2022 Mazda 2 vs Mazda 3

What's the difference?

It might be racking up the birthdays, but the Mazda2, specifically in this Pure SP form, has what it takes to justify an entry on compact urban car shopping lists. It still looks good, performs well dynamically, and offers decent value. But it’s no longer top of the class, giving ground in terms of expected tech to low-$20K bracket competitors like the Kia Rio, Toyota Yaris Ascent Sport, and VW Polo Life.

Interesting that Mazda says it’s committed to developing a new-generation Mazda2 (and CX-3 sibling), although timing is unclear. So, stand-by for this evergreen campaigner to be around for a while yet.  

The Mazda3 G25 SP is one of the best-looking small sedans on the market, with a lovely cabin ambiance, a driver-oriented road feel, and a stellar safety suite.

It falls a little short on value compared to top-spec competitors at a similar price point. And the engine and transmission leave this great-looker in danger of feeling a bit out-of-date with no turbocharging or electrification.

But if you’re looking for a small SUV or a hatch, and you’re having trouble finding stock, don’t look past this sedan, which offers a big boot and back seat, as well as a drive experience superior to most.

The current, third-generation Mazda 2 has been with us since late 2014, with updates in 2017 (more spec and new models), and 2019 (revised grille and headlights, extra tech).

It’s a tribute to the quality of the original design that the car still stands up well against much newer competitors. Neatly balanced compact hatch lines with a flash of chrome around the grille and either side of the front spoiler, as well as below the rear bumper.

The Pure SP grade arrived in late 2021 and stands apart thanks to body-coloured door handles, black 16-inch alloys, plus a black grille and exterior mirror shells.

Blacking out the wheels can be a hit-and-miss affair, and I’m not sure it works here, especially in combination with the test car’s ‘Platinum Quartz metallic’ paint. Beautiful colour, but to my eye, not a great match with the black rims.

Inside, the treatment is simple but with enough visual interest to generate appeal. The curved, hooded instrument binnacle, with a big analogue (only) speedo in the centre still looks pretty racy. 

A faux-carbon trim panel on the dash, as well as technical-looking fabrics on the door cards and seat inserts add some zing, as do red trim rings on the air vents and brushed metal-look highlights here and there.

Leather on the steering wheel, gearshift and hand brake lever look and feel great, but the multimedia screen is comically small by today’s standards, and looks like an afterthought perched on top of the upper dash. 

Absolutely. Mazda's swoopy design style has been gently refined for this generation of the 3, to make a car which looks more expensive than it is.

Echoing cars sculpted by the Italian coachbuilding masters of old, this 3 sedan is rare, in that it appears to have been shaped as carefully as its hatch equivalent.

Few examples of non-premium mid-size sedans which look this great still exist. Kia’s overtly sporty Cerato sedan gives the 3 a run for its money, but I think both look infinitely better than the dreary Corolla sedan, safe-to-a-fault Impreza, and polarisingly rhomboidal i30 sedan.

Keep in mind, too, cars like this are counting their days in the Australian market, with Mitsubishi’s successful Lancer and Honda’s Civic sedan already driven into the annals of Australian automotive history.

Why do I like it so much? The wide, swoopy bonnet, delicate light fittings, well-sculpted grille, ideally proportioned and squared-off boot lid, as well as a distinct lack of naff black plastics make for one classy looking compact sedan.

I do worry about the longevity of this car’s expansive, uninterrupted panels. Even a single pockmark dent or light scratch will stand out on the doors or bonnet, potentially ruining the overall look.

Also not a fan of the black wheels, specific to the SP grade. They’re fine in isolation, but I think this design looks better when matched with silver.

Inside will seal the deal for anyone wanting a car that punches above its price point. The 3’s interior is one of, if not the best in this class, in terms of ambiance.

The leather-bound wheel, raised centre console, semi-digital dash, and gentle application of chrome look and feel lovely.

This design feels like it was destined to be matched with the leather seats from higher grades. But the hard-wearing weave covering the seats in this G25 Evolve SP is still attractive.

