2020 Mazda 3 vs Volkswagen Golf

What's the difference?

The SkyActiv-X pushes the Mazda3 to new heights of refinement and reinforces the fact it’s still one of the best cars behind the wheel amongst its peers.

Mazda has made it subtle to a fault, so people will just have to believe you when you tell them this expensive little car pushes the bounds of how a non-turbo 2.0-litre engine can feel.

It’s great to see this new tech really does what it says it will do though, so we’re keen to see where Mazda can take it from here.

So it seems the more the world has changed, the more the Mk7/7.5 Golf R has stayed pretty much the same for its six years on sale to date. And it simply doesn’t matter. 

Anyone who bought one in 2014 is understandably probably looking forward to the next one by now, and the Mk8 Golf R will make an appearance in the not too distant future. 

But right now, the last of the current Golf Rs is still a very special thing, and if you want one of the rarest ones built, now’s your chance.

Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with travel and meals provided.

There’s nothing interesting about the SkyActiv X’s design at all. In fact, from the outside, the only way you’d be able to tell this car apart from a regular Astina is the SkyActiv X badge on the back. There are no funky eco-look wheels, coloured pinstripes, or sticker-work as some other brands choose to go with.

I hope you weren’t trying to impress your neighbors with your damn-fangled engine tech then, because they’ll be none the wiser. Then again, they probably wouldn’t be able to tell a Hybrid Corolla apart from a regular one, so maybe subtlety is key here.

Inside is the same deal. There are no badges, alternate trims, or coloured highlights to let you know you’re in something a bit different.

The most significant change on the inside is buried two menus deep in the multimedia system. It’s a new energy monitoring screen to add to the fuel monitoring suite which shows you how power is being used in the car, and importantly, whether or not the engine is using the special combustion technology. There are some conditions on it which we’ll explain later.

So, it’s not special to look at, but does it need to be? Most people would say no. We all know the Mazda3 is a great looking car (arguably one of the best in this segment) whether you choose the sedan or hatch, so at least you won’t have to make a drastic style choice either way.

The thinking behind the Final Edition’s special paint options is nothing new to VW, and represents the latest in a line of ‘Colour Concept’ models that include the now-cherished multicolour Harlequins that were available in other markets and a handful of specifically coloured Mk3 VR6s that made their way to Australia in the ‘90s.

The Golf R Final Edition’s Colour Concept colours aren’t just plucked from the European options list either. Despite the Viper Green appearing previously on the Scirocco R, each green, blue and purple Final Edition is removed from the regular production line before painting. It’s then taken to a specific paint shop to be hand painted (no robots here) before returning to the production line for final assembly.

Aside from these colours, the typical Golf R hallmarks of specific (but not annoyingly low-hanging) front and rear bumpers remain, with the key visual cue remaining those quad oval exhausts.  

My appreciation for the Final Edition’s Pretoria wheels is two-fold. They’re both lighter than the regular-issue Spielberg design, but also visually fit the R’s performance-focused character better with their pragmatically straight spokes and lack of diamond-finish glitz. I’d be working out a way to have mine in silver though. 

The Final Edition’s Nappa-appointed seats also continue with the carbon-pattern bolsters of other leather-equipped Golf Rs, which I’ve never been a fan of given real carbon isn’t a pliable material, but it’s certainly distinctive.

Again, no major changes to report here. The Mazda3 remains the same as before inside and out when it comes to dimensions. This means healthy space for front occupants, complete with lovely soft leather-clad trims on the doorcards and centre console for your elbows.

There are two smallish cupholders somewhat clumsily placed in front of the shift lever, a small binnacle in front of that, a large centre console box, and useful bins in the doors.

The pared back design makes for ergonomic button controls. Mazda’s dial-controlled media system takes a bit of getting used to, especially when using CarPlay or Android Auto, but some prefer it. Rear visibility is less compromised in the sedan as tested compared to the closed-in space which features on the hatch.

Back seat occupants get average legroom for the class, although they will benefit from the same relatively lavish soft leather-trimmed surfaces.

Boot space continues to be an issue for the hatchback with 295L, while opting for the sedan as tested here will well and truly solve the issue as it offers 444L.

Nothing new here, with the same five-door livability we’ve seen from every MK7 Golf R.

