Mazda CX-3 (2015-2026)
Also referred to as: Mazda CX-3 2025 and Mazda CX-3 2027.88 reviews
I recently purchased the Mazda CX-3 GT SP G20 and couldn’t be happier with my choice. It strikes an excellent balance between fun, comfort, and practicality. The power delivery is zippy and responsive, giving it a lively character around town, yet it remains impressively fuel efficient – I average around 5–5.5L per 100km on the highway, which is… Read more
fantastic for a petrol SUV of this size.
Day-to-day driving is a breeze as the CX-3 is super easy to drive, park, and manoeuvre. The seats are comfortable even on longer trips, and I really like the sporty styling touches that make it look sharp on the road. Highway driving is especially enjoyable thanks to the radar cruise control, which takes the stress out of longer journeys.
One of the things I appreciate most is that Mazda continues to use a traditional 6-speed automatic transmission rather than a CVT. It makes the car feel more engaging and connected to drive, with smooth shifts and better response when overtaking.
Overall, the CX-3 GT SP G20 is a great package – zippy, efficient, stylish, and comfortable, with just the right amount of technology to make driving easy and enjoyable
I've been the first owner of my Mazda CX-3 for two years now, and overall, it's been a great experience. The car is fun to drive, highly reliable, and hasn't given me any issues. However, a few drawbacks prevent it from being a perfect 5-star vehicle: *The infotainment screen feels a bit outdated and isn't very responsive. One major frustration is… Read more
that the touchscreen functionality is completely disabled when using Android Auto, forcing you to rely solely on the Mazda controller. While the controller works fine for most functions, it becomes inconvenient—especially when using navigation apps, where it adds distraction and reduces safety. *The rear passenger space is quite limited. *The boot capacity is also quite small. *It gets very noisy on high speed.
A well built great car with a solid feel. With the 110kw 2lt in a car that weighs only 1250kg it's quite responsive in acceleration. It's a perfect car for a single person or a couple with no kids or maybe 1 kid, as it has a quite small boot area and the rear seats could be tight for older kids, child seats etc. But for a single person who does… Read more
mainly commuting and the occasional trip.
It's a great well built solid little car, that fits in the smallest parking spaces in the city.
If buying a used one, don't get the Max sport base model, at least get the Pure or above.
The small price difference between the Maxx and Pure is worth it for the extra features!
Pure has... Climate control aircon Led lights all round Led DRL'S Heads up display Auto lights Auto wipers
Maxx doesn't so worth it just for these features IMHO.
Reviews with attachments
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Economical, easy to drive, no major issues – I use my car for daily commuting to work and outings on the weekend. Usually short trips to the shops etc. I have a 3 year old son who has a car seat in the rear. I have had the car serviced once since I purchased in early 2020 (purchased second hand from a private owner). The car has had mechanical fault; something to do with petrol valves, cost… Read more
me close to $1000 to be repaired. For the price I paid ($20,000) it is excellent value. The upkeep on the car, servicing and fuel economy is excellent. The power is OK (decent for the price). Steering and driving is great, the car is quiet, Bluetooth and connected apps work well.
What I love about my 2017 Mazda CX-3: Easy to park, rear vision camera is great quality, dash-screen for apps is great, I can pay to upgrade the dash to have apple car-play which I will do through Mazda for $500, roof racks are sleek, sporty looks.
What I don't love: Space in the rear seats is limited (very tight if you had 3 kids in there). The boot doesn't hold a lot, its almost deceiving, it looks reasonable sized but with my handbag, sons daycare bag and a jumper not much else fits in! (If I had a pram nothing else would fir in the boot!). A few plastic parts have broken (The plastic attachment for the parcel shelf on both sides broke, as did one of the connectors on the engine cover when a mechanic was servicing).
If you are a single/couple without kids and looking for an affordable zip around town kind of car I would 100% recommend. (If you are a family and likely to do long trip this car is maybe too small).
