Mazda 3 G20 Evolve Hatch 2024 Review

It’s hard to believe today, but there was a time when the humble Mazda 3 dethroned the almighty Holden Commodore to become Australia’s top-selling vehicle.

That was 2011, and the Mazda reigned supreme for two years with over 40,000 new car deliveries a year. But, fast forward over a decade and last year it was Australia’s 36th most popular car, selling less than a quarter of what it did in 2012.

Certainly, despite its declining sales – largely due to changing consumer tastes – the Mazda 3 is a survivor. In 2011, it competed in a small car segment featuring 31 competitors in Australia. Today, that same segment has just 10.

As many of its competitors have driven off into the sunset, the 3’s sales have been eroded by consumer preference for SUVs, including Mazda’s higher-riding CX-3 and CX-30 duo, which both now outsell the 3.

The comparatively old-school current-gen 3 is a clear juxtaposition to these changing consumer tastes, but against all of this, it is arguable that the 3 is the best iteration of itself it’s ever been.

And, in the first seven months of 2024, its sales have increased by 14.5 percent. Has the decline been arrested? Has it found its new niche?

We spent a week with the Mazda 3 G20 Evolve hatch to find out how the once dominant small car holds up in 2024, and whether it is a small hatchback-sized dinosaur in a sea of new-age hybrid and electric SUVs?

Or, is this once mass-market hit now a refreshing and underappreciated hidden-gem for a particular kind of niche-buyer looking to be rewarded for going against the SUV-shaped grain?

What are the Mazda 3 G20 Evolve’s features and options for the price?

In the five years the current generation of Mazda 3 has been on sale in Australia, the actual car hasn’t changed a great deal, but the lineup has been streamlined.

Gone are all the manual options – boo, Mazda! – as well as the mild-hybrid variants, and the previous range-topping Skyactiv-X petrol compression ignition-powered X20 Astina.

Mazda has kept the better-selling variants, and if you’re buying a Mazda 3 your choices are now limited to whether you want a hatch or sedan, a smaller or bigger engine, and the grade of specification.

The entry-level powerplant is a naturally-aspirated 2.0-litre four-cylinder mated to a six-speed automatic transmission, while the more expensive G25 bring with it a larger 2.5-litre unit.

All variants are front-wheel drive, and it doesn’t look like we’ll ever see the 2.5-litre turbocharged all-wheel-drive variant in Australia that is available overseas, but currently only in left-hand drive.

Nevertheless, regardless of the grade you choose, the Mazda 3 is pretty well specified across the range, and our G20 Evolve – one step up from the entry-level Pure – should feel decent for most.

Standard features include:

• 18-inch alloy wheels
• Dual-zone climate control with rear air vents
• Wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
• DAB+
• LED headlamps
• Reversing camera
• Leather wrapped gear knob and steering wheel
• Power exterior mirrors with auto folding

As for price, the G20 Evolve hatch will set you back $32,020 before on-road costs, but our test vehicle is a bit pricier given it includes an optional Vision technology package, a $2000 upcharge that brings additional features like a 360 view monitor and larger 10.25-inch media display, as well as additional safety and driver assistance features.

All up, inclusive of the vision package, our test car has a $38,176 driveaway sticker price.

Features you’re missing out on from higher-spec variants include leather interior trim – including the choice of burgundy leather on the top-spec Astina hatch – power seats, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android auto, wireless phone charging, and of course the bigger engine.

What you are getting as standard however, regardless of grade, is a design which – to this reviewer’s eyes at least – is dating very well. To my eyes, there’s a bit of Alfa Romeo-ness to the 3 hatch, particularly at the rear, which people seem to love or hate. However, while I’m a big fan, there are compromises to this, as we’ll discover.

How does the Mazda 3 G20 Evolve drive?

Going into this review, I didn’t think I’d be as charmed by the smaller 2.0-litre engined G20 – there’s no replacement for displacement, right?

Naturally, a lot of people will be enticed by the additional power the 2.5-litre delivers, and the concept of a big engine – at least by today’s standards – in a small car, is an appealing one, but you’re not lacking with the 2.0 if your aim is an urban runabout and you expect to treat the vehicle as such.

Yes, it has a modest 114kW and 200Nm, but it’s smooth and quiet around town and I found the six-speed automatic does a decent and intuitive job shifting through the gears too. If you do want to drive in a more spirited manner – and the 3 enjoys that – then it’s also fun to rev out and doesn’t sound too bad when you do.

Obviously there will be some buyers that prefer the low-down torque of a turbo engine, but there are others that will appreciate the old-school fun that comes with ringing out a naturally-aspirated unit with smooth and linear power delivery.

