Car Review: Mazda CX-3
Driving a different car every single week can leave one feeling a little, what’s the word…confused? I don’t want to sound like a brat but sometimes, when are you driving a great car, it’s hard to give it up for something else, something not so great. Over nine years of doing this there is one thing I can say, the best cars are not always what you would expect them to be. It’s not always the supercars or the really fancy ones that I love driving, it’s more often than not the cars that are easy to drive, the ones that are effortless and require no extra brain power. Unfortunately this can make some of the cars I drive forgettable, but I have learnt that this is not a bad thing. The Mazda CX-3 is one such vehicle…it’s forgettable in the sense that nothing negative stands out. I can’t really remember the drive or what I felt when I drove it two weeks ago so thank goodness I make notes while I still have a car!
From my notes I can tell you that I really enjoyed this car. I absolutely LOVE the look of it and I loved how effortless it was to drive. I had the top of the range 2,0l Auto Individual with all the fancy extras, but the whole range is powered by a 2,0l engine and all come with pretty great standard spec.
We all know just how flooded the compact SUV/Crossover segment is. Think Renault Duster, Ford EcoSport, Nissan Juke, Honda HR-V, Renault Captur. Competition is stiff to say the least. These vehicles are compact and practical. The Mazda CX-3 is this and more.
It is refined, well built, cleverly packaged, good looking and great to drive. The ride is smooth, even on the 18-inch alloys this model rides on, the seats are comfortable and the cabin feels fresh, modern and premium. I was very impressed. Even if I forgot that I was. Like I say though, this is not a negative thing, it means that I had no hassles with it, nothing bothered me and I was completely comfortable.
There is perhaps one negative thing (I see from my notes) and this is only a negative for those who need the space. Due to having a full size spare tyre, the boot is rather small. The rear seats are also more suited to children and I think four adults would not be very comfy in this car. So if space is what you are after then this might not be the car for you. It may not be practical enough. However, there are Isofix anchorage points at the rear for the baby seats if needed.
The Mazda CX-3 range starts at R274 400 which sees it being competitively priced and good value for money. The top of the range I drove will cost you over R320 000, so choose wisely.
My Verdict of the Mazda CX-3
This is the car you want if you don’t want to have to think about the things that are bothering you, we have enough daily bothers to have to deal with an uncomfortable ride or seat, a lousy transmission or tech that is complicated to operate. The Mazda CX-3 is a great contender within this heavily populated segment!
It is also a finalist in this year’s Car of the Year awards. If you think it deserves to win, then vote and you could win a trip to Egypt worth R61 000.
Look out for an upcoming review of the Mazda2 which I will testing this week.