2025 Mazda 3 review | CarExpert

New year, same old Mazda 3? Not quite, but updates for the 2025 model year aren’t exactly obvious on first glance.

After all, the basic formula remains unchanged. It still comes wrapped in the same gorgeous swoopy bodywork, with a choice of naturally aspirated four-cylinder engines under the skin.

Rather, the updated Mazda 3 brings sweeping tech and safety upgrades, from the introduction of Mazda Connected Services to wider standardisation of the Vision Package safety suite.

Unfortunately, there’s no such thing as a free lunch. That means spec improvements have been accompanied by price rises, to the tune of up to $2320.

Both the big ticket inclusions feature on the vehicle tested here – a 2025 Mazda 3 G25 Evolve SP. It sits right in the middle of the range, positioned to compete with similarly well-equipped hatches such as the Hyundai i30 N Line and Kia Cerato GT.

WATCH: Paul’s video review of the 2020 Mazda 3 G25 Astina

So, is an inflated price tag enough to put us off this charming small car, or does the extra kit catapult the new Evolve SP above its rivals?

How does the Mazda 3 compare?

View a detailed breakdown of the Mazda 3 against similarly sized vehicles.

Mazda

Mazda 3

How much does the Mazda 3 cost?

Prices are up by between $720 and $2320, with the higher-end increases due to previously optional equipment becoming standard.

To see how the Mazda 3 lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

What is the Mazda 3 like on the inside?

You’ve probably heard this before, but Mazda’s premium push has worked wonders from an interior presentation standpoint.

I wouldn’t go as far as to say the G25 Evolve SP looks a million dollars, but it would definitely compare favourably to cars in the $50,000 ballpark.

From the driver’s seat the car wraps around you like a welcoming cocoon. There are soft touches everywhere, from the leather armrest to padded door card and centre tunnel trims. The entire dash is also tactile and squidgy – kudos to you, Mazda.

High traffic areas including the steering wheel and shifter score even better materials, smooth leather in this case. All the physical buttons throughout the cabin have a satisfying click.

It’s not quite perfect. The doors feel tinny, and scratch-prone gloss black plastic surrounds the shifter and infotainment controls. Nevertheless, this is a lovely cabin to spend time in.

The mid-spec G25 Evolve SP features grippy, firmly-bolstered cloth seats which proved to be up to the rigours of everyday driving and comfortable over long journeys.

Both front seats appear identical, but the driver is treated to electric adjustment with lumbar, while the passenger seat comes with do-it-yourself manual controls.

None of this is new to owners of the pre-update Mazda 3, as the most apparent changes lie in the technology department.

As part of the newly-standard Vision Package, the Evolve SP now comes with a larger 10.25-inch infotainment touchscreen.

That’s a good thing – size matters when it comes to useability, and the graphics appear crisper than before. The 10.25-inch unit is a proper touchscreen too, unlike Mazda’s previous products that required the use of a rotary dial.

However, as a taller type that tends to sit further back that most, I found the screen to be too far away from my driving position to be used regularly as a touchscreen. It was physically more comfortable, and safer, to use the dial than reach forward while driving.

It’s an ergonomic compromise that I’ve faced in Mazda vehicles before, the main problem being that the screen sits too deep on the dash.

I’m sure many will get on with the layout in the Mazda 3 just fine, and the infotainment system itself is uncluttered and easy to navigate.

You’re initially greeted by a compact scroll menu layout with no more than five tabs for vehicle information, entertainment, communication, navigation and settings. Simples.

It’s the same interface that we’ve seen for a while with Mazda – classy white font on top of a black background. Easy to read, if not overly inspiring.

I spent most of my time with the Mazda 3 in Apple CarPlay, which can be accessed wirelessly with the upgraded infotainment system. The CarPlay connection was quick and consistent, providing easy access to apps like Spotify and Waze. Having said that, it’d be nice if there was a fixed shortcut button to exit smartphone mirroring.

Ahead of the driver sits a 7.0-inch digital instrument cluster. Well, that’s what they call it. Really, it’s a set of digitised gauges with a small customisable centre screen.

The gauges build on the theme of classy simplicity that resonates throughout the cabin, and I’d expect the setup to appeal to mature motorists seeking familiarity in their small car. Young tech-heads, not so much.