The multimedia screen, nestled distantly on the dash top, looks great. It’s sharp, has great colour, and utilises Apple CarPlay's widescreen abilities.

However, as it’s not a touch unit, it’s not always the easiest system to control, as we’ll discuss in the practicality section of this review.

At just over four metres long, a fraction under 1.7m wide, and close to 1.5m tall, the Mazda2 hatch is small but not tiny. Space up front is fine for two full-size adults, and rear room is surprisingly generous.

At 183cm tall, I enjoyed good head and legroom in the back seat, but if you need to accommodate three grown-ups in there, make sure they’re good friends, flexible, and on-board for a short trip only. Up to mid-teenage kids will be fine three-across.

Storage runs to two large cupholders in the front centre console, with a small box behind them, and an oddments tray in front of the gearshift. There’s also a decent glove box, and bins in the doors with enough room for full-size bottles. 

Different story in the back, with no door pockets, no fold-down centre armrest, no cupholders, or adjustable ventilation outlets. Although, you could slip something small in the storage box at the rear of the front centre console, and there are elasticised map pockets on the back of both front seats.

In terms of connectivity and power, there are two USB-A ports in the front (one for Apple CarPlay / Android Auto connectivity and another for power only), an SD card slot, an ‘aux’ input, and a 12-volt outlet.

Boot capacity is 250 litres (VDA) with the 60/40 split-fold rear seats up, which is modest for the class. And it showed as we started to load in the three-piece CarsGuide luggage set.

After some mixing and matching the best possible combination proved to be the largest case (124 litres) paired with the smallest (36 litres), the 95-litre mid-sizer sitting forlornly off to one side.

Then our bulky pram loomed into view. After some pushing and shoving, while resisting the temptation to apply some axle grease to smooth the process, it fitted in the boot space. But, even with the hard cargo cover removed, the tailgate wouldn’t shut. So that’s a miss for parents of young kids.

Fold the rear seat down and the space grows to 852 litres, but it’s worth reiterating there are no tie-down anchors for straps or a luggage net, although there is a light built-in.

The spare is a steel space saver, and if you want to hook up a small trailer, you’re okay up to 900kg braked, and 500kg unbraked.

Sedans are more practical than most give them credit for, characterised by extra back seat space and boot capacity compared to many small SUVs or hatchbacks, and the Mazda3 is no different.

Starting up front, the driver is treated to a generous space, with good visibility out of the main windows.

Seat trim is cloth, and the addition of power adjust for the driver's seat is a nice touch.

The front of the cabin features soft trims everywhere you’re realistically going to touch, ramming home the brand's increasingly upmarket ambitions.

Bottle holders appear in the doors and centre console in front of the shifter. Behind them there is a small phone-sized tray (perhaps a missed opportunity for a wireless charger).

The centre console box is also large and clad in a nice soft finish to enhance the 3's luxurious feel.

There are a few small issues up front, though, which take away from this car’s overall practicality.

First, the 3 has the typical Mazda trait of the wing mirrors being mounted up on the doors and too close to the driver, giving them a limited angle of view.

Second, the multimedia system is not a touch unit, controlled only via a dial in the centre console.

This is great for the car’s stock software suite, which is clearly designed to be used this way, but navigating Apple CarPlay with a dial is beyond clumsy, especially while you’re trying to concentrate on the road.

It’s nice that there’s a separate volume knob, and easy-to-use climate functions, but I also wish the digital portion of the instrument cluster had a few more functions. It looks good but doesn’t really do much.

Access to the sedan's rear seat is much easier than in the 3 hatch as the doors are larger and the roofline stays consistently higher. This means it’s easy to hop in and out of for an adult.

Sitting behind my 182cm driving position, I had plenty of leg and decent headroom. The plush door cards continue into the rear with a single bottle holder, plus a drop-down armrest includes two bottle holders.

The rear seats feature actual bolstering in their sides, although amenities are only okay, with dual adjustable air vents for rear passengers, but no power outlets.

In fact, power outlets are an issue in the 3, with two USB 2.0 ports and a single 12V socket, but no USB-C jacks.

