TURBO Mazda3 Review! Is the MazdaSpeed3 Finally Back? 

What’s your favorite Mazda ever made?

mazda is trying to stand out of other economy brands by going with a little of premium feel and i must say this interior is one of my favorites right now , minimalist , not alot of buttons and no overwhelming 50 inch screens , very well balanced interiors

While all the other brands get more angular and covered in fake vents and creases, Mazda seems to be the only one sticking with smooth lines and dancing curves. I approve of their design language, theirs are some of the only new cars that don't look fucking atrocious.

As a Speed3 owner, I'm glad they didn't call this a Speed3. This feels like a Speed3 for grownups, which isn't a bad thing. It's a little nicer in materials and more mature. Shame it doesn't have a manual, otherwise it might have provided competition against the (non sti) wrx. I am very excited to see one with bolt ons tho.

No one should be mad you compare a Mazda to a Porsche, my buddy used to work at Mazda and he told me about how Mazda is trying to compete with Porsche luxury wise lol so I think it’s a great comparison

I think this car has serious tuner potential. Looking forward to seeing what people can do with this platform.

As a speed 3 owner , this is definitely not a speed since it’s not rowdy and loud but geez is it beautiful 😻

Just got out of boot camp and I’m buying one soon! I love these cars it’s such a coincidence you posted this!

I honestly can't remember the last time mazda made an ugly car. They're always good looking.

This review couldn’t have come out at a better time. I just bought my 2019 AWD premium hatch, and i bought it because I felt it was as close as I could get to something that would suit my need for a daily driver and an enthusiast. To be honest I felt self conscious because it’s an automatic (I couldn’t find any decent manual trans cars I’d enjoy building in my area because I’m from the middle of nowhere and the roads are rough and the snow is ridiculous etc. etc.) but I’m glad people are supporting the car and it’s potential. My goal is to build a fun daily that can put up a decent track time. The paddles are nice to have at least. It’s never going to be as engaging as a standard but it’ll be comfortable and clean. Thanks for the confidence boost my guy

I just bought one of these yesterday and good lord this car is a dream, can't wait to put parts on it.

Very Awesome Review!! I love my 2012 Mazda 3!! Regular sedan...non hatchback...I have over 222k miles on my Mazda since brand new!! I'd love to get this as my next Mazda!!

I'm really happy people are starting to talk about this car bc a awd turbo Mazda deserves to be talked about

Been waiting for this!! I got mine in machine gray premium plus sedan I love it, can't wait for more performance mods!

Just bought the 2021 3 turbo with the premium plus package and in soul r3d crystal. I love this car. Its so much fun to drive and has the power when you need it, without downshifting to get it. I love Mazda and the way they are trending. This is my 3rd Mazda and im a big fan of their brand

If they make this with a manual transmission later on I’m in 100%

Even though people say it feels filtered which maybe to some degree sure, David is getting the bag and that means more money for car parts and other projects.

mazda is slowly becoming a luxury brand😔

Hey! That was my red Speed3 you showed! 😍 Mazda has come out and said that "Mazdaspeed" is dead. Their motorsports division isn't even called Mazdaspeed either. They've said it's too childish, and it's not the direction they want to go. Which is sad. Because, imo, the Mazda3 2.5T doesn't need much to be a true blue Mazdaspeed3 successor. Give it some more power, and get either a manual trans, or a better auto (DCT?), And it's there. He's also not kidding at all when he says the interior is incredible.

Absolutely love mazda3’s. Love the new 4th gens even more. If there was a perfect blend between luxury, usability, reliability, and sportiness, this is it.

I test drove the none turbo version and I fell in love with it, I am going to get the awd turbo premium but I am going to wait until 2023 to see if Mazda drops that panoramic sunroof in it‼️💯

I drove a basic Mazda 3 hatch in 2019 and I loved it. They look amazing in hatchback form and their interiors are shockingly nice. It felt so premium and upscale for it list price of 26k. It also had a lot of options that you'd expect to see on a 35k+ car, but was on a 26k car. it was also pretty quiet too. I'd Totally take one of these as a daily while my mustang gets relegated to a weekend toy.

I’ve got a 2019 NA hatchback, and I loveeeee it. Slow af, but so much fun to drive. Def considering the turbo in the future

Thanks a million I always can rely on your review.

I have a brand new Mazda3 turbo. I was waiting for you to do this review. Thank you.

My wife and I got our cx9 about two years ago and I have to agree. For the money it’s a wonderful interior, and I think a very good looking car as well although that’s objective. The engine has plenty of power for a bigger suv. This is my third Mazda and I’ve loved them all.

Makes me miss my old 323 Familia. Was basically a 323 Progete but 4 wheel drive, turbocharged, manual wagon.

