2021 Honda HR-V vs Mazda CX-3

What's the difference?

The HR-V looks and feels good inside and out, with remarkable cabin packaging, healthy performance, impressive efficiency and effortless drivability. Little wonder sales remain strong after all these years.

However, the VTi-LX is outclassed on a number of fronts, lacking some key driver-assist safety and convenience features, making it over-promise and under-deliver for the considerable amount of money Honda charges.

That said, we rate the HR-V highly, and still recommend one to buyers seeking a quality, reliable and durable small SUV. Just ensure you choose the base VTi or mid-range VTi-S, because above these, age-related cracks show, with the Honda really getting out of its league.

The Mazda CX-3 Maxx Sport FWD is an excellent car for the city, thanks to its small size, ease of driving and safety tech. New additions for the 2021 update, such as Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, will also help drivers keep their eyes on the road and hands off their phones.

The petrol engine is thirsty and in 2021 it’s disappointing that there isn’t a hybrid or EV version of the CX-3.

Other downsides include limited interior space and a small boot.

Is there ever!

Back at the HR-V’s 2015 local launch, Honda brought out the project leader, who namechecked the 1990s Prelude sports car as the design inspiration, pointing to the coupe-like strakes along the side, bulging front wheel arches, plunging roofline and hidden rear door handles.

While obviously a small SUV in proportion offering 170mm of ground clearance and a loftier hip point than the Jazz it’s based upon, the fact that Honda stretched out the supermini’s wheelbase and tracks means the wheel arches are filled, helping the HR-V’s overall stance.

Blending the personal feel of a coupe with the expanse of a mini people mover was the motive inside, as the wide bi-level centre console offers the cosiness of the former while the placement of the fuel tank beneath the front rather than rear seats liberates second-row room and cargo capacity as per the latter.  

It’s also worth remembering that before this HR-V, there was another with similarly post-modern styling cues.

Launched in late 1998 locally, it wore the same badge, but came in an oddball high-riding three (and later five) door wagon body with boxy lines reminiscent of the 1980s Civic “bread-van” hatches. Derived from the Logo supermini not sold locally, it failed to fire, chiefly because Aussies weren’t quite ready for small SUVs at that time.

How things have changed.

The CX-3 is smaller than small, it’s tiny or ‘light’ as it’s officially categorised by the car industry. This could be ideal if you live in the city and need a car that will fit into tight spaces and be easy to pilot around car parks and narrow streets.

I know it seems like an obvious thing to say, but keep in mind that tiny cars tend to have not much space inside – you can read about that in the practicality section below.

For now, let’s look at the dimensions. The CX-3 is 4275mm long, 1765mm wide and 1535mm tall. 

So, we’ve established that the CX-3 is little, but it doesn’t look cheap or flimsy. If anything, the CX-3, as with all Mazdas, looks well-made and has a premium feel to its styling inside and out.

There’s the long bonnet, which stretches down to meet the wide Mazda grille, while in profile the CX-3 looks sporty and coupe-like, particularly the way the window line lifts as though being pushed upwards by the rear wheel arches, which gives it athletic haunches.

The back of the CX-3 ends as abruptly as it starts – compact, cute, and refined.

Refined is the word. The exterior looks classy and so does the interior, even in this Maxx Sport, which sits just above the entry-grade Neo Sport (so it’s still quite low in the CX-3 range).

Really the only way to tell the difference between the Maxx Sport and Neo Sport is the wheels. The Maxx Sport has alloys while the Neo Sport has steel wheels with hub caps. It’s not until you climb to the midpoint of the range; the S Touring, that chrome-looking trims are added to the side sills, but hey, you could put some on yourself if you’re that keen.

The cabin is stylish and simply laid out, with dark and high-quality materials, such as the leather wrapped steering wheel, contributing to a premium look and feel.

This CX-3 is more comfy to sit in than the previous one, and that’s because, as part of the January 2021 update, new seats have been fitted. They look a tad too large for the tiny interior but, as you’ll see in the practicality section, I don’t have a problem with that.

If you want to discover exactly how the HR-V lures so many buyers in, just step inside. Large doors that ease entry/egress, lofty seating and a huge sense of wide-open space for a small SUV make instant and lasting strong impressions.

