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Mazda 3 reminds us of the BMW 3 Series

Flashy bells and whistles don’t mean a thing if they’re attached to a mediocre car. Fortunately for Mazda, at the 3’s core, the car impresses as a vehicle that’s been over-engineered, surpassing expectations and inducing warm fuzzy feelings in the heart of everyone who drives it. In fact, in multiple aspects, it reminded us of another famous 3, that is, the vaunted BMW 3 Series. As we pretty much consider the BMW 3 Series the pinnacle of the automotive kingdom, that is strong praise, indeed.

Refined and peppy engine

Motivating the Mazda 3s five-door hatchback is a peppy 2.3-liter inline four-cylinder engine producing 160 horsepower at the engine’s 6,500 rpm redline and 150 pound-feet of torque at a rather high 4,500 rpm. Near silent at idle and buttery smooth throughout its rev range, it’s a joy to spool the motor up and watch the tach needle climb, just like a BMW.

Zoom-zooming means 23.5 mpg

Possessing an infectious vibration- and drama-free joie de vivre spirit, the 2.3-liter engine encouraged us to squirt around other vehicles on the freeway while humming the “zoom-zoom-zoom” ditty. Obviously, we spent plenty of time goosing the gas; Mazda estimates fuel mileage at 25/32 mpg for city/highway use, and we averaged just 23.5 mpg during our mixed driving.