2015 Mazda 3 Review

I like the Mazda3 5-door. In fact, it's on my shortlist of cars I could buy.

What holds my interest is the manual transmission that's standard across the lineup, available heated seats and roomy cargo area. More importantly, it's a car that serves my two primary needs: It's both fun to drive and functional.

Plus, it's compact size means it would also fit into my urban lifestyle. But the fact that it's solid in highway driving means it also works well for city-to-suburban commutes.

Combine that with some excellent fuel economy, and you have an all-around winner.

It also doesn't hurt that the 2015 Mazda3 is attractive.

Design

The Mazda3 was completely redesigned for the 2014 model year. Gone is the silly frog face, and in its place is a sleek European nose. I like the long, lean lines and the more elegant façade. Where the previous generation Mazda3 looked like an animated character in a movie, this new model is all grown up.

The 5-door is about 2 inches shorter than the previous generation Mazda3, but it gains a little in the width, adding 1.6 inches. Mazda says even with its smaller size, headroom space remains the same and rear legroom is 35.8 inches.

The interior is just as sleek with black-on-black accents and a modern center stack with high-tech gauges and menu screens.

The test car was a Grand Touring model, so it came equipped with the black leather seats, which I really liked. However, at this trim "Almond" (which looks like ivory) is also an option. At lower trims you have the choice between black and "Sand" cloth seating surfaces.

Ride & Handling

One of the reasons I like the Mazda3 5-door so much is its sporty ride and handling. I can easily zip in and out of city traffic, and passing maneuvers on the highway are easy. I'm a huge fan of the 6-speed manual transmission, and I find it manageable in every-day driving situations - even stop-and-go traffic.

The base engine for the Mazda3 5-door is a Skyactiv-G 2.0-liter, 4-cylinder with variable valve timing. It delivers 155 horsepower and 150 pound-feet of torque. Which is plenty of power for a vehicle that weighs less than 3,000 pounds.

The test vehicle was equipped with the up-level Skyactiv-G 2.5-liter, 4-cylinder engine that delivers 184 horsepower and 185 pound-feet of torque. And this is where the fun comes in.

I had a blast during the test week on the highway, downshifting to pass and then flying around traffic. The Mazda3 5-door is nimble, light and totally fun to drive.

Fuel economy

The big story here is fuel economy. What I truly like about this car is that you can have fun and still get good gas mileage. Though not if you're having too much fun. You do have to rein it in a bit to achieve these numbers, but the overall fuel economy estimates are pretty impressive.

With the 2.0-liter engine, you'll get 29 mpg in the city and 40 mpg on the highway with the manual transmission. If you opt for the 6-speed automatic, you'll add 1 mpg to city driving. With the 2.5-liter engine, you'll get 26 mpg in the city and 35 mpg on the highway with the manual transmission. The automatic with this engine reaps bigger rewards, adding 1 mpg to the city fuel economy and 2 mpg to the highway.

Tech & gadgets

At a standard level, the Mazda3 has features such as push-button start, Bluetooth connectivity and the Mazda Connect infotainment system with a 7-inch full color touch screen display, system voice commands, text message voice reply and internet radio integration.

When you upgrade to higher trims, however, that's where the cooler gadgetry comes into play. Navigation is standard on the i Grand Touring, s Touring and s Grand Touring models. And within this system is one of the best features I've seen recently: A red light camera alert.  If you are approaching a red light camera, an icon pops up on the screen. As we saw during our test, it was really accurate.

You'll read more about safety features below, but I'd like to point out that blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert and a rearview camera are standard at the i Touring trim, which is just one level up from base.

Trims

Currently the Mazda3 has five different trim levels, starting under $20K and split into i versus s models, which designates the engine type. New for 2015, all models start with a base 6-speed manual transmission, and upgrading to a 6-speed automatic transmission will cost $1,050.

Mazda3 i Sport: This model is equipped with the 2.0-liter engine, and it comes standard with a ton of standard features including 16-inch wheels, dual exhaust, rear window wiper, push-button start, 7-inch full color touch screen display, internet radio integration, SMS text message auto deliver and voice reply, Bluetooth phone pairing, cloth sport seats and cruise control. Base price is $18,945.

