2017 Mazda three Automatic Sedan Test, Review, Car and Driver
2017 Mazda three Two.0L Automatic Sedan
Even near the end of its life cycle and in its least desirable form—at least to us—the sporty Mazda three still impresses. Our ideal three has a manual transmission, the larger Two.5-liter engine, and a hatch, while the updated two thousand seventeen model tested here is a Two.0-liter sedan with an automatic transmission. It’s also a mid-level Touring; if it were one rung lower, which Mazda dubs the Sport trim, it’d be the three lineup’s closest analogue to a penalty box.
Yet the three family is so good that no member underachieves. The six-speed automatic we’d so readily trade for the standard manual shifts crisply and makes the most of the Two.0-liter inline-four engine’s one hundred fifty five ponies—and the automatic’s manual shift gate has you shove the lever forward for downshifts and back for upshifts, the most intuitive layout. The smaller engine moves the three admirably, but its high-rpm graininess and loudness on cold starts (it soothes down when warm) don’t measure up against the smoother base engines in newer competitors. If it’s speed you’re after, the more powerful Two.5-liter four-cylinder is the one to get, albeit for two thousand seventeen it’s no longer available outside of the range-topping Grand Touring trim.
The Two.0-liter isn’t a total slug, as proved by our 3’s 7.9-second excursion to sixty mph—0.1 2nd quicker than a almost identical two thousand sixteen Trio sedan we tested. It’s peppy around town and breathes hard only above seventy mph. The 3’s chassis, however, steals the display. The Touring ups its treating game for two thousand seventeen by ditching its 16-inch wheels and tires in favor of the same 18-inch package used by the Grand Touring. With this upgrade, the sedan posted 0.87 g of skidpad grip and a 171-foot stop from seventy mph, improvements of 0.05 g and eight feet over its two thousand sixteen counterpart. Those figures also elevate this version of the Mazda three to the top of the compact-car class.
Subjectively, the already sweet-to-drive three is even more so, thanks to Mazda’s G-Vectoring Control. This electronic program imperceptibly and shortly diminishes engine torque when turning into a corner to transfer extra blast to the front tires, making them react more sharply to steering inputs. All that for a car that already impatiently romped down winding roads. Other unnecessary but welcome improvements were made to the suspension for a marginally better ride—the three proceeds to masterly mix suppleness and treating prowess—and there is a natty fresh steering wheel.
Albeit Mazda’s enhancements for two thousand seventeen grind the 3’s sporty, driver-focused picture, they don’t do much to address its shortcomings. The cabin remains noisy at highway speeds (more so in this Touring than before, thanks to the fatter tires), and the back seat feels tighter than the aft quarters of the Honda Civic, Chevrolet Cruze, and Hyundai Elantra. Mazda’s Skyactiv weight-minimization efforts give the three a somewhat thin-walled feeling, too, the bod transmitting suspension noise more readily than its contemporaries’ shells.
These areas likely will be addressed when the next-generation Mazda three arrives in a year or so. At least we expect so after Mazda erased similar transgressions from the résumés of its CX-5 and CX-9 crossovers with latest redesigns. For now, the 3’s excellent driving dynamics, good looks, and classy interior (made more so for ’17 by an electronic parking brake, an updated available head-up display, and a redesigned center console) offset these flaws. The 3’s unbroken tenure on our annual 10Best Cars list since its last redesign—as well as latest comparison-test wins, including the aforementioned two thousand sixteen sedan—are proof of the Mazda’s strong appeal.
This version might not be our pick, but it’s undeniably tooled and priced for the heart of the compact market. For a beginning price of $22,370, it spoils with leatherette seats (heated in front), a power driver’s seat, low-speed automated emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, dual-zone automatic climate control, and rain-sensing windshield wipers. That’s more stuff than Mazda gave Touring buyers last year—and for essentially the same price. Oh, and if you’re like us, you can opt for a six-speed manual transmission and save $1050. Either way, you’ll nab a fine car.
