Mazda 3 BP (2019-2026)

The quality has gone downhill over recent years. First there was the airbag recall, then myself and several other people I know had problems with the door locks. And now my mazda won't start. 5.5 years old, serviced every 10,000km. I've had more trouble with this, my first brand new car than any second hand car I've owned. The dash says push to… Read more

start faulty but the tick, tick sound it's making makes me think it's the alternator. Pretty poor record for buying new

A lovely and well-finished car but with some caveats – I love my SP 25. It has loads of torque and has loads of sheer grunt. In fact you have to be careful on low speed roads as the car tends to cruise away and over the limit unless you keep an eye on the head-up display. The fit and finish, especially of the interior, is just excellent. Typical Japanese quality. My only negatives are as follows:… Read more

-The entertainment unit always turns on automatically when you start the car. You have to manually turn it off each time if you want a quite drive. There is no permanent stop to this and I think Mazda should do a software update to rectify this. -Similarly Istop comes on when you start the car and you have to turn it off if you don't want to use the feature. You cannot set it permanently to off. Again, a software update should be provided to rectify this. -The low speed ride is a bit harsh...it seems it's either full power or nothing. The dealer has offered to re-calibrate my transmission on the next service so I will see if this fixes it. -If you are on the ground cleaning the lower bumper area whatever you do DON'T lean on the lower bar to help yourself up. It seems to bring the front bumper clips apart at the front wheels. The only way to fix it is to push the bumper back into place and then lift that very same lower bumper which seems to bend things back into place. -The body panels are worryingly thin. If anyone wants to rest their backside on the car, especially on the rear quarter panels, tell them to take a flying leap and leave the car alone. Mazda has used very thin steel in an effort to keep body mass low but I think they have made it too thin. -My car is that beautiful "Soul Crystal Red" colour and it is a gorgeous colour indeed, especially with the black mag wheels BUT... if you scratch the car by accident forget about touching it up or even getting a detailer to touch it up. Mazda uses a special paint process to create this colour involving a primer, a base coat of one colour, the more candy-apple red as the next coat, a tinted clear coat and then a final clear coat. It seems to be impossible to touch up and if you do the repair will stand out like a dog's gonads. The only answer is to have the whole panel resprayed. This seems to be a common problem with metallic finishes on cars these days so next time I will buy a plain Jane colour because they are a cinch to touch up. Stone chips can be touched up if they are small. -The over-shoulder rear visibility is very poor due to the tiny windows at the rear quarter panel. You will find yourself relying on the blind spot monitor a lot. Apart from all of the above the car is wonderful to drive, handles as if it is being magnetically held onto the road and is quiet inside, save for the lovely throaty roar from the exhaust. It is, indeed, a fun little pocket rocket.

An enjoyable car to own and drive – The manual Mazda 3 with the 2.5 litre engine with 6 speed manual transmission is a lot of fun, and can also be reasonably economical. Mine is a 2022 model, silver in colour with the red leather trim. I purchased this after carefully considering the i30 N-line as an alternative (it is a very good car!), but went with the naturally aspirated Mazda… Read more

as I'd like to keep the car for a long-time, and turbo's tend to have more issues.

Strengths: - It handles like its on rails, with reasonably comfortable ride - Engine performance is strong - Fuel efficiency is good. Averaging 7.7 l / 100km in urban driving. 6-6.5 l / 100km on open road. - Brakes are excellent, with a firm pedal and progressive pedal feel. - Quiet and refined for rural travelling - Front seats are very comfortable - No sqeaks or rattles (yet) - Driver assistance technology is excellent, especially the 360 degree camera views. You can also adjust the level of nagging that it provides, which is very helpful. - The heads up display can save your license with your speed "in your face".... and it also includes navigation directions, which can reduce driver distraction. - ANCAP / EuroNCAP safety rating of 98% for adult occupants is reassuring - No mechanical issues so far (early days, with only 10k on the clock at the time of writing)

Quirks (where I've had to adapt) - The infotainment is not a touch screen, with all functions controlled by the rotary dial, or by voice control. This take a bit of getting used to, although I've now found that I can control most things by voice - having learned the commands. - Side and rear visibility is limited, forcing you to adjust the mirrors carefully and pay attention to the blind spot monitoring and rear camera / cross-traffic alert. - The "i-stop" feature to turn off the engine works well, but I dislike it, so I turn it off.

