2017 Mazda 3

The 2017 Mazda3 offers an edge over the segment competitors in terms of better agility and handling, two zipping engines, quality cabin materials, and an intuitive infotainment system. However, the compact car class with examples like Toyota Corolla, Hyundai Elantra, and Kia Forte is very competitive, and the Mazda 3 sedan has a small trunk and a below-average reliability rating.

The 2017 Mazda 3's five-year cost of ownership is estimated at around $22,500 which includes costs for gas, insurance, maintenance, and repairs. Those costs are slightly higher than estimates for rivals Hyundai Elantra and Toyota Corolla.

The 2017 Mazda 3 is available in three different trim levels: Sport, Touring, and Grand Touring. The base Mazda 3 Sport starts at an MSRP of $17,845 and comes with plenty of desired standard features including 16-inch steel wheels, a 60/40-split folding rear seat, a height-adjustable driver seat, a tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel, cruise control, remote locking, and unlocking, keyless ignition, a 7-inch touchscreen display with the knob-based controller, Bluetooth connectivity, voice controls, and a six-speaker audio system with two USB ports, and smartphone-enabled internet radio.

The Touring which begins from $20,445 adds a Preferred Equipment package plus 18-inch alloy wheels, keyless ignition and entry, low-speed forward collision warning and mitigation, dual-zone automatic climate control, imitation leather upholstery, a six-way power driver seat, heated front seats, and a leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob.

The top-range Grand Touring trim costs $23,145 and gets the Popular Equipment package equipment as standard plus the more powerful 2.5-liter engine, LED foglights, a gloss-black grille insert, a digital speedometer, a head-up display, and full leather upholstery.

Optional Features and Packages:

The Sport trim can be optioned with the Preferred Equipment package that adds 16-inch alloy wheels, heated side mirrors, premium cloth upholstery, a rear-seat armrest, automatic headlights, automatic windshield wipers, and blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert.

The Popular Equipment package available on sedan models only adds a rear lip spoiler, a sunroof, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, a CD player, satellite radio, and a premium nine-speaker Bose surround-sound audio system.

The Premium Equipment package adds adaptive LED headlights and daytime running lights, LED taillights, a heated steering wheel, steering-wheel-mounted paddle shifters, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, and a navigation system.

The Grand Touring also gets an available i-Activsense Safety Package, which adds a more advanced safety tech including forwarding collision warning and mitigation system, a lane departure warning and intervention system, automatic high-beam headlight control, and adaptive cruise control. 

We Recommend

The Grand Touring trim of the Mazda 3 is more versatile and elegantly shaped. It is blessed with an abundance of equipment which makes it a premium car. You get 18-inch wheels, power and heated exterior mirrors, rain-sensing wipers, a head-up display, dual-zone automatic weather control, and an updated nine-speaker Bose stereo system as standard commodities with the Grand Touring. If you opt for the Premium Equipment package, you get additional benefits like a navigation system, a heated steering wheel, and adaptive LED headlights.

Thanks to Mazda’s innovative Skyactiv powertrain and chassis design, the 2017 Mazda3 is both fun to drive and fuel-efficient. You’ll have to rev the engine high to get the most from its limited power, but the Mazda3’s precise steering, finely honed suspension and strong brakes assure a good time once up to speed. -Kelleybluebook

2017 Mazda 3 Engine and Transmission

The Mazda3's powertrain is mostly unchanged for 2017, though it receives some refinements to the engine and automatic transmission's programming. The 2017 Mazda3 comes standard with a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine making 155-horsepower and 150 lb-ft torque. Some upper trims have a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine making 184 horsepower and 185 lb-ft. Both drive the front wheels through either a standard six-speed manual or an available six-speed automatic transmission.

The base 2.0-liter engine feels more powerful than those of other compact sedans, though it may get pretty noisy at highway speeds. The more powerful 184-horsepower engine provides quicker acceleration without giving up too much in the way of fuel economy. The 6-speed automatic transmission puts up a strong performance. The sport setting is brilliantly tuned for maximum attack. If you chose to change gears manually, you can feel the smoothness of the low-effort shifter, the precisely placed pedals for toe-heel shifting, and continuous clutch take-up.

With dynamic handling, strong braking, and smooth ride, the front-wheel-drive Mazda3 is one of the best driving sedans in its class. For the price as well, you get the most powerful base engine under the hood of the 3 Sedan. Among rivals, none matches the driving dynamics of the Mazda. Both the Kia Forte and the Hyundai Elantra, are corporate siblings and sharing a similar 147 horsepower four-cylinder engine.

