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Mazda3 hatchback (2014-2018) - Reliability & safety

Mazda has an excellent reputation for reliability and safety and the Mazda3 is no exception

Carbuyer Rating

3.9 out of 5

Owners Rating
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Reliability & safety Rating

4.0 out of 5

As with many Japanese manufacturers, Mazda is at the top of its game when it comes to reliability and owner satisfaction. It builds safe cars, too, thanks to a range of airbags and countless safety systems designed to keep you on the straight and narrow.

Mazda3 reliability

The Mazda3 was rated highly for reliability in our 2018 Driver Power owner satisfaction survey of cars currently on sale in the UK. It placed 28th out of the top 75 cars currently on sale while Mazda as a brand came ninth out of 26 manufacturers.

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The new car shares many parts with the Mazda6, which means they’re tried and tested and should be reliable. The Mazda's high rating for quality contrasts with its lacklustre scores for interior design and comfort, and practicality and space.

Safety

A five-star rating from Euro NCAP ensures the Mazda3 will be safe in a crash. It has a full set of airbags, plus traction and stability control, which help to prevent skidding. Buyers can also add extra equipment such as emergency braking and automatic headlights. The back seats also feature two ISOFIX child-seat mounts. The top-spec 2.2 diesel Sport Nav can be upgraded with a Safety pack that features blind spot detection, but it's not offered on the smaller 1.5 diesel.

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Richard is a former editor of Carbuyer, as well as sister site DrivingElectric.com, and he's now Deputy Editor at Auto Express. Having spent a decade working in the automotive industry, he understands exactly what makes new car buyers tick.

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