Mazda 3 Sedan

Design & Quality

Get inside the car, and you get the feel of a decent interior with some unique design elements. But like any Japanese car, practicality and functional aspects are visible, while for its price and segment, the interior does feel a lot upscale, and you can be pretty sure of its durability.

There is just the right size touchscreen, quality stitching. Nothing much to really mention other than the quality of seats and materials seems to be up to the mark, most customers will like it. But I did impress with features like heads-up display, wireless charging, and a Bose sound system, offering this in a price-conscious segment like this is excellent on Mazda’s part. The late out for sure appears spacious, and the soft-touch surfaces are just fine.

Front Seat

The front is just perfect from a comfort and space point of view, there are 6-way manual adjustments with lumbar support, which is noteworthy. The seat is wrapped in premium fabric or an option leather, another high-end aspect that is impressive, and promises greater comfort. The heated steering wheel is a great feature, feels comfortable to handle and steer with those standard controls. Then you also get ventilated, which to me is another cool feature, especially dealing with our summer..

Electronic Parking Brake

No longer a vanity, the electronic parking brake is one feature that comes as standard these days, which is a must-have for simplifying parking or handling slopes. It comes with an auto-hold, located at the console for easy access.

Rear Seat

What you see at the rear seat is the relative spaciousness, along with the quality of seat materials, which makes you very comfortable. This is quite sensible because the car is often used as a family gateway, even for long-term trips, and so the rear is certainly a place to be in. Suitable for three average-sized adults with adequate legroom, the rear vents and USB ports, something necessary for passengers to use them as per their needs. The bench tilts for easy third-row access in some trims, and the size is suitable for only kids. Rear sunshades (optional) provide good protection from harsh sun, and the cushioned armrest with cup holders is great, something I liked a lot, small but important things, which underline the attention to detail, just like the quality of the upholstery for stain resistance.

AC Vents

The dual-zone climate control with rear vents is another standard offering, but it seems powerful enough to cool the cabin rather quickly. Now that is something the owners can’t live without, and so it is great for our summer or during hot days, and you can voice control it, which means a lot of convenience during focus driving.

Storage Options

As one might expect, their cabin has several storage places so that you can carry your stuff on the go. Including the glovebox at the front, which is okay in size, then the deep console, door pockets for 1-liter bottles, and under-floor space, etc. 

Armrest

The front and rear armrests with cupholders are good for comfort and some practicality. For example, you can slide the front armrest for workspace use, and it is ideal for mobile offices to keep your laptop or notebook.

Charging Options

Another standard offering is the USB-A, USB-C ports and a 12V socket so that charging needs are taken care of all the time on the move.

Boot Space

Among the many benefits, a sedan is always good when it comes to a dedicated boot. The 3 sedan gets a sizable 444 litres boot, and like a standard car, can be expanded with seats folded. The size appears to be fine for a car of this size, and families will love it. Features like tie-downs and a retractable cover ensure your load is always in order when you shop or carry some extra luggage.

• 5-Star Safety Rating

• 6 airbags
• ABS with EBD
• Blind-spot monitoring
• Lane-keep assist
• Rear cross-traffic alert
• TPMS
• ISOFIX
• Smart brake support

The Mazda 3 Sedan is a great representation of this design philosophy that spread across the automaker's portfolio, even in relatively affordable segments. With dimensions measuring that point towards its compact size, like the length is under 5 meters, the width under 2 and the height is about 1.4 meters.  The wheelbase of 2.7 meters is reasonable for a car of this size, and the 170 mm of ground clearance is a lot lower, but then this city car should be fine, but not for rough road types we find in semi-urban areas.

The exterior is largely a mix of attractive flowing curves, lines and smart design elements, including some sharper curves and upmarket aspects. Which actually serves the purpose of attracting buyers who prefer some extra shiny design. Yet, overall, you can clearly see the Japanese angle of focus on practicality, reliability rather than just looks, which to me is something quite sensible.

Front

The front looks to have been designed well, which suits the car's overall appearance in practicality and size. What you see prominently is the decent grille, which has chrome strips, and next to that are integrated the edgy LED headlights, right below are fog lamps and air vents, both positioned quite well. The hood has this curved shape, which looks unique, and right at the end, you see the daytime running light nicely joined. The Logo is visible right on your face on the top of the grille, and other elements that attract attention are the air dam for better aerodynamics, and the hood’s power bumps for a strong engine. Also, you see the chrome-shaved fog lamp slope is nicely done for elegance, also the stylish headlight clusters as well. A hidden sensor array boosts parking precision, and grille’s adaptive shutters improve, lastly, the hood is insulated so superbly and so there is hardly any engine noise.