Weaknesses - The rear seat is useable, but effectively limited to two people on a longer journey, and only if they are not especially tall in the torso. (Headroom is limited). - The cylinder deactivation can be felt at lower speeds, with a mild vibration when it kicks in. At higher speeds it is seamless. - The trip computer doesn't provide average speed on a journey.

EDIT (2025). We're now past 30,000km and it is still as nice to drive as it was at the start. Fuel consumption has improved - now averaging 5.5 l / 100km on the highway/freeway, and around 7.2 l / 100km in the city.

Forget the Golf. If you just want a nice hatch minus performance – Very good value for money, very good styling. Pro's One of the best, if not the best interior design of its class. Excellent handing dynamics. Good steering feedback. 2.5 Litre is very punchy, great torque off the line. Great head lights. Infotainment is easy to use Transmission is smooth. Fuel economy is acceptable. Great body control… Read more

around corners, driver focused car. Cheap maintenance

Negatives.

- The suspension is incredibly stiff. You will feel EVERYTHING on the road. Be aware Mazda's philosophy is to make their cars driver focused, however to stay in budget they use very simple suspension items such as McPherson struts and a torsion bar therefore leading to a harsher ride.

- Knock in the front end. Common issue, strut mounts replaced.

- Wipers hitting the A pillar.

- Mazda's service schedule is not as competitive.

- Brake pedal feel is very woody.

Think carefully before buying – * Wheels are over $1300 each to buy new. * The key shell when dropped may fall apart. If you lose one side, such as an accidental dropping of the key, Mazda parts will sell you the single piece for around $168. (There’s no badge on that side, no electronics. It’s an almost flat piece of plastic worth a couple of dollars at best). As a cheaper… Read more

option, they will offer you the accessory replacement (in silver, rose gold or fake carbon) for around $80. *. The mirrors often don’t open (e.g 3 times out of 10) despite the dealer not being able to replicate the fault.

So despite the car being nice to drive, cheap to service, economical and good dealer relations, I would think seriously about buying another one.

Beautiful car with a mix bag of experience – Fairly speaking, it's one of the most beautiful car, power wise it's good for 2.0 ltr though struggles on Western Sydney's mountainous inner roads. Economy coming to 10.9L/100k. The good feeling factors are ADL, BSM, HLA, LDW, DAA and the beautiful looks. The most disappointing features are SBS/SCBS/SBSR - I tried in safe environment at speed… Read more

above and below 20 kph but finally I had to emergency break manually, and LAS - doesn't really work. Had gone through online manual and looks like need to do experiments with the config. The TPMS is confusing and in absence of demonstration by the dealer, it renders useless. The TSR comes with so many conditions. It is very confusing in School zones as it picks up 40 irrespective of time. After couple of drives, one get used to it though annoying at times. While we are in 2021 the reverse camera still shows solid lines instead of guide lines. i.e. doesn't show estimation with wheels turned. Neither the rear view mirrors turn down automatically during reverse parking for easier view. Specially, when the rear view mirrors are very small. Overall I gave rating 6 out of 10 for Mazda Evolve MY21.

amazing car...can't believe it's Japanese not European – Bought a new March 23 built mazda 3 for $35k driveway incl. $1k worth accessories and 2 complimentary service total 20k kms. Don't know I got a good deal or not but happy with the car very smooth, low noise & perfect handling...just like other Euro. cars!! Show details

Generally good value for money – Car purchased originally for wife - however she is in late 60's and not so confident - I am now the main driver (male age 70). The car is used regularly for trips of 6- 10kms with regular highway and distance drives 300kms per stint. For the most part a very good car some observations which may or may not affect your buying decision. Car needed… Read more

