Mazda3 hatchback (2014-2018) | owner reviews: MPG, Problems & Reliability

Tell us what you think about your car?

I've Just bought this car after looking at loads. It's amazing and I love it. Mine has beautiful metallic soul red paint that looks almost fluid. It handles like a dream. I've never had a new car before and am so glad I have bought this one. The hill assist and electronic handbrake are taking some getting used to, but I'm getting there, and there's plenty of power to get out of trouble. As it is 2018 model road tax was £160 for first year and will be £140 after. I got a great deal from local Mazda garage. The infotainment is excellent, the sat nav easy to use, and intuitive which I like a lot. It's beautiful to look at and the interior with its heads up display is more than I had hoped for. I just wish it would have Apple CarPlay but they say it is on its way.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

I owned the previous version for around 3 years, on long runs quite often visits at petrol station. Interior ok but nothing exciting. Acceleration quite good. Overall satisfied. I then decided to stay with Mazda and bought 2013 number plate but diesel to reduce costs. 2013 model interior worst than in previous, a bit disappointed. Will check it closer on next trip over the Europe. Consumption lower than on petrol happy with that.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

no problems from new except the i-Stop "de-preogramed" itself from the engine management system, main dealer reprogrammed cause unknown, never happened again

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

I'm now on my second Mazda 3. The first was a basic SE 2.2d without navigation or leather interior. When it came around to change I simply went for the same engine and upgraded the trim to Sport Nav with the light stone leather interior. I chose the Eternal Blue Mica paint. The thing is a real wolf-in-sheeps clothing. First of all it looks fantastic, from any angle. Side-on though, every time I walk to it in a car park I'm grinning. BMW and Audi drivers, invariably having chosen hearse-black (what is the obsession with black?) look despairingly at it. And poor Merc drivers, particularly the ones driving A and C-Class motors just loathe having a 3 next to them, whether in a car park or in traffic. Next of course is the performance. Yep a Golf GTD will beat it, but that's what? A box on wheels, with the charisma of a lump of cheese. The 3 simply oozes quality, from the exterior to the perfectly-designed-and-implemented interior. The torque from the engine is simply extraordinary; just a blip of the throttle takes you past lorries and what-not, whilst dropping a gear and flooring the throttle sees you zoom past anything that will have cost £20k+ more with ease. The slight turbo-lag I had in the 2014 SE has gone and you can double-de-clutch with a proper-responding throttle if you are so-inclined. Motorway journeys are a scream as virtually no one in say an Audi 3,4 or 5, BMW 1,2,3 or 4 series, Range Rover (the one that looks like a normal RR with a piano dropped on it) Jaguar XE/XF, merc A200/A220 or C200/220 is willing to overtake, having likely suffered the embarrassment of having a 3 in the middle lane suddenly take off in 5th or 6th gear leaving them helpless behind. There's an AutoCar YouTube review of a 2.2d 3 against a BMW 1-series and Audi A3 that is simply embarrassing for the other two - particularly when the 3 leaves them out-of-sight during the one-mile sprint. Performance though is just but one feature. In addition to the looks, the quality...there's just the simple reality of the sheer reliability of the darn thing; it simply doesn't have faults (well not so far, with two cars). Mazda appear to have some pretty strict QA process as the delivered product is absolutely perfect in every way; not a screw loose or an internal panel unfastened. There are no squeaks or annoying little 'snicks' at any speed. The steering, braking and throttle response are utterly predictable. With 60% of the weight at the front you find that you aren't so much managing acceleration and braking but rather managing energy, balancing the weight of the car so that you just cruise around with the occasional blip on the throttle, rarely touching the brake in normal traffic. There's no weird surge of power like with a Volvo or Infiniti; the throttle simply reacts instantly and even provides throttle retardation (without a backfire). If you love gadgets (I do) then the Sport is the trim to go for; navigation that's usable, city brake support, cruise control, dual-zone air, a zonking 9-speaker Bose sound system, a Head-Up Display that is actually useful and NOT distracting, Push-button starter (I'm never going back to a car with an ignition key again!) rear camera and front-and-rear parking sensors, heated seats and steering wheel, folding mirrors, auto-dimming drivers mirror, proximity doors, Bluetooth connectivity and...well everything really. To get the same on say a BMW 520 SE is going to cost a lot in options. The only thing I wish it didn't have was an electronic parking brake, but I'm resigned to this (unsafe) feature being a 'feature' with most modern cars. Servicing costs are 'eh, how much?' stupidly low and the customer service from (my) Mazda dealer is superb. Best of all the 3 in this guise just performs as a run-of-mill town car quite happily and sedately. Not being too common, and not being a Beemer/Audi or Merc means many people give way, and Mazda drivers are probably the nicest and most laid-back drivers on-the-road - cos we've got the best cars!

