My Thoughts Exactly: 2023 Mazda3 Hatchback
However, you will notice that it is lower in height and ground clearance. There is no C-pillar glass. So, clearly, it’s not our CX-5.
Please do not say that it looks like the V&R Machine…
Sure, it’s a Mazda in Machine Gray Metallic. The front-end design is shared across most of the lineup. It has a curvy roofline.
However, you will notice that it is lower in height and ground clearance. There is no C-pillar glass. So, clearly, it’s not our CX-5.
Which means that some of us have forgotten that the Hiroshima-based automaker still makes a hatchback version of the Mazda3.
The hatch has always been a part of the Mazda3’s lineage. Go back to the original GLC, also known as the Familia or the 323. The USA market had Mazda hatchbacks dating back to 1977 and have always evolved and changed with the times. Once the 323/Familia/Protégé has changed over to the Mazda3, that tradition continued onward.
Selecting the hatchback over the sedan is more of an enthusiast’s choice rather than a practical one. It always has been if you consider some of the more potent Mazda models available over the past 40-plus years. You couldn’t get a Mazdaspeed3 in a sedan, right?
Yet, you select the Mazda3 hatchback because it is not an SUV. Still, you want a larger cargo area and a cooler roofline.
Prior to its arrival, I’ve been favoring the sedan version of this latest generation of the Mazda3. The rearward vision was better, and it still held true to its mission an exciting compact car for enthusiasts to drive and own.
I always liked the hatchback version of older generations of the Mazda3. However, I was pretty skeptical about this generation’s model. I need to drive one to see if I’m wrong about my reservations about the current Mazda3 hatch.
First of all, it drives like any other Mazda3. It has great power from this tester’s 2.5-liter turbocharged engine and its six-speed automatic transmission. The all-wheel drive system works mainly for traction loss than enhanced performance. It handles exceptionally well – especially in Sport mode. The ride is on the firm side, but quite compliant.
The brakes were fine, delivering on solid stops in normal and panic situations. The steering was quite easy with a solid on-center feel. It also tracked quite well, while making light of tight situations. It also turned in a decent fuel economy average of 28.9 MPG.
In other words, it was exactly what I expected from a Mazda3.
Yes…however, there is the matter of the area beyond the B pillar.
Getting the hatchback always offer its own advantages. There is 20.1 cubic feet of cargo space behind the rear seat. That is on par with its competitors. You can put plenty behind the c-pillar, even with a step-down from the bumper. A cargo cover protects your stuff from prying eyes.
To put my rollator in the back, I would have to lower the driver side rear seatback to ensure a perfect fit. It offered a flat load floor, and it fit perfectly behind my driving position.
With or without the rollator on board, it did feel a bit dark when looking back in the rearview mirror. The side window profile adds more to the blind spot and may cause some claustrophobia for some rear seat passengers. You can position the side mirrors to compensate on the blind spot. In all, it’s not bad.
My tester was the Premium Plus package, which is the top trim for the turbocharged Mazda3. You would expect it to be very well equipped. Yet, there is no remote hatch release from inside or on the key fob. The side mirrors are tough to fold in and there is no power folding mechanism.
If you are concerned about the points made above, then you might be missing the point. The one thing the 2023 Mazda3 Hatchback will deliver to its owners is that eternal encouragement that makes Mazda’s car offerings exciting to begin with. That used to be called “Zoom-Zoom,” but the marketing folks have shelved it publicly.
The “Zoom-Zoom” is still there, even though Mazda has positioned itself as a more premium brand of automobile. You can see that in the quality of the interior. There are plenty of surfaces that are premium feeling and are good to the touch. Since V&R owns a Mazda, we are very familiar with all of the controls and their logic.
The red leather front seats are on the firm side, but they are quite supportive. I felt no fatigue behind the wheel when I took a substantial journey over the weekend.
As for the Machine Gray finish with its black 18-inch alloy wheels, I dig it. It’s too cool for school if you know what I mean…
However, I am not surprised to see how much this tester cost. The sticker price for this 2023 Mazda3 Hatchback with the turbocharged engine and the Premium Plus package came in at $37,095. Hatchback models start at $23,550.
The point to all of this is simple: The Mazda3 is one of the best in its class. I’ve always called it the “enthusiast’s choice” when it comes to compact cars. There is plenty of truth in that summation, even in the face of change in the automotive marketplace.
The eternal question here is whether you’d pick the hatchback or sedan. It depends on your needs, right? Need more cargo space? Get the hatchback. Need to be a bit incognito? Get the sedan. Either way, it’s a Mazda3. That fact speaks volumes.
Which one would you choose? Should you get the turbocharged engine on top of your choice? No matter which Mazda3 you choose, just don’t mistake it for one of the brand’s SUV models – including your own V&R Machine.
DISCLAIMER: Vehicle provided by Mazda North American Operations
All photos by Randy Stern