For the boot, the sedan version of the 3 offers an impressive 444 litres of space (VDA), an enormous increase on the hatch's 295 litres.

This comes with the caveat that the loading space isn’t as versatile, with a traditional 'three-box' design meaning it can be much more difficult to load larger objects.

Regardless, the 3 sedan easily fit our three-piece CarsGuide luggage set with ample space to spare.

This Mazda3 sedan is a new addition to the range for 2022. Dubbed the G25 Evolve SP, it currently wears an MSRP of $32,290.

Not so long ago we would have noted how expensive this version of the Mazda3 is. But in a world of consistent price rises this mid-spec car is looking more acceptable.

Still, rivals at this price include the top-spec non-hybrid Toyota Corolla ZR, top-spec Subaru Impreza 2.0i-S, as well as upper mid-grade versions of the Kia Cerato (Sport +), and Hyundai i30 (Elite).

Worth noting the Corolla comes with (arguably) more gear, the Impreza packs leather seats and all-wheel drive, while the Cerato has a seven-year warranty.

That’s not to say equipment on the Mazda3 G25 Evolve SP is poor. Standard features include, 18-inch alloy wheels, an 8.8-inch multimedia screen with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and built-in navigation, a 7.0-inch semi-digital dash cluster, eight-speaker audio, cloth seat trim with a 10-way adjustable driver’s seat, LED headlights, rain-sensing wipers, push-start ignition with keyless entry, dual-zone climate control, and leather highlights for the steering wheel and shifter.

Strikes me as a odd that this Evolve grade costs more than the G20 Touring ($31,390) while stripping out leather seat trim in favour of the blacked-out wheels and body highlights. It presents an interesting choice. Do you value these missing features more than the larger engine?

Like most Mazdas, the G25 Evolve SP comes with a healthy list of safety equipment which we’ll look at in the relevant part of this review.

Mazda’s official fuel economy number for the combined (ADR 81/02 - urban, extra-urban) cycle is 5.3L/100km, the 1.5-litre four emitting 121g/km of CO2 in the process.

Stop-start is standard, and over a week of city, suburban and freeway running we recorded an (at the bowser) average of 7.1L/100km.

Minimum fuel recommendation is 91 RON standard unleaded (or E10), and you’ll need just 44 litres of it to brim the tank. Using the official consumption figure that translates to a range of 830km. 

The G25 Evolve SP automatic has an official/combined cycle fuel consumption figure of 6.5L/100km, which sounds a little fanciful for a larger capacity four-cylinder.

But I was impressed with the real-world results, which came back as 7.6L/100km after a few hundred kays.

Many turbo engines or stressed 2.0 litres will match or exceed this, and even though I stuck to largely urban use in my week, it still fell below the ‘urban’ claim of 8.5L/100km. I suppose this car is proof that sometimes simple is best.

Too add a little icing, the 2.5-litre engine is capable of consuming entry-level 91RON unleaded. The Mazda3 has a 51-litre fuel tank.

While 82kW from the Pure SP’s 1.5-litre four isn’t a lot of power, just over a tonne isn’t a lot of weight for a five-door hatch, and 144Nm is a reasonable amount of pulling power. So, the Mazda2 Pure SP works well in the urban environment.

With no turbo, maximum torque arrives at a relatively high 4000rpm, and at times you have to rev the car to get the best out of it. But never to an extreme degree, and this version of the Mazda2 remains civilised and stress-free around town.

The only caveat on that is ‘Sport’ mode, selectable via a rocker switch just behind the gearshift. It sharpens throttle response and gets the transmission shifting up later and down earlier. I found the setting too aggressive and largely left it alone.

Suspension is strut front, torsion beam rear (it sits on the same platform as the CX-3 SUV), and ride quality is good for a compact car with a wheelbase just shy of 2.6 metres. Cushy 60-series sidewalls on the 16-inch Dunlop Enasave tyres are no doubt a contributing factor.

It’s not quite in the same league as the recently upgraded VW Polo, but copes well with the pock-marked, patchwork quilts that pass for roads in Australian cities.

If you fancy a quick fang through your favourite set of corners the Pure SP is up to the task, thanks in no small part to its standard ‘G Vectoring’ system.

