The Mazda3 isn’t a luxury car, but it sure acts like one with a beautifully appointed interior with top-notch materials. It’s available as a sedan in seven trims or a hatchback, which is the better choice if cargo versatility is a priority. There are three engines including a peppy turbocharged option, but it comes at a premium that may be too much for more modest budgets, and none get great fuel mileage. There’s seating for five in either body style with a quiet ride and engaging, enthusiast-friendly driving dynamics.

There aren’t a lot of changes this year. Two new colors—Polymetal Gray and Platinum Quartz Metallic—join the lineup with limited availability. Also new is the 2.5 S Carbon Fiber trim. Already available for other Mazdas, this trim features the new Polymetal Gray paint, a red leather interior, 12-speaker Bose audio, 19-inch black wheels, and gloss black heated side mirrors.

The Honda Civic also offers sedan and hatchback body styles with multiple engines and includes high-performance variants, and its new-for-2022 redesign makes it a legitimately sporty-feeling contender for the Mazda. The Hyundai Elantra is available only as a sedan, but also has performance variants and an available hybrid powertrain. The Nissan Sentra has only one engine option across a range of three trims and isn’t very exciting, but has a lower starting price, lots of features and a distinctive style of its own. Other competitors include the Kia Forte and Volkswagen Golf GTI.

Not much has changed on the Mazda3 this year, but it does get a new 2.5 S Carbon Edition trim with Polymetal gray paint, red leather seats and blackout trim.  Mazda

Standard on the sedan is a 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine with 155 horsepower and 150 pound-feet of torque. Optional on the sedan but standard on the hatchback is a 2.5-liter 4-cylinder with 186 hp and 186 lb-ft. Optional for both is a turbocharged 2.5 with up to 250 horsepower and 310 lb-ft of torque. Front-wheel drive is standard with all-wheel drive (AWD) available and a six-speed automatic transmission. Turbocharged trims are all-wheel drive only while the mid-range 2.5-liter engine offers a six-speed manual transmission on the hatchback.

Mazda is a brand known for producing cars for people who like to drive. Excellent driving dynamics,  sporty handling and responsive engines are the norm and the Mazda3 lives up to that standard. It also has a beautiful interior that, although not on par with a luxury brand, pushes well into premium territory even in its base trims. Consequently, it’s a little pricier than some competitors. The 2.0-liter version starts at $22,165, but prices range up to $34,465 for sedans or $24,115 to $35,765 for hatchbacks.

Like other class leaders from Honda and Hyundai, Mazda makes a great deal of active-safety gear standard, including adaptive cruise control with stop and go. The Mazda3 also gets a five-star safety rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and a Top Safety Pick+ designation from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). The Mazda3 offers lots of choices from body style to engines, all with strong performance and attractive, comfortable interiors. While its fuel economy dents its ratings here, this is a must-drive for any enthusiast looking for a new small car.

The Mazda3’s interior is a cut above most other mainstream compacts, with nicer materials and a slick design that would not look out of place if the badge on the front were Alfa Romeo, Genesis or BMW.  Mazda

Performance: 14/15

There are three engine options for the Mazda3 lineup. The base 2.0-liter 4-cylinder has 155 hp and 150 lb-ft of torque and is only available in the sedan. It’s paired to a six-speed automatic transmission that’s standard for the full sedan lineup and is available only with front-wheel drive. A 2.5-liter 4-cylinder with 186 hp and 186 lb-ft of torque is standard for the hatchback and optional for the sedan and has optional all-wheel drive. A six-speed manual transmission is also optional with this engine on the hatchback only. 

The final available engine is a 2.5-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder with up to 250 horsepower and 310 lb-ft and standard all-wheel drive. Getting the full power rating out of this engine requires using premium fuel.

