Since its 2003 debut, the Mazda 3 has always left us grinning. We even kept grinning after Mazda’s designers pasted an actual smile on the face of the second-generation model. That stylistic misstep turned out to be one of our biggest gripes with the old 3; others were essentially limited to a smallish rear seat and the so-so fuel economy when equipped with the 2.5-liter engine. Still, a 3 with the 2.5 finished a strong second behind the current Ford Focus and ahead of a Volkswagen Jetta, Chevrolet Cruze, and Hyundai Elantra in a 2011 comparison test.
No Bones about These Bones
The Mazda 3 has been thoroughly redone for 2014, and the result might stand a chance at unseating the 10Best-winning Ford Focus, a comparison-test darling, as king of the segment. Previously, this would have constituted a sibling rivalry, as the 3 shared a platform with the first-generation Focus. But with Ford and Mazda’s divorce finalized, the Japanese company whipped up its own lightweight Skyactiv architecture and slid it under the new Mazda 3. (The Skyactiv name is also applied to the platforms that support the CX-5 and new 6, but the 3’s structure, although conceptually similar, is unique.)
According to Mazda, the new structure boasts a 30-percent improvement in torsional rigidity, and curb weight is down by about 60 and 100 pounds, depending on trim level. We haven’t weighed the 3 on our scales, but Mazda’s numbers are generally within a few pounds of ours, so figure on a weight range of 2800–3050 pounds. Other pertinent numbers: The wheelbase is stretched by 2.4 inches, overall length is down by just over half an inch in the sedan version and 1.8 inches in the five-door, width is up by 1.6 inches, and height is down by 0.6 inch. Rear-seat space is now class competitive and comfortable for six-footers.