Very very disappointed – In the past 12 months we have had two of these. Both used mostly for running around town and occasional trip from Canberra to Sydney. Both fine around town but each long trip has had issues with warning lights that are not connected to any obvious problems. The first car had escalating issues culminating in every warning light caming on … Read more
speed display, Istop and cruise control all failing. Mazda took 3 months to agree to replace the car and guess what? First trip to Sydney in the replacement car it started to have the same issues. Dealer agrees the problem is the same but nobody seems to know how to fix it. Understand that there are several other cars in Australia with the same issues and more in "other jurisdictions". Dealer has pretty much shrugged their shoulders and Mazda has refused to communicate with us. If it it worked, it is a lovely car unfortunately it has obvious safety issues and Mazda does not seem to care. The new car has done around 2,000k the previous about 3,000k. Everyone agrees a new car should not be doing this but well -- it seems to be our problem not theirs. Apparently it is just unfortunate that we copped two cars with the same issue.
This car grabs you – If you are looking for a small SUV this is well worth a look. It drives and feels very positive on the road. It's very economical for a FWD 2 litre. Nothing is lacking in it's performance, even in the Auto. Packed with Safety features, Auto Headlight and Rain-sensing function. Air conditioning, 6 speaker Audio system, and a host of other features that one would expect in a car of this quality. The only problem we had was choosing the colour.
In-depth reviews
Was enormously enthusiastic, but that waned over the years – I bought this soul red CX-3 Akari AWD in 2017 and was for 2 years enormously enthusiastically. The stop/go system did not work from the beginning, which in my opinion was due to a suboptimal battery, but the car was twice a day and a night in the workshop at Mazda Bayswater and they could not find the fault. They said it was not the battery. Right… Read more
on its 4th birthday it would not start, and the AA put in a new battery, and see there, the stop/go system works without problem since. So, bad on Mazda Bayswater and low quality of Mazda. The card drives great, has a great feel, and is economic. The maintenance is cheap. I have a mjor issue and that is despite sunprotection, always with aluminium cover over the steering wheel and over the windshield, after 2 years, the 'leather' steering wheel started to peel off. It looks ugly, and again Bayswater Mazda said they sent photo's to Mazda to ask for repair under warranty. As expected, they never came back to me. I just learned with time to find a better garage, although I had bought 3 brand new cars from bayswater. All in all, a good car, reliable, cheap in maintenance, a good boot, but very thin paint, that scratches all the time, and the large amount of plastic around the car turn white after about 1 year. Still happy with it though.
Still a great little car after 5 years – We bought the CX3 Maxx auto in 2015 soon after release. It’s now done over 60,000km and just had its tyres replaced. It’s the “goto” runabout car in the household, with our other car being a large SUV which is a little too big and heavy for everyday use. Overall, we’re very happy with the Mazda for the following reasons: 1 - Its shape hasn’t… Read more
changed since release, so it still looks “new”. 2 - The driving experience is good, with excellent handling and driver feedback. I read somewhere that Mazda used the BMW 3-series as its benchmark when tuning the Mazda’s handling, and they’ve been quite successful in achieving this. I say this because we had a 3-series prior to the Mazda, and they certainly feel similar. Unfortunately our 3-series had major quality and reliability problems approaching 10 years old, so wouldn’t buy one again. 3 - The CX3’s internal surfaces and touch points have a high quality feel to them. 4 - The 2 litre engine has more than enough power for our needs. 5 - The car gets 7.4L per 100km long term average fuel consumption, which is very good. 6 - The car had a relatively short warranty back in 2015, especially compared to the Korean manufacturers, but fortunately we’ve had no quality problems to date. It's very reliable. 7 - The MZD Connect system to operate the audio and navigation is very nice to use.
The negatives with this car are: 1 - Relatively little space for rear seat passengers. 2 - Relatively little boot space, considering it’s a SUV/Hatchback. 3 - Enclosed feeling and impeded vision due to small glass areas, especially in the back. 4 - Air-Con is cool rather than cold – which is not enjoyable on very hot days. 5 - The rear view camera lens collects dirt/dust/water drops quite easily, causing impaired vision. 6 - The dust sealing around door sills is ok, but other cars do it better. 7 - The stop-start engine improves fuel consumption, but requires a more expensive EFB Battery. Our car's i-stop warning light now comes on occasionally, so the battery will probably need replacement soon. 8 - The engine can be noisy when cold, but soon quietens down.
