2026 Mazda3 sedan and hatchbackWhile the base Mazda3 sedan with the 191-hp, 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine comes standard with front-wheel drive, buyers can have standard all-wheel drive by opting for the turbo models, which have a turbocharged 2.5-liter four-cylinder good for 227 hp and 310 lb-ft on regular octane 87 gasoline, or 250 horses and 320 lb-ft when fueled with 93 octane gas. That output flows to all four wheels via a six-speed automatic transmission, and so equipped, the previous year Mazda3 Turbo can sprint from 0-60 mph in 5.6 seconds.Efficiency wise, an AWD-equipped Mazda3 sedan gets 23 mpg in the city, 32 mpg on the highway, and 27 mpg combined. That combined return is one mpg better than the hatchback, which gains 23 mpg in city driving situations, 31 mpg on the highway, and 26 mpg in combined city-highway driving. But the Mazda3 Turbo isn't just about performance or fuel economy.The compact car also offers loads of niceties, namely heated front seats, a heated steering wheel (standard on the Mazda3 Turbo Premium Plus), a power driver's seat with power-adjustable lumbar support and memory settings, a 10.25-inch display, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, USB-C ports, and more. The 2026 Mazda3 2.5 Carbon Turbo hatch starts at $30,765, while the Turbo Premium Plus begins at $37,890.How we chose these AWD carsIn order to select the models on this list, factors such as performance and the reputation of the AWD systems in the various cars were taken into account. This was achieved by considering SlashGear's own reviews of the relevant vehicles over the years. In addition, we checked each candidate separately on other authority sites like Car and Driver, MotorTrend, iSeeCars, Edmunds, and also combed through forums and discussion sites like Reddit to determine the models that owners are most impressed with in terms of their value, comfort, amenities, and how great each car is to drive.
