I’ve been in the car business for a long time. Since 1978 in fact. And it still amazes me that new car buyers will occasionally buy based on colour. This Mazda3 G20 Pure Sedan is Soul Red Crystal and it’s one of the very few paint colours that Mazda charges extra for.
But who’s to say that this isn’t the right way to choose a new car. After all, we purchase a great many things based on colour, style and brand. So when a brand with a great reputation for style presents a colour that is stunning, heck let’s jump in.
Mazda has an excellent reputation among private buyers. The company doesn’t really chase any fleet or rental business, so their popularity rests on its reputation. Now this Mazda3 Pure is an entry-level car, but there is so much more than your typical entry model
Some other manufacturers strip out things like navigation and some even reduce the amount of safety tech. Not Mazda. This Mazda3 G20 Pure sedan scored 5-stars in the ANCAP safety test and that’s a big tick in my book.
When you look at its competitors there’s only a couple of Japanese manufactured cars, the other being the Honda Civic.
I’ve driven the Honda Civic back to back with the Mazda3 and I think it’s the best choice for a small passenger vehicle. Not that I’m saying that it is small, my M/B CLA45 is about the same size from a driver and passenger viewpoint.
With the Vision Pack, you’d initially think it’s a mid-range choice, but it’s entry-level. And it’s build quality, standard equipment and ride and handling put it right up there with the like of BMW, Audi, and Mercedes Benz.
What is It? This Mazda3 is the latest iteration of their small car. Smaller than the 3 is the Mazda2 and the next size up is the Mazda6. First launched 16 years ago, Mazda 3 replaced the then ageing Mazda 323 which was launched in 1996.
So Mazda’s small car has been around the block for over 50 years.
How Much? This generation Mazda3 hasn’t been on the market for long, so there are no published specials. Including the Soul Red paintwork, automatic transmission and Vision Technology, it prices out at $31,714 drive away in Queensland.
Competition? Mazda3 slots into the ‘Small Passenger’ segment according to VFacts. Similarly priced vehicles include Ford Focus, Holden Astra, Honda Civic, Hyundai i30, Ioniq and Elantra, Kia Cerato, Mitsubishi Lancer, Renault Megane, Skoda Rapid, Subaru Impreza, Toyota Corolla, and Volkswagen Golf.
At The Front
The Mazda3 G20 Pure Sedan that I’m driving has a 2.0-litre engine and a 6-speed SKYACTIV-Drive Automatic Transmission. The engine produces 114kW of power and 200Nm of torque. And that means what?
Simply it’s got plenty of Zoom-Zoom for the suburbs and is excellent on the highway
Steering is electronic power assist steering type, with McPherson Strut front suspension and a torsion beam at the rear.
Down the Side
The Mazda3 Pure is stylish in anyone’s language. 16” Alloy Wheels add to the expensive feel of the car.
In the side profile, I like to list the safety technology that helps the Mazda3 get those important 5-star ANCAP rating. Aspects that the motoring world maintains should be standard (ABS Brakes, EBD, etc) aren’t shown, but they’re there. If you want to explore all the standard features on the Mazda3, here’s a link to the Mazda Website
360 Degree View Monitor Optional with Vision Technology
Airbags SRS Front (Driver & passenger); Side (front); Curtain (Front & rear); Knee (driver)
Blind Spot Monitoring (BSM) Standard with the Vision Pack
Cruising & Traffic Support (Optional with Vision Technology)
Driver Attention Alert (DAA)
Driver Monitoring (Optional with Vision Technology)
Emergency Brake Assist (EBA)
Emergency Stop Signal (ESS)
Forward Obstruction Warning (FOW)
Front Cross Traffic Alert (FCTA) (Optional with Vision Technology)
Hill Launch Assist (HLA)
Intelligent Speed Assistance (ISA)
Lane Departure Warning (LDW)
Lane-keep Assist System (LAS)
Parking sensors Rear
Rear Cross-Traffic Alert (RCTA)
Reverse camera
Smart Brake Support (SBS) Forward (with pedestrian and cycle detection) & reverse18
Smart City Brake Support (SCBS) Forward (with pedestrian and cycle detection) & reverse18
Traction Control System (TCS) Standard
Traffic Sign Recognition (TSR) Standard18
At The Rear
The car has a low load height and is plenty spacious in the boot.