G Vectoring links the steering and engine control systems, to slightly reduce engine output as you turn into a corner. This subtly pitches the car forward to put some extra load on the front wheels, helping them grip harder and respond more directly.

So, no surprise road feel is good, steering weight is nicely balanced, and the car remains stable and predictable in cornering.

That well-tuned steering, good all-around vision, a compact 9.8m turning circle (Polo is 10.6m), rear parking sensors and a clear reversing camera also make parking a breeze.

Braking is a combination of beefy 258mm ventilated rotors at the front, and much smaller 200mm drums at the rear.

Drum brakes are largely unknown beyond base utes in 2022, but in the urban environment, the PureSP proves there’s nothing wrong with an efficient rear drum set-up on a light-weight car. Braking is progressive and secure.

The Mazda3 is generally a very nice car to drive. Mazda is keen on delivering a specific drive experience, designed to be consistent across its range.

And this car has been refined nicely relative to the previous 3, which handled well, but was a bit noisy and rough in the cabin.

Handling is excellent. The car feels secure with solid and direct steering feel, a firm but controlled ride (with more forgiving dampers than its predecessors), and good off-the-line responsiveness from the 2.5-litre, four-cylinder engine.

The engine pairs well with the six-speed torque converter transmission, ahead of the rubbery CVTs or glitchy dual-clutch autos found in some competitor offerings.

Keen drivers are likely to prefer it, however there's something dated about the experience.

The 2.5-litre engine is sufficiently powerful but feels lacklustre in its mid-range delivery compared to more modern turbocharged or hybrid alternatives. And it’s a bit noisy, to boot.

Road noise has improved from this car’s predecessor, but still isn’t stellar, and one thing which helps define the Mazda driving experience is a firmness which works its way through the whole vehicle.

It’s not just that the ride can be a little hard at times, it’s that you feel every bump through the steering and body of the car.

It’s worth calling out Mazda’s emissions-reducing stop-start system as easily one of the best executions of the tech on the market.

The engine is up and running and ready to go before you have time to think about it. Unlike some contemporary systems from rivals like VW, you never have to consider switching it off out of annoyance.

This leaves the G25 SP as an interesting option in the crowded mid-size hatch and sedan space. One which leans further into the sporty driver-oriented realm than the semi-luxury one seemingly promised by its design.

Safety equipment on Mazdas is generally excellent, and this grade of the 3 sedan is no different.

Standard tech includes auto emergency braking (with pedestrian and cyclist detection), lane keep assist (with lane departure warning), blind spot monitoring (with rear cross-traffic alert), the rare addition of front cross-traffic alert, rear auto emergency braking, driver attention alert, and traffic sign recognition.

It also features a radar-based adaptive cruise control system, although not with full stop-and-go capability as per some rival systems.

The only things missing, available elsewhere in the Mazda range, is full driver monitoring and a 360-degree view parking camera (although a wide-angle reversing camera is standard).

It’s one of the best suites on a car in this class and features extras like vectoring control and an auto hold parking brake on top of the standard array of electronic stability, traction, and brake systems.

The Mazda3 features seven airbags (dual front, front side, side curtains, plus a driver’s knee bag).

The entire range is covered by a maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating to the 2019 standard, where it scored highly across all categories.

The Mazda2 Pure SP is covered by Mazda Australia’s five-year/unlimited km warranty, which is the mainstream market standard now, with roadside assistance included for the duration.

Servicing is scheduled for 12 months/10,000 km intervals, and that distance recommendation is lower than the 15,000km which is more the category norm.

The average annual service price over the first five years is $340, with the cost of brake fluid (required every 40,000km/two years - $72) and a cabin air filter (required every 40,000km - $101) additional.

All Mazdas are covered by a five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty, on par with its primary rivals, which includes roadside assist for the duration.

Mazda includes a ‘base scheduled maintenance’ program with indicative costs for the first five years, with each visit estimated to cost either $322 or $367 on alternating years for an average of $340 a year.

This seems about right to us. Toyotas are cheaper, but Subarus are more expensive.