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2020 Mazda3 Review & Buying Guide | The connoisseur's choice

Completely redesigned last year, the 2020 Mazda3 pretty much carries over, continuing to be the connoisseur's choice for a compact car. For starters, its elegant sedan and unique hatchback body styles are considerably more stylish than expected for this segment. Park it next to a similarly priced Honda Civic or Toyota Corolla and people are likely to think you paid far more than you did. The same goes for the cabin, which is functional yet stylishly minimalist (if a bit cramped). Then there's the driving experience, which continues to delight those who value sharp responses and a driver-focused character. The switch to a less sophisticated rear suspension for this latest generation has dulled some of its corner-taking capability at the limit, but that's a low-percentile complaint. The bigger dynamic beef is perhaps that Mazda doesn't offer a hotter version in the vein of the Civic Si or VW GTI. Yet, that falls under the category of "wishes" not "problems," which the 2020 Mazda3 has scarcely few. Perhaps it won't be for everyone in the market for a compact car, but everyone should at least consider it.   What's new for 2020? After being completely redesigned last year, updates are light for 2020. The base trim level now comes standard with the Mazda i-Activsense suite of accident avoidance tech and driver aids that continue to be standard on every other trim level. 2019 Mazda3 AWD View 33 Photos What's the interior and in-car technology like? The interior quite simply makes you go "wow." A Honda Civic or Toyota Corolla, which are actually quite nice, look and feel like they should cost substantially less – especially when comparing top trim levels. Whatever trim level of 3 youÂ’re considering, however, the key to its wow factor is how the MazdaÂ’s design removes visual clutter by reducing switchgear and effectively hiding air vents and door handles. It just looks special. It's also functional. The steering wheel, which looks sensational, is an absolute treat to hold. There's considerable center console space and Mazda's tech interface, which had lagged behind its competition due to key usability issues, has been cleaned up. The dashtop screen is large and easy to see. The knob that controls it is large, not unlike BMW's iDrive, and ergonomically placed on the center console. It's not a touchscreen, though, as Mazda engineers determined that hunting for touch-operating icons can be distracting.

Mazda rumored to bring rotary-powered RX-9 concept to Tokyo

Stop us if you've heard this one before: Mazda will bring a rotary-powered sports car to the next big auto show. Okay, so we stopped for a second, but the show must go on. Following an official teaser image (shown above) late last month, Motoring.com.au has what it claims are renderings of the curvy, two-door coupe – called the RX-9 – that Mazda will bring to the Tokyo Motor Show later this month. The images show a far softer styling than Mazda's current crop of Kodo-inspired vehicles, while the overall look screams of a modern-day Cosmo Sport, the Japanese brand's first rotary-powered vehicle. And though that connection alone might be enough to justify whisperings of a successor to the RX-7 and RX-8, Motoring claims there will be an even more overt sign of this concept's power source. "Look to the Cosmo Sport," an inside source told the Aussie website, signaling that the Mazda stand would feature the vintage two-door. "The Cosmo has no earthly reason for being there unless..." The rotary rumor, if it comes true, won't exactly be what we're use to. While Motoring brings up the previously reported 16X – a 1.6-liter two-rotor – it builds on our 2013 report. According to the Aussies, the new engine could feature a two-stage electric turbocharger, be paired with a hybrid powertrain, offer up to 450 horsepower, and we're guessing, be hilariously complicated. Joking aside, it sounds like Mazda's goals here are admirable. A rotary-equipped sports car that could counter the 1.3-liter RX-8 engine's appetite for fuel and improve on its mediocre low and mid-range torque would be interesting indeed. As for those renderings, Motoring has front and rear three-quarter images. Comparing the rear with our original teaser leaves the look open to interpretation, but after seriously upping the exposure on the teaser (thanks Photoshop), the taillights and overall profile shape look to be a spot-on match. In front, the long hood shares some Kodo elements, like the headlights and grille, but its undeniable coupe shape – a long hood and very short deck – are far more organic and, dare we say, calm, than Mazda's other vehicles. You can take a closer look at the renderings over at Motoring's website. Do that, and then head back and let us know what you think of these RX-9 rumors. Is Mazda finally going to be bringing a rotary back to market?

Mazda doubles down with a pair of Threes

Looking to appeal to the compact tuner crowd, Mazda brought two different flavors of its 2014 Mazda3 to the SEMA Show in Las Vegas this week. The Club Sport 3 Concept hatchback (above) has more of a racing vibe to it, while the Vector 3 Concept sedan (right) looks to inject a little extra fashion into the all-new Mazda3.
Hotting up the 3, Mazda stuck with the stock 2.5-liter engine on the Club Sport 3 Concept but added a limited-slip differential and six-speed manual gearbox, the latter of which was lifted from the CX-5 crossover. Other upgrades include coil-over shocks, a performance exhaust, Brembo brakes and an aero body kit - the latter of which will be offered to buyers at a later date.
While the Vector 3 Concept does get some performance bits like two-piece Brembo brake rotors and grippier tires, the focus on this sedan is all about styling. Starting with a custom paint job and ghost stripes, the whole look is tied together with 19-inch, V-spoke Rays wheels.