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The 2022 Mazda 3 is available with three different four-cylinder engines, starting with a 2.0-liter in the base sedan. It only has front-wheel drive and produces 155 horsepower. The 186-hp 2.5-liter four-cylinder unlocks the optional all-wheel-drive system, but the 250-hp turbocharged 2.5-liter is our favorite. A six-speed manual transmission is available, but only with front-wheel drive. A six-speed automatic transmission is required if all-wheel drive is selected.
While every 3 responds quickly to gas pedal inputs, the turbocharged engine is the only one that makes the 3 seem satisfyingly speedy. Although we haven’t tried the new turbocharged engine, we anticipate significant performance gains over the previous two. On straight and twisty roads, both the hatchback and sedan feel composed and have a smooth ride quality. We applauded the new Mazda 3 for preserving the preceding model’s fun-to-drive attitude. It features good body control, natural-feeling steering, and a strong ride that doesn’t punish passengers on bumpy roads.
The Mazda 3 sedan with the base 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine gets 28 mpg city and 36 mpg highway, according to the EPA; upgrading to the more powerful 2.5-liter nonturbo engine decreases those statistics to 26 mpg city and 35 mpg highway, but only marginally. With ratings of 23 mpg city and 31 mpg highway, the turbocharged hatchback variant with all-wheel drive is the least fuel efficient.
On our 200-mile highway fuel-economy route, we tested an all-wheel-drive automatic sedan with the nonturbo 2.5-liter engine, and it returned an impressive 41 mpg. We also tested a hatchback with similar equipment that got 2 mpg more on the highway (for 34 mpg observed). The front-drive stick-shift 3 got 38 miles per gallon (3 more than estimated).
Every model also comes standard with a slew of driver-assistance features, including automated emergency braking and automatic high-beam headlights. Visit the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) websites for more information on the 3’s crash-test results. The following are important safety features:
Automatic emergency braking with pedestrian recognition is standard.
Lane-departure warning and lane-keeping assist are standard.
Adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go technology is available.
