Once again Mazda showed ultimate confidence in the dynamic capabilities of their new car by handing over the keys to Tartan Tarmac and sending me off on what could only be described as “a right good hoon”. Once again their confidence was well placed.
I could understand Mazda sending me for a cross country drive in their supermini, the Mazda 2, earlier in the year but I have to admit I was quite surprised when I saw the test drive route for this new B-SUV sector car. Surely such a car is badly compromised, too tall, pushing a supermini chassis too far, underpowered for the additional weight.
Surprisingly not. I was even more surprised when I found myself thinking that there are few cars that would have been more fun on this tight undulating drive. Now, before you think I’m getting too silly, I know there are cars that would have gotten me there more quickly. Any of the Porsche SUVs would have done the job nicely and I’m sure the Nissan Juke Nismo RS can shift, but they are all more expensive, multiple times in the case of the Porsche, and…..well……the Juke……let’s just say I’m on the wrong side of the “Marmite” division when it comes to that car, even if we should credit it with creating this segment.
The test route took us on some very twisty and rolling, hilly roads and I was impressed how I was able to push on through compressions and crests without a hint of worry of bottoming out or clipping an overhang. Many superlative GTs would have been limited, not so much by the cornering demands of the route but by the vertical undulations. No such worries here. The Mazda has each wheel right out at the corner and the SKYACTIV chassis philosophy has delivered another fine and reactive ride. It’s enough to tick the boxes.
Which brings me to my point. I’m not trying to convince anyone to sell their mid-engined GT or fizzy GTi and run down to the Mazda showroom. For Tartan Tarmac readers this is likely to be a candidate for daily driver and other tasks. To be right for that it needs to tick a few boxes:-
- Practical enough
- Enough power to push on, get past, avoid frustration
- Enough handling prowess to have fun when an unexpected opportunity arises
- A very comfortable place to spend a lot of time in
- Good enough looking
- Good value
Depending on your needs, the CX-3 ticks a lot of those.
It certainly looks to be one of the most practical in the segment, not having so raked a rear hatch as some of its competitors. The CX-3 makes good use of its footprint with good rear space and some nice touches such as the floor compartment in the hatch area.
I drove the top spec 150PS petrol model and the 105PS diesel. Both push on very well with the diesel predictably relying on its torque on a cross-country drive. Neither were thrashy and the petrol was more than enough for an entertaining drive at license-friendly speeds. I only ever dropped down a gear because I wanted to, not because I had to.
Now, perhaps it was the carefully chosen route, or the fun I was having chasing the Mazda brand manager in the car in front, but handling is definitely one of this car’s strong suits. It was a big surprise in that respect and add to the mix the lovely MX-5 mimicking snickety gear shift, nicely weighted steering and good brakes (well tested for fade on this route) and the CX-3 is definitely capable of putting a smile on your face when the opportunity arises.
Aren’t those some of the best drives? You go out in the daily driver with no expectations of doing anything other than getting to where you are going and suddenly the road, the weather and the traffic conspire to give you the chance of some fun. That’s when you need the daily smoke to tick a few boxes. You want to finish that drive thinking “that was fun – can’t wait to try it sometime in the sporty thing in the garage”, not “darn – trust me to be in this dynamic turd on the rare occasion when there’s some driving to do”.
The rest of the time, the daily driver has to be a good place to be and Mazda has continued the good progress made with the Mazda 2 here in the CX-3. The material quality is good. The design touches are classy, not goofy, and the equipment levels are very high. The attention paid to the chassis engineering delivers a comfortable ride as well as competent handling. There is a sporty emphasis though and if anything there is a slight harshness on the worst surfaces.
Then there are the looks. It’s a personal thing I suppose but I think the Mazda design philosophy works very well in this model. I think the rivals from Nissan and Vauxhall look strangely squishy and the Ford’s front grill treatment is the stuff of nightmares. The Fiat 500X and Mini Countryman are distinct and deliberate, but I like how the Mazda isn’t trying to be anything kooky, just handsome and I think it does that.
Rivals from the VW group due next year may widen the choice but for now the CX-3 is a strong contender in the aesthetics department.
Value is where the Mazda must be challenged. List prices are higher than a lot of the competition (£17,495 to £24,695), especially when you try to reach down the model line. Mazda would counter that by pointing to strong residuals and high levels of equipment. They are certainly correct with the spec argument. The communication and entertainment package is second to none and the safety gadgetry is top of the class too. As for residuals, well this is their first car in a new segment so we know nothing for sure, but Mazda do keep repeating how well they are doing with repeat business from loyal customers, so I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt for now.
All in all, a good looking, good driving, classy car that isn’t cheap. Top of the class for now, but we await further new entrants into this space.
