Model research hub
Mazda Mazda3
Car and Driver's own testing clocked the automatic turbo AWD sedan at 5.6 seconds to 60 mph, against 7.0 to 7.5 seconds for the nonturbo variants, with highway fuel economy ranging from 34 mpg on the automatic nonturbo AWD hatchback to 38 mpg on the manual nonturbo FWD hatchback. MotorTrend says the sharply styled 2026 Mazda 3 handles great and is available with a turbocharged engine, but the small car skips outright sportiness for a more refined driving experience, with FWD variants using the non-turbo engine, specifically sedans, delivering the best fuel economy in the lineup; the base powertrain features a 2.5-liter non-turbocharged four-cylinder producing 191 hp and 186 lb-ft of torque. J.D. Power says for the 2026 model year, the Mazda3 2.5 S models lose five horsepower and earn lower fuel economy ratings, with most 2026 Mazda3 trims now delivering 186 horsepower and 186 lb-ft of torque, and that neither the sedan nor hatchback is particularly roomy inside, with the lower ride height making entry and exit more difficult than a crossover SUV.
Tested acceleration and fuel economy
Car and Driver's testing (opens in a new tab) clocked the automatic turbo AWD sedan at 5.6 seconds to 60 mph, against 7.0 to 7.5 seconds for the nonturbo variants, with 75-mph highway fuel economy ranging from 34 mpg on the automatic nonturbo AWD hatchback to 38 mpg on the manual nonturbo FWD hatchback.
Refined over sporty
MotorTrend (opens in a new tab) says the sharply styled 2026 Mazda 3 handles great and is available with a turbocharged engine, but the small car skips outright sportiness for a more refined driving experience, with FWD variants using the non-turbo engine, specifically sedans, delivering the best fuel economy in the lineup, and that the base powertrain features a 2.5-liter non-turbocharged four-cylinder producing 191 hp and 186 lb-ft of torque.
A 5-hp cut for 2026
J.D. Power (opens in a new tab) says for the 2026 model year, the Mazda3 2.5 S models lose five horsepower and earn lower fuel economy ratings, with most 2026 Mazda3 trims now delivering 186 horsepower and 186 lb-ft of torque, and that neither the sedan nor hatchback is particularly roomy inside, with the lower ride height making entry and exit more difficult than a crossover SUV.
Questions buyers ask
How fast is the Mazda 3 turbo AWD sedan to 60 mph?
Car and Driver (opens in a new tab) tested it at 5.6 seconds.
Did the Mazda3 lose horsepower for 2026?
J.D. Power (opens in a new tab) says yes, the 2.5 S models lose five horsepower.
Research map
Every major decision path.
The 2025 Mazda Mazda3 is built around 2.5L gas or 2.5L turbo, rated at 191 / 227–250 horsepower across its compact car body style.
Explore this topic →02Trims and equipmentThe 2025 U.S. lineup has 7 trims.
Explore this topic →03Towing and capabilityThe 2025 Mazda3 seats 5 and is a Compact car.
Explore this topic →04Safety and ownershipNHTSA recalls, complaints and crash ratings for the 2025 Mazda3.
Explore this topic →Current model year
2025 Mazda Mazda3
Non-turbo Mazda3 trims use a 191-horsepower 2.5L engine; the two turbo trims step up to 227 hp on regular fuel or 250 hp on premium.
Read specifications, trims, answers and sourcesModel-year archive
2 indexed Mazda Mazda3 model years.
| Model year | Trims | Open record |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 Mazda 3 | 2026 record → | |
| 2025 Mazda Mazda3 | 2025 record → |
Background and safety record
What public sources say about the Mazda Mazda3.
The Mazda3 is a compact car manufactured by Mazda since 2003 over four generations. The body styles have been a 5-door hatchback and 4-door sedan across all generations. It was sold as the Mazda Axela in Japan until 2019.
- Awards
- The fourth generation Mazda3 won the World Car Design of the Year award in 2020, granted by the World Car Awards (WCA). In 2024, the Mazda3 was one of four compact cars listed on Car and Driver's Editors' Choice.
Source: Mazda3 (Wikipedia); safety and recall figures from NHTSA.