It’s a responsive lineup with crisp handling and strong acceleration for getting up to highway speeds. Those seeking a performance-focused ride should consider the top turbocharged engine, which is the most spirited of the lot. The Mazda3 features Skyactiv-Vehicle Dynamics with G-Vectoring Control Plus, which works in the background to provide more stable handling in the corners by adjusting power and weight. There’s also a Sport mode, which alters the transmission and steering for a more aggressive, engaging drive.

Fuel Economy: 9/15

The wide range of Mazda3 powertrain configurations yields an equally wide range of fuel economy figures. The base 2.0-liter gets the best numbers with an EPA-rated 28 mpg city, 36 mpg highway, and 31 mpg combined. The 2.5-liter returns up to 26 mpg city, 35 highway and 30 mpg combined with front-wheel drive and loses 1 to 2 mpg in all measures with AWD. The turbocharged engine gets up to 23 mpg city, 32 mpg highway and 27 mpg combined, which isn’t bad for the level of performance it offers.

While the Mazda3 offers strong performance, it falls behind when it comes to fuel economy. The Nissan Sentra comes in with higher figures as do the Honda Civic, Volkswagen Jetta and Hyundai Elantra. The Mazda does have a slight edge on the Subaru Impreza and the Turbo nearly ties the Volkswagen Golf GTI. Hyundai offers a hybrid Elantra that gets much better mpg than anything else in the class.

Safety & Driver Assistance Tech: 15/15

The Mazda3 received a 2022 Top Safety Pick+ award for both the sedan and hatchback from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), which is its highest award level. It also received a five-star overall rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). In addition to its robust crash structure, Mazda makes a large suite of active-safety gear standard. That includes lane-departure warnings with lane keep assist, radar cruise control with stop and go, forward collision warnings and automatic emergency braking, a driver attention alert and high beam control. 

Both blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert are standard just a few steps into the lineup with the Select trim. Trims equipped with the turbocharged engine add standard adaptive front lighting and traffic sign recognition. The top 2.5 Turbo Premium Plus adds traffic jam assist, a 360-degree camera and rear automatic emergency braking. It’s a solid offering of standard safety, with key optional features available early in the lineup so there’s no pressure to move up to the top trim and push your budget for added safety.

Like BMW, Mazda uses a rotary dial controller for its infotainment system. Unlike BMW, it doesn’t also have touchscreen capability.  Mazda

Comfort & Room: 11/15

Though compact, the Mazda3 has roomy and comfortable front seats well-suited to longer drives. They’re supportive without being stiff, with strong bolstering. The rear seats, however, are a bit less comfortable. They offer 35.1 inches of legroom, which is slightly more than the Nissan Sentra. Both the Honda Civic and the Hyundai Elantra offer several inches of additional rear legroom making them a much better choice if rear passenger comfort is a priority. 

Where the Mazda3 easily beats the competition is on interior quality. Materials are attractive to the eye and soft to the touch without an overabundance of hard, flat plastics. Top trims feature an eight-way power driver’s seat, dual-zone automatic climate control, a heated steering wheel, heated leatherette seats and a leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob. 

Aside from the base model 2.0, the Mazda3 tends to be a little more expensive than its rivals, but the well-appointed interior reflects that pricing. Especially in its top trim levels, the Mazda3 comes close to luxury car territory with a premium look and feel that the competition can’t match.

Infotainment: 10/15

There’s a 7-inch LCD instrument cluster and the base infotainment includes an 8.8-inch display screen, 8-speaker audio, Wi-Fi connectivity, and two USB ports. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are not available on the base Mazda3, but become standard just one trim level up. It’s a significant omission for such a common feature. 

Also missing on any trim is a touchscreen. Instead, the system has a rotary dial on the center console. It’s not the most intuitive control setup and it takes time to learn. Even once mastered, it is not easy to navigate menus. The other downside to this setup is the difficulty passengers experience using the system. Since most cars have touchscreens, the impulse is to reach out and touch the screen. Expecting a passenger to assist by using the rotary dial often results in frustration for both driver and passenger.