There’s cupholders front and rear, bottle holders in each door, an armrest on the back seat and ample room for four average-height adults at once.

There’s ISOFIX shield seat mounts in the two outboard positions, and top tethers for all three rear seats. 

The 343-litre boot is still 37 litres smaller than a regular Golf due to the R’s rear differential eating into the space, but it’s still a decent size for its class and expands to 1233 litres via the 60/40 split-fold. Also eating into that space is the space-saver spare under the boot floor. Many of the R’s rivals have moved to a more compact inflation system, but you’d be grateful for the spare if you ever need it.

Compared to the regular Golf R that continues to be available - including the uber-cool wagon that sadly hasn’t made the cut as a Final Edition - the Final Edition hatch adds $2500 for a list price of $57,990. 

The three special colours of Victory Blue, Viper Green and Violet Touch Pearlescent purple will cost you a further $300, but the other Final Edition goodies are black mirror caps, Dynaudio premium sound system, lashings of Nappa leather trim (upgrading from the regular Vienna), Final Edition badging and the black Pretoria 19-inch alloys we’ve seen on other Golf R special editions and in my opinion are the best MK7-era Golf R wheel they made.

If none of the special colours tickle your fancy, you can still opt for Pure White, Lapiz Blue or Deep Black Pearl with your Final Edition, but if you’re after Tornado Red or Indium Grey, you’ll have to stick to the regular Golf R.

Other standard Golf R features beyond its hot mechanical package and subtle design tweaks include a 9.2-inch multimedia screen with gesture and voice controls on top of Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity, heated front seats with electric driver’s adjustment and memory settings, tinted windows, active LED headlights, active cruise control and front and rear parking sensors. You can also add a panoramic glass sunroof for an extra $1900. 

If anyone you share financial responsibility with suggests that nearly $60k is a lot for a small hatchback, you might want to remind them that Mercedes is asking nearly $100k for an A45 S, and it’s far from double the car.

Here’s where it gets interesting. The SkyActiv-X X20 drivetrain is a 2.0-litre four-cylinder non-turbo petrol engine.

The trick? It blends the principles of spark plug ignition with that of diesel combustion ignition. Now to be clear, sparkless ignition would be the holy grail here, and that’s not quite what this engine does.

Mazda calls the tech spark-controlled compression ignition. It works by blending a lean mix of predominantly oxygen on the intake stroke in with a second injection of much richer fuel when the cylinder reaches close to its maximum compression. The spark plug then fires, and Mazda says this fuel mixture will then more fully combust thanks to the extra compression present.

According to Mazda at least, this means less wastage, more power, and cleaner emissions which are free of unburnt or partially burnt fuel.

Previous information had this engine feature a supercharger, and the brand's representatives confirm that some form of supercharging is present, however it is mainly "used as an air pump" for "ensuring an adequate supply of air is created" so that this new combustion cycle can take place.

Power has been boosted to 132kW/224Nm from the normal 2.0-litre’s 114kW/200Nm. Importantly, the peak torque figure arrives 1000rpm lower at just 2000rpm, getting close to the responsiveness of a turbo unit.

The SkyActiv-X is front-wheel drive only via an updated version of the brand’s six-speed torque converter automatic which is promised to be even more refined than its predecessor.

The new engine is also paired with a 24-volt mild-hybrid system which does not drive the wheels directly but assists the engine and auxiliary systems in the car.

There’s also no mechanical differences for the Final Edition, but this is hardly a bad thing.

The 213kW and 380Nm from the familiar turbocharged 2.0-litre, combined with the seven-speed DQ381 wet-clutch dual clutch (DSG) auto that came with the 7.5 update still carry a 4.8 second 0-100km/h claim, which is still mighty fast for this end of the price spectrum. Maximum torque available all the way from 1850-5300rpm, which bodes well for everyday easy urge from just 2.0 litres. 

Now more than a couple of years into production, this wet-clutch DSG seems to be faring much better than the often trouble-plagued dual-clutchers of yore, and VW is committed to keeping these issues in the past. 

No, there’s no manual option anymore, but anyone that doesn’t understand how fundamental the DSG is to the Golf R character just doesn’t get it.

