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The 2025 Mazda3 is a city-ready small sedan with distinctive looks and an interesting amount of technology. We take deeper look in our review.
2025 Mazda Mazda3 – mazdausa.com | Shop 2025 Mazda Mazda3 on Carsforsale.com
What’s New for the 2025 Mazda Mazda3?
Mazda is going full blitz on crossover SUVs at the moment. If market trends say Americans are ditching sedans and hatchbacks like they’re going out of style, their lineup of no less than eight crossovers, including the electrified stuff, is doubling down on trends before its competitors get the chance to do it first. But that doesn’t mean Mazda is done with non-crossovers just yet.
The 2025 Mazda3 is an excellent case in point. With bold styling, tons of features, and the distinction of not being another Corolla, Elantra, or Civic, the Mazda3 sedan is one of the last remaining “interesting” new sedans you can buy in North America. Let’s take a look at the stats and see what’s up.
Carsforsale.com Score
9/10
Powertrain
Score
9/10
Interior
Score
9/10
Technology
Score
8.75/10
Value
Score
8.75/10
The Breakdown
Excellent styling
Lots of variation with six trims
Solid fuel economy
Expensive on the high-end
No Hybrid in North America
Standard Warranty
A sporty sedan for those looking for something different
2025 Mazda3 Specs
- 191 horsepower from base engine
- 186 lb-ft of torque from base engine
- 6 available trims
- 13.2 cu-ft of cargo capacity
- Five-star safety rating
- Available 10.25-inch infotainment system
- 3-year 36,000-mile warranty
2025 Mazda Mazda3 Powertrain 9/10
Toyota engines are dependable, Honda engines are rev-happy and fun, while Mazda engines historically split the difference fairly skillfully. The 2025 Mazda3 is no exception. Even at the entry-level, where lots of sedans are too slow to get out of their own way, the 191-horsepower, 2.5-liter, four-cylinder engine is trimmed Mazda3 is at least sorted enough for everyday driving.
Frankly, there was a time when 190-plus horsepower out of a sedan as small as this would’ve been classed as a sports sedan. It actually beats entry-level Civics and Corollas in power figures by a fair margin. But for a sporty kick, the optional turbocharged variant of this motor with 250 horsepower on tap is enough to have some real driving fun.
The base non-turbo FWD base setup has a reported zero to 60 time of 8.2 seconds. When decked out in AWD with the turbo, that jumps to a brisk 6.1 seconds to 60. That’s just .1 seconds slower than a BMW 228i xDrive Gran Coupe, a similarly sized vehicle that costs $4,600 more.
Combine this with a non-CVT automatic transmission and optional all-wheel-drive; the Mazda3 can indeed be a fun, engaging car to drive—one with AWD grip for days and a peppy engine to boot. You don’t sacrifice too much in fuel economy for your trouble either, a combined 31 MPGs in FWD and just one less for all-wheel-drive. On the face of it, this is one of the best horsepower-to-fuel economy ratios you can buy in the compact sedan segment in North America today.
Will it be quite as reliable as the equivalent Corolla over the course of ownership? That’s a much more difficult question to answer, especially with concerns around high-stress, direct-injected engines now commonplace across all facets of the industry. Chances are good that Mazda3s, Elantras, Civics, and Corollas will spend time in the shop at about equal rates.
2025 Mazda Mazda3 Interior 9/10
One of Mazda’s greatest strengths over the last decade is that it provides enough refinements and features in an affordable package to almost trick you into thinking it’s a luxury car. In an era where even entry-level bilge comes with a big infotainment screen and a suite of driver assistants that would’ve made an S-Class from 20 years ago blush, the Mazda3 manages to provide enough to satisfy.
But even beyond outright tech and gadgets, the Mazds3’s interior appears to be a well-thought-out and ergonomic space to sit. It’s also a nice mix of old and new technologies, with an analog gauge cluster flanked by the center screen integrated into a divot in the dashboard. Mercifully, HVAC controls have dedicated buttons rather than a portion of center screen real estate like some other OEMs have a habit of doing these days.
Elsewhere, legroom is about what you’d expect for a sedan this size. 42.3 inches up front and 35.1 in the rear. It’s not as much as the 38 inches of rear legroom you find in an Elantra or the 37.4 inches of a Civic, but it is not exactly a Spirit Air coach class seat either. The entry-level Mazda3 S sports cloth-trimmed seats front and rear, while the S Select Sport and S Preferred trims opt for a soft-touch leatherette material. It’s slightly more comfortable than cloth seats, but they might have you longing for real leather.
