Overview & Reviews

User Reviews:

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  Seriously Fun To Drive - 2016 Mazda CX-3
  By Ing Beukert - May 19 - 2:10 am

  I drove the new Honda CRV as well as the Mazda CX3 before buying a couple months ago. While the Honda had more interior storage space, there was no comparison with the driving experience. The CX3 rides smoother and is quieter and is just a sweet, sweet driving experience. Almost like you are part of the car. The interior finish is impeccable. Very stylish and not run of the mill.

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  Still loving our CX-3! (Even with some cons) - 2016 Mazda CX-3
  By Connor McCollum - February 9 - 10:41 pm

  Well, my parents and I have owned our CX-3 for seven months and I have to say its still a great little car! It has a little over 5600 miles (yeah, I know, thats not a lot. It should have way more at this point!) and drives like a sporty champ! Although its not my car, its my parents, I still have my fair share in driving it. As much as it is fun and sporty to drive, it does have a couple cons going for it. But lets start with the pros. Firstly, the simplistic interior layout comes in handy very well when compared to the thousands of complicated buttons and gadgets that make up many cars today. You have your simple climate control nobs, user-friendly buttons on the steering wheel, an easy-to-read instrument cluster, a well shifting dual-clutch transmission, a big built-in screen mounted on the dash thats easy to read and function, and rounded a/c vents with air flow control. It even has a CD player which comes handy to old-school music-lovers like my parents and I who rely on CDs. To me, thats all you really need to make for a great daily driver! The styling cues are what really makes this Mazda stand out from other cars. Every time when were in a parking lot and examining all the other cars around, nothing compares to the look of this one. This is one of the most stylish-looking compacts in this segment, with its predatory stance, sleek body lines, soft corners, and pointy lights and grille. Thats what makes Mazdas great overall. They keep a simplistic layout while still expressing aggressive and sleek body lines and curves, both inside and out. The acceleration is great in heavy traffic or open road. When you need to get up and go, this car will deliver with no hesitation. I always end up leaving other cars behind me in the dust because of its great pep. Dont get me wrong, Im not a speeder, but when I drive this sometimes, it sure feels like it! Braking distance is superb! If you need to stop quickly, it sure will brake hard, which is good. The 4-wheel pads are very sturdy and stiff. It comes in handy to be alert for not-so-smart drivers out there! The crash safety rating is very comforting. The IIHS recently released the frontal and side crash test ratings and was rated an IIHS Safety+. Thats very good to know, especially for a compact! As great as it may seem to be, its had a few cons going for it. Firstly, the rather cheap plastics. My pet peeve with this car is the wrap-around plastic. You know how plastics are. They easily scratch, discolor, pop off, or crunch if in an accident. Although newer plastics have gotten better, theyre still a little cheap. Ive noticed many chips, scratches, and sun-faded areas all around the plastic. I use Turtle Wax trim restorer on it every once in a while, but I still see them. The inside has its fair share in hard-touch plastics too and as a result, there are many scratches, especially in the occupied areas. One example is the panel thats aside where the seat-belt rests. Since the seat-belt constantly rubs and hits that area, there are many scratches on it. Although you cant really help that, it doesnt look the greatest. It may sound like OCD, bit I just happen to notice areas that others dont really pay attention to. Recently, we had to go to our dealer to look at the driver side headlight because of a leaking problem. Several weeks ago, I noticed when I washed the car and was starting to dry it, water and moisture seeped inside the driver-side headlight lens. The bulb still worked, but if it we waited any longer, it wouldve blew. So, the dealership had to replace the lens in a two-hour process but it was worth it. Ever since, the light has been fine. However, the original light shouldnt have done that in the first place. The main drawback to this car is the lack of storage capacity. Like I said before, even a small load of groceries will fill the trunk! Even when the rear seats are folded down, theres still a lack of space. Good luck trying to load big and bulky boxes in there! Weve done that before but it was a pain! The space was so cramped that the box actually scraped up the headliner towards the back, which really irked me! So if youre a light traveler, this may be the best option. If you want a more family-oriented car, Id go to its bigger brother, the CX-5. On the whole, its a great little car! Its had its fair share in cons, but when you think about it, all cars have that. Theres no such thing as a perfect car in my book. Every car is going to have its ups and downs, and many people are going to focus on the pros rather than the cons. Thats what this is. It has more pros than cons which is something to be desired. I would still recommend this car to any person whos looking for a daily driver thats practical, sporty, fun, stylish, and light-weight with enough room for family and friends and a little bit of light storage. Zoom zoom!

