. But not Mazda! I was able to get the touring (mid level) with the moonroof and BOSE stereo system. The heated seats are amazing and the seat is extremely comfortable. The back seats are perfect size since I don't have passengers very often. The trunk isn't deep but the height is great. I think it is the same as my previous vehicle. I keep catching myself speeding in this fun to drive little Mazda! I have never felt so connected to the road. I still cant believe I was able to find a vehicle loaded with all these features within my price range! If you are considering a smaller AWD vehicle I highly suggest you test drive this amazing Mazda!!
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Awesome car
Dave Goldfarb, 11/24/2015
2016 Mazda CX-3 Grand Touring 4dr SUV (2.0L 4cyl 6A)
7 of 7 people found this review helpful
Got the GT. So much faster than I was expecting from a 2.0L. Love it so far
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