Mazda Mazda3 at a glance
- Production
- 2003–present
- Class
- Compact car (C)
- Body style
- 4-door Sedan (automobile), sedan, 5-door hatchback
- Layout
- Front-engine, front-wheel-drive, Front-engine, four-wheel-drive
- Predecessor
- Mazda 323/Mazda Familia/Mazda Protegé
- Also called
- Mazda Axela (Japan, 2003–2019) Mazda 3 Axela (China, 2013–2019)
Mazda Mazda3 generations
The Mazda Mazda3 has been redesigned in 2008, 2013, 2019, gaps of 5, 5, 6 years, an average of 5.3 years between generations. The current generation (fourth generation, BP) began in 2019.
| Generation | Code | Began | What changed |
|---|---|---|---|
| First generation | BK | 2003–2008 | The BK series Mazda3 was first unveiled at the 60th Frankfurt Motor Show on 10 September 2003, and launched in Japan in October 2003 as the Axela. |
| Second generation | BL | 2008–2013 | In development from 2004 and designed under Kunihiko Kurisu from early 2005 to August 2006, in November 2008 Mazda debuted the second-generation Mazda3 with restyled exterior. |
| Third generation | BM/BN/BY | 2013–2019 | The third-generation 2014 Mazda3 was revealed in Australia on 26 June 2013. |
| Fourth generation | BP | 2019–present | An early design prototype of the fourth-generation Mazda3 hatchback was revealed at the 2017 Los Angeles Auto Show on 17 November 2017. |
Year by year
The Mazda Mazda3 across 12 model years.
| Model year | Combined MPG/MPGe | EPA annual fuel cost | EPA records |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Mazda 3 | 26–30 | $2,150–$2,500 | 7 |
| 2025 Mazda Mazda3 | 26–31 | $2,000–$2,400 | 7 |
| 2024 Mazda 3 | 26–31 | $2,000–$2,400 | 7 |
| 2023 Mazda 3 | 26–31 | $2,000–$2,400 | 8 |
| 2022 Mazda 3 | 26–31 | $2,000–$2,400 | 8 |
| 2021 Mazda 3 | 26–31 | $2,000–$2,400 | 10 |
| 2020 Mazda 3 | 27–30 | $2,100–$2,300 | 6 |
| 2019 Mazda 3 | 27–30 | $2,100–$2,300 | 6 |
| 2018 Mazda 3 | 28–32 | $1,950–$2,250 | 8 |
| 2017 Mazda 3 | 28–32 | $1,950–$2,250 | 10 |
| 2016 Mazda 3 | 29–33 | $1,900–$2,150 | 10 |
| 2015 Mazda 3 | 29–33 | $1,900–$2,150 | 10 |
Year-to-year changes
What changed in the Mazda Mazda3, one model year at a time.
| Step | EPA records | Combined MPG/MPGe, midpoint | Added | No longer listed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 to 2026 | 28.5 to 28.0 | |||
| 2023 to 2024 | 8 to 7 | Engines: 2L 4-cyl SIDI | ||
| 2021 to 2022 | 10 to 8 | Engines: 2.5L 4-cyl SIDI; With Cylinder Deactivation | ||
| 2020 to 2021 | 6 to 10 | Engines: 2.5L 4-cyl SIDI; With Cylinder Deactivation, 2L 4-cyl SIDI | Engines: 2.5L 4-cyl SIDI; Without Cylinder Deactivation | |
| 2018 to 2019 | 8 to 6 | 30.0 to 28.5 | Labels: 3 4-Door 2WD, 3 4-Door 4WD, 3 5-Door 2WD, 3 5-Door 4WD; Engines: 2.5L 4-cyl SIDI; Without Cylinder Deactivation; Drives: 4-Wheel Drive | Labels: 3 4-Door, 3 5-Door; Engines: 2L 4-cyl SIDI |
| 2017 to 2018 | 10 to 8 | Engines: 2.5L 4-cyl SIDI; with i-ELOOP Technology Package | ||
| 2016 to 2017 | 31.0 to 30.0 |
Trim by trim
Every 2026 Mazda Mazda3 trim side by side.
| Trim | Drive | Engine | Horsepower | Torque (lb-ft) | Curb weight (lb) | Max towing (lb) | Combined mpg | Base price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.5 S | FWD | 2.5-liter 4-cylinder (SKYACTIV-G) | 186 | 186 | 3,111 | – | 28 | $25,885 |
| 2.5 S Select Sport | FWD | 2.5-liter 4-cylinder (SKYACTIV-G) | 186 | 186 | 3,111 | – | 28 | $26,775 |
| 2.5 S Preferred | FWD | 2.5-liter 4-cylinder (SKYACTIV-G) | 186 | 186 | 3,111 | – | 28 | $28,525 |
| 2.5 S Carbon Edition | AWD | 2.5-liter 4-cylinder (SKYACTIV-G) | 186 | 186 | 3,283 | – | 28 | $31,050 |
| 2.5 Turbo Premium Plus | AWD | 2.5-liter 4-cylinder (SKYACTIV-G, Turbo) | 227 | 310 | 3,413 | – | 27 | $38,175 |
Source: Kelley Blue Book specifications for the 2026 model year; base price is KBB's national base price where its list carries the trim by the same name. A dash means KBB lists no figure.