Towing capacity is adequate for a small sedan capable of moving 1,200kg with electric brakes and 600kg without. Towball download is 80kg.
Driver’s Seat
Apple CarPlay and Android Auto 8.8” Infotainment Screen, Satellite Navigation, 360 degree View Monitor, Traffic Sign Recognition. Rear Cross-Traffic Support
Clearly, Mazda chooses to treat safety as a high priority, equipping the ‘3’ with a full suite of all the latest active systems on top of the radar cruise and high-beam assist we’ve already mentioned. There’s even Mazda’s driver-attention alert, which monitors the driver’s attention levels via an in-cabin camera in real-time and will sound an alarm if sensors detect the driver is taking his or her eyes off the road.
But, there’s also forward obstruction warning, lane-departure warning, lane-keep assist, rear cross-traffic alert and traffic sign recognition. It’s an awful lot of kit for an entry-level variant.
There’s more power if you want it, but it’s going to cost you more than a few thousand for the privilege. Stepping up to the $30,490 G25 Evolve gets you a 2.5-litre (again, naturally aspirated) four-cylinder with power jumping to 139kW and torque up 52Nm to 252Nm.
Pro’s and Con’s
- Build quality and materials are first-rate
- Ride and handling are very well sorted for Australian conditions
- All the major controls feel natural and are nicely progressive
- Equipment levels are extraordinary for this level
- Good performance from the 2.0-litre petrol engine
Cons
- No rear air vents, the plastic-rimmed steering wheel isn’t up to standard.
ANCAP – Safety
The Mazda G20 Pure Sedan was tested by ANCAP in April 2019. And good on you Mazda for testing rather than relying on an old test and report. And with 5-Stars in 2019, you can rely on this being the most up to date data available anywhere in the world
If you’d like to review the full report (8 pages) just click on this link – ANCAP
Green Vehicle Guide – Mazda3
Economical? You bet. In my week with the Mazda3 G20 Pure Automatic Sedan, I achieved 6.2 litres per 100klm. The Green Vehicle Guide suggests that 6.1 litres per 100 KLM is the guide.
If you drive economically, you’d get from Brisbane CBD to Martin Place in Sydney on a tank full and that’s 916km according to Google Maps.
And another great thing is that this Mazda is very happy with regular unleaded or better still, E10.
Surprise and Delight
In my early days in the car business, manufacturers were inclined to include something they called a ‘Surprise and Delight’ item. It may have been a coin holder in the centre console or perhaps an illuminated mirror in the sunvisor. Those days seem to have passed us by.
But Mazda has found something to surprise and delight me in the Mazda3 G20 Pure Sedan.
If you look carefully at the image above, you may notice something special. I took this screenshot as I was travelling over the Ted Smout Bridge between Redcliffe and Brisbane on my way home. The manufacturer of the infotainment/navigation system has included ripples on the water that I’m crossing – how cool and clever is that.
And another feature which caught my attention was the very sophisticated HUD (Heads up display) in the Mazda.
Important aspects of the Active Driver Display (Head-Up Display or HUD in my language) is Traffic Sign Recognition (where the car reads the traffic speed signs and changes the display to suit your actual speed, the cruise control speed and also a turn by turn feature for the navigation. One of the best systems I’ve ever seen.
Finance and Insurance – Mazda3 Pure Sedan
I’ve included some indicative repayment figures for this car. It’s RRP drive away is $31,714, but I reckon you could buy it better than that (Contact Car Business for a price).
So if you finance this Mazda3 Pure Sedan over 60 months, your repayments work out this way
Monthly $621.76
Fortnightly $285.64
Weekly $143.37
Interest rate 6.55%
Repayments are indicative only and will depend on your application. Some people will get a lower rate and some a higher rate. Fees and charges are specifically excluded for this example
Insurance – Mazda3 Pure Sedan
I use RACQ Insurance to give you a guide as to what you’ll pay for your annual comprehensive car insurance. Conditions for this cover are:
- A male driver over 60 years of age, having held a license for over 10 years
- Bronze member of RACQ with 1 other insurance policies
- Has paid cash for the car. The car is parked in a driveway overnight.
- The driver resides in postcode 4017
- The car is fitted with an engine immobilizer
- No at-fault claim in the last 3 years, with no license suspensions
- Rating 1 currently, having held that rating 1 for 10 years or more
- No driver under 25 will use the vehicle.