2017 Mazda three Automatic Sedan Test, Review, Car and Driver
2017 Mazda three Two.0L Automatic Sedan
Even near the end of its life cycle and in its least desirable form—at least to us—the sporty Mazda three still impresses. Our ideal three has a manual transmission, the larger Two.5-liter engine, and a hatch, while the updated two thousand seventeen model tested here is a Two.0-liter sedan with an automatic transmission. It’s also a mid-level Touring; if it were one rung lower, which Mazda dubs the Sport trim, it’d be the three lineup’s closest analogue to a penalty box.
Yet the three family is so good that no member underachieves. The six-speed automatic we’d so readily trade for the standard manual shifts crisply and makes the most of the Two.0-liter inline-four engine’s one hundred fifty five ponies—and the automatic’s manual shift gate has you thrust the lever forward for downshifts and back for upshifts, the most intuitive layout. The smaller engine moves the three admirably, but its high-rpm graininess and loudness on cold starts (it soothes down when warm) don’t measure up against the smoother base engines in newer competitors. If it’s speed you’re after, the more powerful Two.5-liter four-cylinder is the one to get, albeit for two thousand seventeen it’s no longer available outside of the range-topping Grand Touring trim.
The Two.0-liter isn’t a total slug, as proved by our 3’s 7.9-second excursion to sixty mph—0.1 2nd quicker than a almost identical two thousand sixteen Trio sedan we tested. It’s peppy around town and breathes hard only above seventy mph. The 3’s chassis, however, steals the display. The Touring ups its treating game for two thousand seventeen by ditching its 16-inch wheels and tires in favor of the same 18-inch package used by the Grand Touring. With this upgrade, the sedan posted 0.87 g of skidpad grip and a 171-foot stop from seventy mph, improvements of 0.05 g and eight feet over its two thousand sixteen counterpart. Those figures also elevate this version of the Mazda three to the top of the compact-car class.
Subjectively, the already sweet-to-drive three is even more so, thanks to Mazda’s G-Vectoring Control. This electronic program imperceptibly and shortly diminishes engine torque when turning into a corner to transfer extra explosion to the front tires, making them react more sharply to steering inputs. All that for a car that already anxiously romped down winding roads. Other unnecessary but welcome improvements were made to the suspension for a marginally better ride—the three resumes to masterly mix suppleness and treating prowess—and there is a natty fresh steering wheel.
Albeit Mazda’s enhancements for two thousand seventeen grind the 3’s sporty, driver-focused picture, they don’t do much to address its shortcomings. The cabin remains noisy at highway speeds (more so in this Touring than before, thanks to the thicker tires), and the back seat feels tighter than the aft quarters of the Honda Civic, Chevrolet Cruze, and Hyundai Elantra. Mazda’s Skyactiv weight-minimization efforts give the three a somewhat thin-walled feeling, too, the assets transmitting suspension noise more readily than its contemporaries’ shells.
These areas likely will be addressed when the next-generation Mazda three arrives in a year or so. At least we expect so after Mazda erased similar transgressions from the résumés of its CX-5 and CX-9 crossovers with latest redesigns. For now, the 3’s excellent driving dynamics, good looks, and classy interior (made more so for ’17 by an electronic parking brake, an updated available head-up display, and a redesigned center console) offset these flaws. The 3’s unbroken tenure on our annual 10Best Cars list since its last redesign—as well as latest comparison-test wins, including the aforementioned two thousand sixteen sedan—are proof of the Mazda’s strong appeal.
This version might not be our pick, but it’s undeniably tooled and priced for the heart of the compact market. For a commencing price of $22,370, it spoils with leatherette seats (heated in front), a power driver’s seat, low-speed automated emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, dual-zone automatic climate control, and rain-sensing windshield wipers. That’s more stuff than Mazda gave Touring buyers last year—and for essentially the same price. Oh, and if you’re like us, you can opt for a six-speed manual transmission and save $1050. Either way, you’ll nab a good car.