2019 Mazda 3 鈥?Thoughtfully Refined Compact Car
This review has been updated with test results. Reviewing cars is a weird game. One minute you're in a 550-hp Porsche 911 GT3 RS, the next you're driving a 186-hp 2019 Mazda 3 sedan, and then the day closes out with a custom 427-hp 1995 Porsche 911 restomod by Gunther Werks. Aside from all three being gasoline-powered vehicles, they don't appear to have much in common. But going from one to the other in the span of a day reveals a shared obsession with fine-tuning the little things. Since this is the Mazda 3 review, we'll try to avoid discussing Porsches. What will be obvious to potential buyers are the quality materials and the clean, simplified interior design. Large analog gauges flank a digital speedometer that mimics an analog gauge. An optional head-up display projects clear info onto the windshield, replacing the lame gunsight reflective display on the outgoing 3 that folded out of the top of the instrument binnacle and showed your speed in fuzzy numbers. The HVAC controls appear to have been borrowed from Audi, and the steering wheel looks as if it came out of a BMW.
A new 8.8-inch screen is standard on every model and sits on the dashboard, canted toward the driver. In the previous-generation car, the infotainment screen could be operated as a touchscreen or by the central controller. Now, it's out of reach and entirely operated by the larger console-mounted knob. A volume knob sits next to the Commander interface; pushing it to the left or right lets you skip to the next song or station, another touch shared with Audi. The infotainment's menu structure is logical, responses are quick, and each individual function gets an explanation and a graphic that, for example, patiently explains that the Bose Centerpoint feature is how you adjust the surround sound. While the 10-speaker Bose system is a tempting option, the stock six-speaker setup is remarkably clear and powerful. Both systems lack a door-mounted midrange speaker. Instead, that speaker gets its own enclosure and is tucked under the instrument panel, just below the base of the A-pillar and ahead of the door.
Hiding those speakers ensures that the door won't rattle in response to high volumes, and it removes the hole from the door itself, reducing outside noise. To keep your in-car phone conversations private, the audio system is set up to prevent anyone outside from hearing embarrassing news from your urologist. At a normal to even a sort-of-loud volume, it's remarkable how muted it is outside the car. Although we were sold on the merits of the audio system, we didn't fully buy into Mazda's newfound obsession with the pelvis. Okay, that sounded a little weird. Engineers on hand tried to convince us that the 3's new front seats locate the pelvis in a way that eases the work required by the occupant's upper body to control itself in response to bumps and corners. They made a lot of hay about the importance of the new driver's seat, which offers more thigh support to improve the driving position and, of course, that pelvic position.
Indeed, it's a comfortable seat, but it doesn't feel any different versus our preferred driving position. We thought the chassis tuning and the extra 0.8 inch added to the telescoping action of the steering wheel were substantially more important. The big news with this 3 is that the multilink rear suspension has been replaced with a simpler torsion-beam axle. Fortunately, this doesn't lead to the collapse of civilization that you might expect. The sedan and hatchback both get the same tune, so even though we only drove sedans, we can expect the hatch to handle similarly. A 16-inch wheel is standard, and our sedan came on optional 18-inch wheels. All-season tires are fitted to both wheel sizes. As you might expect with relatively low-profile 215/45R-18 all-season tires, the ride is definitely firm, but impacts are dispatched quickly, and even harsh ones are dissipated without drama. Bending the suspension into a few hard corners reveals good body control. At the test track, the 3 sedan produced skidpad grip on the order of 0.87 g, as well as a decent 165-foot stop from 70 mph.