All this new technology claims to cut 1.1-litres per 100km from the combined cycle fuel figure of an equivalent 2.5-litre Mazda3, down to a total of 5.5L/100km for the automatic (as tested).

Real world figures tell an interesting story. While my recent test of the 2.5-litre car produced a blow-out of 8.4L/100km, three days of driving the SkyActiv-X around in mixed conditions had it produce a much lower figure of 6.4L/100km.

So not only was the new engine more responsive, it was much closer to its claimed number on fuel, too. Emissions (often the real reason for advances in engine tech these days… ) have also dropped markedly from 152g/km of CO2 to 135g/km.

Interestingly, the SkyActiv-X engine requires 95 RON mid-grade unleaded petrol in Australia, contrary to previous information which suggested not only would the technology run on base 91, but it would actually run better.

Mazda says the 95 requirement is due to the high sulfur content of our entry-level fuel (a comment frustratingly echoed by other manufacturers), and it’s more a durability issue than one of octane. The brand’s representatives assured us 95 RON does not significantly affect the combustion ignition process.

As with all Mazda3s the SkyActiv-X has a 51 litre fuel tank.

The Golf R’s 7.2L/100km official combined fuel consumption figure is mighty impressive for a car boasting a 4.8 second 0-100km/h claim. 

It does need the exxy 98 RON Premium unleaded to do its best though, but can manage with cheaper 95 RON Premium. 

Among my many Golf R experiences, I managed to record an even more impressive 6.9L/100km highway figure during the month my family spent aboard the previous Grid Edition wagon, which aside from being 70kg heavier than the hatch, was also fully laden with kids and luggage at the time. 

During this test of the Final Edition, I aimed for the opposite end of that spectrum by recording pump figures after a morning of flat chat track driving around Luddenham Raceway. 

The result? Try 17.1L/100km including to and from the nearest servos, which is pretty amazing considering I get about 16L/100km from my standard 1.6-litre MX-5 under similar circumstances, but with miles less performance than the Golf R. 

So with its 55-litre fuel tank, you can expect a range between 310-797km, depending on whether you’re cruising along the highway or using all 213kW on the track.

I wasn’t sure what to expect. How does a different injection method feel?

After three days behind the wheel I can confidently say most people won’t really be able to tell the difference, but that’s not to say there isn’t one.

Quite the opposite in fact. This new engine’s bump in power and more readily available peak torque are notable.

I spent most of my drive time with the energy monitor screen set, so I could try to understand how this new engine reacted to my inputs. The combustion ignition (SPCCI) mode is working most of the time. It doesn’t run at idle, and Mazda says it won’t run at ‘high loads’, but it seems to always be on past about 1200rpm in normal driving.

Once it reaches that point, the revs surge up quickly, almost like a turbocharged engine. It’s not quite as full-on with its surge of power, but it is very noticeable.

It gives this car a kind of comfortable pulling power kick which is at least on-par, but probably better, than the equivalent 2.5-litre engine (without being able to test them side-by-side), despite its higher power figures.

I wish I could tell you there was some big ‘wow factor’ moment here. Like it sounds really great once it’s on song, or it has a snapping-on feeling like Honda’s once-lauded VTEC. But it doesn’t. This engine has a unique tone, sure, but it’s quiet and subtle, and the delivery of power is quite linear.

In fact, the whole drive is notably smooth and refined. A cut above the rest of the Mazda3 range. The engine sounds distant, even when pushed, and the transmission has been smoothed out further between gears and re-calibrated to better deal with the new powerplant’s readily available bump in power.

As always, Mazda’s 'i-Stop' stop/start technology is one of the best on the market, to the point where you won’t even notice it’s there. The efficiency of this system has apparently been given a boost by the new 24V hybrid system, but again, there’s little tangible difference in terms of how it feels.

The energy monitor really made me wish this car was just a traditional hybrid. I don’t doubt whatever comes next will be. it would be a truly fantastic step forward to blend the benefits of this engine with a true hybrid drive for even lower consumption.

The drive experience imparts a sense the SkyActiv-X simply does what it claims to do. It’s a shame there’s nothing particularly exciting for driving enthusiasts (apart from how cool the tech is), but it really lives Mazda’s current ethos of constantly tweaking and improving what it has to work with, without any radical changes to what consumers expect behind the wheel.

