By Gary S. Vasilash

Here’s something interesting: the model year 2004 Mazda3 was the first of the first generation of Mazda’s compact car, which means the one considered here is what has occurred to it 20 years later.

Interestingly, there was a four-cylinder engine, as there is now, but whereas the 2.3-liter four in the early Mazda3 produced 160 hp, the turbocharged 2.5-liter engine in today’s model produces 250 hp running premium fuel or 227 hp should one opt for regular. (In the early models, the base engine was a 2.0-liter that produced 148 hp; the base engine for the ’24 models is the naturally aspirated 2.5-liter that produces 191 hp—regardless of octane (well, it at least has to be 87 octane)).

But bringing it just back to now, know that the Mazda3 2.5 Turbo (there is also a Carbon Turbo) is equipped with a six-speed automatic. (There is a six-speed manual for the other trims. And of that manual, one can only think: For now.*)

The Premium Plus trim is the top-of-the-line.

As such it has some exterior design differences from other models in the lineup. Mazda designers have consistently done superlative work over the past several years.

The front end of the Mazda3 has an appearance that is stylish, sophisticated and sporty, a trifecta that is difficult to pull off.

However when you get to the C-pillar and back things are not quite as good, which is predicated on the fact that it is difficult to style a compact sedan in a way that looks proportionate throughout, especially as there is a need to keep the roofline somewhat high in order to give people who sit in the rear some headroom.

Hatchbacks, like the Mazda3 hatch, lend themselves to a more cohesive design—which leads to a market curiosity: Hatches simply aren’t particularly popular.

(What is odd about that is “utility” vehicles are wildly popular.

And hatchbacks generally provide more utility, at least vis-à-vis cargo capacity.

In the case of the Mazda3, the sedan has EPA cargo volume of 13.2 cubic feet and the Mazda3 hatch has 20.1 cubic feet of capacity.

And while it might be assumed the increase in cargo capacity for the hatch is based on reducing passenger volume, the difference in passenger volume is a reduction of 0.1 cubic feet for the hatch, 92.7 cubic feet compared with 92.8 cubic feet.)

To resume.

The Mazda3 sedan is 183.5 inches long, 70.7 inches wide, and 56.9 inches high. It has a 107.3-inch wheelbase. Which is approximately the same size of other vehicles in its class (e.g., Toyota Corolla, Honda Civic).

The Premium Plus trim includes features like paddle shifters; keyless entry; wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay; a 12-speaker Bose audio system; 10.25-inch color center display; radar cruise control with stop and go capability; lane departure warning and lane keep assist; and more.

An issue with the Mazda3 Premium Plus is pricing. It starts at $35,800. The somewhat comparable top-of-the-line ’24 Civic Touring starts at $30,550. But it doesn’t have AWD. And the somewhat comparable Toyota Corolla Hybrid Nightshade AWD starts at $28,340. But as its name indicates, it is a hybrid.

In fact, the starting price for a ’24 Camry SE Nightshade AWD—not a hybrid—starts at $5,540 less than the Mazda3.

Mazda needs to work on its pricing.

*What is sad is that there is only one other car in the current Mazda lineup, the MX-5 Miata, with a manual gearbox. Through the first half of 2024 there were 4,004 MX-5s sold. Say you’re a Mazda exec in Hiroshima HQ and you see that number and note that with the exception of the just-released CX-70, the worst-selling Mazda crossover during the first half was the top-of-the-line CX-90, which had sales of 22,959 units—or 1,128 more than all of the cars (well, there are just the Mazda3 and MX-5) combined (21,831). Somehow that 4,004 doesn’t look all that worthwhile for the engineering and testing necessary for a manual.