Photo: Mazda / edited
Twinned with the CX-30 crossover, the Mazda3 has entered 2024 with a starting price of $24,170 excluding taxes. The destination freight charge is $1,165, bringing the total to $25,335 for the base specification of the four-door sedan.
By comparison, the 2023 model used to retail at $22,550 plus $1,065 back in August 2022. What are you getting for the higher price, though? In the 2.5 S, upgrades include Rear Door Alert, Rear Cross Traffic Alert, and Blind Sport Monitoring.
Only the Mazda3 Sedan is available in 2.5 S guise. This most basic of trim levels also includes Mazda Radar Cruise Control with stop-and-go function, Smart Brake Support, Lane Keep Assist and Lane Departure Warning, Driver Attention Alert, and High Beam Control as part of the i-Activesense suite of driver-assist and safety features. Three years of Mazda Connected Services also needs to be mentioned, along with a Wi-Fi hotspot for up to three months or 2GB in trial mode.
Six audio speakers complement an 8.8-inch infotainment display, whose functions are controlled by means of the Commander multi-function knob on the center console. Push-button start, remote keyless entry, USB-C ports, rain-sensing wipers, cloth seats in black, LED exterior lights, a matte-finish grille, as well as 16-inch wheels pretty much seal the deal.
Prospective customers who need all-wheel drive can have it as long as they're fine with the 2.5 S Carbon Edition, the 2.5 Carbon Turbo, or the range-topping 2.5 Turbo Premium Plus. The Carbon Turbo is another novelty for 2024, which builds on the Carbon Edition with a few tasteful additions. For starters, the name implies a 2.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder lump rather than the standard free-breathing mill.
Compatible with both regular unleaded and premium fuel, the force-fed engine delivers 250 horsepower and 320 pound-feet (434 Nm) on full song as long as you fill up with 93 octane. Switching to 87 octane isn't a biggie at all, with Mazda quoting 227 horsepower and 310 pound-feet (420 Nm) of torque.
The Skyactive-Drive six-speed automatic transmission and i-Activ AWD system are standard, as is Zircon Sand Metallic. This version of the Mazda3 also flaunts 18-inch wheels in black, side mirrors in black, terracotta leatherette and red stitching for the interior, and – get this – a larger infotainment display. When mirroring your phone via cordless Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, the 10.25-inch unit can be controlled via touch. Qi wireless phone charging is standard as well.
Those in the market for a manual-equipped Mazda3 will have to make do with one configuration. The Mazda3 Hatchback 2.5 S Premium, that is, whose Skyactiv-MT is an available item. This grade comes in front-wheel drive if you pick the manual or all-wheel drive if you go for the automatic transmission.
The Mazda3 isn't a big hit stateside, at least according to 2022 deliveries. The compact segment's undisputed leader is the Toyota Corolla, which moved 222,216 units last year. In regard to compact-sized crossovers, Toyota also leads with 366,741 deliveries of the RAV4. As incredible as it may sound, the RAV4 finished 2022 in fourth place overall, only bested by the Ram P/U line of light- and heavier-duty trucks (468,344 units), Chevy Silverado (520,936), and Ford F-Series (653,957).
Only the Mazda3 Sedan is available in 2.5 S guise. This most basic of trim levels also includes Mazda Radar Cruise Control with stop-and-go function, Smart Brake Support, Lane Keep Assist and Lane Departure Warning, Driver Attention Alert, and High Beam Control as part of the i-Activesense suite of driver-assist and safety features. Three years of Mazda Connected Services also needs to be mentioned, along with a Wi-Fi hotspot for up to three months or 2GB in trial mode.
Six audio speakers complement an 8.8-inch infotainment display, whose functions are controlled by means of the Commander multi-function knob on the center console. Push-button start, remote keyless entry, USB-C ports, rain-sensing wipers, cloth seats in black, LED exterior lights, a matte-finish grille, as well as 16-inch wheels pretty much seal the deal.
Prospective customers who need all-wheel drive can have it as long as they're fine with the 2.5 S Carbon Edition, the 2.5 Carbon Turbo, or the range-topping 2.5 Turbo Premium Plus. The Carbon Turbo is another novelty for 2024, which builds on the Carbon Edition with a few tasteful additions. For starters, the name implies a 2.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder lump rather than the standard free-breathing mill.
Compatible with both regular unleaded and premium fuel, the force-fed engine delivers 250 horsepower and 320 pound-feet (434 Nm) on full song as long as you fill up with 93 octane. Switching to 87 octane isn't a biggie at all, with Mazda quoting 227 horsepower and 310 pound-feet (420 Nm) of torque.
The Skyactive-Drive six-speed automatic transmission and i-Activ AWD system are standard, as is Zircon Sand Metallic. This version of the Mazda3 also flaunts 18-inch wheels in black, side mirrors in black, terracotta leatherette and red stitching for the interior, and – get this – a larger infotainment display. When mirroring your phone via cordless Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, the 10.25-inch unit can be controlled via touch. Qi wireless phone charging is standard as well.
Those in the market for a manual-equipped Mazda3 will have to make do with one configuration. The Mazda3 Hatchback 2.5 S Premium, that is, whose Skyactiv-MT is an available item. This grade comes in front-wheel drive if you pick the manual or all-wheel drive if you go for the automatic transmission.
The Mazda3 isn't a big hit stateside, at least according to 2022 deliveries. The compact segment's undisputed leader is the Toyota Corolla, which moved 222,216 units last year. In regard to compact-sized crossovers, Toyota also leads with 366,741 deliveries of the RAV4. As incredible as it may sound, the RAV4 finished 2022 in fourth place overall, only bested by the Ram P/U line of light- and heavier-duty trucks (468,344 units), Chevy Silverado (520,936), and Ford F-Series (653,957).
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