2017 Mazda 3 0-60 mph and Quarter-mile Acceleration

The Mazda3's base engine isn't sluggish and delivers a quick 7.9 second 0-60 mph acceleration time. The throttle response is great and the engine delivers a linear response. Compared to the outgoing 2016 model, the new 3 sedan is one-tenth second faster, thanks to the reprogramming of engine and transmission computers.

The Mazda3 is the table topper, followed by the Hyundai Elantra posting an 8.1 second 0-60 mph time. The comfortable Toyota Corolla does the same sprint in 8.5 seconds, while the Kia Forte turns out to be the slowest accelerating among the four with 8.7 seconds record.

2017 Mazda 3 Handling and Ride Quality

The 2017 Mazda 3 is one of the most engaging vehicles to drive in its price range, and the credit goes to the chassis and responsive and precise steering. With retuned suspension and a new G-Vectoring system, the 3 offers refined driving dynamics and, improved ride quality.

By comparison, a few compacts cars can match Mazda3's fun, and agile handling. The steering is sharp and accurate. The 6-speed manual is one of the best in the industry while the 6-speed automatic with manual mode matches it. The Mazda 3 matches the driving dynamics of Sport-tuned rivals but offers a refined ride than them.

2017 Mazda 3 Braking Performance

The standard brake rotors on the 2017 Mazda 3 sedan are rated at 11.02-inch front brake discs and 10.43-inch rear brake discs, and delivers strong braking performance. In the panic braking test, the sedan takes 127 feet to completely stop from a speed of 60 mph, which is a good performance.

Also, Mazda has added an optional full-speed-range Smart Brake Support  that increases the car's crash-avoidance and -mitigation rating from "Advanced" to "Superior." Among the rivals, the compact sedans perform equally well in the braking department, though the 3 sedan is heavier still showcase a similar braking distance. This signifies Mazda's strong brake setup.

The Mazda3 has great EPA fuel economy ratings for the class. With the base 2.0-liter engine and automatic transmission, the sedan returns 28 mpg in the city and 37 mpg on the highway. With the larger 2.5-liter engine, fuel economy drops by 1 mpg in city driving. Mazda's i-Eloop package, which includes a regenerative engine-braking system and active grille shutters, further improves the fuel efficiency, and the Grand Touring sedan is rated to get 31 mpg in combined driving with the automatic transmission.

The competitive compact car segment has a tough fight for the best fuel economy numbers. In our comparison review, all four cars have impressive fuel economies with minimal differences. The Hyundai Elantra's 33 mpg combined tops the table, followed by the 32 mpg of 3 and Forte. 

Previously criticized for looking a bit tacked-on, the Mazda 3's center console screen gets a new housing this year that helps it look slightly better integrated into the dashboard. -Edmunds

2017 Mazda 3 Seating and Comfort

The interior of the 2017 Mazda3 has been one of the best in the class and this year Mazda has made it even better. The 3 seats five on cloth upholstery, though the cabin is full of high-quality panels, materials, and controls with elegant styling. The Mazda3 has one of the most upscale cabins, thanks to the features including imitation leather standard on most trims. The front seats are comfortable and supportive, while the Rear seats are comfortable, its legroom is on the lower side as compared to the rivals.

Improving on the previously irking center console screen, MAzda3 gets a new housing that helps it look slightly better integrated into the dashboard.  A tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel is standard, which is rare for the class. Leather upholstery, heated front seats, and a power-adjustable driver’s seat are optional. 

In terms of passenger volume including the sunroof, the Toyota Corolla offers the maximum space while the Hyundai and the Kia are based on a similar platform which offers 95.8 cubic feet and 95 cubic feet of interior space respectively. As for the rear seat passengers, Mazda has the most headroom but with its cramped rear seat, Mazda3 ranks in the midpack for the interior. For the most comfortable ride in the back seats, Toyota Corolla is the best of the lot.

Interior Features

• Tilt-telescopic electric power steering with audio and cruise controls
• 4 way manually adjustable passenger seats
• Split folding rear seatback
• External temperature display
• 1-touch power windows
• Trip computer
• Rear view camera
• Interior air filtration and rear ventilation ducts

2017 Mazda 3 Infotainment System

The 2017 MAzda3's infotainment system is one of the best in the segment. Standard equipment includes a crisp 7-inch center touchscreen display with a BMW/Audi-Esque center console knob. The 3 Sport also includes features such as two USB ports, a Bluetooth phone, and audio connectivity, a six-speaker sound system, HD Radio, and the Mazda Connect infotainment system.

The MazdaConnect infotainment system has straightforward menus and is intuitive. There are also secondary physical controls for climate and navigation. Optional features include navigation, a moonroof, dual-zone automatic climate control, a nine-speaker Bose sound system, and satellite radio.

