Mazda CX-3

The Mazda CX-3 is a subcompact crossover SUV.
History
The Mazda CX-3 first came out in 2015 for the 2016 model year. The related Mazda 3 came out in 2004. The related Mazda CX-5 came out in 2012.

Design

The Mazda CX-3 is a crossover SUV. The Mazda CX-3 is smaller than the Mazda CX-5. The 2016 Mazda CX-3 was eleven inches shorter than the same model year CX-5.
The Mazda CX-7 crossover SUV is larger, and the CX-9 is much larger. The similar Mazda 3 is smaller than the CX-3.
The Mazda CX-3 and CX-5 have similar flat hoods, pointed headlights, and similar grills with seven silver fins and chromed signature wings. The main difference is that the Mazda CX-3 has a sloped roofline, while the CX-5 has a D pillar and flat roofline. The interior of the CX-3 is smaller. The Mazda CX-3's dashboard is similar to a Mazda 3.
There was no manual transmission option for the 2016 version. The only option is a six speed automatic transmission. The manual transmission option is only available outside of the United States.
The Mazda CX-3 uses the same trim lines as the other similarly sized Mazda vehicles. The Sport is the lowest trim level. The Touring is the next trim level. The top trim level for the Mazda CX-3 is the Grand Touring.


Performance

The 2015 Mazda CX-5 is available with a 155 horsepower two liter 4 cylinder engine and a more powerful 2.5 liter 184 horsepower 4 cylinder engine. The Mazda CX-3 shares the 2 liter 115 horsepower engine. The Mazda CX-3 has around 146 pound feet of torque.
The Mazda CX-3 comes with a compatibility with Pandora Internet Radio, backup camera, dual climate control, forward collision alert system, blind spot monitoring, lane departure alert system, automatic wipers, and other features similar to the CX-5. The Touring model adds LED headlights, heated seats, navigation system, head up display, and seven speaker Bose system. These same features are in the Grand Touring trim line.
The gas mileage is around 30 miles per gallon in the city and 35 miles per gallon on the highway. As of this article’s writing, formally approved fuel efficiency numbers from the EPA were not available. Mazda estimated that the all wheel drive version of the CX-3 would get 27 miles per gallon in the city and 32 miles per gallon on the highway.

Price

The basic model of the Mazda CX-3 is around $20,000 new in 2015. In comparison, the smaller Mazda 3 started at $17,000 new in 2015. The larger Mazda CX-5 started at $21,500 new in 2015.

Rivals

The main rivals to the Mazda CX-3 are the Jeep Renegade, Buick Encore, Mini Cooper Paceman, Chevrolet Trax, Nissan Juke, Fiat 500X, and Honda HR-V.
Rivals to the larger Mazda CX-5 include the Honda CR-V, Toyota Rav4, and Subaru Forester.
Rivals to the smaller Mazda 3 include the Honda Civic, Toyota Camry, and Toyota Corolla.

Trivia

The Mazda CX-3 uses the Kodo design language, described as soul of motion.
There are diesel versions of the Mazda CX-3, but they are not available in the US as of 2015.
As of this writing, there were no US federal government safety tests rating the Mazda CX-3.