Item: Used Mazda 3 2019-present
Rating: 4
Author: What Car? Team

Any <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/ford/focus/hatchback/used-review/n19061">Ford Focus</a> will beat a 3&nbsp;in terms of driver engagement and cornering grip. It's let down by a low-rent interior and clunkier to operate infotainment system, but on the plus side, rear seat accommodation is vast.

A post-facelift <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/vauxhall/astra/hatchback/used-review/n17406">Vauxhall Astra</a> is even less expensive to buy than a Mazda 3, but you will have to weigh&nbsp;that up against poorer handling, an infotainment system that's more awkward to use on the move, and worse refinement at speed.

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What is it like?

Ownership cost

Advice for buyers

Our recommendations

Alternatives

<h3>Engine software</h3>

An issue with the software controlling the air and fuel ratio could mean that engines in some examples built between 14 June and 1 October 2019 won't run correctly. Speak to a Mazda dealer to find out if your car is affected by this, and have the relevant software updated.

The latest version of the 3 didn't appear in the family car section of the latest What Car? Reliability survey, however, Mazda&nbsp;as a brand managed a very good ninth-place finish out of 31 car manufacturers, so hopefully, the 3&nbsp;will be quite&nbsp;reliable.

If you'd&nbsp;like to see the full reliability list, head to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/news/2020-what-car-reliability-survey/n20042">What Car? Reliability Survey</a>&nbsp;pages for more information.

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Hatchback

Mazda can be summed up in a single word: bold. Not only do its cars generally look like nothing else on the market, but it’s also invested heavily in innovative engine technology.

So, while many car makers have moved to smaller turbocharged engines, Mazda instead offers larger motors that are still efficient. For example, the entry-level petrol option in the Mazda 3 is a 2.0-litre unit –&nbsp;far larger than what you’ll find in most rivals – but it remains very clean.

Highlights of Mazda’s line-up include the MX-5 sports car, which has won our Convertible of the Year Award multiple times, and the CX-5 large SUV, which was named as our inaugural best car for dog owners.

MAZDA

A stylish and sophisticated hatch, the latest Mazda 3 is well worth considering as a used buy

Used Mazda 3 2019-present

<h3>MPG</h3>

The less-popular 1.8 diesel is the most economical car (especially in manual form) at 55.4mpg. Next up are the two petrol engines, and because both feature some mild-hybrid tech, efficiency is pretty good. First up&nbsp;is the more powerful 178bhp Skyactiv-X petrol with 48.7mpg, while the regular 120bhp Skyactiv-G manages 44.8mpg.

<h3>Road tax (VED)</h3>

Every Mazda 3 will be subject to the current flat rate fee for car tax, which stands at £155 a year, and none will fall foul of the additional surcharge for cars that cost more than £40,000 when new.&nbsp;To find out more about the current <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/advice/buying/car-tax-changes-in-2019-%E2%80%93-what-do-i-need-to-know/n1153">road tax costs, click here</a>.

<h3>Servicing</h3>

Unlike some of its rivals, you won't be able to buy a service plan online. Mazda instead defers this to the individual dealers, so it'll be worthwhile calling up a few franchises to compare prices. All engines require annual maintenance or every 12,500 miles.

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It may not be able to challenge the Ford Focus in terms of how it drives, but the Mazda 3 is well equipped, stuffed with safety technology, and has a very plush interior compared with most family cars. 

You can find the first examples of this generation Mazda 3 from around £16,000. The more powerful Skyactiv-X petrol version that arrived in late 2019 can be found from £17,500, while&nbsp;diesel models are harder to come by and start at £18,000. Spend between £19,000 and £22,000 on 2020 and early 2021 cars.&nbsp;

To keep up to date with used 3&nbsp;prices, use our free valuation tool to make sure you are getting the best deal. 

Check the value of a used Mazda 3 with <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/car-valuation/">What Car? Valuations</a>

<h3 dir="ltr">Engine</h3>

Unless you desperately need the extra power, the regular 120bhp 2.0 petrol gets the job done well enough and with decent efficiency, too. You're also more likely to find this engine in&nbsp;our preferred trim level.

<h3 dir="ltr">Specification</h3>

The base-trim SE L is very well appointed, but we'd advise going one tier higher for SE L Lux because having a reversing camera and front parking sensors can come in very handy, especially when rear visibility is compromised by those huge rear roof pillars.

Our favourite Mazda 3: 2.0 120bhp Skyactiv-G SE L Lux

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<h2>What we're looking for:</h2><ul><li>Plenty of practical space </li> <li>Low running costs </li> <li>A comfortable ride </li> <li>A healthy equipment list </li> <li>Quality materials and thoughtful touches inside </li> <li>Rock-solid reliability</li></ul>

Family cars arguably have the toughest brief of all: they have to be good at pretty much everything. They’re used as the daily drive, on the school run or work commute (often both), and have to be able to cope with a family’s clutter on weekends and holidays.