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  sudden unintended accelaration - 2016 Mazda CX-3
  By yeshim nemirovsky - November 17 - 8:08 am

  On January 27th 2016, I got into a very bad car accident while parking with my new Mazda CX3. That day I drove 20 minutes from home to work, and when I entered to parking lot I was may be 15 miles an hour! After I made my 90 degree turn into parking stall with a very slow speed, I pushed the brake to fully stop! Car almost stopped but suddenly something extraordinary happened and car suddenly accelerated! I could not do anything! It stopped by hitting the snow bank and another car parked in another stall! Lots of damage on both cars! Luckily I was OK physically and there was nobody in the other car. As soon as I can, I called Mazda CEC, filed a claim and made the car towed to the dealership where I purchased it. Both dealership and Mazda engineer inspected the car, they think there is anything wrong with the car however there is NO explanation regarding how this sudden acceleration happened when data from car also tells that my feet was on brake during the incident! I did lots of research, talked to lawyers who are very familiar with sudden unintended acceleration and found that there are similar cases, involving "sudden unintended acceleration" with many accidents involving bad injuries and sometimes death, but to the best I can figure out, it is difficult to prove causation by car malfunction. It leaves no trace and it is very hard to prove car has a problem. Even NHTSA did not find a vehicle-based cause of those incidents but some manufacturers still needed to pay millions of dollars to people who had sudden acceleration with their cars for their lost! Because it happens even though we don’t know why! Mazda CEC wants me to take the car back and drive it to replicate the incidents while all facts out there tells that sudden acceleration happens with unknown reason and kills people! Does Mazda really want me to prove with my life that this car has a defect?

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  General Disappointment - 2016 Mazda CX-3
  By Amy Hamilton - March 19 - 7:12 pm

  Limited Driver View (lots of blind spots). Read head rests cover seat when down jutting out and making ride uncomfortable in back seat. When up, they block driver rear view sight and leave about a 18 in view space between head rests. Controls in panel between seats and the toggle to select is annoying and while voice control works fine, radio stations take too many "clicks" to get to. As well, touch screen is disabled when driving. Annoying.

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  Favorite car ever! - 2016 Mazda CX-3
  By Michael Yanke - March 3 - 6:34 pm

  Originally I looked passed the CX-3 because I thought it didnt have enough power. After the salesman had me test drive one I was happily surprised at how peppy it felt. This car is so fun to drive. The handling is fantastic like a little go cart. I live in Minneapolis and had a great opportunity to try it out in the snow. The all wheel drive is amazing. I was able to plow though 6+ inches of snow up steep hills with no problem. If you have kids or need a lot of cargo space you may want to look at he CX-5.

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  AWD GT with i-active sense package - 2017 Mazda CX-3
  By kobelco - March 2 - 9:03 am

  I live in Minneapolis and wanted a small vehicle with AWD. Choices were between this CX-3 and Subaru Impreza. Bought this car five days ago. Im writing about initial impressions, will update (if I can) later with more extensive use. Absolutely love this car! Great acceleration, great handling, great mpg. Looks and feels just right. Interior space is an issue though, obviously not the most important factor as I would not have bought the car if it was. With the car seat in the back, there is space for one other person comfortably. Trunk space is the least Ive seen in almost any car I can recall. But this is meant to be my commuter car, primarily to be driven around the city. Entertainment screen and control is mostly intuitive, though I had to fiddle around a bit to learn all the aspects that you can control. Interior is snazzy with two-tone stitched leather. Got the remote starter and all weather floor mats from the dealership as well. The price I have mentioned is the walk-out price, including TTL. Update: 2017-06-29: Its been now over 6 months and I love this car even more. Getting around 30 mpg, combined. On certain trips Ive averaged 40 mpg!! The iActiveSense features are really useful: The adaptive cruise control is something that I dont think Ill drive without in any car. Auto brakes are cool Lane departure warning is a pain and Ive turned that feature off.

