2023 Mazda3 Turbo 

I love my '21 Turbo 3 Hatch PP for all the reasons outlined here. Better luxury alternative to A3 and CLA. And while it can't complete with S3 and CLA35, you get good enough performance and undercut those by 10-15k after loading them up with matching equipment.

Ive owned 3 Mazda 3s 2018 Mazda 3 2021 Mazda 3 Premium 2022 Mazda 3 turbo NO REGRETS! No better value on the market in its segment. A taste of luxury with great performance.

Non-touch screen is not a minus. It's a safety feature, and I think highly of Mazda because of that.

'21 Turbo 3 Hatch, Snowflake Pearl White with red interior. Almost a month in & I'm absolutely LOVING it!

Have a 2023 M3TPP and literally my dream car. Fun as hell to drive (always driving, cheesing with the 320lb torque) and luxurious as well. A very nice place to be. Also IMO it's rare. I don't see my car EVER. the design is the most beautiful car on the road for a 4 door hatch. My 5th Mazda 3.

Non-touch screen =/= dated. Older Mazda had touch screens. It is a deliberate design and safety choice. I find the dial input to be very easy to use once you learn it which took me about an hour or 2. The result is the screen is moved back and is much closer to your normal eyeline so you can glance at it without taking your eyes off the road nearly as much as other cars. I think it is a good and daring choice by Mazda to go against the grain of society on this and I wouldn't have them change it.

Another great review of the Mazda specs and design. But one major reason why I like this company is the integration of Japanese philosophy in it's design; Jinba Itaia, Yohaku, Kansei engineering and of course Kodo design. I have a 2023 Mazda 3 and from experience it's sporty, but also classy. Don't have a problem with visibility (the mirrors and warning system fix that) and no problems with the infotainment system (after 5 days of use I started preferring it to touch screens, at least no smudges). Mazda 3 to me is the perfect car for anyone who loves driving but can't get a roadster and needs 4 doors.

I love watching Clifford's reviews! Man's always honest, has a hint of humor but not too cringe, and he's always supportive of ICE vehicles without hating on EVs.

Here's a tidbit about fuel type. The horsepower improvement with Premium fuel does not arrive until after 4500 RPM's and the torque improvement is minimal and mostly unnoticeable . The 2.5 engine was originally designed as a fuel sipper and not a road ripper. It was never designed to be rev - happy. It does NOT begged to be revved high and in fact under full throttle it usually shifts around 5500 RPM. It does, however, have gobs of low end grunt which just feels oh so good compared to most cars out there today. So unless you're really standing on the thing and you're fine with less than musical sounds at high rpm, you're not going to miss the Premium fuel. I'm waiting for my 2nd Mazda3 Turbo HB in soul red to arrive as I type this. I'm 6' and I fit just fine in the car except for the annoying low rear view mirror but then many vehicles today suffer from this trait. The car is so much fun to drive and when brand new is very refined. However, in 5K miles or so the Bridgestone tire noise starts to easily overwhelm what little sound deadening there is in the car and then by 10K miles the suppleness of the suspension disappears. Even knowing these traits, and having gotten a feel for alternatives out in the marketplace, I still decided to get another. It's just too much fun to drive and yet still gets very good fuel mileage for the performance.

The screen is not touch because it is for safety. Mazda did this for a reason. I own a Mazda 3 HB and enjoy the entertainment system setup over competitors.

Great video. I wish there were more 250+ hp affordable AWD Hatchback family compact cars from Toyota/Honda to compare it to. If Honda took their 252hp Accord 2.0T engine and put it in an affordable

I remember you reviewed this car a couple years ago I was really obsessed with this car a couple years back Specially since it was a vehicle that you could get without the modern technology, most cars had Since Fan first been so many other cars, I’ve enjoyed watching reviews on