mud flaps to keep sides of car and door sills clean, have same beeping battery issue as others - beeping - eg just vacuuming interior can result in reminder- even after successive long trips. Motor very good and gearbox very, smooth shifting plus a bonus of a conventional design - smoother in traffic than dry DSG or CVT I have driven - plus the auto is torque design and not factory sealed so able to be serviced. Boot is good size and spacious but access is a little tight. Service costs (as with all modern cars) should be cheaper - majority of them are just inspections, oil and filter with wheel rotation! Brakes excellent for 85% of time - but perhaps need to be slightly beefier if car driven harder or needs very short stopping time? Included safey and driver aids match competition and work well. Visibility is good, the heads up display is quite nice - unlike BMW - the heated steering wheel is free and not a monthly subscription, only thing missing is front sensors in the Mazda package - as I have scraped the very low front bumper on a car park bump stop. If you are considering this for rougher roads it nay not be the best choice. Mazda 3 no longer has independent rear suspension (as do many FWD cars nowadays). This suspension is great on smooth suburban roads and highways due to its rigid design - BUT - I found, like so many cars I have driven over the years using this setup - on rough roads and bumpy corners the car can bounce around and move off line across the road, unless you are travelling very slowly. One last thing for me - and not a big gripe - the compression and rebound settings on the shock absorbers should be tuned more to match the GT badge - a new Kia GT I drove very briefly seemed to have better compression and rebound settings - the Mazda felt to have better build quality and particularly better paintwork, so in all the Mazda is a good all rounder offering most things for most people and one I have been happy with.

Love my zoom zoom! – I purchased this car in 2019 and would not trade it for the world! I normally have a 3 year turn around with cars but not this one. I use my car daily for travel to and from work plus the usual shopping trips etc and it is perfect, a little thirsty at times but it's normal for a 2.5L engine. I have it serviced at Maitland Mazda every 10,000km and… Read more

they are always helpful. I love the safety features in this car and the luxury feeling of the interior. I would purchase another Mazda 3. I love the fact that Mazda make their cars feel high quality for a great price.

An example of Great Quality for Money – You really cant go wrong with Mazda Brand particularly the Mazda 3 which has dominated in quality and value for money the past decade and beyond. The new models are very appealing to any car lovers eye and the motor build is second to none for this price range- hightly recommended

Pure 2.0 ltr optioned with Vision – I am normally an electric car driver and was looking for a second family vehicle. Jason at Sale Mazda in Victoria took me through the safety features. The drive experience was impressive, smooth and adaptive for highway and gravel roads The cargo space for the sedan was almost double that of the hatch and useful for pickup of relatives from the… Read more

rail station or airport. Somehow the sedan styling was sassy yet gracious. The fuel economy and CO2 emissions were just as good as the Mazda MX30 hybrid and the price was $8000 less. Keeping distance checks and paying the VicRoads low emission levy on any electric vehicle was a big put off for buying an EV. So finally the option of the 360 degree camera and driver alert options without buying a high end model of any 2ltr car sold me on a Madza3 Pure It may be my last purchase of a petrol vehicle but I am sure it will be the safest, best drive and best priced.

Beautiful Car, nice to drive, but with a few major flaws for city driving – After 9 months I thought I’d better amend my review. This car is beautiful and well put together with quality materials. The engine I seem adequate, but the auto box does not get up through the gears quick enough for my liking. Around town it rarely gets into top gear. Istop rarely works as it won’t come in unless the engine is up to temperature;… Read more

the cabin is close to normal temperature and the wheels are straight (!) On my daily drive in a hot climate the aircon is always on, so istop basically doesn’t work.

I use the car daily for very short journeys. I live 3 or 4 mins from many of the places I go. And this is the problem. If the car does journeys of less than 5 mins regularly an alarm (beep) goes off telling you to start the engine and run for 5 mins. This is a pain and I have to do it often. It also contributes to the relatively poor fuel economy around town.

On the subject of beeps, this car has one for every occasion. If you don’t want to go mad turn whatever you can off and set all the sensors to low sensitivity. This will just about make it drivable.

Another problem with the car is the satnav which has the worst maps I have come across. I only use the guidance occasionally, but it has failed to get me where I want to go every time. Problems such as not being able to find the exact address on a street (or even near!); navigating to a dead end on a dirt road or getting us to a petrol station that hasn’t been there for 25 years. Voice guidance is garbled and pronunciations strange. (Towards pronounced “toads” and terrace pronounced TeeCeeEee!). Voice recognition is also very hit and miss.

Buy this car for a long run traveller but not for around town! I have spoken Mazda Australia and they are aware of the shortcomings, but I’m not hopeful of a software update soon. Such a pity because with a few tweaks this could be a brilliant car.

