The Mazda 3 has long been the bedrock of the Japanese brand’s passenger-car line. But now that SUVs dominate the space, where does that leave the fourth-gen 3? We’re testing the Evolve SP hatch over 10,000km
If you’ve had time between Covid headlines and political scandals to study Australia’s automotive sales figures, then you’re probably well aware that small-car popularity in this country is shrinking.
The segment nudged nearly 250,000 annual sales in Australia a decade ago, but in 2021, we bought just 109,064 small cars – down 10 percent on 2020 and some way behind the booming small SUV category that was up almost 25 percent to 144,270 sales.
The people have spoken and they largely want 4WD dual-cab utes and SUVs of all sizes rather than nicely-packaged hatchbacks.
That said, this former superstar segment is still clearly the biggest player in traditional passenger cars, with the fourth-generation Mazda 3 contributing a consistent, if comparatively modest annual total of around 14,000 cars. Gone are the days of Australians buying 40,000 Mazda 3s in a calendar year – instead, they’ve turned to the CX-30 (which jumped 48 percent in 2021 to 13,309 sales).
But popularity is rarely an indicator of excellence, as today’s Mazda 3 proves. Without the constraints of having to be Mazda’s sole small-car flag-waver, the fourth-gen Mazda 3 hatchback now has the freedom to become sexier, sportier and less of a slave to practicality. Yet for all its coupe-ish looks and warm-hatch personality, the current Mazda 3 remains as practical as it’s ever been – hence why we’re keen to spend six months in this latest-and-greatest variant, the new-for-2022 Mazda 3 G25 Evolve SP.
Is a small hatch a better all-rounder than a small SUV? And does the fourth-gen Mazda 3 deliver on the promise of its slinky sheetmetal?
Navigate this long-term Mazda3 review
We’ll update this review with new entries over time as Nathan Ponchard details his experiences in the Mazda3 G25 Evolve SP hatch, which we’re running for six months and 10,000km.
- Month 1 update: introducing our new Mazda3 G25 Evolve SP hatch
Month 1: Painting it black
With some sinister black-outs and a hint of SP flavour, the freshest 2022 Mazda 3 variant signs up for six months and 10,000km with Ponch as its tester, mentor and keeper
Kilometres this month: 1038km Fuel economy this month: 8.5L/100km Running costs this month: $149 (fuel)
If anyone asked me what sort of car I’d spend my own money on, there’s a very strong chance I’d be nominating a small hatch. With space to rival medium sedans of the ’90s, combined with the polished agility and refinement we expect in 2022, the value-for-money in a good mainstream small hatch is so persuasive it makes my wallet tingle – especially this Mazda 3 G25 Evolve SP.
Replacing the previous 2.5-litre Evolve trim level, this ’22 Evolve SP automatic in Polymetal Grey with carpeted floor mats costs less than $33,000 before on-road costs, yet is so deeply enticing in its styling and build quality that it makes almost any premium European small hatch seem eye-wateringly overpriced. Well, that’s my first impression of the Evolve SP.
I wasn’t expecting a fully electric driver’s seat with two-position memory, and nor was I thinking it would look so damn good parked out the front of my inner-city cottage, adding a delightful touch of egalitarian chic to Sydney’s Inner West … like the multitude of grey fourth-gen Mazda 3s I’ve spotted since being handed the keyfob to BTO-065, which arrived with just 11km on its odometer and the freshest cabin smell I’ve experienced in years.
With such low mileage and an average-consumption read-out somewhere north of 20.0L/100km, I decided to ‘break in’ my Mazda 3 but blasting to my parents’ place about 125km north of Sydney on Australia’s busiest freeway – the love-it-or-hate-it M1.
These days it’s a three-lane-each-way expanse of mostly excellent tarmac, threading its way through beautifully mountainous national park, and is well-known for moving very briskly in peak periods (until traffic clogs it), and being littered with holidaying families (slowly) making their way north in off-peak times – often in the right lane.
Former Mazda Australia motorsport manager Allan Horsley once told me that the best way to run a regular car in is to flog the daylights out of it for 1500km and then do an oil change (to remove any metal filings). My Mazda 3 won’t be getting the latter until it goes back at 10,000km, but I can certainly help with the former!
Pinning the accelerator to the floor wherever necessary, Mazda’s perky 139kW 2.5-litre ‘SkyActiv-G’ four delivers a gutsy keenness that feels strong right from the start. Even with zero mileage under its belt, this engine is a fine performer, with a subtle fizz as it sends the tacho needle skyward that perfectly suits the Evolve SP’s black accents and gloss-black 18-inch wheels. And same goes for the six-speed automatic, which is responsive when it needs to be but also knows how to channel torque properly – as if the transmission calibration and engine tune were developed as one.
Admittedly, this car doesn’t have the six-speed manual I was hoping for (because Mazda is great at manual ’boxes) but the auto is too good to be considered second-best. And while I had reservations about the Mazda 3’s urban ride early on, the greater the speed and the more challenging the surface, the more effective it proves at demonstrating the depth of ability waiting to be unearthed in this delightful little mover.
Even after only two tanks of fuel, BTO-065 is already averaging a surprising 8.5L/100km – not only because it’s been driven hard (by myself as well as Mr Baker for his full review of this car) but also because we’re only feeding it regular 91-octane unleaded. So not only is this alluring, beautifully constructed slice of small-hatch realness cheap to buy, it’s also proving usefully affordable to run.
How long this early-relationship glow lasts remains to be seen. But that’s the point of running a long-termer – letting it get under your skin, learning to love (or hate) what it has to offer. And so far, my admiration is growing by the week.
Keyword: Mazda 3 G25 Evolve SP 2022 long term review