Used Mazda 3 2019-present review

Say you're in the market for a family car but you want something with a bit of extra style, something with a bit of pizazz, something that will stand out from the crowd without terrifying them. Oh, and you want it to be good to drive and have an upmarket feel, too.

Step forward the Mazda 3. Mazda has made its premium ambitions quite clear in recent years, as the latest generation of Mazda 3 abundantly demonstrates. In terms of interior quality and standard equipment, it's more than a match for a higher-trim level Volkswagen Golf. And in terms of safety tech, the Mazda shames the VW. This goes some way to explaining why used 3 values remain strong, even against such established competition.

The 3 offers a much more limited selection of engines than rivals, though. At first, there was the choice of petrol or diesel power, but the latter 114bhp 1.8 Skyactiv-D barely lasted a year before poor sales saw it being dropped from 2020 onwards. That left two perfectly peppy 2.0-litre petrols, in either 120bhp Skyactiv-G or 178bhp Skyactiv-X forms. A six-speed manual gearbox was standard and a six-speed automatic optional, along with four-wheel drive on the most powerful engine.

Later, post-2020 models upped the ante with the entry-level motor. Named e-Skyactiv G, it uses cylinder deactivation technology and a clever 24V mild hybrid system that's claimed to improve fuel economy and enhance performance a little. Things get even more interesting when you look at Mazda’s innovative e-Skyactiv X compression-ignition petrol engine. It’s a clever design that burns petrol a bit like a diesel engine burns its fuel – and, as we know, you get great efficiency with a diesel.

The entry-level SE L version is well appointed and comes with 16in alloys, LED headlights, rear parking sensors, adaptive cruise control, along with automatic emergency braking (AEB), lane-keeping assistance, blindspot monitoring, and rear cross traffic assistance. SE L Lux models add heated front seats, dual-zone climate control, a reversing camera and front parking sensors, and makes more sense than Sport Lux; its extra cost doesn't give you much more, other than 18in alloys and privacy glass.

If you want leather seats, go for GT Sport. This trim also gets you an improved Bose sound system and adaptive LED headlights. Top-of-the-range GT Sport Tech has extra safety tech such as a 360deg camera system, front cross-traffic alert, and rear emergency braking to help prevent you from backing into something.

Where things start to go awry is on ride quality and overall handling. Even the previous-generation Golf, along with less expensive family cars such as the Skoda Scala, have the edge over the 3. On the plus side, the 3 does feel nicely tide down to the Tarmac and won't bounce your passengers around. On the downside, the suspension is quite firm in the 3, and unlike an equivalent Ford Focus, the Mazda doesn't smoother the bumps particularly well. Sticking with 16in wheels instead of the larger options helps matters, though.

On the other hand, that stiff-ish suspension helps to make the 3 feel nimble when quickly changing direction in the dry, but in the wet you can find it losing grip sooner than rivals and you'll start noticing the front end running out of grip in tight bends. Refinement is good, mind; suspension, road, engine and wind noise are all well suppressed, although a Golf is still superior in these areas.

Credit where it's due, only the previous-generation Audi A3 has an interior that feels plusher than the one in the 3. There's plenty of adjustment to enable a comfortable driving position, and the wide centre console is great for resting your left elbow on long trips. Visibility could be better due to chunky roof pillars and small back window.

Adults can fit in the back, but leg and head room won't challenge the best in class. What's more of an issue is the relatively small opening and shallow windows that can make people feel claustrophobic. Boot capacity, once you've gotten past the high sill height, is highly impressive, with only the Skoda Octavia and Scala beating it.

If you're interested in finding a used 3, or any of the other family cars mentioned here, head over to the Used Car Buying pages to find lots of cars listed for sale at a great price.

You can find the first examples of this generation Mazda 3 from around £14,000. The more powerful Skyactiv-X petrol version that arrived in late 2019 can be found from £16,000, while diesel models are harder to come by and start at £17,000. Spend between £19,000 and £22,000 on 2020 and early 2021 cars, and a little more on the latest 2022 ones.

To keep up to date with used 3 prices, use our free valuation tool to make sure you are getting the best deal.

Check the value of a used Mazda 3 with What Car? Valuations

MPG

The less-popular 1.8 diesel is the most economical car (especially in manual form) at 55.4mpg. Next up are the two petrol engines, and because both feature some mild-hybrid tech, efficiency is pretty good. First up is the more powerful 178bhp Skyactiv-X petrol with 48.7mpg, while the regular 120bhp Skyactiv-G manages 44.8mpg.

Road tax (VED)

Every Mazda 3 will be subject to the current flat rate fee for car tax, which stands at £155 a year, and none will fall foul of the additional surcharge for cars that cost more than £40,000 when new. To find out more about the current road tax costs, click here.

Servicing

Unlike some of its rivals, you won't be able to buy a service plan online. Mazda instead defers this to the individual dealers, so it'll be worthwhile calling up a few franchises to compare prices. All engines require annual maintenance or every 12,500 miles.

Engine

Unless you desperately need the extra power, the regular 120bhp 2.0 petrol gets the job done well enough and with decent efficiency, too. You're also more likely to find this engine in our preferred trim level.

Specification

The base-trim SE L is very well appointed, but we'd advise going one tier higher for SE L Lux because having a reversing camera and front parking sensors can come in very handy, especially when rear visibility is compromised by those huge rear roof pillars.

Our favourite Mazda 3: 2.0 120bhp Skyactiv-G SE L Lux

Any Ford Focus will beat a 3 in terms of driver engagement and cornering grip. It's let down by a low-rent interior and clunkier to operate infotainment system, but on the plus side, rear seat accommodation is vast.

A post-facelift Vauxhall Astra is even less expensive to buy than a Mazda 3, but you will have to weigh that up against poorer handling, an infotainment system that's more awkward to use on the move, and worse refinement at speed.

Find a used Mazda 3 for sale with What Car? Used Car deals >>

For all the latest reviews, advice, and new car deals, sign up to the What Car? Newsletter here