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BMW 2 Series vs Mazda 3

What's the difference?

VS
BMW 2 Series
BMW 2 Series

$59,023 - $101,500

2025 price

Mazda 3
Mazda 3

$26,880 - $55,682

2024 price

Summary

2025 BMW 2 Series
2024 Mazda 3
Safety Rating

Engine Type
Turbo 4, 2.0L

Inline 4, 2.5L
Fuel Type
-

Unleaded Petrol
Fuel Efficiency
7.6L/100km (combined)

6.6L/100km (combined)
Seating
5

5
Dislikes
  • Expensive
  • Firm ride on larger wheels
  • No spare wheel

  • Small boot
  • Gloomy rear seat
  • No more manual
2025 BMW 2 Series Summary

Sometimes a name change can make all the difference.

Google used to be called “Back Rub”. The Spice Girls started off as “Touch”. And – particularly in Germany – some premium sedans became known as “coupes”, as they struggled to stay popular against SUVs.

Case in point: what is essentially a 1 Series hatchback with a boot has been more glamorously badged the “2 Series Gran Coupe” since 2020.

Still following the sedan script with four doors, it’s BMW’s tilt at Mercedes’ booted A-Class hatch, the rakish CLA, unveiled early last decade as the Concept Style Coupe and now in its third series-production iteration – though since 2019 a more conservatively styled A-Class Sedan has also existed, that goes up against Audi’s A3 Sedan.

But we digress. Now there’s a “new” 2 Gran Coupe, coded F74, though it’s really a heavy facelift of the superseded F44. Oh, and the ‘i’ no longer exists in the badge, so (M-enhanced models aside) it’s just numbers from here on in. 218. 220. M235.

Regardless of names, does it live up to the BMW promise?

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Interested in a BMW 2 Series?
2024 Mazda 3 Summary

Half a decade on, the current-generation Mazda 3 has weathered a world of change.

Cheap cars have vanished. Electric vehicles are commonplace and the small car class it belongs to has been decimated by SUVs. Big names like the Ford Focus, Holden Astra and Mitsubishi Lancer are history.

But while it looks identical to the car unveiled at the 2018 LA Auto Show, today’s Mazda 3 has also evolved, albeit gently.

Let’s see how competitive the latest and improved (as well as more expensive) version is.

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Deep dive comparison

2025 BMW 2 Series 2024 Mazda 3

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