Mazda goes Juke hunting
Mazda introduced the CX-3 in a bid to feed the seemingly endless demand for compact crossovers. It’s essentially a taller, chunkier version of the Mazda 2, and it certainly looks the part. The neat exterior styling is matched by a simple yet smart interior, which is solid and well built.
But this car really stands out from behind the wheel, as it’s possibly the best small crossover to drive. Buyers have two terrific engines to pick from – one petrol and one diesel – plus a choice of front and all-wheel-drive transmissions. The trouble is, the CX-3 falls down on practicality: it simply doesn’t have enough space in the rear seats or boot for a growing family.
The Mazda CX-3 was launched in 2015 to compete in the booming small crossover market, where the likes of the Nissan Juke, Renault Captur and Peugeot 2008 were enjoying significant sales success. But Mazda already had an SUV hit of its own, in the shape of the larger CX-5, and it wanted to sprinkle some of that car’s magic on this smaller package.
Inspiration has clearly been taken from the CX-5 in the design inside and out, although the CX-3 also borrows styling cues from the Mazda 2 – it’s based on the same mechanical package as the supermini, and shares its engaging chassis. The crossover is very similar in size to the 2, which ultimately impacts on interior space, although this means it’s very easy to drive around town, with the compact dimensions making for simple manoeuvring and parking.
Under the bonnet, there’s a two-engine line-up in the CX-3. Buyers get a choice of one petrol and one diesel, both carried over from the Mazda 2, and both can be hooked up to manual or automatic gearboxes. Plus, while the CX-3 comes as standard with a front-wheel-drive transmission, if you go for a higher-spec model, whether it’s petrol or diesel-powered, you can specify all-wheel drive.
Kicking off the range is the SE trim level, and you can then move up to SE-L. Both are available in Nav spec, which obviously adds a built-in sat-nav system, although if you go for the top-spec Sport Nav model, there’s no option to do without navigation.
Yet all versions of the CX-3 are generously equipped as standard, with even the basic model getting Bluetooth connectivity and a DAB digital radio. Plus, no matter which model you choose, you get the same solid construction, high-quality materials and excellent design inside that we’ve come to expect from modern Mazdas.
The Mazda CX-3 is a great driver’s car, but be sure to take an extended test drive on a wide variety of roads before you sign on the dotted line. It’s quite noisy at cruising speeds, and you need to ensure you can live with it.
This noise comes to the fore over the sort of coarse concrete surfaces still found on many UK motorways; the Mazda just suffers from too much tyre roar, as well as a bit of wind noise.
The chassis more than makes up for this, though. The steering is sharp and provides decent feel – although it can become unusually heavy at parking speeds – and the overall sense of balance is simply brilliant, unlike most rivals in the same market. It’s no exaggeration to say that the CX-3 is the best crossover to drive on the road. And although the ride quality can be heavily affected by the wheel and tyre combination you choose, it’s generally pretty comfortable, too.
Engines
There are just two engine choices for the CX-3. You can have either the 1.5-litre SkyActiv-D diesel, also found in the Mazda 3 hatchback and soon to be introduced in the Mazda 6 family car, or the 2.0-litre SkyActiv-G petrol, which is already offered in the 6 and the CX-5 SUV. Both come with a choice of six-speed manual or automatic gearboxes and, depending on the trim level, you can pick between front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive.
The 1.5 SkyActiv-D diesel is an excellent all-rounder and it doesn’t seem to suffer from the real-world fuel economy issues of the 2.2-litre version offered elsewhere in the Mazda range. Its 103bhp power output is on par with the 1.6 TDI engine offered by Volkswagen, but it has considerably more torque, at 270Nm.
The SkyActiv badge shows the car has been put through Mazda’s weight loss regime, and the result is a trim 1,275kg kerbweight; add that to the punchy engine, and the CX-3 diesel flies along nicely. It’s not exactly a warm hatch, but it has a brisk 0-62mph time of less than 10 seconds. As with the 2.2-litre engine found in the likes of the CX-5, it has a low-friction design with a very low compression ratio for a diesel. That translates into a very smooth, free-revving engine that suppresses noise well.
Depreciation
Our experts estimate that the CX-3 will hold on to its price better than most models in the crossover class. It’s predicted to retain as much as 46.6 per cent of its original value after three years, so buyers can expect to get a decent return on their investment come resale time.
Warranty
All new Mazdas come with a standard three-year/60,000-mile warranty, which looks rather average in these days of five and seven-year cover from some manufacturers. But buyers can pay extra to extend that beyond three years under a warranty insurance package. This is offered with three levels: Essential, Elite and Complete. Included as standard are a three-year surface corrosion warranty and a 12-year anti-perforation warranty