Rather, they can marvel at the small head-up display projected on the windscreen. In a similar vein to the gauges, the climate controls are old-school, a mix of physical buttons and dials.

Despite the compact feel of the Mazda 3, there’s plenty of storage space up front. A spacious split centre console and absurdly deep glovebox are highlights, while you also get skinny door bins, a sunglasses compartment, centre cupholders, and a coin tray next to the steering wheel.

Device connectivity is covered by a pair of USB-C outlets in the centre console, plus a 12V socket. A wireless phone charger is located under the centre stack, although it only worked intermittently in my experience.

It may be surprisingly roomy up front, but it’s a completely different story in the second row.

First and foremost, there’s very little space for passengers. At 6’1″, I was forced to perform an unflattering leg spread, wrapping my legs around the driver’s seat to get achieve some semblance of comfort. Even then, I could barely close the door.

Headroom is also restrictive – passengers topping 5’10” will come into contact with the ceiling.

The combination of limited space, a black headliner and small windows makes the back of the Mazda 3 feel quite claustrophobic. In other words, the second row is best suited to kids and cargo.

The list of back seat amenities isn’t great. There’s a centre armrest with integrated cupholders, puny door bins and a single map pocket, but no USB outlets or air vents. Now that I think of it, kids mightn’t love it back there either.

If it were practical, I’d recommend folding the rear seats down (60/40 split) and treating the bench as extra luggage space. However, the two front seats need to be all the way forward for the rear seats to fold flat. That renders the bench storage next to useless.

Adding insult to injury, boot capacity is a meagre 295 litres. To put that into context, the Hyundai i30 N Line offers 395L, while the Kia Cerato GT boasts 428L.

The boot may be small, but the aperture is nicely square and the manual tailgate opens high enabling easy loading of items.

A space-saver spare tyre is located under the boot floor, which is nice to have in case of emergency, especially for owners in remote areas.

To see how the Mazda 3 lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

What’s under the bonnet?

No changes have been made to either drivetrain for 2025. G25 examples feature a 2.5-litre naturally aspirated four-cylinder engine, mated to a six-speed automatic transmission and front-wheel drive.

To see how the Mazda 3 lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

How does the Mazda 3 drive?

If you treat cars like glorified white goods, then it’s unlikely you’ll appreciate what the Mazda 3 has to offer.

You sit nice and low in the cockpit-like cabin, perfectly positioned to take full control of the driving experience.

Indeed, the Mazda 3 is a properly engaging little car to drive, especially with the 2.5-litre engine. The extra displacement ups outputs to 139kW and 252Nm, increases of 25kW and 52Nm over the 2.0-litre, respectively.

That’s enough to make the sleek G25 feel nippy enough, and the power is delivered in a familiarly linear manner, but it still doesn’t feel quick unless you push towards redline.

Hardly an issue for buyers who plan to eat up highway or countryside kilometres, but city-slickers will be left wanting when they search for a hit of lowdown torque from a set of traffic lights.

A firmly planted right foot will eventually see the Mazda 3 take off but the harder you push it, the more noise it makes. And that’s unlikely to make for a relaxing commute, or impress your passengers.

We’ve been spoilt rotten by modern turbocharged and hybrid engines, and stepping back into a car like the Mazda 3 reminds you why so many carmakers have made the switch from naturally aspirated power.

Fuel consumption is also a key sticking point. Mazda claims our tester can achieve 6.6L/100km, but I was seeing over 10L/100km across a week of mixed driving, which is a lot for a small car. It’s the price you pay for a characterful engine that likes to rev.

The ride offered in the Mazda 3 is also reflective of its old-school nature – it’s on the firmer side, and you feel undulations and imperfections in the road. Indeed, the ride can become choppy on coarse surfaces, and steep speed humps sometimes end in a crashy landing.

On the flip side, the car feels nimble and dynamic as a result, helped by well-metered body control and direct, well-weighted steering. The Evolve SP is easy to manoeuvre in traffic, and a joy to zip through the suburbs.

Another problem I encountered when driving around town was a lack of outward visibility from the driver’s seat.

Both the side windows and rear windscreen of the Mazda 3 are on the smaller side due its low roofline, which makes it tough to spot surrounding traffic and perform head checks when changing lanes.