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  My Little Soul Red CX-3 (rest in pieces) - 2016 Mazda CX-3
  By Kirk - February 3 - 1:53 pm

  I wish I could post of picture my mangled CX-3 after someone decided to run a stop sign and plow into another car, when then plowed into me, destroying my 3 week old car. I am 62" so being able to walk away from that accident is a testament to the cars crash worthiness despite its size and low weight. Anywho, it is totaled and first thing I am doing is getting another one. Not because it saved me from serious injury, but because it is a great car (I traded a 2014 Audi A4 to get it). Pros: Very comfortable front seats and suede-like inserts keep them from being so cold in the winter. Speaking of which, the seat heaters are extremely toasty. I really like Mazdas entertainment system, but I just came out of an Audi whose MMI system is very similar. Wife states Bluetooth sounds very good. I drive a lot for my job and was averaging slightly more than 30mpg which is pretty remarkable for an AWD vehicle. Drove it briefly in this years snow storm and it handled it fine. Not nearly as well as my wifes Grand Cherokee, but well enough. I love the size of this car, but it is likely too small for a family. To call this car a crossover is kind of silly as a Ford Focus is bigger and the CX-3 has the same ground clearance as the Mazda3 sedan. It handles well and is relatively quiet inside. In that regard it is no Audi, but it is good for a sub-compact car. I find it easy to get in and out of (much easier than the Audi) and ergonomics are spot on. Simple layout of controls (trip odometer, tach, digital speed, HVAC system), reminds me of cars 10-15 years ago when everything was so straightforward. Cons: No center console storage and the arm rest blocks the cupholders. Bose system is good, but not great. Sub in trunk does not do much. No SD card slot (except for Nav system). Two USB ports, but no where to hide the things you plug into them. No standard front or rear parking sensors. No power tailgate. Absolutely tiny trunk. Gas tank way too small. I have to fill up every three days, which by the way only costs $17. No car is perfect, but for the money, this car is pretty darn good. And throw in Mazda reliability, you got a home run. I am looking forward to getting another one as soon as my other one is paid off by insurance. UPDATE: Got my new CX-3 the week following the accident. Exactly the same except for the color (Titanium Flash Mica). Get lots of compliments about the car and the color. Averaging about 30mpg now in the summer with the AC on. Still love it, no issues except that it does have a little bit of trouble restarting once warm, no issues with cold start. Motor Trend had noticed the same thing. It always starts, just takes a second or two to crank. Overall very happy.

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  Very fun to drive if the space works for you. - 2016 Mazda CX-3
  By Steve - September 13 - 6:18 pm

  Car is a joy to drive with a great interior, great tech, and fuel economy. Only real negative is lack of storage space and interior space is on the tight side. If the driving experience weighs more to you than straight up interior space, give the CX3 a hard look.

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  Love the handling and styling of my new Mazda CX-3 - 2016 Mazda CX-3
  By Steven - April 18 - 3:37 pm

  I had a 2016 Acura that I purchased earlier this year and it had a defect that could not be fixed so I decided to trade that car in. I saw the CX-3 on the road and loved the styling. I started researching and read the really good reviews on Consumer Reports and other various you tube reviews. I went and test drove the car and was not disappointed. I had a Mazda 6 in the past and this car handles like a little sports car and is very fun to drive. The acceleration is great, fit and finish are first rate. I was disappointed that you could not get a power seat, but to be honest I have not missed it. The Bose System sounds great, the navigation, bluetooth and infotainment system are really easy to use. There is a mute button instead of an on/off switch for the stereo so that also took some getting use to. The gas milage is really good and even with it small fuel tank I am only filling up once a week. For a small car the ride is very good, it is firm, but that is what makes it such a great handling car. Road noise is really good and even though the engine has a course sound to it, it sounds really sporty. I choose Soul Red with Almond Leather interior, it is beautiful. Update: The Mazda CX-3 is a great car, I still love it now with 6700 miles. It really handles well, has great acceleration for a small engine and looks very attractive.

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  nigel and i are in love <3 - 2016 Mazda CX-3
  By damiya peebles - February 18 - 11:17 pm

  I just bought this car today and named it Nigel. Its so cute and sporty!! I shopped around for other crossover styled cars and this is by far the most stylish and the best car for the money. I love the back up camera feature, and the display screen which pretty much has all the cars coolest feature. space wise, it does run small. however, for a girl like me with a small dog and not a lot of cargo, this will work just fine. Its a step up from the mazda 2 I owned. Im so happy with my car. Comfy, cute, stylish and has all that I need!! great gas mileage as well!