Of all the Golf R’s many bow strings, the way it drives is clearly the most important. Like most of these attributes, it’s also changed very little in the past six years. 

It’s always a nimble little jigger with a light, yet connected feel in the nose and heaps of urge available under your right foot. 

The chassis is still a smidge tighter than a GTI, but a fair chunk faster, and just on the right side of comfortable enough to live with for car-apathetic family members. 

There’s always a nice rumble from those four exhausts and sounds more like a WRX than the current Subaru, but not enough to annoy those same family members or wake the neighbours. 

I’ve personally spent thousands of kilometres aboard all variations on road, track and ice, with the wagon loaded to the hilt, and child seats locked and loaded, and it’s hard to think of another car with such breadth of ability and appeal. 

The ride comfort and grip from the seats is indeed better with cloth and Alcantara trim, which was standard on the few Mk7 cars not optioned with leather or the limited Mk7.5 Grid Edition to my knowledge. But it’s still a nice place to be with whichever grade of leather you wind up with. 

The Final Edition’s media launch included the aforementioned morning at the still very fresh Luddenham Raceway, which is a tight, technical and short 1.4km track with lots of elevation and camber changes and grass runoff into oblivion to keep you on your toes. 

Just the place for something small with great point to point acceleration and extremely safe chassis balance then. Sounds a lot like the Golf R to me. 

With the drive mode switched over to Race to sharpen up the steering, dampers, transmission and throttle to make the most of the experience, the Golf R feels more like it’s crouching ready to pounce. 

Even in Race mode, the steering is still relatively light, and the crispness of all other controls helps to overcome the numbness of wearing a race helmet.

Chassis balance is generally good, and gives way to subtle understeer once the limits are reached. It’s therefore a relatively safe way to go fast and makes inducing oversteer that much more satisfying given the effort required to induce it on throttle liftoff.

We fiddled with the tyre pressure balance from front to rear to add a bit more front end grip, so don’t feel you need to run out and splurge on semi slicks to alter your R’s track performance straight away. 

The stability control can be switched off altogether if you’re wanting to really push things, but I didn’t actually think to given it was my first time at Luddenham and the runoff can be on the precarious side.

Like most road-focused performance cars, the tyres get too hot after a handful of full noise laps and the brakes start to smell, but it’s all in the name of prioritising on-road all-weather performance. 

In short, the Golf R continues to be a really easy car to drive at its limit, and therefore a safe option for hitting the track if you’re still working your way up to Senna status.

Safety has always been a Mk7 Golf strong point, and despite first appearing nearly eight years ago and the regular Golf's maximum five star ANCAP safety rating being based on standards dating back as far as 2013, it’s continued to offer features to seemingly keep pace with much more recent products. The all-wheel drive Golf R (and Alltrack) is sadly still officially unrated.

Nonetheless, dual front airbags are complemented by a driver’s knee bag, front side airbags and curtain airbags front and rear. 

The city AEB only works at speeds up to 30km/h, but does include pedestrian detection and is bolstered by multi-collison braking that holds the brakes on after an initial collision to prevent successive impacts.

It also features driver fatigue detection, blind-spot monitoring, lane guidance and rear cross-traffic alerts. 

All Mazda3s, including this new variant, carry a five-year, unlimited kilometre warranty promise competitive with competitor marques, including five years of roadside assist.

Service pricing was not available at the time of launch, although Mazda told us it shouldn’t stray far from the current 2.5-litre engine option which costs between $315 and $359 on alternating years for the life of the warranty.

Service intervals should also remain the same at 10,000km or 12 months whichever occurs first.

Another detail that’s changed during the Mk7 Gold R’s lengthy lifespan is VW’s warranty extension to now cover five years and unlimited kilometres, which thankfully represents the status quo for mainstream brands these days.

Service intervals are a generous 12 months or 15,000km and are covered by capped price servicing for the duration of the warranty. 

The average cost per service during this period is $559.80, leading to a total cost of $2799, which is only marginally more than a regular Golf and quite impressive for a car in this performance league.

This cost can be reduced by prepurchasing a Volkswagen Care Plan, which will cut the servicing price over five years down to $2300, or can also be purchased as a three year plan for $1350.