Driving the latest CX3 as a loan car during routine servicing, it looks like they’ve made some good upgrades since the original 2015 model: electric park brake, centre-console armrest, and more safety smarts.
upgrade from kia rio – it was new this week. so far it has decent acceleration in sports mode if you need that. the cruise control is very smooth and brakes the car downhill so no run-away down mt buffalo. december update: amend that manual mode gear 3 recommended. have not noticed any body roll on high speed corners. steers very precisely. bumps on road absorbed very… Read more
well. this years model is very quiet in the cabin. comfortable fit. the reversing camera is the best I have owned. but the software in the console is rubbish. I use my phone for music and nav and it has decent sound through the bluetooth. tuned the radio between stations to kill it because there is no off switch. have not tried it on dirt yet. I I bought this for car camping and around town. it is a comfortable fun car to drive. my mixed fuel economy is 7.5 on 91 octane but this will improve once the engine runs in a bit.
its now december, about two months in. put the g012 yokahama tyres on and did some forest tracks that were steep enough to be dangerous with road tyres. light 4wd tracks. at 40 to 60 kph with no sliding or loss of control and these tracks were narrow and steep and fun. fuel economy combined city - country - w4d is now 7.4 litres/hundred klm. it has taken time to get used to the surgical precision of the steering. with new tyres cornering even on bitumen is better.
2024 update in the first year 2020-2021 This car is a beast on dirt and I drove it hard. Crossed a slow river with the water up near the windows and it did not have a problem, scary though. The crossing depth gauge was wrong. But in 2024 Do not bother much with 4wd tracks anymore due to clearance and it was getting boring.
Sports mode Does nothing much for a two seconds on take off then it delays gear changes giving a lot more grunt. My house is on a bendy road in a 100kph zone so I always use sports mode there and it gives me a safer start to my drive. Fantastic in the hills and mountains making the car very responsive, it also good for merging into the freeway. Not only accelerating very well but also slowing down on corners or downhill. Love the drive up thredbo now and the limit here is me and the legal limit not the car. Sports mode is not used continually but I tend to use it more than the brakes to slow down, much smoother.
Fuel economy averages out at 7.2. Replaced a door seal and a set of wipers in 4 years. It is fun to drive still. A drivers car
Positive reviews
Mazda CX-3 experience – Car is okay. Need to get used to the "istop" function. It can be particularly annoying when you see an opening in roundabout or turning. If you have split of second to go, you wanted to go but the car engine is still stopped, and waited another second before it can move. It could be dangerous on road because of the delayed response of the car.… Read more
Once you get used to it, then it is not too bad. Real life fuel efficiency is ~8.5L/100km. Boot size is a bit small, it is sufficient for a small size family. Infotainment system is a bit slow. It takes a while to connect to the phone. It takes even longer to switch connection before of the slower response from the system.
Great small SUV – Have always been a Hyundai driver until purchasing my first Mazda this year. I was looking for a small SUV, 2 litre with digital speedo, automatic mirrors, infotainment system, reversing camera, seat comfort as a minimum. Purchased from Aspley Mazda who were amazing from test drive to after sale to first 1000km service. Am really enjoying driving my new Mazda, handles well, smooth, quiet, comfortable. Highly recommend. Show details
### Very Disappointed CX-3 AKARI ### Faulty Rear Camera & Entertainment Unit ### – Update ::: Finally the ‘Part’ arrived at Mazda Dealer (rear camera) it was replaced ‘Under Warranty’. I purchase ‘CX-3 New ‘Akari ‘(it flys like a mini Ferrari) from a Sydney Dealer, great reliable car.. My Brother bought a 2015 ‘New’ CX-5, automatic, he didn’t buy the Model with all the features (bells & whistles). He told me his car still… Read more
runs perfectly mileage is nearly 100,000K - Service carried out Annually. He is going to Update his car very soon. Unfortunately, I had a bad experience/dishonest at Sutherland Shire Dealer, will not be returning. I did complain, staff couldn’t care less, very dismissive!
