BLIND-SPOT DETECTION A WELCOME FEATURE
Calgarian loves this compact’s sportiness, but the rear cargo area was a deal-breaker
Mazda has tweaked its CX-3 after four years in the marketplace. For the 2019 model, the automaker changed the front grille design, added refined interior materials, increased soundproofing and added a couple of extra ponies to the Skyactiv- G 2.0-litre engine.
And it’s an exciting car to drive, says Reader Reviewer Gillian Macartney. In fact, she’d have liked one for herself, but for one drawback. Let’s call it the stroller incident.
“I would have bought one in a heartbeat,” Macartney says, then pauses and adds, “but I have a baby granddaughter in my life now. I tried to fit a carseat stroller in the back and no way was it going in there. It was disappointing that it was limited in that way, because otherwise I really, really liked the car.”
Introduced late in 2014 as a 2016 model year vehicle, the CX-3 is a compact SUV that uses the company’s 2.0-L SkyactivG (gasoline) engine that now makes 148 horsepower, up from 146, while still producing the same 146 pound-feet of torque.
Depending on trim and options, the engine is paired with either a six-speed manual or a six-speed automatic transmission, and the CX-3 can be had with either front-wheel or all-wheel drive. Mazda offers the CX-3 in base GX, middle-of-theroad GS and well-trimmed GT (all-wheel drive only) models.
Across the CX-3 range, an electronic parking brake has been added to the specifications. This device, Mazda says, created extra space in the cabin for a larger centre console and increased storage.
Macartney’s CX-3 was the AWD GT that cost close to $33,000, including the optional Ceramic Metallic paint.
“I thought the car looked sporty and slightly rugged with the trim around the wheel wells and lower body and the twin tail pipes,” Macartney says.
Macartney’s first-ever vehicle was a 1988 Mazda 323. She loved that car, but currently drives a Hyundai Tucson. She had some familiarity with the CX-3 model, as a friend bought one four years ago “hot off the assembly line,” and Macartney has spent time in the car as a passenger.
As a driver of the revised CX-3, Macartney says she can see the attraction.
“When I first got in, everything seemed very well laid out and with a quick glimpse at the dash I could figure out where most controls were,” she says. “I adjusted the power driver’s seat and mirrors and was on my way.
“Initially, I thought the seat was really comfortable, but even with power lumbar support, I soon found I had to shift myself around in the seat a little bit.”
In the GT, all seating surfaces are leather, and Macartney’s was trimmed in all black. It also comes in what Mazda calls “pure white leather.”
“What surprised me were the faux-suede insert panels above the glovebox door and the doors themselves,” Macartney says. “I just thought it was a different material in an unusual spot.”
Macartney found the 2.0-L engine was peppy and it efficiently pulled the all-wheel-drive CX-3 up to highway speed, with lots of power left over for passing. The six-speed automatic transmission shifted gears smoothly and seamlessly, functioning in the background as it should.
Macartney spent time on the highway and on roads around Calgary, where the suspension provided a firm but not uncomfortable ride. With the all-wheel drive and Mazda’s G-Vectoring Control, which works to provide a smoother ride by optimizing vehicle weight transfer, she reports the handling was sharp and the vehicle steered very well.
“The car was easy to park, thanks to the backup camera, which I came to really enjoy,” Macartney says. “My biggest problem parking the car was the length of the hood, as I had trouble determining where the lower front fascia was, and I lived in fear of catching it on a cement parking block. The rear cross-traffic alert technology was extremely helpful, even though there were no real blind spots from the driver’s seat.”
Those were only a couple of systems that are part of Mazda’s i-Activsense suite of technologies, which also includes the Traffic Sign Recognition System. This uses external cameras to ‘read’ road signs and display them on the Active Driving Display screen in front of the driver.
Besides not being able to fit the car-seat stroller, Macartney also had a beef with the fact the CX-3 did not have a remote rear hatch release, either in the cabin or on the key fob. Although Macartney figures the Mazda wouldn’t suit a family with young children, she thinks it would appeal to others.
“I think this CX-3 would be a great everyday, everywhere vehicle for an active couple or a single person.”