The Mazda 3 is likely to appeal to learner drivers given its affordable sticker price, but inexperienced steerers need all the visibility they can get.

Parking has also traditionally required an unimpeded view out each side of the car, but the Evolve SP comes with Mazda’s Vision Package, which includes a high-resolution surround-view camera that takes the stress out of squeezing into tight spaces.

The previously optional Vision Package is now standard on all Mazda 3 variants except the Pure and Evolve. Although it’s a worthwhile upgrade, it has also pushed prices up across the range.

Mazda’s safety and infotainment tech bundle also comes in handy on the highway.

The package includes a semi-autonomous driving system that’s among the most user-friendly systems on the market.

Honestly, the feature is essentially set and forget. Speed and following distance toggles are right in front of the driver, and the software effectively manages both parameters whether you’re negotiating heavy traffic or enjoying free flowing driving.

The addition of semi-autonomous cruising effectively transforms the Mazda 3 into a comfortable long-distance cruiser, and I wouldn’t shirk a long roadtrip behind the wheel.

I had no qualms with the other advanced driver assist systems throughout this test. The driver monitoring, blind-spot monitoring and AEB functions rarely overstepped, allowing me to focus on the road ahead.

Tyre roar was absent throughout highway stints, although I did notice quite a bit of wind noise in the cabin, perhaps owing to the tinny-feeling exterior panels.

G25 versions of the Mazda 3 have more than enough power to reach highway speeds and complete overtaking manoeuvres, especially when you take advantage of the paddle shifters.

When left to its own devices the transmission can take a while to kick down when you plant the throttle, but once on song the 2.5-litre is meaty. Flick the switch for sports mode and the transmission will hold gears for a little longer.

The combination of a willing engine and involving driving dynamics guarantee this little hatch also feels right at home on a country road. The Mazda 3 offers a lot more feedback and driving engagement than other cars in the segment, even if that comes at the cost of comfort and efficiency on occasion.

To see how the Mazda 3 lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

What do you get?

All grades get additional features for the new model year.

To see how the Mazda 3 lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

Is the Mazda 3 safe?

The Mazda 3 wears a 2019-stamped five-star ANCAP safety rating based on Euro NCAP testing.

Standard safety features include:

• Autonomous emergency braking (forward, reverse)
• Lane departure warning
• Lane-keep assist
• Blind-spot monitoring
• Rear cross-traffic alert
• Traffic sign recognition
• Adaptive cruise control with stop/go
• Reversing camera
• Rear parking sensors
• Tyre pressure monitoring
• Dual front, front-side and curtain airbags
• Driver’s knee airbag
• SOS emergency call

Vision Package* adds:

• Surround-view camera
• Cruising & Traffic Support
• Driver monitoring
• Front cross-traffic alert
• Front parking sensors

* $2000 on G20 Pure, G20 Evolve

To see how the Mazda 3 lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

How much does the Mazda 3 cost to run?

The Mazda 3 is more expensive to service than most rivals – the Corolla Hybrid and Skoda Fabia are both cheaper to maintain over the first five years, while the i30 costs an average of $435 over the first 10 scheduled services.

To see how the Mazda 3 lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

CarExpert’s Take on the Mazda 3

The Mazda 3 G25 Evolve SP has benefited from gaining the latest tech and safety features, but a few familiar pitfalls hold it back from small car greatness.

Neither connected services nor the standard Vision Package address the relatively poor packaging of the Mazda 3, and it remains a thirsty beast with high running costs.

That said, the Mazda 3 still sets the standard for driving dynamics and cabin presentation and ergonomics, but are those the most important criteria for affordable small car buyers? I’d argue not, in the majority of cases.

On the other hand, practicality and efficiency are paramount for most, and the stylish Evolve SP trails the pack on that front.

However, there’s still plenty to be said for the Mazda 3 from the perspective of a single city-slicker who commutes to and from the office with a briefcase each day. With such a person in mind, I’d recommend our tester as the pick of the range, closely followed by the smaller-engined G20 Evolve.

For a more versatile hatch, look to the newer i30, or even the smaller but more sophisticated Skoda Fabia.

Interested in buying a Mazda 3? Get in touch with one of CarExpert’s trusted dealers here

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