2013 Mazda Mazda3 Pros and Cons at TrueDelta: 2013 Mazda3 Skyactiv Hatchback by keithck

Powertrain performance

It has more than enough power for my daily driving needs. The transmission is smooth and responsive.

Handling

It's a fun car to drive. The steering is direct and nicely weighted.

Safety & braking

The brakes are a too grabby but are quite effective. The stability control is very good and only kicks in when it's really needed. The roads have been quite snowy and icy in the past 2 weeks and I have never felt like I'm losing control once.

Ride smoothness

The suspension can be pretty harsh over rough pavement. On the smooth pavement and highways, it's perfectly fine. I personally don't mind the stiff suspension but I can definitely see it being a problem for some people.

Interior storage compartments

Distinct lack of easily accessible storage! Coming from a Civic where Honda has storage everywhere, it's quite a dissapointment. My only real storage with easy access while I'm driving are the cup holders and the small weirdly shaped map pocket on the door.

Fuel economy

Fuel economy has been OK. I usually do a 50/50 mix and in good weather, I get in the high 7s/100km or about 30 MPG. In the cold weather, it's been closer to 9L/100km or about 26 MPG. Strangely, it's about the same economy I got with my 99 Civic w/ 4 spd auto.

I personally have no regrets choosing this car over any of the competition. It's fun to drive and has enough power to do what I want and need it to do. The hatchback makes it quite a versatile car too. Iit's well worth the extra money to get the hatchback. The availability of the hatchback is actually the main reason I chose it over a Civic. Coming from a Honda, I think the Mazda 3 isn't quite as well rounded as the Civic. The Mazda 3 certainly isn't for everyone though. For me, the fun to drive factor and hatchback was enough to win me over.