That’s where the S Carbon Edition’s red leather seats really start looking tempting. Weirdly, the next trim up, the Carbon Turbo, ditches leather for leatherette sport seats trimmed in a tasteful terracotta pattern, while the range-topping Turbo Premium Plus maxes out on the luxury with perforated leather seats much the same as you’d find on a much more luxurious vehicle. For a vehicle that competes with Elantras and Civics most of the time, the Mazda3 manages to at least feel special inside compared to rivals.
2025 Mazda Mazda3 Technology 8.75/10
It’s common for a small-to-mid-size sedan to have a stereo system that sounds straight out of the 90s and not in a good way. But no bare-bones four-speaker stereo will be found on a Mazda3, the base model comes with a six-speaker stereo with Mazda’s Harmonic Acoustic sound balancing software. Only at the Carbon Edition does the speaker count jump to eight, and the range-topper Premium Plus nets you a 12-speaker Bose unit with Centerpoint software that breaks down audio into multiple channels split throughout each speaker.
Lower-spec Mazda3s come equipped with an 8.8-inch capacitive touchscreen display with Android and iOS connectivity, while a 10.25-inch unit finds its way onto the Carbon Turbo trim and upwards. Mazda’s Smart Brake Support comes standard facing forward, and with rear cross-traffic, and the directly behind capability comes only in the range-topper. Blind spot warning comes standard across the range and a 360-degree camera with a cruising and traffic support function a la Ford’s BlueCruise feature.
Only at the Carbon trim does full-time all-wheel-drive become available. But it’s perhaps the primary reason you’d want to upgrade from a lower trimmed Mazda3 to a trim further up the range. Altogether, the Mazda3 is perfectly acceptable at the low end in terms of tech and features but flat-out competitive even with entry-level luxury sedans from reputable German brands. Considering Mazda doesn’t have a luxury brand like Lexus or Acura, it makes sense they’d shove as much tech inside the Mazda3 as possible.
2025 Mazda Mazda3 Trims & Pricing
S – $23,950
Everything you need from a sedan at this size and price point and nothing you don’t. Cloth seats, a 6-speaker audio system, 8.8-inch touchscreen, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration, and climate control. If you’re sick and tired of used cars breaking down, financing one of these isn’t the worst idea.
S Select Sport – $24,690
Slightly more of a cost over the base S, but with some niceties to make it worthwhile. Leatherette seats, dual-zone climate control, plus Amazon Alexa buit-in, blind-spot monitoring, rear-cross traffic alert system, and heated side mirrors. A nice upgrade over the base model, that’s for sure.
S Preferred – $26,340
An eight-way adjustable driver’s seat with two memory functions plus a tasteful Greige Leatherette interior and power-sliding moonroof are the highlight of the S Preferred trim. A nice upgrade over lower trims, but there’s still more to come.
S Carbon Edition – $29,410
Like leather? Well, we hope you like it in red. That’s the only color available on a Mazda3 S Carbon. You also get 18-inch black metallic wheels, standard AWD
Carbon Turbo – $32,100
All the lavishing’s of the Carbon edition but with the turbocharged engine, terracotta leatherette seats, and Zircon Sand Metallic paint.
Turbo Premium Plus – $35,800
Everything you get in the lower trims plus a premium Bose sound system, a 360-degree camera suite, and front and rear parking sensors. A real blast of refinement for a compact sedan.
2025 Mazda Mazda3 Overall Value 8.75/10
With a fuel-sipping base engine and optional peppy turbo, the Mazda3 is for the person who wants a sedan to drive the kids around but doesn’t want to default to a Toyota. A real car enthusiast’s choice, that’s for sure. The warranty isn’t that great, just a three year/36,000-mile basic and a five year/60,000-mile powertrain warranty, but that just means a lease is even more tempting.
Carsforsale.com Overall Score 9/10
2025 Mazda Mazda3 Exterior – mazdausa.com | Shop 2025 Mazda Mazda3 on Carsforsale.com
Before the small gas-powered sedan bows out gracefully, there’s still a chance to get a great deal on a fun, lively, and bold ride to zip around among a face of blob-like amoebas on wheels that don’t inspire joy. You’ll have more fun driving a Mazda3 than an Elantra or Corolla. For some people, that’s all the justification they need.
2025 Mazda Mazda3 FAQ
How much is a new Mazda 3?
The Mazda 3 starts at $23,950
Where is the Mazda 3 made?
Mazda 3s are made in the Japan and Mexico
Is the Mazda 3 FWD?
The Mazda3 is available in both FWD and AWD
