Japanese automaker Mazda will go into the hall of fame as the creator of the one of the most popular sports cars in the history of motorsports - the RX-7. The RX-8, while laudable, was an anti-climax under the reign of its iconic predecessor. The automaker went ahead and changed our perception of a fun and thrilling driving experience with the award-winning MX-5 Miata Roadster. And embracing the true spirit of ‘Kaizen,’ which stands for continuous improvement in Japanese, it dropped another banger - the Mazda .
The Mazda3 Sedan isn’t anything like its predecessors. It might be a little spirited when driven fast, but it has a different kind of selling point - its allure. Joe of Raiti's Rides reviewed this Japanese compact gem.
Let’s take some time to think about the compact sedan market segment. It’s not as popular as it once was in the '90s and '00s. Once tagged as the ideal family car, a new wave of crossovers and compact SUVs now fill that space, a hotly contested segment where cars like the Mazda’s CX-50 are thriving.
The Mazda3 Sedan, like its larger sibling, the Mazda6, plunged into a competitive market that had its own set of OGs - the Toyota Corolla and Honda Civic. It also faces spirited new entrants such as the Hyundai Elantra, Nissan Sentra, and the Kia Forte.
For the 2022 model year, Mazda was under intense pressure to beat a redesigned 11th generation Honda Civic. The Japanese automaker took a different approach, wooing the market with a unique design and a fresh set of spec colors. Perhaps the most enticing is the Platinum Quartz Metallic.
You also get adaptive headlights and day-light running lights, 18-inch wheels, and a sportier exterior than the top-dog Honda Civic. The Mazda3 has a starting price of $21,815 in the U.S.
Also, while similarly priced with close rivals such as the Civic, VW Jetta, and Corolla, the Mazda3 is a level above them and unmatched in style and sophistication. There’s a choice of eight trims, with the Carbon Edition, Turbo, and Turbo Premium taking the popular votes.
Under the hood, the 2022 Mazda3 has three engine variants a 2.0-liter making 155 HP, 2.5-liter producing 186 HP, and the peppy turbocharged 2.5-liter four-cylinder cranking 250 HP. There’s a 6-speed manual transmission limited to the front-wheel-drive and a 6-speed automatic for the all-wheel-drive platform.
Humphrey is a car enthusiast whose love and passion for automobiles extended into collecting, writing, driving, and working on cars. He got his passion for cars from his Dad, who spent thousands of hours working on his old junky 1970 E20 Toyota Corolla. Years later, he would end up doing the same with a series of lemons he’s owned throughout his adult life. Full profile
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