The Carbon Edition adds a 12-speaker Bose audio system and aluminum speaker grilles, while the Premium adds SiriusXM with a three-month complimentary subscription and navigation. The system has a wide range of features, but the absence of standard smartphone connectivity and the fiddly control system that lacks a touchscreen are demerits.

The Mazda3 comes as either a sedan or a sleek hatchback. Usually, hatches offer much more room than their sedan equivalents, but with the Mazda, the gulf isn’t that large.  Mazda

Cargo Space & Storage: 10/15

As a compact car, the Mazda3 is easy to maneuver through congested city streets and into small parking spots. The sedan is 183.5 inches long while the hatchback is just 175.6 inches long making it an ideal choice for those who live in more urban areas. There’s a good amount of room for cargo in the sedan with a 13.2 cubic-foot trunk. 

The hatchback offers greater flexibility with 60/40 split-folding rear seats and 20.1 cubic-feet for cargo with a wide tailgate opening that accommodates bulky items that simply will not fit in a trunk. This figure doesn’t include the total area with the seats folded down, but the hatch also doesn’t use its space quite as well as the sedan does.

While it has good cargo room, it doesn’t match up to the competition. The Nissan Sentra, Hyundai Elantra and Honda Civic all offer roomier trunks with at least one cubic-foot of additional room, though it does best the Toyota Corolla and Golf GTI. The Civic hatchback is the most cargo-friendly option in this group, with 24.5 cubic-feet for stowing cargo.

Style & Design: 9/10

Some compact cars are dull and uninspired. Others try overly hard to look sporty and succeed only in looking overdone. The Mazda3 has sharp exterior styling with an eye-catching design that strikes a balance between the two. It has sleek curving lines that make it look like a sports car, but one that isn’t screaming for attention. While both body designs are attractive, the sedan is easily the more compelling of the two.

Inside, the theme continues with quality materials whether cloth or leather. There’s nothing cheap about this car, but it’s also not overdone. It has an understated interior style that lets you know it’s a luxury car in the most refined way possible. It’s an appealing space with materials that look and feel beautiful. The design and overall atmosphere are more upscale, leaning heavily toward luxury, especially in the top trims.

It isn’t a premium brand, but the Mazda3 looks and feels much like a premium car, particularly in its upper trims, which approach cars like the Mercedes-Benz A-Class in their plushness and power.  Mazda

Is the 2022 Mazda Mazda3 Worth it? Which Mazda3 is the Best Value?

The Mazda3 is a compelling option for compact car fans. There’s a choice of a sedan or hatchback and no less than three engines. There’s also an extensive lineup of trims that makes it easy to find one to fit a variety of needs and budgets. This combines with excellent handling that makes this a car for driving enthusiasts who want to enjoy every minute behind the wheel.

We prefer the styling of the sedan and like the turbocharged engine, so our pick of the trim lineup is the $31,915 2.5 Turbo, which gives cars like the more expensive BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe a run for their money on style and features. In addition to a beautiful interior, the Mazda3 boasts great handling. That’s true of any trim, but it makes this vehicle come alive when paired with the turbocharged engine.

The Honda Civic offers an attractive interior with aggressive performance trims, but without the refinement of the Mazda3. The Nissan Sentra doesn’t match up on interior design or quality. The Hyundai Elantra offers strong styling without the elegance of the Mazda3 and the new Elantra N is a credible Mazda3 Turbo rival. The competition is solid, but this car has a rare combination of style, elegance and performance.

How Much Does it Cost to Insure the 2022 Mazda3?

The Mazda3 isn’t an expensive car to insure. According to our data, a typical 30-year-old female driver with a clean record can expect an average annual premium of $1,798, though this averages all 50 states and top-trim Turbo owners might pay a bit more. That compares to $1,959 for the Honda Civic, $1,997 for the Nissan Sentra, $1,810 for the Volkswagen Jetta and $1,985 for the Hyundai Elantra. To get a more accurate picture of your potential insurance expenses, visit our car insurance calculator.