MAZDA 3 / Axela Sedan 2004-2009 Photos, engines & full specs

Mazda dropped the 323 range and replaced it with the Axela/3 in 2003 for the Japanese market followed by an international presence in 2004.

The car shared its platform with the European Ford Focus Mk2, which was not available in the U.S. Mazda used the Axela name in Japan, while 3 was used for the rest of the world. It was available as a five-door hatchback or as a four-door sedan.

Mazda followed the new-edge-design concept when it introduced the 3. The pentagonal-shaped grille sported two body-colored and Mazda's chromed badge. Following the sporty design, the bumper featured a center grille at the bottom flanked by two side scoops for the fog lights. In the sedan shape, the carmaker didn't use the same rear doors as the hatchback. The thick C-pillars were raked forward and followed by a short trunk lid with an option for a lip-spoiler, depending on the trim level.

Inside, the 3/Axela featured a curved dashboard with three individual clusters for the instrument panel, with the speedometer in the middle and the tachometer on the left. The right side was for the coolant temperature, fuel level, and a small, monochrome LCD. Its front bucket seats with decent side bolstering provided good lateral support for its occupants, while the rear bench was suitable for two adults and a child in the middle. Thanks to its split-folding seatback, the trunk size could increase from 413 liters (14.6 cu-ft) to 675 liters (23.8 cu-ft).

Unlike most of the cars in the segment, the 3/Axela sedan featured independent suspension in all corners. Its Mazda-designed platform helped her be one of the best in its class for cornering speed, but its engines were designed to help families budgets, not performance.