Sculptured and supple, the front seats are of the premium variety compared to the entry-level version, and thus offer lasting comfort and support, with the driver’s side adding electrical adjustment. But there is no lumbar support, surprisingly, or height adjustability for the passenger.    

Yet there is also an intimacy up front, as you’re sat ensconced alongside the wide console bisecting the cabin. It feels solid, secure and expensive, making the VTi-LX seem even more luxurious inside.

Aiding this is the attractive leather-stitched steering wheel, gloss-black climate control fascia, twin-pane sunroof and lashings of soft-feel vinyl material over the doors and upper-areas of the lower centre console (with handy sliding lid). A pair of USB-A ports, a 12V outlet, a decently sized glovebox and a two-level console storage shelf below the gear lever make up for the small door bins and tiny console storage.

A first-class driving position (helped out by tilt/telescopic steering), adequate all-round vision, beautifully clear instruments (but with no digital speedo) and more than sufficient ventilation are further plus points, while nothing rattled, zizzed or squeaked during our week with the HR-V. There’s obvious and appealing quality going on in there.

That said, the recently updated multimedia system looks cheap and tacked-on, and though there is Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, voice control and fripperies like personalisation wallpaper, having no digital radio is an oversight for a range-topping anything these days.

The lack of an audio volume knob (for an admittedly effective toggle switch) won’t be to everybody’s taste, along with the haptic sensor-operated climate system’s fingertip-slide functionality, which actually does work better than expected though does ultimately prove distracting when you need to focus on the various functions like altering temperature. Whatever happened to big, simple slide controls you can adjust blindfolded?

The back doors open pretty widely and though the roofline slopes down markedly, it’s unobstructed access all the way. The seatbacks recline two positions, and of course – being Jazz based – fold down and flat into the floor cavity where in most other cars a fuel tank resides, allowing for a massive floor-to-ceiling space. In Honda’s advertising there’s always a large pot plant, sat there like some prop from Little Shop of Horrors.

As far as the human cargo is concerned, it’s about as spacious and inviting as these sorts of smaller SUVs and crossovers get, with ample talking leg, head or shoulder room. The long and deep side windows and VTi-LX’s twin glass roof result in a light and airy cabin ambience, forward vision rates highly, there are medium-bottle sized door pockets, a centre armrest, overhead grab handles and twin reading lights fitted.

But, for some, cushion comfort is compromised by its relative shallowness, thus lacking the sumptuousness of their front-seat counterparts. There are no face-level air vents, only a single cupholder where you expect them to be behind the front console. Rear passengers have no USB-A or USB-C ports to plug into. Quite a bit of road and tyre noise filters through. And smaller folk may struggle to reach the pillar-sited handle to get back there in the first place.

Finally, the cavernous cargo area is bolstered by the huge tailgate, low floor, and flat load-through area, with a light and 12V outlet to boot. Too bad the luggage cover is a flimsy cloth item rather than the sturdier shelves fitted to most competing small SUVs. Volume is rated from 437 litres to 1462L (VDA) with the backrests and cushions folded down into the deep floor cavity, making this Honda a clear class leader in the load-lugging stakes.

As mentioned, a space-saver spare resides under the load area.

Overall, then, the HR-V’s interior remains a solid piece of engineering and design.

Oh, it’s small inside. I mean, up front is fine, even for me at 191cm tall and a two-metre wingspan, and the new seats, which are bigger and wider, are so much better than the narrower ones in the previous version.

But think of the CX-3 as a two seater with three seats in the back for a rainy day – literally a rainy day, when it’s pouring so hard that you can’t let your friends walk home. Also, if you’re thinking about buying the CX-3 as an Uber I’m warning you now, I will cancel the trip before you arrive because sitting in the back for me is painful, given the limited rear legroom and my almost unlimited legs.

A test that almost broke both my will to live was a trip to the Royal Easter Show with my wife, our six year old and my parents. No, we didn’t all try to fit into the CX-3, that would have been be silly. Instead, we did something else silly and took two cars, with me picking up my parents in the CX-3. Thing is, Dad had to sit in the front because he’s fallen off too many motorbikes, so Mum sat in the back behind me, but her ancestors were Vikings, so she’s tall, with red hair, and yells a lot.