I have a '22 AWD Turbo and have put 13k miles on it. First of all, the non touch MMI is NOT dated, it is intentional like the BMW IDrive setup, real divers don't need a toddler tablet to control everything. But the problem to me was although I wasn't expecting a Speed3, the handling was very mediocre and the steering pretty numb. I had to drop about $4k in mods to get it where I wanted it to be. Also, ask anyone and they will tell you the brakes were spongy under hard braking. So, I did wheels and tires first, it has more narrow wheels and ties than Civic Sport that has way less power and that helped. Then I did a strut bar brace, that helped then did lowering springs and finally a rear motor mount upgrade and finally the suspension was where I wanted it. Before that, the brake based torque vectoring kicked in constantly with too much body roll just trying to drive even slightly spirited. I also did brake pad upgrade, no longer spongy under hard braking, intake, exhaust and a boost tuner as well as some appearance mods. But for the average person, start with the strut bar for $100 and that alone helps, BUT I still say the stock narrow touring tires have to go and the wheels are too narrow to support much bigger either, even a sub $1500 total wheel and tire package with off brand UHP tires helped tremendously. Road noise isn't bad at all and with all my modsI can punch it and be driving smooth and stable at 80 before I even know it.

Saw one in a parking lot yesterday and it's really beautiful up close!

This is one of the best reviewers on YT, for sure!

Great review, also enjoyed the '22 review, Cliff is a natural. When I purchase a car, I'm looking for the next car to last me 10+ years. I'm currently in a '11 Mazda 3 base level trim. She isn't pretty, but she's been incredibly reliable. I want to upgrade to the '23 Mazda 3 HB but the lack of visibility, and the infotainment are major negatives on my list. While they have improved the fuel economy as well, it still is lacking compared to the Civic (which makes sense given CVT and FWD on the Civic). I'm curious to see if the '24 lineup will usher in a new generation of Mazda 3, or at the very least, an update to their infotainment. Time will tell.

I just got a 2023 Mazda3 hatch turbo premium plus and I know that I have made a really good choice based on all the reviews that I watched. In regards to the 6 speed transmission, one guy noted that with all the torque you don’t need the transmission to down shift to lower gears….I think I would have to agree with him.

I have the 2015 Mazda6, and I wish they would offer the Mazda6 in a hatch back with this red interior. When I was in the UK, the Mazda6 did come in a hatch back model.

If I owned one of these newer Skyactiv turbocharged Mazda’s I would put 98-101 octane race gas in it to match the fuel quality these engines were really designed for.

Thanks for explaining all the negatives about the 2023 Mazda Turbo 3 and especially about hitting your head getting in this thing and you can't see out the back. You've convinced me. I'm not buying the 2023 Mazda3 Turbo or any other Mazda. I wouldn't pay $36,000 for this new 2023 Mazda3 Turbo edition. There are just way too many options how there that are way better and for less money. For example, 2023 Honda Civic Hatchback or Sedan. Civic, Zoom-Zoom!

Hi, Can i please ask how to get that red black interior, this interio on Mazda website is unavailable, i chooes the premium plus trim. I love it so much!!!!

I appreciate that your trousers are color coordinated with the leather.

Best Mazda 3 review Hans down😮, I've seen all of the❤

nice review))) but I'm 6'2" and never came close to hitting my head haha I love the no touch screen though , after about a month it makes sense and is great

What about the GTI? How does it compare?

Can confirm. I'm 5'9 and hit my head getting into my 23' Mazda3 a couple times.

Are the engines still burning oil?

Mazda has become a truly great car brand imho

I don't like the touch screen. I don't like finger prints on the screen so this works for me just fine and very easy to use.

I have a 22 turbo hatch and honestly you get used to the infotainment. Once you have things set just how you want you don't use it anyways. You just plug in your phone and away you go. Need to set a destination for google maps? Push the voice button and tell it where you want to go and cross your fingers it doesn't send you into the sea.

I have a 2019 and I love it its a fun car

We need a hybrid! This is not very fuel efficient or fast at all. Which one is it?

I wish Mazda added the rear view mirror illumination.

My 2016 VW Golf MK7 1.8t two door is producing 243hp and 273tq for way less money even adjusted for inflation. It gets 38 on the hwy and it's 500lbs less than the Mazda.