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

This car replaced a 2006 Mazda 3 1.6-litre diesel. I bought the petrol because the 2.2 diesel was way over the top for our needs and my wife and I just loved the styling of the new car. I was very apprehensive about the fuel consumption I would actually get but, while the cost of fuel wasn't critical for our 7,000-miles a year, I went ahead anyway. I needn't have worried, as over 3,000 miles it is averaging 43mpg on the trip computer and costs £42 at fill ups. I never fill up to the neck so I call it a draw. Since August we have done about 2,000 miles locally and 1,000 miles on motorways. We drive sensibly around town and motorway limits. The car drives beautifully, very smooth and responsive and pulls well apart from motorway speeds in 6th gear when it is OK but needs to be dropped a gear or two if you need rapid response. Sixth gear is fine though for cruising up any motorway hill I have come across including Shap. The car drives well and just feels a lot classier than the old 3. The interior is also in a different league to the old 3 - the info screen is easy to get into and navigation directions are the best I've used. Not a single problem so far. As with our old 3 we love being in something different and rare on the road. Really happy.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

I love this car and previously had a older version 55 plate that I had from new, which never let us down - it only cost us six tyres and the service costs. We had various test drives before we opted for another Mazda 3 as we thought maybe there might be something better out there. Believe me there isn't. The Seat Leon FR ran close, except for bland-looking interior and £750 for the nicer wheels. The only slight criticism is the Sport version with the 18-inch low profiles can make the ride a bit firm on bumpy roads, but you appreciate it when you are whizzing around country roads with tight turns. It sticks to the road like dog mess to a blanket. If you buy one I don't think you will be disappointed.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

I've only had the new Mazda3 for approx a month and very satisfied to date. It looks stunning in the red colour and really stands out with the sporty lines. The Sport Nav does have both front and rear parking sensors which are most helpful. I paid extra for the leather which is very comfy and the overall seating position is spot on. Nice sporty looking gearbox is very smooth and delighted with my new purchase to date.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

I have had quite a few Mazda 3 as company car and have never had a problem. I've had petrol and diesel models, all have been very reliable. They're very comfy on long journeys, with a good sound system and DAB radio. I would have another one.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

I can't fault the reliability so far, after 30000 miles nothing has gone wrong. I have had zero problems with the satnav/bluetooth unlike some other reviewers, all working fine in mine. Fuel economy poor compared to official figures, I'm only getting around 42 mpg in the UK summer, less in the winter, the official figure was over 60! Engine is flexible with lots of useful torque at low revs. The 6-speed auto gearbox is nice and smooth, coupled with this engine makes for a relaxing driving experience. Steering and roadholding OK. I find I am working much less hard in this car than my previous manual. Performance is moderate (this is not a hot hatch) although its definitely not slow. Road noise is a gripe, there is an annoying low frequency thrumming noise around 70 mph. The body panels flex when pressed and the rear passenger doors feel very lightweight compared to say a Golf. A few features I like on this model - the headup display, the auto raise/dip headlamps, Bose stereo sound quality. Although one of the door speakers has started buzzing loudly on bass, I guess its a loose spring-clip. The dealer service is very expensive, the 3rd year service cost £385 and all they did was an oil change and put a new fuel filter in.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

This is the first Mazda I have owned for many years, and so far so good. It is comfortable, plenty of space, road tax is very cheap per annum (£30 as mine was registered before 1 April 2017), and it drives really well. I have never owned a car with more technology than this has, which is an added benefit. Overall I'm very happy with it.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

Like: Very good car for its class, comfortable, nice to drive, well behaved, reliable and averaged 60mpg in 12 months so not bad (depends on your driving style of course) Dislike: Small tank (<400miles), irritating bugs in satnav (blank screen, freezes, loses signal, paid extra for live traffic service which is useless - stick to Google), front parking sensors only available on sport model (must be so you don't get too close to the car in front), digital speedo only available on sport model (I'm old, my eyesight's failing, I can't read the tiny scale on the speedo and they could easily add it to the drop-down menu in the info display) Overall: Does what a car should do but more software bugs than Microsoft