Anyway, with her sitting behind me her knees were in my back. It wasn’t pleasant, I felt like we were in a clown car and we spent most of the time in traffic at a standstill, complaining.  

So, if you’re going to be using the CX-3 regularly with adults in the back or tall kids, then it’s not going to work out well. Or just don’t go to the Easter Show. Ok, enough over-sharing.

Still there are two cupholders up front and a clever centre-console storage bin, which isn’t completely covered, great door pockets in the front and decent-sized ones in the rear.

There’s no wireless phone charging and one USB port in the dash.

The CX-3’s boot cargo capacity is small for the class, at 264 litres. That’s not big enough to fit the CarsGuide pram or my mother, but the large suitcase we use for testing will go in. If you have kids, and I know from experience, you’ll be asking too much from the CX-3’s boot to fit all of their stuff all of the time. So, if you will be using the boot to carry a lot, then the slightly larger Mazda CX-30 is a better choice.   

I live in the city, or eight kilometres from the CBD, and I can tell you that urban folk have kids and heaps of stuff, too. The CX-3 seems to be designed for people without kids or stuff.

I want to give you some advice – don’t get the top of the range CX-3, get this one – the Maxx Sport. The top grade CX-3 lists for almost $38K and you could get a CX-5 Maxx Sport for that money, with change.

The CX-3 Maxx Sport is good value at $26,890 and comes with a 7.0-inch screen with Apple Car Play and Android Auto (new with the 2021 update), there’s push-button start, a six-speaker stereo, auto headlights, climate control, sat nav and 16-inch alloy wheels. Those last four items are the features that separate it from the entry grade. Those and some great safety tech, which you can read about below.  

Honda’s decades-old 1799cc 1.8-litre single-overhead cam four-cylinder petrol engine does at least feature variable valve timing and lift, which helps plump out the power (105kW at 6500rpm) and torque (172Nm at 4300rpm) outputs across a wide rev band. It’s an gutsy and eager unit.

A CVT sends drive to the front wheels, and since 2018 it has featured fake ‘stepped’ ratios for a more natural torque-converter-style automatic feel and response, especially under harder acceleration. That said, it isn’t hard for the CVT to hold on to a certain rev point to maximise power and efficiency, which can result in a long and dreary engine exhaust drone.

Some markets offer a 1.5-litre four-pot turbo as per the larger Civic and CR-V, as well as a six-speed manual gearbox, but this is our lot in the HR-V.

The same 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine is in all CX-3s and it makes 110kW/195Nm.

It’s a pretty big engine for a tiny car and those output figures are nothing to laugh at. I’ve driven larger SUVs with less grunt.

The transmission is a six-speed auto, which is becoming rarer these days as many car makers switch to CVTs or dual-clutch autos. The benefit of a regular auto like the one in the CX-3 is smother low speed driving. The negatives? Slower gear changes and higher fuel economy.

The Maxx Sport I tested was the front-wheel-drive version. There’s an all-wheel drive, too, but it’s not at all vital in the city.

Over our 725km test drive – that took in everything from inner-city laneways to country freeways – we managed an outstanding 6.1 litres per 100km. That’s an exceptional result given that the trip computer read 8.4L/100km, with two people on board for some of that time and the air-con blasting away.

The official figure, by the way, is 6.9L/100km on the combined cycle, for a carbon dioxide emissions rating of 160 grams per kilometre. Coincidentally – and based on Honda’s number – the average distance per tankful also happens to be 725km. We must have run it close to empty.

The 50-litre tank can hold 91 RON standard unleaded petrol.

You’d think a tiny car’s fuel economy would be really good, but the CX-3 is thirstier than you might expect.

Mazda says that the CX-3’s mileage on a combination of open and urban roads is 6.3L/100km. City-only driving will use more fuel and Mazda says the urban fuel economy is 7.7L/100km, which is close to the 7.9L/100km the trip computer was reporting back to me after a week together.

Let’s start off by saying that the indicator-activated side-view camera is a boon for urban driving. It opens up a field of vision that may save a cyclist’s, pedestrian’s or other road user’s life. Good on you, Honda.