Negative reviews
Heads up display just failed for the third time. The unit has been replaced twice, I'm on my third. So far they have lasted 3 weeks, 2 weeks and this time 5 days! Known issue but they just keep building them into new models. Unacceptable. Sure, repairs covered by warranty but no way am I interested in bringing my car in for repair literally every… Read more
month. Don't understand why they insist on keeping the pop us technology instead of the in dash unit as in the CX5. Really wish I hadn't bought this car. Definately my last ever Mazda
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Don't Waste Your Money! – Bought my CX3 brand new from Mazda end 2018. In the almost 3 years I have owned the car I have had more than 6 breakdowns! Each time the car just would not start or handbrake would freeze up. Agree with another reviewer who wrote 'sitting at traffic lights always feel a surge like it loses power or jumps'. When investigated by Mazda my issue was… Read more
put down to a loose earth wiring that I was told had been repaired. It has since broken down again.. Twice. I have previously owned Toyota vehicles and have NEVER had a problem... EVER! Spend that little bit extra and you won't regret it.
Totally Crap car! – 2016 Mazda CX-3 Maxx Auto with only 24000 on the clock! Both control arms make a cluncking noise when the car is going over any sort of surface other than flat, both rear seat belts were replaced 12 months ago and are now booked in to be replaced again for the second time (very very minimal use of the rear seats since new), head unit display… Read more
cracked when i touched it on a hot day and now looks like it has ice on the inside of the screen, was advised by Mazda the gps SD card is corrupted as my gps kept saying that it did not have gps and that i will need to purchase a new one?, dash has the worst rattle noise i have ever heard in a car before, air conditioning seems to be hot even when on full, and now as of today, i have warning signs on the dash and the i-stop does not engage when the car is started. do not waist your time or money on one of these cars!
Recent reviews
Great car - looks great, drives well, low maintenance costs – I use this car for commuting & at weekends. The car service is usually every 9 or 12 months depending on lockdowns. Mazda provide a great service and the pricing is reasonable. Fuel economy is average. Show details
Absolutely love it – I bought this car a year ago for personal use, and I’ve absolutely loved driving it almost every day of that year. I’ve had it serviced 3 times, and there have been absolutely no problems with it whatsoever. Fairly simple and straightforward to drive, it handles the roads around here quite well, however it does struggle a little on the mountain… Read more
roads when I go up there. Not enough to be a concern, but in the interests of honesty it’s something to think about. Overall though, it’s been a fantastic car to own. So glad I bought it.
Great all round car – After looking at all cars in this price bracket we picked the mazda cx3 sports, for style, extras, service costs, running costs, drive ability and the functionality of the all inclusive extras. It is easy to drive and the comfort is up there with the more expensive cars I would recommend their vehicle to any body that wants a car they can always rely on to look good and do what you want to. Show details
I ❤ my Mazda CX-3 – My Mazda CX-3 is Just Perfect. The right size, comfortable and easy to drive over any road, economical and has all the gadgets anyone would require. I encourage anyone in the shopping market to take the CX-3 for a test drive to understand what a beautiful car this is to drive. No complaints from me. I wouldn't look elsewhere for any other brand of vehicle. I'll go back to another Mazda after this one. They're the best. Show details
Air Con Issues – My daughters 2015 had the same A/C issue and apparently Mazda issued a nService Bulletin and they fixed it at no cost in late 2020. Great assistance from the Ferntree Gully service team Show details
Does the job – The car drives really well and overall I'm pretty happy. However the air conditioning leaks into the car on the floor of the passenger seat, to the point where it creates a puddle. This is apparently very common and you need to manually drain it. Admittedly I'm not a car expert but I watched a YouTube tutorial to fix the problem myself, wasn't too… Read more
difficult just frustrating and leaves a damp smell. The cushion is really soft so loses its structure which makes the car look a bit old after a normal amount of use. Aside from these issues, I'm happy with the car, I have been on many long drives with it and feel very safe.