Exceptional mid sized sedan with top specs – Absolutely awesome can not fault any aspect of this vehicle without being exceptionally picky. A great bargain for the $37,000 on road price tag and it has amazing acceleration. Luxury at the price of a regular car. Show details

2021 BP Mazda3 G20 Pure Hatchback – Alright where do I start I bought this car brand new in late august this year 2021 definitely happy with the choice I’ve made absolutely love this car from its Styling to the fuel economy. A few things I like about this car is just how smooth and quiet it is on the road from highway driving to city driving- The sleek design Mazda has is bound to… Read more

draw people in, they definitely have come along way over the years and know how to sell and make a eye catching, but reliable car- The reliability of the Mazda brand is what keeps me coming back to buy another one every time also with reasonable service pricing

I’ve had the car now for a couple of months I haven’t quite hit the 3,000kms yet but I really like the soft touches in the interior definitely gives you that luxury feeling- Audio System is really easy to use with the best of both worlds with apple CarPlay and android auto

This car is also filled with so much when it comes to safety technology which gives this car a 5 star safety rating

See I could go on forever about this car but I’ll just say these are a well liked car which brings me to my point that my brother, Aunty, best mate and myself went out and bought one each so they are definitely worth a look you won’t regret it.

Great small car with the best GPS and 360 degree vision technology – We usually purchase new cars, keep them for no more than 90,000k's or nine years and buy a new one. Our previous car was a 2010 Honda Civic VTI-L which was a great little car but did not have the high tech gear that the newer cars have. I did a tremendous amount of research and my "must haves" were a four door sedan with five year warranty,… Read more

10,000k or twelve months service intervals and a conventional gearbox, not constant variable transmission (CVT). I was not interested in turbo charged. Initially I wanted five star safety rating but my research showed every vehicle I was interested in had this.

It was a close finish between the Honda Civic and the Mazda 3. The Mazda won out because it was not turbo charged and it did not have a CVT transmission.

Overall, we are very happy with our choice, we did get the optional 360 degree vision technology which is absolutely amazing, it makes parking or entering traffic so easy as it removes blind spots. At $1,600 it was expensive but worth it. We also love the GPS as it is built in and works off voice activation. It doesn't update immediately like Google Maps but you also don't have to plug a phone in to make it work.

The paintwork is sensational, we purchased the Soul Red colour and two years later it is still in immaculate condition. Another option we added was floor mats and again we have no regrets, possibly the best floor mats I have ever seen in a car.

The fuel economy is reasonable for a 2.0 litre engine, we get 6.6 litre per 100k on the highway and about 8.5 to 9.0 around town. There are more economical cars out there but as we only do 5,000k per year this is not an issue.

Servicing is not cheap, just under $500 for the last annual service. The car has low profile tyres which probably have a life span up to 30,000k but a benefit here is the handling. It is superb and definitely the best handling front wheel drive car I have ever driven.

The resale value seems to be holding up quite well. I did a check on Carsales.com.au and the selling price for a similar car with very low k's is $29,990. as we only paid $31,500 I am quite happy with this.

I have given the car a five star review but if the rating was in numbers I would give it 9.5 out of 10.

I love this 6 speed auto and although it’s not turbo which I’m accustomed to it works! – I drive this car for family commuting , mainly short driving and I use almost every day. Now and then I go for a long drive to test the car etc..! I always maintain full maintenance when due and I couldn’t be any happier with my Mazda! Show details

High quality vehicle – High quality interior that is beautifully laid out, good noise insulation, and packed with safety features. Handles very well and enjoyable to drive. The boot space is not huge but enough for my needs. Show details

Beautiful. Until you own it – This is really the best looking hatchback on the market, inside and out. It is sporty, sleek and amazing to look at. Inside, the car is adorned with leather on pretty much every surface, supportive and gorgeous slim line seats and the seating position gives you a sense there the car is hiding a secret that can only be unlocked on a twisty mountain… Read more

road.

But looks are deceiving and I am not confident it would survive on a mountain road without falling apart. Within the first month, the bumper air deflector fell off (dealer refused to replace arguing that a part that is missing cannot be determined to be faulty. Not joking).