I have a 2021 3 Turbo Premium Plus. Love it but probably won't be keeping it. As fun and very well appointed as it is the fuel tank size combined with the less than stellar MPG are a huge pain. Get about 210 miles on a single tank if I want to run it to empty. Mostly city (although I live in the suburbs) driving and apparently idling is what eats fuel. Doesn't matter if it's 87 or 93, I just don't get a lot of range with the car. Sure is fun though. No problems with mine otherwise (although the rear visibility is very much so a huge issue).

I like the looks of this, I like that it's a hatch, I like the turbo engine with a manual. But being 6'4" I can't even consider this.

Have you compared the Mazda CX-30 Turbo with the CX-5 Turbo? Or even the CX-50 Turbo? I'd be driving a Mazda3 Turbo - with the exact color package from this review - but a failed fusion (lumbar) has relegated me to lifted station wagons. Some folks call them SUV's or even CUV's, which I still don''t understand. TIA

You should lower your seat if you are hitting your head. You definitely don't need to have your head to the roof to drive the car. I am 5'10 and have had 4 people in it all 5'9+ and had no issues.

I fully agree with the outdated transmission. I hate it. The power is great and it would probably sell more if the transmission can keep up. The interior mostly looks premium but it doesn't look modern compared to its German competitors.

I love mine. I make excuses to drive it all the time.

I love mine, I’m 5’3, it’s perfect for me.

Does this guy last long? its reliable ?

Great review, but these cars are rattle boxes. Brand new they are super quiet, although, after some time (even as low as 1,000 miles) creaks and rattles begin. Aside from that, I love my 21 3 turbo.

Mazda should really beef It Up, make It bigger, and that Will stop complaints

I prefer higher ground clearance & an elevated seating/viewing position, but still prefer smaller vehicles, so went with a Mazda CX-30 crossover instead. Happy with my choice, though I would be happier if the CX-30 in the USA had a manual transmission option.

This is just the best normal car there is 🥰 I prefer the Sedan because I think it looks better and has bigger windows, but this is a Masterpiece ❤️ I just wish for the next gen they give us some more space :) (You know, with no Mazda 6 this is the only non-SUV vehicle they have so hopefully make it a little big bigger for more practicality?) Also, the lack of a touchscreen is A GODSEND. I am so absolutely tired and disgusted by all of those cr4ppy touchscreens on everything now 🙄 Besides, I only need my car to play music from my phone and have navigation, this does that and I couldn't care more about the rest of the "features" in other infotainments.

I had the Mazda 3 hatchback and got rid of it after a few months. While I did love the looks, I just couldn't live with it long term. 3:00 ducking your head each time you get in and out proved to be very annoying for me and my passengers. The cheapness of some interior components were also a turn off. The glove box felt like it was made of thin soda bottle plastic. The seat controls felt hollow and cheap, the leather on certain places were too squishy without enough padding. The sunglass holder felt like a crappy old cassette tape cover. The seating surfaces looked good but the leather was not wearing well. The exterior paint was thin, the hood uses a cheap coat hanger prop to hold it up. Too many unfixable noises and rattles. The engine cylinder deactivation did nothing to save fuel. The safety software was also glitchy and threw a lot of false alerts. Overall, it just didn't feel like a cohesive finished product. Love the design, but hate the execution.

A type r doesn’t have all that much more performance, and it comes with all that toque steer I say this car drives better

I really like the design for the most part, but I hate the horrifically bad read visibility in it. And that MASSIVE c-pillar needs to be toned down. I really hope a mid-cycle refresh tidies it up. I'm a huge fan of the interior for the price though. Now if only they went back to having a touch screen and making it be active while driving. That and move it forward a bit to make it easier to reach.

Why they didn't launch decent engines in Thailand.. You don't that see many and I think that's why

Why doesn't anyone ever review the Sedan version?! His "minuses" about size and space are exactly what I expect from this car, so that's fine with me. My first car was a Datsun hatchback, okay? 😆

Drove that and the CX5 turbo. The CX5 makes much more sense, i understand why its a best seller for Mazda. The mazda3, that one i don't get it.