not sure – Where do I start? I had no intention of writing a review but after reading all the other ones regarding Mazda CX3 I am beginning to see this is not all in my head. Love the car however some issues have been niggling me each time I drive it. * It has a rattle that sounds like it comes from the left hand side of the dash but can end up in the… Read more
middle- super annoying especially on the rougher highways *The middle console is very squeaky like its made out of styrofoam. *Very poor take off, particularly first thing *Sitting at traffic lights always feel a surge like it loses power or jumps *As mentioned by another reviewer the steering wheel clicks on turns can feel it faintly - seems odd *Left front speaker vibrates when it feels like it *Infotainment system is slower then windows 7. And finds it difficult to pick up my phones blue tooth *Sensor lights appear whenever they want *Front drivers seat -----shocking----- the padding is so loose, feels like I'm not supported at all. Cars only done 17,000. To say disappointed is an understatement. As a single mum who cant afford to waste money I am more then happy to see alot of the same issues. Surely Mazda AU will take some sort of action.
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Drives well but poor visibility, terrible documentation, Mazda connect' not intuitive – Just one month after buying this car, I am happy with driving, city or road, good acceleration for overtaking. Fuel economy poor 11l/100+. Suspension quite hard. The huge manual is overloaded with warnings that makes you think that driving is a major hazard, it could be a fraction of its size and just contain the useful specifications etc. And… Read more
on every page it says that .(whatever) should only be carried out by an accredited Mazda Service Centre. Worse, what you really need is the manual for Mazda Connect (the Entertainment, Navigation, Communication and Settings) that did not come with the car and had to be found online. This is a system I am still learning from scratch as the commands are different from any other car I have driven in my life. My most serious complaint is visibility, especially rear and sides, it depends on your height what you see and the warning system has some blind spots especially at the back where you won't be warned about an obstacle. The window glass will shatter at the slightest pressure, so be careful where you park, finally, the paint looks great when new but will show the slightest scratch and has to be cleaned with care.
Avoid purchasing this car – 2 days after purchasing the car I had to return it to Mazda as the windscreen reservoir had a crack and would not hold water. 2 months later I had to have the rubber insert in the back passenger door replaced as it peeled away. Door is rarely used. 12 months after purchase I was stopped at a set of lights on Pacific Highway Lindfield and when I… Read more
put my foot on the accelerator to take off nothing happened. 4 months later I received a new fuel pump after I provided Mazda with photos and videos of the problem as the technicians could find nothing wrong. Now I have been back and forth with Mazda customer service for over 3 months as I have requested compensation. Their current offer (I believe) is unsatisfactory
QUALITY ISSUES worst car I’ve ever had – My partner and I purchased the Akari CX3 new from a Mazda dealer in Adelaide, driven daily always looked after serviced and garaged, looked good and drove like new up until 3 years ago 70,000km when we started noticing quality issues. Both head lights have hair line cracks and looks like condensation on the inside but it’s not condensation looks… Read more
like burn marks from heat, had contacted the dealer for an inspection but all they did was take a photo of both headlights and send to Mazda, they rejected there was any fault, no technician inspected them all that was done was a photo taken by an office person. I contacted Mazda Australia myself and not even an offer to have them properly inspected and again they rejected the fault. The cost to replace both headlights is upwards of 3k, no wonder they are trying to fob us off. One of the rear seatbelts gave way was not working (Never has been used btw) our Mazda dealer did replace the seatbelt but only just as was still under warranty otherwise we were told we would have had to pay for the replacement ourselves. I was very surprised as this to me is an obvious fault with the Cx3 reading other posts on here. The gearbox is very sluggish, takes a while for it to click into first gear and at times has gone through all gears before reaching 40km/hr. Air conditioning is faulty blows hot air at times when on cold. The Drivers side sun visor bracket pulls out of the roof, the passenger side seat at the front has come away but Mazda Australia have agreed to fix this. I am not a person to complain, this is in fact the first post I have ever done against anything we have purchased, but when we paid over $38k for this car we are very disappointed with the quality and response from Mazda Australia. One last issue is there is rust beginning to surface in the roof (We don’t live near the beach) Paint protection was applied to the car when purchased. Our second vehicle is a Subaru Liberty completely faultless being 8 years old my partner will only now drive this and the CX3 sits in the garage!
