A timeless classic gets better
Many years ago, on a product launch for an all-new Mazda vehicle, the long presentation included almost half an hour of someone explaining the paint.
My eyes were eventually as glazed-over as the car’s finish, but there’s no question that Mazda knows paint.
Not only has the automaker improved its product presentations since then, but it also sprays its vehicles with the best red in the industry, and has one of the nicest shades of blue.
And then on my Mazda3 Sport tester there’s Zircon Sand Metallic, the exclusive shade on the new-for-2024 Suna Edition.
The package mates it with black wheels and black exterior accents, and a faux-leather interior of black with terracotta trim.
That sandy paint may not seem stop-the-press exciting in photos, but it’s a real looker in person when the sun hits it. I had people comment on it, including a stranger who noticed it in a parking lot, saw me several days later in the same lot but in a different car, and said, “You had that Mazda with the cool colour…” Granted, he was a car guy and an observant one at that, but that’s still pretty impressive for a shade of paint.
So that’s the skin, and let’s get into the meat of this model. The Mazda3 is one of only two car models Mazda offers, along with the MX-5 Miata droptop, after the larger Mazda6 was discontinued at the end of 2021. It’s available as a fourdoor sedan or as a hatchback, where the “Sport” in my tester’s name indicates there’s a liftgate instead of a trunk.
For 2023, the entry-level GX trim came with a 2.0L engine that made 155 horsepower, but for 2024, it moves up to the 2.5L four-cylinder that’s also used in the GS and GT trims, making 191 horsepower and 186 lb-ft of torque. All three of those trims pair the engine with a six-speed automatic transmission, but the GT can be optioned with a six-speed manual as well. Front-wheel drive (FWD) is the default in all three trims, but the GS and GT can be upgraded to all-wheel drive (AWD).
The GT can also be ordered as the GT Turbo. That gets you a 2.5L turbocharged engine that makes 227 horsepower and 310 lb-ft of torque — which rises to 250 horsepower and 320 lb-ft if you pump 93-octane gasoline into its flank. It comes only with the six-speed automatic and with AWD.
The Suna Edition is an appearance package on top of it. For 2024, the GT Turbo also adds a standard wireless charger, Type-c USB ports, wireless Apple Carplay and Android Auto, and should you venture off the pavement, its navigation system adds the ability to guide you off-road.
The 2024 Mazda3 Sport starts at $24,950 for the GX, which is the MSRP before a delivery charge of $1,255, and then fees and taxes.
At the upper end, the GT with the naturally-aspirated engine is $35,750, while the GT Turbo is $38,150.
Moving up to the Suna Edition is $38,900. Although the Suna only comes with the Zircon Sand and Terracotta colours, and with standard 18-inch rims, you can opt for other extra-charge wheel designs, or accessories such as roof racks, seat protectors, or an aero kit with front air dam, rear spoiler, and side sill extensions.
The Mazda3 Sport has some excellent rivals in this compact-car segment — one that’s still being stocked, despite the seismic consumer shift to crossovers and SUVS — but it’s a standout.
Think of it as a bridge between mainstream models like the Toyota Corolla or Honda Civic Hatchback, or the Kia Forte5; and harder-core sports models such as the Civic Type R, GR Corolla, or Volkswagen Golf R.
The Mazda is great fun to drive, but it’s not so hot-hatch that it can seem like a handful when you just want to get in and go somewhere.
The engine is strong and quick, with linear acceleration and no hint of turbo lag. The transmission is a near-perfect fit to it, quick and smooth to shift, and while the turbo version doesn’t offer the manual transmission, you can use the wheel-mounted paddle shifters to sequentially move through the gears if you like.
The car is tight and wellbalanced, and the steering is lively and responsive; you’ll definitely look forward to curvy roads.
The AWD system primarily drives the front wheels but sends power to the rear as needed, including during acceleration for better performance, although there’s always a bit of torque powering the rear wheels to smooth everything out.
Mazda also uses what it calls G-vectoring Control, or GVC, which momentarily reduces engine torque when the wheels are steered — which, in turn, shifts the car’s weight ever-so-slightly forward. It’s so subtle that you don’t feel it, but it improves handling and is more comfortable for passengers since it reduces side-toside motion on the curve.
The Mazda3 Sport Suna Edition, with its turbocharged engine and AWD, is officially rated by Natural Resources Canada (NRCAN) at 10.1 L/100 km in the city, 7.5 on the highway, and 8.9 in combined driving.
In my week with it, I averaged 9.2 L/100 km. As mentioned, it will take regulargrade fuel, or it can be topped up with the highest-priced gasoline to return the highest horsepower. The Mazda3 Sport is thirstier than most of its rivals in the segment, but not by a great deal — its hatchback competitors range from 6.8 to 8.8 L/100 km in combined driving, although that’s also including models that, unlike the GT Turbo Suna Edition, are non-turbo and front-wheel drive, making them inherently more efficient.
The Mazda3 Sport is about mid-pack with its rivals for headroom and front-seat legroom. The rear seat is tighter than most, and only the Toyota Corolla Hatchback has less legroom. The Mazda’s 569 litres of cargo volume trail its competitors, but the 60-40 split-folding rear seats fall down almost flat for carrying longer items.
In addition to how good the Suna Edition’s two-tone seats look, they’re also supportive and comfortable on longer drives.
The dash is an interesting and handsome design, with the 10.25-inch infotainment screen nestled tablet-style against a flowing upper dash panel. It’s personal preference, but I don’t like the suede-style fabric on the dash.
Pricier sports vehicles are often copiously outfitted with Alcantara faux-suede and I’m guessing that’s the atmosphere Mazda is going for; but I’m wondering how long it will stay looking fresh and suedelike in an everyday commuter car.
That infotainment tablet isn’t a touchscreen, and it’s one of the few places where the Mazda3 and I part ways a little. You use a joystick controller on the console to page through the menus and tap for the functions, and while they’re mostly straightforward, some can require a few steps.
There are a few rivals in the Mazda3’s configuration of compact four-door hatchback. The 3’s traditional competitors are the Toyota Corolla, starting at $24,090 to $30,480, depending on trim; and the Honda Civic, at $34,130 to $37,630, both in FWD only and with less horsepower and torque than the Mazda.
Other competitors include the Kia Forte5, a satisfying driver with two available engines and starting prices of $23,945 to $32,545; the Volkswagen Golf GTI, with sharp handling performance similar to the Mazda3 and at $34,795 to $40,995; and Subaru’s Impreza, with standard AWD and running $26,795 to $34,795.
The 2024 Mazda3 Sport comes with a couple of minor grievances, but overall, it’s a decent little machine that can handle both the daily grind of commuting, and some fun when the road opens up.
The non-turbo GT offers the greatest number of choices — front-wheel, all-wheel, automatic or manual — but if the budget allows, the GT Turbo is a decent step up.
And if you go all the way to the Suna Edition, be prepared for strangers to take notice.