I miss this car , I definitely enjoyed driving this little hatch in the snow. Plenty of power and a beautiful interior, my only complaints were some of over the top tech in it. Can’t stand electronic parking breaks but that’s the deal now. The HUD saved me on some tickets for sure and the AWD felt great in the snow especially with some sweet blizzaks. I had GT in white first and then traded it for the turbo in poly metal grey and in white with that red interior it looks amazing. Add the Corksport exhaust and it’s sounds nice. Damn

Someone needs to try putting a big turbo on that car.

seriously one of the most beautiful new cars out there. Crazy that these things are so cheap base. The quality of the material is really great on the new mazdas. My mom has a 21 mazda 6 and it's beautiful.

Where is that snowy forest? What a place to drive....awesome review as usual!

I sometimes drive my parents turbo diesel cx 5 and its great, when we where at the dealership I saw the mazda3 and was instantly in love (mx5 is also a dream but expencive). The interior of all of them is great and compared to even other brands in europe cars that sometimes cost more 10/15k€ have worst interiors. I am a Nissan fanboy(s13 180sx is my dream car) but I love the new mazda line and they for sure got my eye on their cars for when I buy a new one, the price quality is great!

Great review and awesome content as always. Mazda is definitely in a different market than it was a decade ago as they are now competing with luxury brands and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. As I get older, my tastes in cars has changed a bit. But I’m afraid many of these companies that are getting rid of the affordable fun cars are going to lose the younger audiences that might have become attached to those brands to keep buying as they get older.

I've got a '17 5.0 with a '05 Mazda 3 2.3l as my beater and I love it it's so peppy and fun. My friend is the service manager at a Mazda so when I take the ol girl in for service he'll lend me a new 3 to drive. The interior and feel of the car is just so nice and premium if I had the cash I'd buy one to daily no questions asked. Mazda has been doing things right for a long time, I hope they bring back some sportier cars.

Mazda 3 interior looks so luxurious! Love the burgundy and black combination. And I love how the car drive

You’re driving a literal copy of my car - I leased it in January and I doubt I’ll give it back when it’s up. It’s poised, comfortable, and I enjoy all the things you mentioned! The one thing I’ll add that I’ve seen is the gas tank seems to be pretty small - I fill up a lot more often than I expected to.

I've owned 4 Mazda3's and I'll say this is definitely my favorite one I've owned. Mines lowered which definitely helps making tight turns but once you install a strut tower support brace it's like night and day difference. I will say the torsion beam is definitely a setback from Gen3 hatch that had 4 wheel independent suspension. Overall my favorite car Ive ever owned.

Just to put the stock power of this car in perspective for some people. I ran this exact spec with my 09 GTI (DSG) with Stage 2 APR tune w/intake and DP only and put a car in-between us. This car is pretty solid. Once some mods come out for it, it'll definitely have a lot more potential.

We need this in Australia really badly. Mazda 3 is the most popular compact car just behind Corolla.

Favorite Mazda ever made? FD RX7 hands down but I see real potential as a tuners dream in this new 3.

It's absolutely gorgeous inside and out ♥️

buying a polymetal grey metallic tomorrow. Its been a pain in the ass to find one, I finally did and they actually offered me a decent amount for my car in trade.

That interior is so nice. I'm used to my 90s JDM cars.

I'm sure I've heard around that this Mazda is not a Mazdaspeed product but it's not a bad thing for me. Might upgrade to this later on but so far I love my 2017 Mazda 3.

These cars look so good

Honestly the Mazda3 Turbo feels more like a MazdaSpeed3 for grown ups.

Hopefully in the next 2 years I should be able to get into one of these!

The FC RX7's dashboard feels like an old but rugged stitched book. That made me love mazda lol

Just got a 2011 speed3 and I love it

Reminds me of the Focus ST powerband. Small turbo + higher psi, instant power but dies off up top.

As a MS3 owner, I'm excited to see a Mazda 3 turbo. Bummed it doesn't have a manual. Cool that it's AWD.

I 100% agree with the interior. I simply love Mazda interiors since around 2014

I always loved how newer Mazdas looked

as someone who owned a speed3 and now own this. It’s not really meant to be a speed3 successor. In my opinion it’s a financially smart man’s A3 or 3 series. The interior is amazing for the price point it’s at

How do you think this 2.5 compares to the AWD Mazda 6? I’d be curious of a comparison because their prices are identical. I drive a 2010 3s now but I couldn’t justify paying the same price for less space and a worse interior

I bought an 09 Mazda 6 this time last year and I love it. Sure it’s “older” but man is it better than a rusty 04 Grand Am

Very nice review of the exact same spec/color/interior I will be buying soon once my 2016 GTI sells. I agree with everything you pointed out, especially the view out the rear, but I can get used to it I think. Seems to me Mazda could have added about an inch more vertical rear glass down towards the bumper without ruining the styling, (or straight copied the similar looking Alfa Romeo Brera and bring it down to a V point) just not sure that would make a huge diff in rear visibility. Thankfully it will have blind spot monitoring and the 360° parking cam you demonstrated so shouldnt be a huge issue. I'm very excited...the interior is second to none for the price, and while the suspension might not be quite as capable as the GTI, it still feels really good, and that glorious 320 ft lbs of torque won't overpower the front wheels due to the AWD quickly kicking in on hard pulls. I think of this thing like a Japanese Golf R, but for literally about $10k less similarly equipped (the R won't have a moonroof at any trim level) ..and thats quite remarkable.