There are additional selector buttons on the steering wheel as well.

• 6 total speakers
• USB connection
• Auxiliary audio input
• AM/FM radio
• Bluetooth audio and phone
• Voice command

2017 Mazda 3 Cargo Volume

The Mazda3 sedan's 12.4-cubic-foot trunk is a bit small for the class. You get the 60/40 split-folding seats in case you want to haul long items. Rivals such as the Toyota Corolla or the Hyundai Elantra offer more room for adults to get comfortable as well as a bigger trunk.

Inside, the 2017 Mazda 3 gains additional small storage space thanks to redesigned front door panels with larger storage bins. However, the center console storage bin is still small.

Put simply, the 2017 Mazda 3 is an attractive car at an attractive price. -thecarconnection

2017 Mazda 3 Design, Dimensions and Weight

The 2017 Mazda 3 is receiving changes in its exterior styling, which looks much better than the current 2016 model. Not hard to say that the new Mazda 3 is one of the best-looking compact sedans on the market. Upfront the most noticeable is the revised front-fascia. There are new front bumpers and a wider, deeper grille. The sleek look of the 3 is accented by a longer hood as the windshield pillars are still pushed 4 inches further back from the hood. The rear proportions seem to work well for the sedan.

In base Sport configuration, the Mazda 3 offers 16-inch wheels, while stepping up to Touring models adds 18-inch wheels but disturbs the perfect ride quality. Touring also adds body-colored side mirrors to the exterior. 

In comparison to the rivals, Mazda 3's size is almost similar to other compact cars. However, Mada 3 has a curb weights range from 2,875 pounds to 3,100 pounds, which is above average for the class. The Toyota Corolla has the longest, widest dimensions that also enables it to have a relatively more spacious cabin.

Exterior Features

• Rear defogger
• Variable intermittent rain sensing wipers
• Dusk sensing headlamps
• Daytime running lights
• Stability and traction control
• Rear lip spoiler and bumper guard
• Wheel locks

The IIHS gave the 2017 Mazda3 a Top Safety Pick+ designation, and the highest "Good" rating in every category of the crash test. The NHTSA gave the 2017 Mazda3 a five-star rating for overall safety. This certifies the Mazda 3 sedan as a safe car. 

Safety Ratings by NHSTA

IIHS Crash-test Result: Top Safety Pick+

As standard equipment, you have a rearview camera while available driver assistance features include a head-up display, blind-spot monitoring, adaptive cruise control, rear parking sensors, lane departure warning, rear cross-traffic alert, forward collision warning, adaptive headlights, and traffic sign recognition. Mazda’s Smart City Brake Support system is also part of the options list, this system can automatically apply the brakes at low speeds if you are about to collide or hit an object or person.

2017 Mazda 3 Vs Kia Forte

The Kia Forte is more than just a budget car and it offers a lot of features at this decent price tag. The 2L naturally aspirated engine, 6-speed automatic transmission, and front wheel driver are similar to the Mazda 3. More similarities with the Mazda are its braking although it is less powerful than its rival and has a slower acceleration rate as well; it does have an impressive fuel economy rate. The upcoming models are speculated to be better in these aspects.

2017 Mazda 3 Vs Toyota Corolla

The Toyota Corolla doesn't disappoint you with its features unlike the absence of a thrilling performance. The 1.8L inline 4-cylinder engine and the 6-speed CVT transmission drive the front wheel based car. It has two options for its infotainment system a 6-inch and a 7.1-inch touch screen along with other modern technologies like adaptive cruise control, automatic high beams, lane-keeping assist and automated emergency braking. When compared to the 3 sedan, it lacks in engine performance, acceleration, and fuel efficiency, making it a less-stronger rival.

2017 Mazda 3 Vs Hyundai Elantra

Improving after each generation, the Hyundai Elantra makes the best car for its price and reputation. It is similar to the Mazda 3 with a 2L inline-4 engine, 6-speed automatic transmission and front wheel drive. It is the toughest contender to the Mazda with excellent braking and fuel efficiency although it does fall behind in engine performance and acceleration. It has spacious interiors and cargo space as well.

The 2017 Mazda 3 Sedan can be considered to be the best deal for a compact car coupled with performance and styling. When compared to its rivals, it outperforms all of them and thus, at this price, Mazda 3 Sedan is a clear choice for us.

More from Mazda:

• New 2022 Mazda CX-30 Price, Review, Specs, and Pictures.
• New 2022 Mazda CX-9 Price, Review, Specs, and Pictures
• Mazda 6 Sedan Preview: Release Date, Price, Specs, and Changes