Since then, the door seals came loose and chafed the seals they mate to until they wore through. They have been replaced and the replacement have now done the same. Like our horribly built Mazda 6, the interior squeaks and rattles all over the place. Most of these issues are unresolved. The most disappointing part about this car is that that the only department in Mazda's design and validation team that did their job properly is the design studio and engines. The engine is quite good for a naturally aspirated 2.5L but the automatic gearbox calibration is a disaster. It is pretty much never in the right gear. The radar cruise is aggressive when it detects you need to slow, stops half a car too far away when it stops and requires manual intervention when the car just doesn't notice the car in front is slowing or stopped - which is often. The automatic wipers go when there isn't much rain or don't go at all without manual intervention. Defeats the purpose of the feature. Most other calibrations are poor to average. Mazda needed more time to finish this car and they didn't take it which is a shame as it is a stunning design. Due to the quality issues and lack of support from the dealer and Mazda itself, this is the last Mazda we'll ever buy.

Gorgeous car – I will kick off with a few of the things that stand out. -Very different driving dynamics compared to the old BL model which drove like a go kart. I guess it will take time to get used to, it's certainly more comfortable. -Overly aggressive radar and cruise. This has greatly improved with a software update. -Piano black/ acrylic needs to go.… Read more

-Sometimes fumbles on gears. This has greatly improved with a software update. -Auto high beam can be a bit slow when going around a corner. Hopefully that means I'm not blinding the person coming towards me.

Winning notes -Styling, I love it. The lights, the massive grille, the polymetal grey colour. -Interior is gorgeous, especially in the higher end models with chrome accents and leather/ faux. Although I wish the A/C dials were metal and turned with more weight like an old AV receiver. -I'm a skinny guy, I usually lean/ slide side to side in the seats when cornering. These seats are amazing. -The Bose stereo is extremely impressive. -Lights are super bright.

Conclusion I have to give Mazda a lot of kudos for continually updating the car which is ironing out some of the issues I listed above. This car delivers an exceptional experience which is why I bought the car. Keep up the great work Mazda!

Decent car with a case of form over function – Key take aways: • Great standard features and tech (AEB, HUD, etc) • Amazing interior design and cabin quality • Poor outwards visibility • Aircon is poor for summer use (cabin takes long to cool down on a hot summer day and isn't ice cold enough for hot climates) • 2.0L is adequate (but slow) - it needs more pep so the 2.5L is a worthy pick … Read more

This review may sound bashing as it is easier to pick out faults that the car has as opposed to what it does well or excels in but hopefully it helps someone in the market for one.

My car came equipped with the Vision package so it comes with extra goodies such as: a 360 camera with dynamic reverse guidelines (the normal camera guidelines are a fixed box), front parking sensors, cruise & traffic support and front cross traffic alert.

Build quality:

My car was one of the early build date models for the new BP series shape, and this meant that it displayed some issues associated with the production of an all-new model. These issues are typically ironed out further in the production phase for many manufacturers which is why some people prefer to wait a bit when a new model is released (so they don't become beta testers haha).

The build quality issues include the: 1. Rear edge of the front driver's door sticking out a bit (the bottom section is not really in line with the front of the rear door, however the rest of the body panels and gaps are fine). I bought the car as a demo knowing that it had this problem so it wasn't really a big deal. 2. Rubber garnish running up and down B pillar (between the doors) wearing prematurely due to a design fault/build quality issue. The top of the front door trim would be in contact with the rear door trim when exposed to the sun and would rip a rubber strip running up and down the doors over time (the black parts expand on hot days). It was a known issue for the 2019 models and I had it fixed three times under warranty (twice in the first year of ownership due to the initial dealership being useless and again in 2023 with the dealer who organised the second fix). The last fix seems to be a permanent solution so don’t be scared to try your luck even if your warranty is about to expire. 3. Power window chrome accent peeling prematurely (occurred on one switch just before 20,000km service and I had no issues getting this sorted under warranty which made the dealership experience pleasant as you would assume that they would decline it on the premise of wear and tear). I have not experienced the same issue with an extra 40,000 on the ODO.

Interior/Tech: TLDR: great design, material quality, tech, good storage solutions but poor aircon performance in summer

The interior design is a step above its competitors - it looks classy, has an abundance of quality materials throughout and the layout/controls are logical and easy to use. The cabin ambiance honestly feels so much nicer/premium compared to a base model or mid-spec Corolla/i30 which it is commonly cross shopped with. Storage is abundant - the boot is decently sized and there are a lot of cubbies and places to store water bottles or personal items. It is a shame that there are no hooks or rings for nets in the boot to help hold loose items that may roll or tip over. Another downside is that the steering wheel feels a bit thin compared to other cars - it's missing that "full" feeling/thickness that you would expect when you grab onto something.