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

Very quiet engine, very smooth gearbox. Drove to edinburgh after a few weeks of buying it - very impressed on the motorway and good corning on country roads due to its firn suspension. 46mpg not 55mpg as engine is still tight. 2500 miles no problems 1st service at 12500 at mazda £217.00 pounds shocker.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

Great car and looks fantastic with bags of torque from the 150hp engine, however I have had issues with the console/Bluetooth. When using it from time to time the whole system shuts down in the middle of the car cutting you off, then it re-boots. Mazda has had it in 3 times and they keep doing updates, however still exactly the same. My other company car choice was the Audi A3 1.6 tdi SLine which a colleague went for and not a problem with their car however between us I think it's quite slow compared to the Mazda.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

This is my first Mazda. I have had it just shy of 6 months and I have accumulated 5,000 miles. I am delighted with with it. What attracted me to the Mazda is its sleek lines, albeit typical Japanese, and amount of standard 'options'; I took the safety pack and leather seats so I believe it has everything on it. I drive a lot on the continent and the 2.2 diesel performs extremely well (Autobahn) and considering it has 18" low profile wheels it is also relatively quiet. All of the technology makes long journeys an enjoyable and relaxing experience; the Bose system is sublime, the cruise control, head-up display (how can I ever buy a car without this now?), lane departure system, and Rear Vehicle Monitoring adds a level security to what can be a monotonous and tiring drive. I opted for the leather seats, which are incredibly comfortable, and at this time of year I am pleased they are heated to take the chill off. What is also surprising is how few Mazda 3's I have seen. This currently gives you a little exclusivity instead of joining the Vauxhall/Ford fleet crowd. Enjoy it whilst you can! Positives: punchy but smooth drive, attractive looking car and lots of technology to make the experience incredibly enjoyable. Negatives: some initial problems with the Infortainment system (firmware update resolved the issues) and slightly disappointing MPG (49-51 on long journeys) which I hope improves when the engine loosens up a bit.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

Best car I have ever owned. Really good looking, great build quality and amazing to drive. Highly recommended. Super reliable car.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

This car is a lot of firsts for me, my first brand new car, my first 2.0 litre, my first Japanese car, my first with a heads up displayed, (I am ruined for other cars now because of this), and I have to say I am not disappointed. Ever since I saw one when it was released I have always wanted one. And I got one! I have had my Mazda3 now for about five months now and I am absolutely in love with it, I'm always looking for an excuse to drive it, much to the horror of the Mazda dealership I'm sure. I bought mine in September the dealers were fantastic as well and gave me a good price on my old car, not to mention a fantastic deal on it, (no truly they did!). I didn't opt much in the way of optional extras, not that there were many to choose from. After looking at 'the usual options' on the market it was really strange that things like heated seats and 8" sat nav was included. Ever since then I have had 4,700 trouble-free miles from it. To drive it's amazing, the engine and gearbox are silky smooth and the steering actually has a little bit of feel to it which on the backroads I have to take to get to work is a godsend. It's very quiet too, considering it's riding on 18" alloys and low profile tires. The build quality is fantastic, there are no rattles anywhere in the cabin, it's a nice place to be, everything feels solidly built and in some places quite premium, it's easy on the eyes as well both inside and outside, especially in the Soul Red that they do so well. Overall, I love it! Nothing out there makes as much sense as one of these. Did I mention it's tax free for a year?

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

I owned the previous model from new for 4 years and it was brilliant. Unfortunately the latest model is proving a big disappointment. Technically, it has many improvements but in practical terms it has gone backwards in many areas. A few examples: The front windscreen now slopes at such an angle that it reflects light from the top of the dashboard straight into the eyes of the driver particularly when driving towards the sun. The view through the rear windscreen, which is now tinted, is considerably reduced. The door pockets are about the size of an apple. The steering wheel has a harder and less grippy feel. Despite all the technical improvements I only achieve 48 mpg (the old model did 46mpg with a more powerful engine). Although the sat-nav has an excellent display, the handbook is useless and a magnifying glass is needed to read the diagrams. The auto headlight dipping system remains on dipped for most of the time at night. The communications/entertainment system is computer driven and at times appears unnecessarily complex. There is an intrusive engine rumble on the overrun below 1,700rpm. Road noise still intrudes as it did on the old model. The fascia air vent controls are very close to the hazard warning light button and it is very easy to activate it by mistake.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

No Red thumbs down

Tell us what you think about your car?

