Just got a 2023 sedan, 5 more hp than the 2022, and even a bit better mpg. Really, really like it. The 2.5L is easily plenty of power unless you crave hot rodding around. For normal around town and highway cruising the engine and 6 speed is excellent. Also handles beautifully, solid on the road, and extremely well balanced in the curves. Totally agree about how quiet it is and the most comfortable seats I've ever had in a car. Add the sculptural artistic design outside and inside, with the relatively affordable price, and right now it's unbeatable.
Buy or lease? For the carbon edition Mazda website says it’s less than $400 to lease it. Sounds very affordable and looks beautiful. Mind sharing your experience?
@@selfdoubts1490 depending on how many miles you drive and the terms, some times leasing can makes sense in the short term. With lack of availability, lease deals were hard to come by but with interest rates going up and more availability we may see more of them. Unless it’s a slow selling car leases are almost always the worse way to go financially. But if you can agree to low miles then sometimes they can help. With used car price depreciation still low I can see manufacturers pushing leases more and more because they will win when it’s time to return the car at the end of the lease.
Continue to be impressed with this 2wd Mazda 3 Sedan. No turbo here. An awesome trip car! The Carbon trim level is just awesome in that it gives you the Polymetal Grey, red leather, and the 12 speaker Bose system. The premium trim, at about one thousand bucks more, will give you the stereo but not the polymetal grey. You would need to jump to the turbo to get this great paint color on the sedan. We have at least two more vids coming on this Mazda 3, a full review plus a side by side Bose comparison with our VW GLI's Beats system. And there is nothing like constant road construction to add fun to your drive. Let us know of any questions you have regarding this Mazda 3. Motor on!
Great video series on the 3. I love the Carbon trim from a features/value standpoint but wish they offered more color choices. Don't get me wrong, the Polymetal gray is great but the Soul Red paint is truly special. It's probably my favorite paint of all common cars but is only available on premium or turbo trim.
@@77surefire thanks for the nice comment. Yea, I would agree that Crystal Soul Red is quite something. And it’s a shame it’s not offered on the lower trims. Even Mazda’s regular colors like white and gray have nice depth to them. Thanks again!
Thanks for watching and commenting! In our long term Mazda 3 we are averaging about 32mpg in mixed mainly suburbs driving. So pretty pleased when also considering the performance of the engine.
Amazing car, powerful 2.5 engine, americans are spoiled because they're used to huge engines, but it's a good one nevertheless. A shame we don't have the 2.5 on the 3 back in my country, only the automatic 2.0.
Thanks for watching and commenting . Yes, in the US, bigger engines are more the norm, so yes, we are spoiled. That’s why I like to emphasize that the 2.5 is a real gem and the horsepower is pretty good. Mazda’s 2.0 is a nice smooth four cylinder also. And underneath is still the same chassis and handling. Again, thanks for the comment!
Very satisfied. Check out our full ownership video series. Link below. Thanks for watching and all the best! th-cam.com/play/PLO0bPSIuWSiuzMnnT_zz99pcqoLLYMlWn.html&si=164IQq61VDqmrGqu
You mean sedan versus hatchback? The hatch has more utility but the sedan has better visibility and a less claustrophobic feel. Both are great. The sedan has a slightly lower drag coefficient. The sedan has a more classic elegant look while the hatch is just gorgeous with a very unique look. Thanks for your question!
Thanks for the question. We have not really run the 3 completely in city traffic. It’s rated for 26 on the EPA city test loop but that is it not as bad as real works stop and go city driving. If you are are always in city traffic with lots of stop light time, then 23mpg sounds about right. City traffic. Is where CVTs and hybrids really shine.
That is a great question. It looks like it will never come here for the Mazda 3. They look to be saving it for the straight six that is coming in the cx60. Mazda made the choice for the three when gas prices were low. The Skyaxtive X engines are quite expensive and Mazda decided the US and Canada would be better served with the turbo. But again that was before gas prices were so high. Sure Mazda is reconsidering all of this now. They have been fairly tight lipped about their long term strategy.
Thanks for watching and your comment. Maybe at a slower speed we could have got past the 40 mpg mark. But we now own one of these and have been pretty happy with real world mileage. A good balance of performance and efficiency. But defiantly not class leading and barely up there with bigger cars like the Accord.
And carbon trim is the only trim besides premium plus that has heated mirrors for the USA consumer...for whatever reason they neglected heated mirrors and steering wheel for any below the literal top kid but added the mirrors for the not even premium but the skip the premium...like the wiring is there, they literally just need a heated mirror wired in the housing
Thanks for pointing that out. That is a little odd. The CE is an odd bird with what is does and doesn’t have. You would think the trim above it would have heated mirrors. Thanks again.
We bought Mazda 3 2020 2.5 awd- 186hp
Great car, everything is cool..
Congratulations on your purchase. Great car as you state. Thanks for watching and commenting.
Just got a 2023 sedan, 5 more hp than the 2022, and even a bit better mpg. Really, really like it. The 2.5L is easily plenty of power unless you crave hot rodding around. For normal around town and highway cruising the engine and 6 speed is excellent. Also handles beautifully, solid on the road, and extremely well balanced in the curves. Totally agree about how quiet it is and the most comfortable seats I've ever had in a car. Add the sculptural artistic design outside and inside, with the relatively affordable price, and right now it's unbeatable.
Congratulations! Glad you like it. Thanks for watching and sharing your thoughts. Happy motoring!
Buy or lease? For the carbon edition Mazda website says it’s less than $400 to lease it. Sounds very affordable and looks beautiful. Mind sharing your experience?
