Skip advert
Advertisement
In-depth reviews

Mazda3 Saloon review - Reliability & safety

"Mazda has a good reputation for customer satisfaction and safety"

Carbuyer Rating

3.9 out of 5

Owners Rating

3.8 out of 5

Read owner reviews
Reliability & safety Rating

4.0 out of 5

We're very impressed with Mazda as a company – it competes with more upmarket brands on standard features and design, but also stands out as producing safe, reliable cars too.

Mazda3 Saloon reliability

The Mazda3 specifically doesn’t feature in our 2024 Driver Power owner satisfaction survey, but its predecessor was rated highly in the 2019 edition. As a brand, however, Mazda performs well, having come in a respectable seventh place in 2024. 

Advertisement - Article continues below

Customers rate the user-friendliness of its cars’ controls highly, and the brand came in first in this area, which speaks volumes of Mazda’s choice to include more analogue controls and a rotary controller for its infotainment, rather than a touchscreen. Mazda is also rated highly for value for money, its exterior design and build quality. Acceleration and visibility of its cars is a weaker point, but overall things are very positive. Official reliability stats are nothing to write home about, but nor are they terrible, with around 25% of owners reporting an issue with their car in the first year.

Safety

The Mazda3 also scored well in the Euro NCAP crash test in 2019, earning five stars out of five. It’s fitted with a system named Smart City Brake Support, which will automatically apply emergency braking if a hazard is detected in the path of the car. The Saloon wasn’t tested but the same technology and structures are lifted from the hatchback.

All the other safety equipment that you’d expect, like anti-lock brakes, electronic stability control and a full suite of airbags are fitted, as well as normal driver aids such as traction control. There’s also a hill-start assist feature which holds the car on the brakes when you’re pulling away on an incline.

Skip advert
Advertisement

Charlie writes and edits news, review and advice articles for Carbuyer, as well as publishing content to its social media platforms. He has also been a regular contributor to its sister titles Auto Express, DrivingElectric and evo. As well as being consumed by everything automotive, Charlie is a speaker of five languages and once lived in Chile, Siberia and the Czech Republic, returning to the UK to write about his life-long passion: cars.

Skip advert
Advertisement

Recommended

Mazda3 Saloon review – premium feel at an affordable price
Mazda3 Saloon
In-depth reviews
27 Nov 2024

Mazda3 Saloon review – premium feel at an affordable price

Most Popular

New Ford Puma Gen-E: Britain’s best-selling car goes electric
Ford Puma Gen-E
News
3 Dec 2024

New Ford Puma Gen-E: Britain’s best-selling car goes electric

Best new car deals 2024: this week’s top car offers
Carbuyer best new car deals hero
Deals
6 Dec 2024

Best new car deals 2024: this week’s top car offers

Jaguar Type 00 concept revealed: a bold electric future for the British brand
Jaguar Type 00
News
3 Dec 2024

Jaguar Type 00 concept revealed: a bold electric future for the British brand

Tips & advice

View All
Car dashboard warning lights: what does each symbol mean?
Car dashboard symbols and meanings
Tips and advice
21 Oct 2024

Car dashboard warning lights: what does each symbol mean?

Electric car charging stations: public networks, charger types, apps and maps
Charging station
Tips and advice
23 Jul 2024

Electric car charging stations: public networks, charger types, apps and maps

PCP vs HP – which type of car finance is right for you?
PCP vs HP
Tips and advice
17 May 2022

PCP vs HP – which type of car finance is right for you?

Average speed cameras: how do they work?
Average speed cameras: how do they work?
Tips and advice
21 Mar 2024

Average speed cameras: how do they work?

Best cars

View All
Top 10 best car interiors
Peugeot 208 hatchback
Best cars
25 Jun 2021

Top 10 best car interiors

Top 10 best electric cars 2024
Best electric cars
Best cars
16 May 2024

Top 10 best electric cars 2024

Top 10 best cheap-to-run cars 2024
The best cheap-to-run cars 2023
Best cars
2 Jan 2024

Top 10 best cheap-to-run cars 2024

The UK's top 10 fastest hot hatchbacks 2024
Fastest hot hatchbacks hero
Best cars
2 Jan 2024

The UK's top 10 fastest hot hatchbacks 2024