Even though the 1.8-litre single-cam VTEC is getting on, it isn’t slow or unrefined – quite the opposite, in fact. Throttle response is strong, with strident off-the-line acceleration, making the HR-V zippy around town and willing on the open road. 

Coming in at a featherweight 1319kg, the old girl doesn’t hang around, and has flexibility and muscle for easy and effortless overtaking.

Honda makes smooth and sweet-revving engines, and this one’s no exception.

Mashing the go pedal down to the metal will elicit a dull mechanical droning sound, as the CVT selects a pre-determined ratio that is the most efficient, but as there is a decent wad of torque at lower engine speeds, that can be easily avoided. Which makes the paddle shifters fitted to our VTi-LX pointless, as the powertrain is best left to do all the work.

The steering, meanwhile, is pleasingly light and precise, so parking in tight spaces isn’t a chore. The turning circle isn’t great at 10.6 metres, but the HR-V is pretty manoeuvrable nonetheless. The deep windows help boost confidence, as does the snappy throttle response, meaning snatching gaps in traffic feels second nature.

Away from the big city, the Honda continues to be agreeably easy and pleasurable to drive, going exactly where it’s pointed to, with a relaxing flow to the steering through tight corners, as well as a decent level of roadholding grip… as long as there aren’t many bumps along the way.

Keener drivers might wish for a bit more engagement and feedback from the helm, and the ride on the 215/55R17 wheel and tyre package can feel jittery over anything other than smooth roads – both around town and away from it. If you’re bowling along at some speed, mid-corner bumps can result in some rack rattle from the steering column as well. An extra sheen of dynamic polish would be appreciated here.

There’s also a fair degree of tyre and surface noise coming through inside. A quieter and suppler chassis set-up would be appreciated. Our tests have found that the base 16-inch wheel arrangement offers a better compromise.

Finally, while the are very effective in pulling the VTi-LX up swiftly, the Honda’s stability and traction control systems are tuned for safety first and foremost, meaning they cut power and brake often and at times brutally where necessary, which may annoy drivers who like to barrel along on gravel roads. As such, the HR-V really isn’t that well suited to such environments.

Remember, too, it’s front-wheel drive only, with no AWD option.

The CX-3 is easy and fun to drive. This is thanks to an engine that has plenty of grunt, a torque-convertor transmission, which sends that drive well to the front wheels, good body control and dynamics, plus a fairly comfy ride.

Yes, the wing mirrors seems to be overly magnified, and the reversing camera’s picture isn’t great, but these are minor issues when weighed up with the upsides to the driving experience.

The CX-3’s tiny size makes it ideal for fitting into parking spots many cars can’t, piloting through laneways and conquering other urban challenges.

What were you doing in 2015? It’s a pretty long time ago now, especially if you’re a car, but the CX-3 was awarded the maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating that year.

While the rules to get five stars have now become stricter, the CX-3 is still well equipped with advanced safety tech, and most of it has a strong urban focus.

All CX-3s have AEB with pedestrian detection and it works forwards at speeds from 4km/h to 80km/h and in reverse at 2km/h-8km/h, but stepping up to the Maxx Sport adds rear-cross traffic alert and blind-spot warning.

The headlights are halogen, which is not good for dark country roads but fine for well-lit city streets.

Rear parking sensors are standard, but you’ll have to go a grade higher to score the front parking sensors, along with lane-departure warning and traffic-sign recognition.

For child seats there are three top-tether points and two ISOFIX mounts across the second row.

A space saver spare is under the boot floor.

Honda offers an industry-average five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty.

Service intervals are every 12 months or 10,000km, while published basic capped-price servicing is available. Prices start at $299 for the first one, then rise to $315 up to 100,000km. There are also additional servicing costs published on Honda’s website, outlining extras such as fluids, filters, plugs and air cleaners.

The CX-3 is covered by Mazda’s five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty. Servicing is recommended annually or every 10,000km, with the first service capped at $331, then $391, then back to $331, alternating like that all the way through to the fifth.

Every new Mazda is also covered by five years roadside assistance if you ever get a flat battery, run out of fuel, get a flat tyre, lock your keys in the car, or accidentally get married. Ok, maybe not the last one.