The premium quoted online by RACQ Insurance for Private Use – $436.33 with a $750 excess. Variations from the information above may result in different outcomes. Check online with RACQ Insurance for your own particular quote. (Effective October 12th 2019)
Mazda3 Pure Sedan Service Costs and Warranty
All Mazda vehicles come with a 5-year unlimited-kilometre warranty. Base scheduled maintenance is due every 10,000 km but no longer than 12 months. For the first 5 services or 50,000 kilometres, you should pay $1561 or an average of $312.20 per service. My strongest advice is to use a Mazda dealer for routine service, at least until your car is 6 years old. Only Mazda dealers can continuously update any software that needs to be completed. There are some other items that need to be serviced or replaced in this time and they are:
- Replace brake fluid (every 40k or 2 years)The Brake Fluid provides hydraulic pressure for the vehicles braking system. Periodic replacement of the vehicle’s Brake Fluid is required as contaminants such as moisture can reduce the overall efficiency of the braking system. This helps to maintain the efficiency of the vehicles braking system, ensuring the safe and reliable operation of your vehicle. – $67
- Replace cabin air filter (every 40k)The Cabin Air Filter ensures only clean air is drawn into the Cabin of the vehicle. Periodic replacement of the passenger Cabin Air Filter is required due to the build-up of dust and dirt within the filter element. This ensures the comfort of passengers with only clean fresh/filtered air entering the cabin. – $91
Be careful when you take your vehicle in for service. Some new car dealers will try to upsell items such as Power Steering, Air Conditioning and Fuel Injector service. To avoid unnecessary spend, simply ask the dealer to advise whether this is a Mazda recommended service as are the brake fluid and cabin air filter. If not, then just say no!
As far as roadside assistance is concerned, Mazda provides Premium Roadside Assistance on all new Mazda vehicles. If you’d like to know ALL the aspects of Mazda’s roadside support – click this link to go to the Mazda Website
My Opinion
I recently purchased another brand’s small car for my wife. I’m sorely disappointed that she didn’t check out this Mazda3. This vehicle is a luxurious, spacious, reliable sedan – there’s not much more to be said.
Where to Buy – Dealers
My test vehicle was supplied by Mazda Australia. No financial incentives were paid to me by Mazda for this review. If you’re in the market to buy a new Mazda, pick your dealer carefully. When I want to check out the ‘worthiness’ of a dealer, I Google ‘Mazda Dealers Brisbane where the city is the one that you live in or around and the brand is that particular one you’re interested in. I only list dealers who have achieved a minimum of 15 reviews with Google and then only those with 4 stars or higher.
Of all the manufacturer reviews that I’ve done over the last few years, Mazda and it’s dealers have the highest Google rankings I’ve encountered. They must be doing something right!
From a South East Queensland perspective here are the dealers I’d visit:
Northside Grand Prix Aspley 4.4 Stars from 448 Reviews
Southside Mt Gravatt Mazda 4.7 Stars from 1173 Reviews
Eastside Redlands Mazda 4.5 Stars from 178 Reviews
Westside Westpoint Isuzu Ute 4.3 Stars from 128 Reviews
Gold Coast Robina Mazda 4.1 Stars from 168 Reviews
Sunshine Coast Sunshine Coast Mazda 4.2 Stars from 140 Reviews
(Google Stars and review numbers effective 12th October 2019)
So, in conclusion – Mazda3 is one of the best small sedans I’ve had the pleasure of driving recently. If you’re in the market to buy something similar, give me a call on 0418 748 498 to discuss. My affiliated company, Car Business can assist you to save your hard-earned money, and it’s a simple process. Call now 0418 748 498
Uber + ANCAP = More Questions About Safety
- Finance Note:
The provided quote should be used as an indication only and does not represent either approval or pre-qualifications for a loan.
The quoted payments apply for the example given and in this instance do not include fees and charges, as different terms, fees or other loan amounts may result in different outcomes between financiers.
The specific details of your loan will be provided to you in your loan contract.
It is advised that you consult your financial adviser before taking out a loan
Buying a New Car?
Get in Touch with Car Business – Skip the Dealerships
As a licensed motor dealer for over 40 years, I’m legally able to buy and sell all new and used motor cars. So if you’ve got a trade-in, I can help with that too.
It’s easy to get in touch.
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