@@selfdoubts1490 depending on how many miles you drive and the terms, some times leasing can makes sense in the short term. With lack of availability, lease deals were hard to come by but with interest rates going up and more availability we may see more of them. Unless it’s a slow selling car leases are almost always the worse way to go financially. But if you can agree to low miles then sometimes they can help. With used car price depreciation still low I can see manufacturers pushing leases more and more because they will win when it’s time to return the car at the end of the lease.
The interior and the black rims plus the blue gray body paint are the nicest I've seen on a small sedan in a while. I love this little car!
Agreed!
Continue to be impressed with this 2wd Mazda 3 Sedan. No turbo here. An awesome trip car! The Carbon trim level is just awesome in that it gives you the Polymetal Grey, red leather, and the 12 speaker Bose system. The premium trim, at about one thousand bucks more, will give you the stereo but not the polymetal grey. You would need to jump to the turbo to get this great paint color on the sedan. We have at least two more vids coming on this Mazda 3, a full review plus a side by side Bose comparison with our VW GLI's Beats system. And there is nothing like constant road construction to add fun to your drive. Let us know of any questions you have regarding this Mazda 3. Motor on!
Great video series on the 3. I love the Carbon trim from a features/value standpoint but wish they offered more color choices. Don't get me wrong, the Polymetal gray is great but the Soul Red paint is truly special. It's probably my favorite paint of all common cars but is only available on premium or turbo trim.
@@77surefire thanks for the nice comment. Yea, I would agree that Crystal Soul Red is quite something. And it’s a shame it’s not offered on the lower trims. Even Mazda’s regular colors like white and gray have nice depth to them. Thanks again!
Ever thought about raising the front suspension??
Great job with the video. Very smooth and funny as well! You should have way more subscribers!
Thanks Josh for watching and the nice complement!
You are killing it man. Keep up the awesome stuff!
Thanks Cliff. Much appreciated!
Can't wait for the next video on the car.
Awesome. Working on the full review video now. This car has surprised us.
Keep up the great work.
Thanks for watching!
Impressed with the gas mileage! The interior is really nice-looking on this Mazda 3!
Thanks for watching and commenting! In our long term Mazda 3 we are averaging about 32mpg in mixed mainly suburbs driving. So pretty pleased when also considering the performance of the engine.
Amazing car, powerful 2.5 engine, americans are spoiled because they're used to huge engines, but it's a good one nevertheless.
A shame we don't have the 2.5 on the 3 back in my country, only the automatic 2.0.
Thanks for watching and commenting . Yes, in the US, bigger engines are more the norm, so yes, we are spoiled. That’s why I like to emphasize that the 2.5 is a real gem and the horsepower is pretty good. Mazda’s 2.0 is a nice smooth four cylinder also. And underneath is still the same chassis and handling. Again, thanks for the comment!
Are you overall satisfied with the car until now?
Very satisfied. Check out our full ownership video series. Link below. Thanks for watching and all the best!
th-cam.com/play/PLO0bPSIuWSiuzMnnT_zz99pcqoLLYMlWn.html&si=164IQq61VDqmrGqu
22’ Mazda 3 carbon edition or the 22’ carbon edition hatchback?
You mean sedan versus hatchback? The hatch has more utility but the sedan has better visibility and a less claustrophobic feel. Both are great. The sedan has a slightly lower drag coefficient. The sedan has a more classic elegant look while the hatch is just gorgeous with a very unique look. Thanks for your question!
I love my Mazda too. What is that app you use to show speed
Hi Bing, we use SpeedTracker......the free version does not bug too much with ads, and it's pretty simple to use.
What's your mpg for city driving in this mazda? I only get 23 on average.
Thanks for the question. We have not really run the 3 completely in city traffic. It’s rated for 26 on the EPA city test loop but that is it not as bad as real works stop and go city driving. If you are are always in city traffic with lots of stop light time, then 23mpg sounds about right. City traffic. Is where CVTs and hybrids really shine.
Thx fir the review. Can kill that background music or lower it
When will Mazda bring the Skyactiv X to the United States?
That is a great question. It looks like it will never come here for the Mazda 3. They look to be saving it for the straight six that is coming in the cx60. Mazda made the choice for the three when gas prices were low. The Skyaxtive X engines are quite expensive and Mazda decided the US and Canada would be better served with the turbo. But again that was before gas prices were so high. Sure Mazda is reconsidering all of this now. They have been fairly tight lipped about their long term strategy.
Your highway MPG beat the EPA estimate (36 hwy). I was hoping it would do better.
Thanks for watching and your comment. Maybe at a slower speed we could have got past the 40 mpg mark. But we now own one of these and have been pretty happy with real world mileage. A good balance of performance and efficiency. But defiantly not class leading and barely up there with bigger cars like the Accord.
@@BeyondTheTestDrive Sorry, I just meant I was hoping it would be the EPA estimate since it was kind of low. 38 MPG at 65 MPH isn't too bad!
@@jeffmorse645 ah yes....Thanks...I re-read that. I missed the context. I am a little slow today.🤣
And carbon trim is the only trim besides premium plus that has heated mirrors for the USA consumer...for whatever reason they neglected heated mirrors and steering wheel for any below the literal top kid but added the mirrors for the not even premium but the skip the premium...like the wiring is there, they literally just need a heated mirror wired in the housing
Thanks for pointing that out. That is a little odd. The CE is an odd bird with what is does and doesn’t have. You would think the trim above it would have heated mirrors. Thanks again.
Bye-bye Bose in 2024.
Unfortunately the Bose system continues to disappear from all but the top trims.🥲
lose the background music.
Thanks for the feedback. Some of our videos have music and others do not. We are still experimenting to see what works.
@@BeyondTheTestDrive
Yeah it’s just kind of distracting, otherwise your videos are really good and informative.
I liked the music!😁
@@eleanormassaro5195 thanks for watching and providing feedback. Really appreciate it!