1 / 6

2017_Mazda3_15.jpg

Morgan J Segal

2 / 6

2017_Mazda3_22.jpg

Morgan J Segal

3 / 6

2017_Mazda3_30.jpg

Morgan J Segal

4 / 6

2017_Mazda3_54.jpg

5 / 6

2017_Mazda3_interior_008.jpg

6 / 6

2017_Mazda3_Interior_029.jpg

❮ ❯

It is always fun to have a week with a manufactures most popular vehicle and so it was with the Mazda 3. After being some of the first in the state last year to drive the refreshed Mazda 3, we were interested to see what the manufacture had done to give the 3 even more ‘Zoom Zoom’.

The biggest difference in our experience was getting to test drive the hatchback this year instead of the sedan. After a week we were convinced that we would opt for the hatchback because it seems to have more space, and more importantly we like the look of the hatch compared to the sedan.

We couldn’t find sales statistics anywhere to show which is the best seller only that there are just over 100,000 Mazda 3’s sold each year here in the U.S. We could certainly understand why, as it is Mazda’s goal to put people first in all of their designs.

The design and feel of a Mazda has always been on the top of our list, and with this year’s 3 we were not disappointed. On Sunday we took a drive out around Utah Lake using country back roads, main streets and even I-15, with the 3 handling them all with ease.

Over the years Mazda has been bestowed with the reputation of being a very engaging line of cars to drive and ride in. By keeping the driver engaged with the road and adding comfort inside for all other riders, and going above and beyond to keep everyone as safe as possible has become the Mazda standard.

With this in mind the Mazda 3 now comes standard with blind spot monitoring and rear cross traffic alert when backing, both features that would usually be included with some kind of upgrade anywhere else.

They are both additions that we would highly recommend when looking for a new ride as they have helped us many times over the past few years to avoid an accident, especially the small ones in a parking lot. There is also a standard smart city brake support system that helps to mitigate front end collisions as lower speeds in town.

The addition of the Premium Equipment Package with all the extra options that we would include on our own purchase. Things like adaptive high beam headlights that are now part of an all LED lighting package. Lane departure and lane keep assist, and one of our favorite options in radar cruise control that makes driving in heavy traffic much easier.

Of course it also came with a heated steering wheel and heated seats, making the two snowy mornings in April much easier to handle

Our favorite new Mazda feature that has been added to the 3 with last year’s refresh is what the company refers to as a color active driving display. This is just a cool way of providing a heads up display for the Mazda in a very unique manner.

When starting the Mazda a small clear screen pops up on the top of the dashboard in front of the driver where various things such as speed, lane departure, blind spot monitoring and speed limit signs can be displayed. It blends into the windshield and performs just like a heads up display would on the window. At the price point this is fantastic feature, and something that we have only seen on much higher priced cars. With that added road sign recognition it did serve as a great reminder to check out speed especially when the limit would drop suddenly as in the case of a school zone.

We first saw this new feature on the CX-3 two years ago and were very taken with it then, at the time it was only monochrome. Now the display is in full color and gives so much more information that we became reliant on it by the end of the week! A couple of other manufactures have started to use the same type of tech following Mazda’s lead with this simpler heads up display.

Another great addition to the new Mazda 3 is termed by the manufacture GVC or G-Vectoring Control. What this system does is connect the steering and powertrain together as one, for a more natural steering response. With the two systems tied together the computers onboard can help to control things that a normal person just can’t accomplish.

As the driver starts into a turn many factors are taken into account, speed, sharpness of the steering from the driver along with a multitude of other measurements, and the vehicle automatically reduces engine torque to shift load to the front of the vehicle to keep it maneuvering through what should be the perfect turn. The computers continue to monitor the steering response of the driver and will change the torque to the front tires, to make the turn as smooth as possible.

This is done through the Skyactiv engine and control that Mazda has be including in all of their new vehicles. This new system worked flawlessly and was really unnoticeable to us driving, as Mazda intended. We could tell the difference through the turns especially when we were pushing the 3 through some tight corners on a Sunday drive out through the back country roads.

The Mazda 3 Grand Touring edition comes complete with a very nice 2.4 liter Skyactiv-G engine that produces a very competitive 184 horsepower and 185 foot pounds of torque. We achieved a very nice 31.5 mpg for the week. The 3 is also one of a diminishing vehicles that can still be had with a manual or automatic transmission.

Mazda of course has chosen this road so that buyers will have the option of choosing, having now had both the manual and automatic we, being age advanced will stick with the automatic, even though the manual was an exciting option. Truth be known we did have a Volkswagen GTI sedan as an everyday driver that had a six speed manual transmission for over 4 years, so we might be a little biased in this regard!

The many included features on the Mazda 3 continued to impress us with other standard features in the Grand Touring including a power driver’s seat, variable heated front seats, a dual zone climate control, push button start and keyless entry and auto locking doors when the key walks away. There is a 7 inch screen that is controlled by a rotary dial and buttons in the center console similar to the system found on a BMW.

Also standard was a very nice 8 speaker Bose audio system that came with SiriusXM radio, Bluetooth phone connection and SMS text message delivery and reply functions. All of these great additions could also be controlled via the steering wheel mounted controls and through voice commands.

Outside there is the addition of Bi-LED auto leveling headlights that are set into a new styling look on the front of the car, along with some very nice 18 inch wheels that are new last year to the Grand Touring. The 3 also has a newly designed radiator and grill with an added front wing.

It is definitely worth the look for those in the market for a new sedan that will keep the drive upbeat and engaging all the time. See one today at Orem Mazda, 55 East University Parkway, in Orem, 801-226-8555.

Base Price: $24,945

Price as Driven: $29,770