Side

Go around the car, and the side views are just well-rounded. The key aspects are nice flowing lines, well-placed 18-inch alloys, providing a good rugged road presence.  Practical things like a side step for easy ingress, a long wheelbase for better stability and curved door panels and the roof rails all appear to be in order. Chrome mirror caps are meant to be for an upscale look, which is a good attempt, and so do the flush door handles. The side skirts protect against dust, and the wheel arches house strong cladding. The updated side mirrors with integrated turn signals do a good job of safer driving and are also better for drag reduction.

Alloy Wheels

You get only 18-inch alloy wheels on 215/45R18 tires, which, quite honestly, are just fine for a sedan like this, and they are a mix of stability, attractiveness and also superior grip.

Rear

The rear, with some practicality and good design elements, rounds up the overall exterior remarkably, and doesn’t feel odd. There are stylish LED taillights and a power trunk, with a subtle spoiler for some sproty vibes. The chrome tailgate trim, the dual exhaust tips, the rear diffuser, high-mounted stop lamp are useful features that enhance the overall look and design. I think the rear bumper with strong cladding is good for protecting against those constant minor scrapes in city driving, and particularly during parking. The spoiler doubles as a brake light, and the shark-fin antenna both help in safety.

Colors

The exterior colours to choose from are Soul Red Crystal, Machine Grey, Jet Black, Snowflake White Pearl, and Polymetal Grey.

City Performance

Our extensive drive, we can say with confidence, the Mazda 3 Sedan is a city car, smooth to drive, compact size helps in parking and big space inside and outside means office trips, and shopping at the same time. The 155hp engine with 6-speed automatic makes life easy with enough power and effortless shifting during bumper-to-bumper traffic. Everything tops up the relatively decent mileage, which is upwards of 14 km/l, and so if you choose to use it for everyday commute, it could be a perfect option. Now, even with a fill-up, it feels agile, and the ground clearance is modern, but for the city, there won’t be any issues. There is a camera for parking, and the braking does the job well.

Highway Performance

On the highway, the story is a little different because this sedan isn’t typically ideal for the highway. But doesn’t mean you can’t drive; you can and should, however, not the best machine for it. Yet, occasional highway drives shouldn’t be a problem, as our experience has proven. It cruises decently with 200 Nm of torque at your disposal, and so overtaking is fine. Mielage is just the same, like the city, or maybe a little higher, depending on how you drive. The stability is good at highway speed, if not impressive, and the cabin seems to be mostly quiet, so the NVH is excellent for a car in the price range. Overall, the smooth driver feels just alright on the highway. 

Ride and Handling

The ride quality isn’t that great, but decent. The suspension does the job as expected, both on city bumps and highway drives or gravel roads. As far as handling goes, it appears to be good largely due to the G-Vectoring Control that adjusts torque for smoother, especially at corners. The body roll is minimal, and it handles most of the roads in the city and towns without complaint.

• 10.25-inch Mazda Connect screen with Apple CarPlay/Android Auto

• Analogue instrument cluster with clear view

• Premium fabric/leather seats with Ventilation

• Dual-zone AC

• 8-speaker Bose audio system

• Keyless entry
• Cruise control
• Rear camera
• G-Vectoring Control

• Drive modes (Normal, Sport)
• Ambient lighting
• Power trunk

Entry FWD

Right now you can buy only one variant of the 3 sedans in KSA, so there isn’t a real choice. Maybe Mazda may introduce more in the future.. Until then, this model costs you starting SAR 73,60 with the FWD system.

After spending a good amount of time with the car, we came to like this sedan. That is because there are certain positives with it. Firstly, a Japanese-built means you have that inherent reliability and quality, which is pretty much visible as you get accustomed to it. Then comes the overall practicality, specs, features and also a relatively reasonable price. ON the downside, though, you hardly get to choose when it comes to variants, and not much on that side.

But then you get a car which is good for families and your personal needs, either for daily commute or family trips intercity, it does all of that without complaint. And, if you want a solid sedan within a good budget, the Mazda 3 Sedan should be on your list to explore before you decide to buy one.

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