The car's media screen is thoughtfully set back into the dash and angled towards the driver. The rotary dial and shortcuts surrounding it are easy to use and minimises distractions while driving. A negative would be that you cannot set a travel destination with the factory sat nav while driving unless you: (1) use the voice command prompts while driving or (2) put the car in park with the handbrake on. If you can get past that, the factory sat nav itself is a treat to use - it is much better than what I have experienced with Toyotas. The guidance is clear, speed camera icons appear on the map (no audible warnings for these), and the system even shows you where each lane takes you when you are on and approaching a multi lane intersection. The directions also appear in the heads up display and this really boosts the usability of the system. Personally, I prefer using Apple Carplay as it works great with navigation apps such as Google/Waze (smarter voice recognition for when you're on the go).

For the audio snobs: the standard speakers are clear, refined and don't crack or get fuzzy at high volumes. It does however lack bass, so if this is something you care about you will notice a big difference in a SP25GT/Astina (these are equipped with a Bose sound system and subwoofer that work really well).

Performance/driving experience: TLDR: the 2.0L is adequate/slow and needs to be pushed a fair amount - go for the 2.5L if you can, the car handles pretty good but does not have the raw fun factor as seen in an i30 N-Line, the driving tech is alright and the auto-wipers suck

Owning a 2.0L (G20) meant that there is not much 'go' factor to the car - it doesn't seem to have low end torque or eagerness to move until you rev the engine more. The 2.5L (G25) makes accelerating feel a lot more effortless and it is definitely worth test driving this engine. Don’t be surprised if you have to step on it as you approach a hill in the 2.0L (my test drive of the car gave me flashbacks of my 2010 Corolla). The steering feedback is good (very well weighted and accurate - might be heavy for some) and the car pretty much feels at home in turns and corners (it just doesn't have the raw fun factor seen with the Hyundai i30 N-Line). Roundabout turns can be a bit more tedious in this car as the steering is not necessarily overly light or assisted. The brake feel is also a bit firm (it is gradual and predictable once you adjust to the car) and not as soft, touchy or spongey that you may find in other cars.

On the road, the Mazda 3’s cabin is quiet and fairly refined. You won't hear much road noise unless you are driving on a coarse road (attributed to premium Bridgestone tyres fitted as standard and extra sound deadening over the last model). At highway speeds, there are no issues with wind noise. The suspension is a bit on the firmer side so the car does not feel supple over shopping centre speed humps - apparently the sedan runs on a softer suspension if you prefer comfort. After changing out the stock tyres with sports orientated tyres with softer sidewalls, the ride feels more compliant over bumps. The air conditioning is pretty poor in this car (especially for an Australian summer) and it was the main reason that tinted windows were a must for me. On very hot days the cabin is cool at best (not ice cold) and takes a long while for the temps to come down (not great compared to its competitors). The rear aircon vents are a nice added bonus in the small car segment but it doesn’t do much damage (it's more-so a gentle/light breeze). Fuel wise, my car typically averages 9.5L per 100 KMs, however I primarily use my car in urban settings and this is pretty much in line with other small hatches I have driven in the past (they get 2-3L over their combined usage figures).

Outward visibility is poor and the side mirrors are ridiculously zoomed in (you get used to them over time but they are a bit crap for parking in my honest opinion). Driving aids such as rear cross traffic alert, reverse braking and reverse sensors do give you some peace of mind when navigating in and out of parking spaces but these wouldn’t really be necessary in a car with better visibility. The 360 camera is a godsend and having it takes the guesswork out of pulling out of tight spots, seeing if you are lined up nicely or seeing ahead for anything below the belt line. Its smart integration means that it is also activated when the front sensors detect anything ahead.

