For the past week we’ve had the chance to test drive the Mazda3 to share our honest opinions. During this time we’ve enjoyed it and find it a fun sporty little compact car that is still suitable for a family of four.
This Mazda3 has many nice features that we’ve been enjoying and will sorely miss when we have to return it.
The first is one is the Blind Spot Monitoring System. This safety feature is simple and it has now become a must-have when we purchase our next vehicle. There are two small icons in the corner of the sideview mirrors that light up whenever a car travels into our blind spots. It only takes a few minutes to get used to first checking your blind spot and then the mirror icons to be sure no one is there and the icons are not lit and it’s a fantastic safety feature that will be difficult to do without.
And that’s not all. If you try to put your blinker on when the icons are lit a chime will sound alerting you to the danger of changing lanes just then. It’s a brilliant system that makes me feel so much safer as a mom driving around my children.
Another favorite feature is the fuel economy thanks to its SKYACTIV Technology.
Dave was astounded by how fuel-efficient the Mazda3 is.
We recently went to the Niagara Wine Trail for our anniversary where we were able to put the fuel economy to the test. We filled up before we left home and drove 4 1/2 hours there and 4 1/2 hours back and then Dave ran out to the grocery store the evening returned and we didn’t need to fill up once. Pretty impressive!
This would make this car perfect for any taxi-moms out there who shuttle their kids from one event to another. It’s also perfect for business travelers and anyone who wants to save on gas – who doesn’t these days?
It seems like a small feature, but we also really like the positioning of the navigation system and radio information.
It’s up out of the center console, above even the vents, and near the windshield. It was a little striking at first to have it in what seemed like such an odd place, but after driving just down the block we immediately fell in love with the positioning. It’s such a simple solution to the problem of taking your eyes off the road just for a few seconds to read the gps or tune the radio. This position feels so much safer because your eyes can still stay on the road while you glance at it.
Along with this the steering wheel controls are phenomenal. Being able to control the gps through the buttons on the steering wheel along with tuning the radio and performing other functions leaves your hands on the wheel and your eyes on the road.
We also like the Bose audio system. The music sounded good our entire trip. It’s very clear and crisp.
Kora and Logan enjoyed their rides in the backseat. They liked having cup holders in the arm rest between them, the pockets in the seatbacks in front of them, and they enjoyed being able to see the gps map from the back as well.
We were also very pleased with the trunk space.
It was able to hold all of our luggage for our anniversary trip, plus a giant cooler that Dave snuck in without my knowledge that held our anniversary cake from the bakery that made our wedding cake!
How sweet is that?
A few things that stood out that could be improved upon include the tight suspension. While it’s a speedy little car that accelerates well and breaks promptly, we’d wince whenever we had to go over railroad tracks or other bumpy areas. Also, while the driver loved the positioning of the gps and the radio info, the passenger had to lean a bit towards the middle of the car to see both. If the passenger is the one who usually controls the radio, this is a minor annoyance that could become a bothersome one on a long trip.
We’ve enjoyed our time with the Mazda3 and all of its great features. When we are car shopping in the near future we will keep this one at the top of our list and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys a sporty, compact, family-friendly car with fantastic fuel economy.