Crap car – Ok .well here we go again my back middle seat belt does not work considering no one sit they lm not sure what has happened there and just notice that the drivers seat towards the end has lost all foam..now if you say it my fault then l would have to be sitting on the edge with my behind right up near the door..so thus is now the 7 or 8 times… Read more
something has gone wrong with this car. I have advised everyone not to buy a Mazda and believe me they are telling there friends. So what are Mazda going to so this time..repair repair repair ..my car is only 4 years old ..and it us crap..will wait to hear from you no words can explain how upset l am l just feel like crying.
Great Car for Commuting – Hubby surprised me with a new car and Mazda went above and beyond to deliver the best experience. My hubby and I had never dealt with these guys but after their incredible service and friendly staff we will purchase all our cars from this Dealership. We personally dealt with Colin from Toowong Dealership and he was an absolute blessing, highly… Read more
recommend speaking with Colin and the guys as they will exceed all your expectations. Mazda are friendly and polite at all times. We had our car serviced through them over the weekend and they smashed our expectations. The car was cleaned and vacuumed. They went through all the details of the service and made it truly the most stress free experience. Highly recommend these guys and girls. The car is easy to drive, perfect for all driving (except extreme 4x4). It comes with a vast range of accessories, colours and modifications available. Value for money.
Excellent – Great interior. Drives great. Looks nice with silver chrome on doors and has sunroof. The driver seat is only thing that isn't the best on my sore back but with pillow it helps. Show details
Buy this vehicle and you will be a “winner” – Having driven Corollas for umpteen dozen years I recently decided to move outside my comfort zone and buy something completely different. I purchased a 2019 CX-3 iTouring in September and absolutely love it. It has more oomph than the Corolla and is magic to drive. If you are in the market for a new vehicle you cannot go wrong getting this vehicle. Show details
Very disappointed – Bought this car three years ago. Already the aircon does not work any longer. Worked fine last Summer and before that. I feel a 'clunking' now and again when turning the steering wheel more than 45degrees, like the bearings or the CV joint is giving out. I am an older person - over 50 and it's not like I have been mistreating the car or anything. Very, very disappointed in the car. Oh and really jerky at times when it changes gears. Show details
Headlight Condensation – Bought the car Brand New on 2015 - drive well, love it - never missed the service always garage, only 20k now. once the warranty finished the headlight condensate. I search in the forum, it is a common problems, some owner are lucky to found it out during the warranty period, replaced and no cost involved. If Mazda aware of this problems they could have recall this matter. I hope someone from Mazda Australia read this and do something about it. Show details
Love my Mazda CX3 – I love my Mazda CX3! This is my first mini SUV. I use the car to work or to the station and over weekends. I have had the car for 3 years, travelled to Canberra, Adelaide and looking forward to a long drive to Sydney soon. The features and style are highly recommended. The reverse camera and maps is a must and should be fitted in all new vehicles. Cannot do without one! The car is serviced annually at a Mazda dealer Show details
Cutest car in town – Drive my car daily. Upgraded from a CX7. Love the size, ease of parking and fuel economy. Beautiful leather interior makes this a luxurious car to drive. Great safety features, but no retracting wing mirrors which is a shame. Show details
Have had a few issues but overall not too bad – Nice looking car, good features however have had a few issues with the safety features which are currently being addressed with mazda. This includes the automatic high beams constantly flashing and not functioning properly. Show details
Love it – The cx3 is a great car. Had it for three years and it performs flawlessly. We have the top end model with all the bells and whistles and we love it. Show details
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**Update** fuel pump recall issued in 2022. Still the proud owner of a lemon. No offer to… Read more (+1 reply)