In terms of driving technology, the active cruise control in this car works okay. I personally prefer the systems that Hyundai and Toyota have rolled out in their cars. Their systems are much more intuitive in terms of braking, maintaining speed, lane centring and leaving a smaller gap between cars. The emergency braking systems can be sensitive in this car (more so the reverse braking - but you do have peace of mind that they do work when needed). What doesn't work so well are the automatic wipers which take ages to turn on and sometimes don't even wipe at the appropriate speed. You're better off using manual mode when it's pouring. The service representative at my local dealer mentioned that this car has a small rain sensor so there's not much that can be done about it unfortunately. Also, in very cold or very hot weather, the safety system sensors may deactivate momentarily as conditions are not optimal for operation - sometimes the car has poor visibility of what is ahead or the sensors are fried in the hot summer sun and needs to cool down a bit (you will get a dash notification warning you about it anyway).

A quirk I have noticed with the car is that while it is running, if you decide to exit the drivers door (while other doors are auto locked), you won't be able to use the key to open the car doors/boot and would have to do this via the drivers door panel.

Summary:

The Mazda 3 is by no means a bad car, I’ve had a love-hate relationship with it for the first 2.5 years and have actually come to appreciate it by the 3rd year. It's well packaged, well composed for quick turns and has been a reliable car so far (sitting at just under 60,000 kms after 3.5 years of ownership). Most of the efforts for this generation seem to be about refinement and ease of use. If you are considering this car, please give the 2.5L model a shot.

If I had to do it again, another strong contender would be the Hyundai i30 N-Line even though it costs more. This is a matter of personal preference, but the Hyundai is more of a driver's car. It does miss out on some modern tech and is on an ageing platform but it is more of an all-rounder. The seat comfort and bolstering is really good, its Australian tuned suspension rides really well and soaks up bumps better than the Mazda, outward visibility is amazing (due to the large windows and side mirrors that capture a lot), the boot space is very usable and the cruise control system is well calibrated. The only downside might be the questionable reliability in the long term (there is an ongoing class action lawsuit against Hyundai and Kia for defective engines and the N-line uses a dry dual clutch transmission which aren’t typically known to be as reliable as a wet clutch counterpart - a friend of mine also had a fuel pump die 18,000KMs into ownership of their N-line).

Over time, I became happy with my choice as the Mazda 3 is very easy to live with once you get used to some of its quirks (there is no perfect car at the end of the day).

I hope this helps anyone with their car hunting!

Don’t believe the hype, Mazda can do better – The BP Mazda 3 is not a bad car, but Mazda (like all car manufacturers at some stage) has lost sight of what made the previous models enjoyable. Unfortunately for them, they also introduced a host of very frustrating, unwanted characteristics into the new, BP-Series. Firstly, some background. I turn cars over frequently, sometimes racking up… Read more

100,000 km per annum. I’m fussy, some of the things that drive me crazy about cars go unnoticed by many happy owners. So there, you have been warned. Ok, back to my experiences with my 2019 Mazda 3 G25.

The good: looks nice (subjective); well-made; familiar; proper hydraulic automatic gearbox, decent-sized fuel tank so it has a good highway range; much improved headlamps; improved multimedia (doesn’t freeze as often, starts up more quickly), better rear-seat folding system; all-windows one-touch up and down; nicer instrument cluster; digital radio; rear seat vents; LED head- and taillamps; nice black headliner, more standard features.