I hate how much I want this car

Car Gurus what you’re experiencing is just turbo lag bro, 8 speed wouldn’t remedy the open spaces you describe; ya you’d be in the powerband more often but with it being FWD biased platform one with a turbo charged powerplant that makes a ton of torque anything more than 6 speeds in a front wheel drive platform vehicle would make you feel sea sick let alone carsick.. There’s just no smooth way to swap cogs in a vehicle using around 300 lb ft of torque to PULL a light hatchback around. This is the barrier that prevents manufacturers from utilizing 7,8,9,10 speed automatics for torque-rich fwd/fwd biased awd vehicles. Then there’s the turbo itself constantly approaching or at peak boost with that many ratios, the engine would develop cooling issues. Some vehicle configurations are simply made to ‘climb’ the rev range. The thing is I bet this would be dope with a 6 speed manual provided the driver was good at shifting and the flywheel was a lower inertia type to prevent rev hang.

Yes

How's the reliability for the turbo?

Isn’t the car play touch screen

Could you review the latest Mazda6 and talk about the future of that model

If this even had the newer infotainment that's in the CX-50 I'd be VERY interested. Give it something newer and better than that and it would be at or near the top of my list. As it is here, it's not an option. I just can't stand that small clunky no-touch screen.

That infotainment interface is a deal breaker. Try using Android Auto for navigation and then switching your podcast station while you're driving and then going back to nav. With a basic touchscreen, that's super easy. With that rotary knob, it's dangerous.

I plan on buying one in a couple of years. But honestly, this is at best a Near-Luxury compact with some real power, if you go for the Turbo. Unfortunately, that power is more for in case you need it. Mazda decided that "Zoom-zoom" and MazdaSpeed would be quietly eliminated. The 3 is no longer an enthusiast's car. You want some luxury appointments and features with something far from _sedate_ under the hood, then it's an excellent choice. If you're an enthusiast who plans to drive this car like you stole it, each time you get behind the wheel?... No. You will be disappointed.

I hate the front end. It looks like it was sliced off.

So other than being uncomfortably tight inside, with a lack of passenger and cargo room, and rough ride, it's a really great car. Much like a go-cart.

Love mines 🤍🫶🏻

wish it was cheaper

I think it's over priced, especially since Mazda vehicles don't keep the resale value compared to competitors.

Other reviewers have been considerably more sanguine about the handling. It has a fairly crude torsion beam non independent rear suspension that gets upset over road bumps under acceleration. And every component of the suspension is stamped steel. No lightweight pieces anywhere. I guess Mazda doesn't care about this, given that the steering is pretty dead anyway. To me, this car sacrifices too much mechanically to give you the interior luxury. This drivetrain really makes much more sense on the CX 30, where expectations for driving dynamics are lower. The 3 Turbo is getting a lot of press lately, and I'm sure some of it has to do with VW's missteps on the Mk 8 GTI. Dynamically , that is a better car than this, with the exception of the cheap interior quality and the lousy infotainment system.

If an extra $0.30 /gallon for premium gas will break you, you have a money💸 problem and cannot afford a new car (let alone the top-line turbo that needs it for power). It is only about $100 every 10,000 miles.

To answer your question the Jetta GLI has a better interior for 36k.

why do americans call them "Maaahzdas"

I swear this is a old person car. Apparently it's not very good on space. So I guess it's fine for retired folks. I hear the ergonomic have turned lots of people off. But I rarely see any of the current Mazda3 sedan or hatch. But they standout so the few hatchbacks I have seen have all been driven by old folks. I see more younger Buick drivers lol.

2024’s succumbed to decontenting sadly. This gen is on its way out. It’s 6 years old now and is tired. The rear suspension is garbage. 2014-2018 is a better car.

This is a 93 octane and above vehicle. If you own one of these: Don’t settle for 91 octane.

Jesus at $38k you can get a cx-5 turbo AWD with a larger infotainment screen and is more practical. Seems Mazda wants to price the 3 out of existence.

Way to expensive

Don’t really care about “infotainment”, just love this car.

just get a honda civic hatch back 2022-23 instead lmao

Enough with black rims. Ugly and played out. Nice car tho...

It needs an 8 speed like you need a haircut.

Mazda Australia, if you're listening. . . Thank you.