Driven: 2024 Mazda 3 Hatchback Is Quite Close To Perfect

While the default compact car in the USA seems to be either the Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla, or Hyundai Elantra, the Mazda 3 is for the more refined palette. While costing around the same, the Mazda 3 Hatchback exudes a more premium look and feel, backed up by Mazda’s now typical zest when it comes to driving dynamics. It comes as either a sedan, which we review separately, or in the cheekier and prettier-to-look-at hatchback form.

Our tester arrived as in Turbo Premium Plus form, meaning it came with the more powerful 2.5-liter turbo engine, a six-speed automatic transmission, all-wheel-drive, and an MSRP of $36,650 – a big leap from the Mazda 3’s base model price of $24,170. The question is, does the top trim do enough to justify the price tag?

Exterior: Understated But Sharp

The Mazda 3 Hatchback has a convex curve designed into the side bodywork, which Mazda has wordy ways of describing as part of its design language – but when you see one go by in traffic it looks like a dent; like someone knocked into the side of it. That’s about our only criticism of how the hatchback looks, as the rest of the car is nicely understated while the competition gets obsessed with edges and hard lines. It’s a more elegant take on the small car body style, quite contrary to the Corolla hatch.

Our Premium Plus model arrived on 17-inch wheels – which means a wide selection of tires and less expensive to replace than unnecessary 18- and 19-inch wheels; standard 2024 Mazda 3 Hatch Premium Plus models ride on 18-inch items, though, which also get sharp LED projector headlights and taillights, roof side rails, a black roof spoiler, and a front air dam with air guides.

Interior: Premium

Mazda is responsible for the other mainstream brands upping their interior game, but Mazda is still doing it better than most. The interior of the Mazda 3 at any price is well built, feels premium, and comfortable. Inside the Premium Plus, the sport seats are leather-trimmed in Black or Red, the steering wheel and gear selector are leather-covered, the climate control is dual-zone, the front seats and steering wheel are heated, and there are paddle shifters for changing gears when the urge takes hold. Interior space is par for the compact course, with just enough room for four people to be comfortable and a trunk with enough room to support a long weekend away.

The trick is in how well the interior is laid out; there’s enough room for five, and the controls are laid out ergonomically – meaning everything is where you expect it to be. The downside with the hatchback is that you lose a little visibility out the back, but not to the extent that we ever felt unsafe.

Interior dimensions for a small car are impressive, although models with a moonroof lose a few inches in headroom as compared to the standard measurements below, and the rear passenger side seat has 0.7 inches less leg room.

The hatch version of the Mazda 3 also has the benefit of more cargo volume than its sedan counterpart, holding 20.1 cubic feet over the 13.2 behind the sedans back seats.

Infotainment: Weakness And Strength

Mazda likes to mount a smaller infotainment screen further forward on the dashboard than most automakers, making it a shorter distance for the driver to drop their eyes to glance at information. We’re fans of this approach, particularly when using a navigation system. Fortunately, the top two trims get a larger 10.25-inch screen for infotainment over the 8.8-inch unit on base models. The dial in the center console does a good job of controlling the system, as it isn’t a touchscreen.

A slight issue arises when using Apple Carplay or Android Auto as it takes a lot of control wheel turning to get to your chosen icon or menu selection. It’s not a dealbreaker, but neither CarPlay or Android Auto are designed for that control system. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are included in the Premium Plus. Disappointingly, neither are available wirelessly on lower trims – including the Premium without the Plus.

Under The Hood: A Strong Engine

Mazda’s non-turbocharged base 191-horsepower 2.5-liter engine is fine, but the turbocharged version is great. It makes with 227 hp on regular fuel and as much as 250 hp with 93 octane gas.

Power goes to all four wheels when you opt for the Turbo. While the engine isn’t chaotically fast, it’s quick, strong, relentless, and has a satisfying sound coming from the air intake into the cabin. Smartly, Mazda seems to realize four-cylinder exhaust sounds aren’t interesting, but a growly air box making itself known under harder acceleration is fun.

The six-speed transmission is also strong and shifts quick enough to make things interesting when in Sport mode. On paper, the engine isn’t too interesting – but when you consider it as part of the package, it fits perfectly. 0-60 comes up in around six seconds, and the little hatch has a top speed of 134 mph.

On The Road: A Hatch With Purpose

There’s always a sense of purpose that comes with driving a Mazda 3. It wants you to drive it, not check out and follow rote routes, whether around town, on a commute, or on a back road. If you like to be involved in the driving experience or just like to hustle, you’ll appreciate the Mazda 3 Hatch. The steering is perfectly measured for weight and feel, the suspension is compliant but alert, and the engine and transmission have an urge to them. Sure, you can take it easy, but when you’re ready to hustle and have some fun, it’s raring to go. It’s not quite a hot hatch here in 2024, but fifteen to twenty years ago it would have blown our minds while we wondered how the ride was so nice when on the highway.

Sport mode is where the real fun is, with the throttle response increasing and the all-wheel-drive system working its magic while never noticeably interfering. It wants to help, never hinder. You can turn it in and hold a line with the tires and steer, eventually letting you know you’re approaching the edge of grip and getting the power down early and out of a corner. Then, switch out of sport mode and go about your day in comfort.

Conclusion: A Driver’s hatch

Mazda has continually refined the Mazda 3, turning it into an absolute gem on the road. It’s brilliantly balanced between being a taut, fun car on a back road and a daily commuter or small family car. It also manages to have unique styling without wildly following any fashions and will still look good in five and ten years’ time.

There’s a range of trims to choose from, with pricing from just over $25k for the 2024 base model. We think the turbo engine is a must, and the Turbo Premium Plus has all the bells and whistles for $36,650 before destination.

Up against the competition, Mazda has the interior quality and fun-to-drive advantage. Look to Hyundai for better infotainment, Toyota for its reputation for reliability, and Honda for a solid blend of the aforementioned. But, if infotainment isn’t a dealbreaker, and you want the best interior and enjoy a backroad blitz, the Mazda 3 Hatch should be at the top of the test drive list.

It’s worth noting, however, that the 2025 Mazda 3 has already been introduced to the market, and it offers an even lower starting price – and it promises some additional user-friendly features. If you can get a good deal on a 2024 model, you should go for it – otherwise, the 2025 version is an even more accomplished hatch,