Why was the go pro footage so loud? Did you put a mic in the exhaust or engine?

I had an 2008 3, loved it. 5 speed, fun to drive. Now I have an 07 6, auto, eh, gets me to work.

Holy crap. David got the Danny Krueger fit from Born to Race in that drag race where he lost against Jake in the Mustang.

This car being a hatchback people always will compare it to the MS3. I feel this has the heart of the MS6. I test drove this and I used to own an 06 MS6 and the instant torque and power to the ground reminded me of the MS6. Both being AWD I think Mazda thought about the MS6 when building this car. The MS6 to me, always felt more of a grown up car when compared to the MS3. The Mazda 3 Turbo is just that but smaller and lighter.

Is the lip kit and the side skirts from the factory? This is a car I am seriously considering buying.

Digging that interior color

i've driven the new Turbos, man they're amazing

Regarding the shifting...my dads 2011 Kia Forte Koup 2.4 Has Both Paddles And Shifter Too

I would love to see how a modern Mazda coupe would be with a v6

I wanna turbo my 2011 g37x like the one you showed 3 months ago but don’t know any tuner shops in Nebraska

these cars look so good

This needs to be a car affordable to those who love car culture but love the new era

Yo David, this is not "really" my concern atm since I am german but this would affect me a lot in the longrun. Please cover the EPA and RPM ACT situation please. The things I am reading are scaring me a lot.

can you try to review a regular ( Limited or SeL AWD ) new gen Taurus ?

David please do a video regarding the rpm act please 🙏🏽

Mazdas interiors look soooo nice

Must say the new mazdas look so nice and their reliable Since mazda doing good on sales

is this just an ecoboost with the skyactive pistons and cylinder head, smaller turbos, and tuning?

I can only dream of owning something like this! I feel so sad about it not coming to europe

Literally only thing keeping me from getting one and trading in my wrx is the manual. Wont ever happen which is sad cuz such an awesome car

Good stuff

I really wish this came in a manual! I need a new daily and this would probably be my choice, but I really want a manual so I'll probably end up shoveling out the cash for a Focus RS (maybe ST) or Civic Type R

Sigh, this car is beautiful inside and out. My only concern is the rear passenger seating. I do not have a family but want to make sure there's enough room for my passengers and that they're company

What part of Georgia are you in I’d love to meet you

I love the exterior and interior design. If only it has the type R engine and transmission, it would be the perfect hatch :/

As an owner of one I 100% agree.

I have the 2020 Mazda 3 hatchback and I love it mine also has the red interior. Kinda sad they no longer do the red on red I’m glad I didn’t wait for the turbo because I would have been upset if I couldn’t have the red leather interior with the soul red crystal paint. Though this is my third Mazda 3 I literally went from the cheapest model that I got at 18 to the premium model I own now.

The thing i would change is the c pillar...its huge! Or you buy a veloster n.

Sounded like doug demoro with that intro.

I think if they made the car into a manual with a difference appearance option like special vent on hood or sides could grab the attention of more enthusiasts

I don’t think the Mazda3 Turbo is the new Mazdaspeed3 but it makes a nice daily for what it is especially in the city

I think Mazda wanted the Mazda3 Turbo to be like a fast, fun, comfortable, and economical car but at the same time it’s really missing the good parts like a double wishbone suspension, limited slip diff, and a manual transmission it’s far from being a successor to the Mazdaspeed3 but if you’re looking for a good city car, then this one is for you

It’s very handsome! Definitely a sleeper

you forgot to mention the Infotainment system will have a ghosting in a few months due to the location of the screen so that will be a dealership issue. as well as how Mazda develops there vehicles with more TQ off the line to give the driver a "in the seat" power feel. as well ALSO as this is a carbon package Turbo mazda 3.

I'm so confused what to buy. MX-5 or Mazda 3???

How do you like it compared to a miata?

Hopefully later on the make a lightened version with less amenities and a bit more power with a manual transmission set up

The front sensors are a bit sketchy, they don't work properly all the time vs shiny surfaces. But after having the skyactive X for 11000km so far, I wouldn't change it for any car.

The Veloster N makes it so difficult to want to pick up anything else as a sporty daily. This car looks great though.

Seriously considering this for my next car. That interior is beautiful. Do wish it had a manual option though.

FD RX-7 is my favourite Mazda! But I own a clapped out gen 1 RX-8

Had a chance to ride in one of these. Interior quality is insane, through the roof, speakers are great as well. It's noticeably slower than the WRX which may be a point taken off for enthusiasts.

Hey buddy, I think you should dig into the current EPA situation and make a video about it so we can get the word around, as should other big car RU-vidrs. If the RPM Act isn't passed before EPA starts making more moves, this $40B+ industry is done. Premier Performance & EZ LYNK taking the hit from the EPA this past week means war. It will get worse.