Some may lament a lack of technological progress with Mazda, that these engines are ‘last decade’, but there’s also something to be said for the fact that they are proven powertrains that have been around for a number of years, with improvements.

In the ride and handling department, it must be said that the ride is firm. You feel the bumps, particularly at low speeds, and the big ones can jolt into the cabin

This is certainly a consideration depending on your preferences. For me, I found it liveable and acceptable within the context of the overall package the 3 delivers.

The handling feels taught, and on the sportier side. It feels planted on both freeway and especially on a windy road where for a small mainstream hatch, the 3 delivered an impressively engaging drive experience.

Drive the 3 in a spirited manner and it has a really nice fluidness about it thanks to what feels like a decently communicative chassis.

The steering feels heavier than what you might expect from a lot of modern cars, particularly at low speeds, but you reap the rewards from it otherwise. It’s a lovely wheel to behold, with a nice level of feel and feedback – or as much as you can really expect from a modern, mainstream hatch.

In terms of refinement, the Mazda 3’s cabin is well insulated and – provided you aren’t ringing out the revvy engine – mostly a quiet place to be.

In essence, the Mazda 3 is fun to drive and dynamically satisfying. It feels like it’s tuned with just a slight amount of sporty flavour to give a tad more enjoyment than most of its competitors, however not everyone will appreciate what this means in terms of ride and steering – and, this is ultimately a mainstream commuter hatch where those are key considerations for a lot of buyers.

What is the Mazda 3 G20 Evolve’s interior and tech like?

A good design stands the test of time, and five years on from its original release, this is the case with the Mazda 3 interior which is still an impressively designed and crafted place to spend time.

To my taste at least, it’s an effective blend of old-world and new-world. It’s got the tech you need, but the tech hasn’t taken over, and a big screen doesn’t dominate a minimalist cabin design – the focus is on the shapes and contours of a cabin that has actually been ‘designed’ as opposed to simply having an iPad screen plonked in it. I feel that a design like this is likely to age better than an iPad screen, too.

The materials are excellent, with lots of soft-touch that you wouldn’t always expect in a car of this class, and it’s a pleasure to look at overall, though the piano black is still just as annoying as it was five years ago.

Ergonomically, the cabin fits like a glove. All functions, controls and arm-rests are in easy reach and at a good height.

The physical buttons are all satisfying to interact with and it’s appreciated that there are physical controls for key climate control functions.

The driving position is also excellent, with comfy seats and I appreciate the old school gear lever and clear instrument cluster in front of you. Yes, the dials are basic – but they are clean and they do the job, like an analogue wrist watch – do you need more?

Then, there’s the central media display which has garnered a lot of criticism over the years for the fact it wasn’t a touchscreen, until now.

The updated screen on new Mazda 3’s can be used as a touchscreen when using Apple CarPlay, however it’s worth noting that given the way it is positioned, which is quite far away from the driver, it’s not the easiest screen to touch without leaning forward uncomfortably. After all, it was designed to be controlled using Mazda’s rotary dial.

While the screen is far away, and high up, that helps place it more in the driver’s line of sight, which is a good thing, and it’s possible that I am in the minority, but I am a big fan of the rotary controller which I find safer and easier to interact with while driving, given you can control your inputs more effectively without having to take your eyes off the road as much.

The fact that our G20 Evolve had the optional and larger 10.25-inch screen as part of the Vision pack was also appreciated, which may sound contradictory given my previous comments, however it is still very nicely integrated and doesn’t dominate the cabin.

The fact there are physical shortcut buttons to switch between maps, music and other functions also make it a user-friendly interface, with clear and simple graphics.

It is worth noting that Apple CarPlay and Android Auto still require a USB in the Evolve, and you’ll need to step up to the Touring to access wireless capability.

The downsides of the interior? The seating position is low – which you may love or hate – and the cabin, while feeling like a glove, also feels like a cocoon. It’s not exactly light and airy, and in fact it’s also quite dark in this spec. You can get the more powerful Astina hatch with burgundy leather, and the Astina sedan with white leather, but that means spending up.

And, while it all feels premium for the most part, when you shut the light-feeling doors, particularly at the rear, you are reminded that you’re in a mainstream hatch, not a hefty German car.

However, the biggest downside for me is the compromised rear visibility which is certainly a consideration if you’re not a confident driver. You do end up relying more on the blind-spot monitor and if it’s an issue, then you may be better off with the sedan – the price you pay for the styling of the hatch.

In the rear, you’ll find the cocoon theme continues. Again, it’s quite dark and the window line means that visibility is compromised for rear seat passengers, but the seats are very comfy and I found there to be a decent amount of room for me in terms of leg, knee, toe and head room for me at 183cm tall.

