I have to be careful not to fall victim to confirmation bias. I own a 2012 Mazda3 Hatchback, so driving the new 2019 Mazda3 AWD could be a case study. I’m obviously invested in the model (literally and figuratively), and I want the new compact car to be as good as or better than the one that already lives in my garage. I don’t want to allow my deeply held belief that the Mazda3 is an exceptional vehicle color my evaluation of the new version, which rides on an new platform, and shares few, if any, parts with my 2012. I open my eyes wide, swallow the dregs of my morning coffee, and examine the 2019 model in the cold light of day. I vow to be objective, to be vigilant, and to be fair.
I start with the exterior. Mazda3 comes in two versions, a notchback four-door sedan and a five-door hatchback. While the two versions share a 107.3-inch wheelbase, the only common sheet metal between the sedan and the hatchback is the hood and the rocker panels. Even the doors are unique. The sedan is longer (183.5 inches vs. 175.6 inches), while the pair are nearly the same height (56.9 inches for the sedan vs. 56.7 inches for the hatch) and identical in width (70.7 inches). Each of these dimensions matches pretty closely with the outgoing Mazda3.
When I first saw the new Mazda3 at its debut in Los Angeles a few months ago, I was taken aback. I didn’t appreciate the new exterior design — in fact actively disliked the hatchback’s rear aspect. That has changed with closer examination. I now understand what the designers have attempted – a simplification and reworking of the compact car formula. Gone are the crisp body lines in favor of more organic and actively reflective surfaces. Where the old Mazda3 presented taut muscularity, the new Mazda3 is all about flow and motion. The company’s signature Soul Crystal Red paint helps to emphasize the dance of light and shadow across the bodywork, creating arresting patterns of motion. The car retains its essential character somehow, but has gained an elegance and maturity that was absent in previous iterations.
Inside, the transformation is equally dramatic. Mirroring the exterior’s simplicity and elegance, the new dashboard is sleek and relatively unadorned. The big change is both a functional and aesthetic one – the display at the center of the dash is now an 8.8-inch landscape-oriented screen, and it is no longer a touchscreen. Mazda engineers have decided to concentrate on interfaces and controls that can be operated with small muscle movements and without prolonged eye contact. They contend that a touchscreen requires the driver to lift their entire arm while guiding a finger by eye to a specific target, which qualifies as significant distraction. With a smarter ergonomic arrangement of knobs and buttons in the center console, the driver can initiate actions with a quick glance to orient themselves, and fingertip feel. Repeated operation over weeks and months of ownership will require even less visual assistance. Additionally, a windscreen-based head-up display replaces the small motorized plastic screen solution that was featured on the previous generation Mazda3. The projected image is larger than before, and further away from the driver’s eyes, which has the effect of minimizing the change in focus required to read the projected information and to see the road ahead. The holistic approach to avoiding driver distraction in the Mazda3 cabin pays off with not only smooth functionality, but also with a clean, uncluttered dash.
A new sound system in Mazda3 uses revised speaker positioning. Tweeter and midrange drivers are targeted directly at the driver and passenger’s ears, rather than reflecting off of the windscreen as previously aligned. Bass drivers have been moved from the doors to the lower cowl. Since bass sound waves are not directional, the sound moves throughout the cabin effectively. The door structure is narrower than before, and sound tuning no longer needs to be modulated to avoid causing unwanted vibration and distortion. In the premium Bose audio option, a subwoofer is mounted in the rear deck (in the sedan) or spare wheel well (in the hatchback). The Bose sound system is part of the Premium and Preferred trim level, and has the ability to play high-resolution audio files for truly amazing sound – making the upper trim levels a must for audiophiles and true music lovers.
Just a few more words of praise for the Mazda3 cabin. The steering wheel, which is manually adjustable for angle and reach, is perfectly aligned with the seating position. This may seem like a no-brainer and no big deal, but it really matters, especially for long distance comfort. Many cabin layouts compromise the steering wheel position slightly, positioning it at a slight offset to the driving position to align with engine bay openings. Even a few inches of offset can require the driver’s spine to twist, which can cause backaches and other physical discomfort over time.
Another finnicky detail that I really appreciate – the cabin lighting has been calibrated to be consistent in tone and temperature, which particularly benefits nighttime driving. All of the instrument panel lights, dash lights, and ambient cabin lighting project light within the same narrow range of color and brightness, eliminating harsh bright spots and glare. It’s another case of attention to detail improving function and aesthetics alike.
All of which wouldn’t matter much if the Mazda3 wasn’t great to drive.
The new Mazda3 uses a carryover powerplant, the 2.5-liter naturally aspirated (non-turbo) SKYACTIV-G inline four-cylinder engine that is tuned to produce 186 hp and 186 lb-ft of torque, and uses a six-speed automatic SKYACTIV-DRIVE Sport automatic transmission. A six-speed manual transmission can be ordered on hatchback models, but is not available on the sedan. Front-wheel drive is standard, as it has been since the birth of the Mazda3. The big news for 2019 is available all-wheel drive, which works with Mazda’s G-Vectoring Control torque vectoring system to improve handing in wet and dry road conditions, especially during cornering operation. The intervention of G-Vectoring Control and all-wheel drive is subtle and natural-feeling, and has the effect of requiring fewer steering corrections from the driver, and sharper, more stable cornering feel.
One counterintuitive change in the Mazda3 involves the rear suspension. Past generations of the model have used a multi-link setup for independent rear suspension. The 2019 Mazda3 now uses a torsion beam axle, which seems on the surface to be a step backward. But Mazda’s engineers insist that the move was an effort to simplify and isolate rear ride motions. The number of bushings, identified as a weak point in rear suspension, has been reduced from 14 in the multi-link to two in the torsion-beam setup. In combination with a dramatically stiffened torsion beam, rear compliance steering has been reduced by 75%, and rear toe-in doesn’t change as rear torque is applied. Torsion-beam axle suspension systems are typically found in economy cars, so there’s probably some consideration to savings applied here, too – which would be of concern if the results weren’t so good. The Mazda3 handles beautifully, and manages a wide variety of road conditions with aplomb.
Pricing on the 2019 Mazda3 starts at $21,000 for the sedan, $23,600 for the hatchback. There’s a select package for the sedan, starting at $22,600. Preferred package starts at $24,200 sedan/$25,200 hatchback; Premium package with manual transmission starts at $27,500 hatchback. Premium package with automatic transmission starts at $26,500 sedan/$27,500 hatchback. Add $1,400 to upgrade from front-wheel drive to all-wheel drive.
Here’s where my confirmation bias rears its ugly head again – I can’t figure out which competitor I would recommend ahead of or alongside the Mazda3. None of the popular choices — Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla, Nissan Versa, Ford Focus, Chevrolet Cruze, Volkswagen Golf – match the driving experience and design of Mazda3 for me. Premium offerings like Audi A3, Mercedes-Benz A-Class, BMW 3 Series, come to mind, but are clearly at a different price point.
My conclusion – if you’re looking for an affordable, stylish, fun-to-drive compact sedan or hatchback, you’ve got to drive the 2019 Mazda3 before you buy anything else. Decide for yourself, and develop your own confirmation bias.