The Skoda Scala is a relative newcomer, but it's&nbsp;already carved out a name for itself in this segment.&nbsp;If you're looking for a moderately priced car that combines a supple ride, neat handling, a spacious interior and a capacious boot&nbsp;it's well worth a look.&nbsp;Alternatively, if you're looking for entertaining handling then the&nbsp;BMW 1 Series may well be for you. It's great to drive, rides well&nbsp;and also comes with a top-notch interior, featuring one of our very favourite infotainment systems.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The Toyota Corolla&nbsp;is another great choice. This latest version of one of the world's best-selling cars of all time can be had with a choice of two different petrol-electric hybrid engines, both of which should mean&nbsp;potentially lower fuel bills. It's comfortable, well equipped and should be very reliable, too.&nbsp;

Family

Most Mazda 3s&nbsp;listed for sale will still be within the Mazda&nbsp;franchised dealer network and will have been reconditioned to look like new before resale.

However, make sure that the dealer&nbsp;has&nbsp;applied the latest infotainment software update to make sure that continues to run smoothly. There has also been a safety recall that requires a software update which is described in the following chapter.

<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/make/mazda">Mazda</a> has made its premium ambitions quite clear in recent years,&nbsp;as the latest generation of Mazda 3 abundantly demonstrates. In terms of interior quality and standard equipment, it's more than a match for a higher-trim level <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/volkswagen/golf/hatchback/used-review/n776">Volkswagen Golf</a>. And in terms of safety tech, the Mazda shames the VW.&nbsp;This goes some way to explaining&nbsp;why used 3 values remain strong, even against such established competition.

The 3 offers a much more limited&nbsp;selection of engines than&nbsp;rivals, though. At first there was choice of petrol or diesel power, but the latter 114bhp 1.8 Skyactiv-D barely lasted a year before poor sales saw it being dropped from 2020 onwards. That left&nbsp;two&nbsp;perfectly peppy 2.0-litre petrols, in either 120bhp Skyactiv-G or 178bhp Skyactiv-X forms. A six-speed manual gearbox was standard&nbsp;and&nbsp;a six-speed automatic optional, along with four-wheel drive on the most powerful engine.

The entry-level SE L version is well appointed and comes&nbsp;with 16in alloys, LED headlights, rear parking sensors, adaptive cruise control, along with&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/news/what-is-aeb-and-how-does-it-work/n3283">automatic emergency braking (AEB)</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/news/the-new-car-technology-that-could-save-your-life/n17548#9">lane-keeping assistance</a>, <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/news/the-new-car-technology-that-could-save-your-life/n17548#8">blindspot monitoring</a>, and rear cross traffic&nbsp;assistance. SE L Lux models add heated front seats, dual-zone climate control, a reversing camera and front parking sensors, and makes more sense than Sport Lux; its extra cost doesn't give you&nbsp;much more, other than&nbsp;18in alloys and privacy glass.

If you want leather seats, go for GT Sport. This trim also gets you an improved Bose sound system and adaptive LED headlights. Top-of-the-range GT Sport Tech has extra safety tech such as a 360deg camera system, front cross-traffic alert, and rear emergency braking to help prevent you from backing into something.

Where things start to go awry is on ride quality and overall handling. Even&nbsp;the previous-generation Golf, along with less expensive family cars&nbsp;such as the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/skoda/scala/hatchback/used-review/n22548">Skoda Scala</a>, have the edge over the 3. On the plus side, the 3 does feel nicely tide down to the Tarmac and won't bounce your passengers around. On the downside, the&nbsp;suspension is quite firm in the 3, and unlike an equivalent <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/ford/focus/hatchback/used-review/n19061">Ford Focus</a>, the&nbsp;Mazda doesn't smoother the bumps particularly well. Sticking with 16in wheels instead of the larger options helps&nbsp;matters, though.

On the other hand, that stiff-ish&nbsp;suspension helps to make the 3 feel nimble when quickly changing direction in the dry, but in the wet&nbsp;you can find it losing grip sooner than rivals and you'll start noticing&nbsp;the front end running out of grip in tight bends. Refinement is good, mind; suspension, road, engine and wind noise are all well suppressed, although a Golf is still superior in these areas.

Credit where it's due, only the previous-generation <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/audi/a3/hatchback/used-review/n17405">Audi A3</a> has an interior that feels plusher than the one in the 3. There's plenty of adjustment to enable&nbsp;a comfortable driving position, and the wide centre console is great for resting your left elbow on long trips. Visibility could be better due to chunky roof pillars and small back window.&nbsp;

Adults can fit in the back, but leg and head room won't challenge the best in class. What's more of an issue is the relatively small opening and shallow windows that can make people&nbsp;feel claustrophobic. Boot capacity, once you've gotten past the high sill height, is highly impressive, with only the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/skoda/octavia/hatchback/used-review/n851">Skoda Octavia</a> and Scala beating it.

If you're interested in finding a <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/used-cars/mazda/3?nearlynew=true&amp;used=true&amp;yearFrom=2019">used 3</a>, or any of the other <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/used-reviews/category/family">family cars</a> mentioned here, head over to the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/used-cars">Used Car Buying</a> pages to find lots of cars listed for sale at a great price.

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Used Mazda 3 2019-present review

Alternatives

What alternatives should I consider to a used Mazda 3 hatchback?