I’ve come to the end of my review of the 2019 Mazda3 GT AWD and this is a car that I had to try hard to find things that were wrong with it. Mazda clearly put a lot of time and effort to come up with a compact car that will rise up the sales charts. The interior is next level. Actually, it’s beyond next level as it impressed everyone who saw it. The exterior is a head turner, the tech on board is impressive, and will stand out in a crowded field of compact cars. The engine is a willing partner to the all wheel drive system and the latter makes the Mazda3 almost unique in the compact car segment. I say almost unique because the Subaru Impreza is the only compact car that I can think of that comes with all wheel drive. But the Impreza doesn’t match the interior of the Mazda3, nor does it match the engine and transmission combo. And when it comes to the usual suspects in the compact car space like the Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla, Hyundai Elantra, and the like, it’s simply heads and shoulders above those vehicles and everything else in the segment.
My final fuel economy was 9 L/100KM’s which I got in a mix of city roads and highways, not to mention a lot of rush hour traffic. That’s pretty good given that there’s all wheel drive on board which usually impacts fuel economy. Not to mention that I wasn’t exactly driving in a fuel efficient manner. Clearly Mazda has got that part nailed.
The Mazda3 GT AWD goes for $32,395 including freight and taxes. But you can get a Mazda3 for $18,000 without all wheel drive with lots of options all the way up to the GT AWD trim level. Quite frankly, Mazda has a winner on its hands here. If you’re in the market for a compact car, you should consider Mazda3 a must test drive.