Being one of the oldest and most renowned offerings from the Mazda stable, the Mazda 3 has always been a favorite amongst car buyers due to its superb interior quality and refinement, sharp driving manners, and a host of safety and driver-assistance features offered as standard. With the arrival of this 2022 iteration, Mazda's 'Jinba Ittai' ethos has been carried forward, while adding a few changes to the trims and features list in the process.
Offered for a base MSRP of $20,800 for the sedan version, the 2022 Mazda 3 comes with no changes to the powertrain. Coming in both sedan and hatchback form, it is adequately spacious, offers quite a lot of fun, and is pretty good in the fuel efficiency front as well. It looks striking, even after many years in production. Competing with the Honda Civic, Hyundai Elantra, and Volkswagen Jetta, here are 10 things you need to know before getting this 2022 compact car.
10 The Base Powertrain Is Not Going To Excite Anyone
The 2022 Mazda 3 comes with three different engines depending on the trim that you opt for. The base trim comes with the 2-liter naturally aspirated inline-4 motor, producing 155 hp and 150 lb-ft of torque. This motor comes mated to the FWD drivetrain and a 6-speed automatic transmission. The performance is lackluster, and it does 0-60 mph in close to 8.5 seconds.
If you need something that has a bit more grunt and the safety of an AWD system, the 2.5-liter naturally aspirated inline-4 motor is the one to go for. This offers 186 hp and the motor feels a bit more athletic and fun. Driving through the cities and freeways is easier, too. However, we would recommend you to get the punchy 2.5-liter turbocharged inline-4 motor producing 250 hp. Merging into the highways is an easy affair with this motor, and the mid-range performance is top-notch, too.
9 Braking Performance Is Unmatched
The braking hardware sees no changes from the older model year, and that makes it quite engaging to drive. Stomp on the brake pedal and the car does a wonderful job in anchoring down. With a 60-0 mph braking distance of close to 120 feet, it falls in the same ballpark as the rivals like the Honda Civic and the Kia Forte.
The car gets 11" front rotors and 10.4" rear rotors, and the brakes offer an excellent initial bite. Put extra pressure on the brake pedal, and you would be surprised with the impressive braking progression, too. If you get the model equipped with the 6-speed automatic, the aggressive engine braking by downshifting helps stop the car even faster.
8 Lackluster Infotainment Experience
The 8.8" Mazda Connect infotainment system feels a bit old-school, and that makes it less appealing than the ones offered by the rivals. This infotainment is controlled with the help of the rotary dial that is attached to the center console. Voice recognition is also on board. However, there is a bit of stutter when navigating through the menu and that does bog down the otherwise decent experience.
When it comes to the features on offer, Mazda hasn't cut short on any essentials. All the entertainment and connectivity features, such as Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, SiriusXM radio, Bluetooth, aux connectivity, USB ports, steering mounted controls, and many more, are offered as standard across all the trims. When it comes to the audio experience, the 12-speaker Bose audio system will manage to impress even the audiophiles out there.
7 Interior Looks And Feels Premium
One thing that we have always loved in all the model years of the Mazda 3 is the top-notch interior looks and quality, and we are happy to report that the same has been carried forward to this 2022 avatar as well. Step into the cabin of either hatchback or sedan, and you would be greeted with the highest quality interior, which is also well put together.
The dashboard is made of soft-touch plastics, and the same is also the case with the door cards. The leather inserts look very premium too. The black interior with the white inserts and stitching adds to the richness. The steering comes wrapped in leather, and the buttons and switchgear have a tactile feel to them. In comparison, the Civic, Forte, and Elantra are a notch below in terms of interior quality.
6 One Of The Best In Terms Of Handling
The 2022 Mazda 3 is a typical driver's car. Coming with a well-calibrated suspension system, with the front getting strut system and the rear with torsion beam setup, the Mazda 3 takes even the sharpest of corners quite effortlessly. The body roll is well under control and the car turns in with precision.
It also holds the line with no issues and if you equip the car with the powerful turbocharged inline-4 motor, the exit speeds are pretty high too. We were pretty happy with the well-weighted steering system and the excellent feel and feedback it offers. The steering also feels pretty light at the city speeds, making it effortless at slow speeds.
5 Space Is Not Its USP
Even though the interior is filled to the brim with all the tech and has top-notch quality, the 2022 Mazda 3 is not going to be the best option for the lot in terms of cabin space. However, the front row turned out to be pretty comfortable due to the well-bolstered seats, a wide armrest, and decent headroom and legroom. The shoulder room is adequate too.
Being a 5-seater offering, it is not the best of the segment in terms of rear-seat space. The seat is inclined at a weird angle and the passengers will have problems with the back while traveling long-distance. The headroom and legroom are mediocre at best, and tight shoulder room means that it is best suited for only two fully-grown adults.
4 Offered In Both Hatchback And Sedan Form
Like the Honda Civic, the Mazda 3 can also be had in both hatchback and sedan forms, adding to its versatility. Both the offerings come with identical powertrains, interior configurations and features list, and even the trims. All the safety and driver-assistance tech remains standard, too.
They are priced quite similarly as well. However, the cargo capacity offered with the sedan turned out to be better than the hatchback version. We also found the rear visibility of the 2022 Mazda 3 hatchback to be a big issue since it is quite restricted. Hence, the sedan is our pick of the litter.
3 Comes Loaded With Many Standard Features
Unless you opt for the base trim of the 2022 Mazda 3, it comes loaded with most of the relevant features. The top of the line Premium Plus trim, which comes for a base MSRP of $33,100, offers all the interior and comfort features you could think of and that includes heated and powered front seats, automatic climate control, head-up display, Mazda Connect infotainment system, leather-wrapped steering wheel, etc.
Some of the exterior features included are LED headlight and taillight, 18" Black Finish alloy wheels, chrome bezels, lip spoiler, automatic headlights, and many more are standard too. All the safety and driver-assistance features are offered across the trims. Even the Select, Preferred, and Premium trims get most of the bells and whistles for the price, undercutting the competition.
2 Great Safety Features
As with all the other offerings from Mazda stable, the safety hasn't seen any compromises. All the driver-assistance features, like the forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane-keeping assist, lane change alert system, etc., come as standard. You could also opt for the features like adaptive cruise control with stop and go, pedestrian detection, and so on, from the optional list.
The build quality feels strong and both the sedan and hatchback versions feel well put together. All the regular safety features are offered as standard. All of these helped the car to receive an overall crash safety rating of 5-stars in the NHTSA crash test and was considered as the top safety pick + by the IIHS.
1 Pretty Fuel Efficient
The fuel efficiency of the 2022 Mazda 3 varies depending on the engine that it comes with. The most fuel-efficient motor is the base 2-liter naturally aspirated inline-4 motor, which managed to do 28 mpg in the city and 36 mpg on the highway. However, the 2.5-liter motor turned out to be a great compromise between power and efficiency, since it is reasonably powerful and offers a tad bit lower 26 mpg in the city and 35 mpg on the highway.
The most powerful 2.5-liter turbocharged inline-4 motor when equipped with the optional AWD drivetrain churned out the worst gas mileage of 23 mpg in the city and 31 mpg on the highway. Even this turned out to be better than the sportier versions of some of the rivals, which is going to be a great selling point. With a 12.7-gallon fuel tank capacity, this turbocharged offering could do close to 406 miles on the highway.