Materials are also good quality in the rear, with the soft touch theme continuing, and in terms of other amenities, you also get rear air vents and a fold down centre armrest with cupholders, but you don’t get USB connections.

If practicality is your focus, then the boot isn’t the biggest in class either – in fact, based on capacity, it’s not that great at 295 litres, which is better than a lower-spec Toyota Corolla which has 217 lites (the top-spec Corolla has 333 litres given it doesn’t have a spare wheel), but far behind the Hyundai i30 hatch (395 litres) and a Kia Cerato hatch (428 litres).

There’s also a bit of a high load lip, but on the plus side you do get a spacesaver spare wheel.

A sedan will bring more boot space in terms of literage, but the hatch will naturally benefit from a bigger opening for bulky items when you fold the rear seats down.

Pragmatically, this is a vehicle cabin that doesn’t offer the ride height, visibility, airiness, and show-room focused tech-heavy big-screen appeal of a lot of its SUV-competitors, and hence why many buyers are deserting it, but depending on your taste, there is still a lot to like.

Those that don’t need that additional bit of practicality of an SUV should be more than happy with the space the Mazda 3 offers, and for those that don’t, there’s no shortage of SUV options.

Is the Mazda 3 G20 Evolve a safe car?

The Mazda 3 has a five-star ANCAP safety rating and comes equipped with a suite of active safety and driver assistance features including:

• Seven airbags
• Autonomous emergency braking
• Blind spot monitoring
• Driver attention alert
• Lane keep assist
• Rear cross traffic alert
• Reverse camera
• Traffic sign recognition
• Rear parking sensors
• Radar cruise control with stop and go

The Vision Pack in this Evolve also scores front cross traffic alert, driver monitoring, front cross traffic alert, a 360-degree camera, cruising and traffic support, and front parking sensors.

Over my time with the Mazda 3 I found the safety systems to be decently well calibrated, bar one unexpected moment where the autonomous emergency brakes kicked in unnecessarily as I was performing a three-point turn in a low-traffic situation.

What are the Mazda 3 G20 Evolve’s ownership costs?

The Mazda 3 takes E10 or 91 octane and higher and has a claimed fuel consumption of 5.9 litres per one kilometres.

I achieved 8.1 litres over my time with the car, however that included a notable chunk of spirited country road driving as part of our road-testing.

The Mazda 3 comes with a five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty and service internals are every 12 months or every 15,000 kilometres. The first five years of servicing will cost you $2134.

The honest verdict on the Mazda 3 G20 Evolve

Five years into its current-generation, the Mazda 3 is still a bit of a peach – with a caveat that this depends on who you are.

There are many buyers, like myself, who will be endeared to what the vehicle offers. It’s stylish and elegant, has a rewarding, satisfying and enjoyable driving experience, and a beautiful interior that leaves a lot of more expensive cars to shame.

But, there are other buyers for whom the Mazda 3 will be compromised and impractical in terms of its packaging and versatility, poor rearward visibility, and its dark, low-slung and cocooned cabin.

Some buyers will appreciate the nature of the 3’s naturally-aspirated old-school powertrains while others will lament the fact it lacks the efficiency and low-down torque of modern turbo-charging. Then, there are others for whom the Mazda 3 won’t present a compelling enough proposition in terms of efficiency.

This is certainly an achilles heel in comparison to the Mazda’s all-hybrid Toyota Corolla arch-nemesis, which delivers significantly more compelling consumption figures at the same basic price point, and which has weathered the decline of small car sales much better than any of its competitors.

If Mazda were to introduce a compelling hybrid option, as well as a compelling all-wheel drive turbo-charged halo model as in the US while we’re at it (we can dream!), this would certainly give the ageing 3 range an injection of relevance and excitement that it might need to ensure it’s not forgotten by the mainstream.

Equally, it will be fascinating to see where Mazda takes the 3 in the years ahead given it’s not necessarily as hamstrung by having to be the mass market sales-leader it once was. Will it lean into style and sportiness in its next generation, or will Mazda feel the pressure to keep up with the Joneses? Time will tell…

But for now, despite its flaws, consumers are better off for having the alternative choice the Mazda 3 provides. There are plenty of other small cars and SUVs that offer what the Mazda 3 doesn’t, but there are significantly fewer that offer what it does.

An alternative world would see that choice cease to exist, and consumers are better served from having more options and less sameness.

So while it’s more an acquired taste as opposed to the commercial blockbuster of small cars it once was, there will always be a segment of buyers for whom the Mazda 3 blend really hits the spot.