Fantastic car to drive. I bought a top-of-the-range hatch with leather seats and the safety pack. My only faults so far: the seatbelt attachment on the left side of the drivers seat is too short and it is a struggle to connect. The safety pack is very complicated to use. As for the instruction book, it's nearly two inches thick - I'm still trying to get my head round it, like jumping into the pilot's seat of a 747. A simplified version would have been better received. Apart from these moans I love it.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

This car is perfect. It delivered the exact experience that I was expecting. I chose this model because it has a great petrol engine, good ground clearance, perfect dimensions for town driving, attractive Mazda design and g vectoring control. I was worried because of the reviews that said the suspension is a bit stiff but it was perfect compared to my old Golf. The engine takes it from 0-62mph in 8.9 sec though it is only 120hp. The hatch is perfect for my needs. I've had absolutely no faults in one year and almost 15.000 miles (20.000 km). The G vectoring really works, too and I fell much more confident behind the wheel.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

I have been reading a lot of bad reviews about performace of the mazda 3 2.2 Diesel 150 PS and would like to advice everyone who owns mazda 3 to use Special/Supreme Diesel instead regular.. If I driving between 60-75 mph on motorway I do 65mpg without any doubt, but if I use regular diesel instead good diesel I will do less than 50mpg..

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

Being a fan of Japanese engineering (and German too) this model is my third Mazda. Inside the cabin, I find the engine noise level could not be described as noisy but neither is it quiet and this is dependent upon the road surface at any given moment. To me, the controls are not that self-explanatory to operate and a good read and understanding of the manual is beneficial. I found most troublesome was the SatNav. Probably my fault but it never seemed to work the same way twice which can become frustrating. I am not sure what I have done but the last three trips have been fine but, as far as I can recall, I did nothing differently to when previously it got fixed in a particular display and was useless as a SaTNav. An improvement on the previous Mazda's is the handbrake. It is now a straight lift operation rather than the off-set one which seemed that I was always having to apologise to my passenger for touching their leg! Also having 6 forward gears and a 2 litre engine gives a little more power when needed which is always reassuring. I very much like the car's steering and its responsiveness and control at very low speed and in reverse. I have found reverse parking in streets and in car parks much easier as a result. Improvements for future: Previous models had a lockable passenger compartment but this model does not which introduces a slight vulnerability. Also the door pockets have been re-designed to render the space as an awkward shape that is not capable of containing anything necessary like, for instance, a window scraper and there are no other nooks and crannies to stow small articles. Whilst I like the push button ignition, I fear that is also a vulnerability risk. I read that there are devices on the market that can prevent you locking your car and once opened, any thief can jump in, start the car and drive away without having ignition keys. There are opportunists around so I make it a discipline not to open the car too remotely but rather within arms length of the vehicle.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

I have had the Mazda3 for 3 months now covering over 1,000 miles. Previously owned a Mark 6 Golf 1.4. There are many positives to the 3, possibly the best part is handling which is excellent. I had the opportunity to drive a 3 at Silvestone last year and on the race track it was outstanding. The ride is smooth although find the car can get a bit noisy on long trips, sound proofing could be better. I have found the engine to be responsive with an excellent gear change; however, in comparison to the Golf this car lacks low down power. You do need to change down a lot more than in the Golf. I also test drove a Kia Cee'd petrol 1.6 and found that the 3 has far superior handling and greater engine flexibility. The internal build quality of the car feels good and is certainly comparable with the Golf; however, the external panels do feel flimsy. I can’t help thinking that in the quest to reduce weight the panels have been made too thin. I am not sure how they will deal with the test of time but and I have already picked up a dent. I also feel that £500 for a Sat Nav is excessive. I would suggest that you do specify rear parking sensors as rear visibility is poor. Fuel economy is reasonable, I average about 40 mpg, however, nothing like as good as the 55 mpg Mazda claim on the combined cycle! As a result I have marked the 3 down on running costs. The Mazda multimedia command system is very easy use. To sum up an excellent all round car that not only looks good but also drives well and certainly better value than a Golf!

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up