Mazda3 i Touring: This model adds some really nice up-level standard features such as alloy wheels, blind spot monitoring, rear cross traffic alert, keyless entry, premium cloth seats, and a rearview camera. Base price is $20,095.

Mazda3 i Grand Touring: At the top of the i trim, the Grand Touring model adds a power moonroof, dual-zone automatic climate control, heated front seats, leatherette seating surfaces, navigation, Bose surround sound system, HD Radio and SiriusXM Satellite radio with a 4-month subscription. Base price is $23,245.

Mazda3 s Touring: At the s level, then engine upgrades to the 2.5-liter. It incorporates all the i Grand Touring features and adds 18-inch alloy wheels, a gloss black front grille and active driving display. Base price is $24,345.

Mazda3 s Grand Touring: In addition to the s Touring features, the Grand Touring model adds auto on/off headlights, bi-xenon headlights with auto leveling, LED combination taillights, LED daytime running lights, adaptive front lighting, rain-sensing windshield wipers and perforated leather-trimmed sport seats. Base price is $25,545.

Safety

Even at the base i Sport level, the Mazda3 has a lot of standard safety features including advanced dual front airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact curtains, antilock brakes, dynamic stability control, traction control, side-impact door beams, collapsible steering column and foldaway brake pedal assembly.

At the i Touring level, a few more standard safety features come into play including blind spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert and rearview camera.

Available at the s Grand Touring level, you have available Smart City Brake Support, forward obstruction warning, lane departure warning and high beam control, which are a part of the Technology Package ($2,600).

The Mazda3 has received a Top Safety Pick designation from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. If you opt for the Grand Touring model with the Technology Package, it is a Top Safety Pick +.  

Note, this package is only available on the Grand Touring model with the automatic transmission, so you'll pay at least $29,990 for TSP+ status.

What's new for 2015

Since the Mazda3 was all-new for 2014, don't expect too many major changes. However there are some new standard features and packages. Plus, for 2014 the s version of the Touring and Grand Touring models were automatic-transmission only models. Now they start with a manual. (Thank you, Mazda.)

A few of my favorite things

On my quest to #SaveTheManual, I have to admit that I'm delighted that Mazda has decided to offer a manual transmission throughout the entire lineup - from the base i Sport model all the way through the s Grand Touring model. Plus, the fact that the Mazda3 manual is an easy one to master makes it a great option for an everyday driver.

My hands-down favorite thing, however, is the red light camera alert. With so many of these beasts popping up in cities and towns, it's hard to remember them all. But this feature helps serve as a gentle reminder to stop on yellow.

What I can leave

I love the Mazda3, so what could possibly be missing? A Mazdaspeed3. I tried to hit up the folks at Mazda about the prospect of an upcoming Mazdaspeed3, yet they remained mum on the issue. They wouldn't confirm that the performance model was even on the agenda.

However, rumors abound, and our friends at Automotive News anticipate that a Mazdaspeed3 will make an appearance by the 2017 model year. They also speculate that Mazda might equip the Mazdaspeed3 with all-wheel drive, which would take care of the other thing we'd like to see offered on this car.

A small pet peeve of mine is keyless go without keyless entry. This is where you need the key fob to unlock the doors, but then you have push-button start. While I think it's excellent that the Mazda3 comes standard with the push-button start, you don't get keyless entry until you upgrade to the Touring model. For women, this means you're constantly digging in your purse for the key fob. If you're going to do one, you should do the other.

The bottom line

As I said at the beginning, the Mazda3 5-door is on my short list. I think this is a great car, and it has a lot of my must haves for a decent price.

The one thing I would say, though, is if you're looking at a hatchback and you live in a northern state, you have to look at the Subaru Impreza 5-door as well. It comes standard with all-wheel drive, and has a base price of $18,695.

The one caveat: If you want a manual transmission, you can't have navigation. Manuals are only available on the 2.0i and 2.0i Sport Premium, whereas the nav system is only available on the 2.0i Limited and 2.0i Sport Limited models - as is the EyeSight system that earns this car a TSP+.

So, I guess we're back to the Mazda3 - unless you really must have that AWD. Then again. Maybe Automotive News'speculations will ring true and AWD is coming for Mazda's hatchback as well. Stay tuned.

Read more from Jill Ciminillo:

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