Specifications by year
Power, weight and towing for every Mazda Mazda3 model year.
| Model year | Trims | Engines | Horsepower | Curb weight (lb) | Max towing (lb) | Fuel tank (gal) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 5 | 2.5-liter 4-cylinder (SKYACTIV-G) / 2.5-liter 4-cylinder (SKYACTIV-G, Turbo) | 186–227 | 3,111–3,413 | – | 12.7–13.2 |
| 2025 | 7 | 2.5-liter 4-cylinder (SKYACTIV-G) / 2.5-liter 4-cylinder (SKYACTIV-G, Turbo) | 191–227 | 3,086–3,397 | – | 12.7–13.2 |
| 2024 | 6 | 2.5-liter 4-cylinder (SKYACTIV-G) / 2.5-liter 4-cylinder (SKYACTIV-G, Turbo) | 191–227 | 3,124–3,395 | – | 12.7–13.2 |
| 2023 | 7 | 2.5-liter 4-cylinder (SKYACTIV-G) / 2.5-liter 4-cylinder (SKYACTIV-G, Turbo) | 191–227 | 3,148–3,393 | – | 12.7–13.2 |
| 2022 | 8 | 2.5-liter 4-cylinder (SKYACTIV-G) / 2.0-liter 4-cylinder (SKYACTIV-G) / 2.5-liter 4-cylinder (SKYACTIV-G, Turbo) | 155–227 | 2,984–3,379 | – | 12.7–13.2 |
| 2021 | 7 | 2.0-liter 4-cylinder (SKYACTIV-G) / 2.5-liter 4-cylinder (SKYACTIV-G) / 2.5-liter 4-cylinder (SKYACTIV-G, Turbo) | 155–227 | 3,100–3,379 | – | 12.7–13.2 |
| 2020 | 4 | 2.5-liter 4-cylinder (SKYACTIV-G) | 186 | 3,071 | – | 13.2 |
| 2019 | 4 | 2.5-liter 4-cylinder (SKYACTIV-G) | 186 | 3,071 | – | 13.2 |
| 2018 | 3 | 4-Cyl, SKYACTIV-G, 2.0L / 4-Cyl, SKYACTIV-G, 2.5L | 155–184 | 2,875–3,098 | – | 13.2 |
| 2017 | 4 | 4-Cyl, SKYACTIV-G, 2.0L / 4-Cyl, SKYACTIV-G, 2.5L | 155–184 | 2,875–3,098 | – | 13.2 |
| 2016 | 5 | 4-Cyl, SKYACTIV-G, 2.0L / 4-Cyl, SKYACTIV-G, 2.5L | 155–184 | 2,865–3,028 | – | 13.2 |
| 2015 | 6 | 4-Cyl, SKYACTIV-G, 2.0L / 4-Cyl, SKYACTIV-G, 2.5L | 155–184 | 2,854–3,001 | – | 13.2 |
Source: Kelley Blue Book specifications for each model year. A range covers every trim KBB lists that year; a dash means KBB lists no figure.
Compared with
Models this Mazda Mazda3 is most often compared with.
Nearest Mazda models
Other Mazda models.
Frequent questions
Answers with their conditions intact.
Q01How many trims does the 2025 Mazda3 come in?
The 2025 Mazda Mazda3 (compact car) comes in 7 trims: 2.5 S, 2.5 S Select Sport, 2.5 S Preferred, 2.5 S Carbon Edition, 2.5 S Premium, 2.5 Carbon Turbo, 2.5 Turbo Premium Plus.
Q02What are the 2025 Mazda3 trims?
The 2025 Mazda Mazda3 trims are 2.5 S, 2.5 S Select Sport, 2.5 S Preferred, 2.5 S Carbon Edition, 2.5 S Premium, 2.5 Carbon Turbo, 2.5 Turbo Premium Plus, listed from the entry 2.5 S up to the top 2.5 Turbo Premium Plus.
Q03What engine or powertrain does the 2025 Mazda3 use?
The 2025 Mazda Mazda3 is built around 2.5L gas or 2.5L turbo, rated at 191 / 227–250 horsepower across its compact car body style.
Q04How much horsepower does the 2025 Mazda3 have?
The 2025 Mazda Mazda3 is rated at 191 / 227–250 horsepower (2.5L gas or 2.5L turbo).
Q05Is AWD or 4WD available on the 2025 Mazda3?
The 2025 Mazda Mazda3 is offered with FWD / AWD.