The not-so-good: 1. Still very noisy, extremely so. This would have to be the noisiest new car available in Australia, on coarse-chip surfaces it will give you a headache after a couple of hours. Don’t believe the hype about this car being more refined than the previous series. 2. Strange driver’s seat shape. The lowest lumbar adjustment setting available will still feel like someone has their boot in your back, it pushes you forward, your lower legs will be pushed into the seat cushion and the seat cannot be tipped forward enough to place weight back onto your sit bones. Result? You’ll be stopping to stretch your legs more often. 3. Insane auto headlamps that are always active, even if you turn them off. I don’t want my (bright) headlamps blazing into my neighbour’s bedroom at 5:30am when I leave for work or into my (other) neighbour’s family room when I come home at 7:30pm. You can turn them off when stationary, but as soon as you start moving again they’ll turn back on. Mad. 4. Radar cruise control that has to be turned off every single time that the ignition is cycled. There should be a separate switch for radar cruise control, in fact, it shouldn’t be called cruise control at all. It should be ‘queue control’. I hold radar cruise in complete contempt, it is rubbish. Argue with me if you like, I don’t care. 5. Overly-sensitive collision mitigation system. You can dial-down the sensitivity, but you will find that your new Mazda will smash the brakes on in tight, twisting city streets, or if you’re reversing into a tight car space. Embarrassing and dangerous. 6. The transmission has been improved over the previous model, but can still deliver a shuddering downshift. Still better than a CVT or DCT, though. 7. Accellerator stumble. If you’re quick to transition from the brake to the throttle, you’ll get a flat-spot, or hesitation, it feels like the car is just about to cut-out. Apparently, it’s normal and you just have to wait for a second. It feels like an old carburettor model with a sticky needle or a blockage. 8. At normal rates of decelleration, the transmission struggles to unlock the torque convertor just prior to coming to a complete stop and you’ll feel something like the car behind you has given you a tap. Kind of like some 4x4s and utes that get driveshaft bind. 9. You can definitely feel that they’ve downgraded the suspension. If you’ve driven the earlier models, you will detect the non-independent rear suspension the first time that you hook into a corner. They’ve also tried to make the ride more comfortable by backing-off the damping, but they’ve only succeeded in ruining the turn-in. It’s no more comfortable than before, it just oscillates more. 10. You still can’t have more than one phone connected at a time. So, tough luck if you have an incoming call on your non-connected phone, you’ll miss it. Another brand had this nailed in 2008. 11. Lots of strange gaps in the equipment - no map pocket behind the driver’s seat, no lamps in the glovebox or centre console, no tie-down loops in the boot, no fog lamps, no tyre pressure display, no heated mirrors. Cheap. 12. Odd steering wheel material. It’s really slippery. 13. Horrible, dead steering feel. To be fair, every car I’ve driven with electric steering is horrible. 14. Front suspension knock, only noticeable when traversing driveways. Apparently, it’s normal. It feels like a tired 1970s Falcon, at least it doesn’t squeak like they did. 15. Weak air conditioning, just like the previous model. On a sunny, 28c day, you’ll have the air conditioning absolutely cranked. Air also leaks into the face-level vents, even if you have the air directed to the screen or footwells. 16. Crazy centre armrest that requires you to slide it rearwards before it will unlock and allow you to open it. Also, if you happen to open it when your back seats are laid down, you won’t be able to close it again.

Besides all that, it’s great.

Brilliant! Just a few small niggles – Purchased our new Mazda 3 about 3 weeks ago. It’s been a great car so far, however there are a few things that are a little frustrating. The first thing is the satnav. To input the desired locating you must use the rotary dial and select each individual letter. This can be a lengthy process. Alternatively you can try the voice assist method.… Read more

Unfortunately most of the time it doesn’t understand what you’re saying. Also you need to know the full address including state and post code! We’ve found it easier to just plug in a phone and use Apple CarPlay.

The second issue is with the door lock system. When you walk away from the car with the key, the car is supposed to automatically lock and fold the mirrors in. Half the time this doesn’t happen and you end up having to press the key fob button anyway.

I realise these are only small issues that could possibly be cured with a software update. I will be bringing these up with Mazda’s service department.

These things aside, I am extremely happy with our purchase. The build quality and use of soft touch materials make you feel like you are sitting in a far more expensive brand. The ride is smooth and quiet even with 18” wheels. And the 2.5 litre engine is punchy especially mated to a traditional 6 speed auto.

Would highly recommend this car.

Rapidly Becoming A Major Disappointment – Purchased new in September 2019 from Maitland Mazda. Recall Issues (2) January 2020. Have now got problem with Info System turning itself off / freezing etc. Waiting on dealer to investigate with Mazda Australia (?). Have like others also had trouble with Cruise Control function and have now simply turned off. Do like some of improvements to past… Read more

Mazdas ( have had 6 previously ) particularly road noise reduction but for a "new" car there are obviously quality control issues. When driving cannot help wonder "what next" which is a bit off putting.

Braking Issue and Mazda don't take responsibility – Purchased car in August 2019. Accident in Oct 2019 due to the braking issue (recalled Dec 2019). Emails to Mazda detailing this issue well before they issued the recall. Subsequently 3 more incidents with this braking fault between Nov 2019-Dec 2019. Police reports, insurance reports and claim for excess to be covered by Mazda Australia submitted… Read more

to Mazda Australia early January 2020 but they have refused to do this yet they admit the fault in my car. Disappointing service through Mazda Australia Customer Service leaving a very disgruntled Mazda owner (3rd Madza I have purchased) and has ensured I will not buy another Mazda again.