Mazda 3 Saloon Review 2026

As enthusiasm for SUVs grows exponentially, demand for traditionally shaped saloons has been decimated. Seldom featuring in consumers’ collective consciousness, particularly at the more compact end of the family car spectrum, you would be forgiven for assuming none remained on sale, yet there’s a gem among their tiny number. Discover its lustre in our full Mazda 3 Saloon review.

If there was a direct correlation between a car’s excellence and its popularity, the UK’s roadscape would be punctuated with significantly higher numbers of the Mazda 3 Saloon than is the case.

That’s not to suggest that you would encounter one parked around every street corner, of course. Such four-door models with separate boots have long sold in smaller quantities than equivalent hatchbacks due to being inherently less practical. Buyers to whom they historically appeal to tend to be older and — not to put too fine a point on it — are inevitably declining in number.

Even today’s choice of 3 Saloon models reflects car buyers’ lack of appetite for the bodystyle, limited as it is to one engine, two gearboxes and a solitary trim level. Compare that with its more broadly appealing Mazda 3 hatchback twin — two choices of motive power, both with a pair of transmissions to choose between up a five-rung specification ladder.

Yes, the Mazda 3s are twins, albeit the non-identical variety — and not simply due to how their tail-end styling concludes. Many of the differences are subtle but the only exterior body panel the 3 Saloon shares with the five-door version is the bonnet. Although its flanks are devoid of sharp creases, there is a softened arc stamped into the front wings, cascading downwards into the back doors that the hatchback body does without.

Beauty inevitably resides within the eye of the beholder, yet whether or not the Mazda 3 Saloon’s design appeals to you, it’s fair to say its proportions are far more balanced than many compact saloons have been, That it looks like a carefully scaled-down facsimile of the discontinued Mazda 6 Saloon is no bad thing.

To understand the Mazda 3 Saloon’s place in the market, it would be an alternative to the imaginary four-door Ford Focus and the booted Vauxhall Astra — the latter-day Ford Orion and Vauxhall Belmont, if you will.

In their absence and with the pool of mainstream saloon alternatives evaporating to the extent that very few manufacturers even bother, the recent arrival of the BYD Seal 6 at least provides some direct competition, notwithstanding that the Chinese newcomer is powered exclusively by a plug-in hybrid drive system, the Mazda by a mild hybrid alternative providing no electric-only driving.

If you feel inclined to dig deeper, then there’s a tad more choice, all of which comes from a familiar triumvirate of German marques. Slightly younger than the Mazda is the Audi A3 Saloon, offering a wider scope of engines — including a diesel — right up to the performance-focused S3 and RS3 versions.

Attempting to add a touch more glamour with a lower roofline and frameless windows in its doors is the BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe. Launched around the same times as the Mazda, it’s since had a significant update, but it also has a limited choice of variants these days.

Similarly a four-door coupe, the box-fresh third-generation of the Mercedes CLA is now marketed as a saloon, no doubt in part to appease buyers of the departed Mercedes A-Class Saloon. So far it’s being sold in mild hybrid and fully electric guises.

Also available with a choice of drive systems is the SUV-esque Citroen C4 X. There’s a choice between the petrol-sipping Hybrid or, if you fancy going totally battery-powered, the electric Citroen e-C4 X.

And, erm, that’s your lot.

Today’s sole engine choice for the Mazda 3 Saloon is the petrol-fuelled, 2.0-litre e-Skyactiv X which produces 186PS. Despite that generous-sounding total, it doesn’t feel especially quick the overall performance and economy balance is adequate.

Following a trim level naming convention change, Exclusive-Line is the second-highest within the overall Mazda 3 hierarchy but all that’s available for the Saloon. Compared with the hatchback line-up’s range-topping Takumi grade, Exclusive-Line misses out on a handful of goodies including a 360-degree parking camera system, windscreen wiper de-icers, leather upholstery and an electrically adjustable driver’s seat.

Priced from just under £31,000, the Mazda 3 Saloon costs the same as its hatchback equivalents. While it loses out in terms of overall practicality against the five-door, the saloon’s boot capacity is larger and because it’s lighter overall, it’s also marginally more fuel efficient.

If a compact four-door is on your shortlist, the Mazda 3 Saloon remains a fine choice.

Plonk yourself behind the wheel of the Mazda 3 Saloon soon after stepping out of the dinkier Mazda MX-5 roadster and you will be in no doubt about their common heritage. That’s not to suggest that the 3 Saloon feels like a rear-wheel drive sports car, not least because here it’s the front pair of wheels which deliver the engine’s motive power.

What you will immediately be aware of is its fluidity over undulations and surface imperfections, the communication via the steering wheel, the weighting of its major controls and — should you go for the manual — a delightful gearbox which relishes being snicked from one ratio to another.

It’s no exaggeration to suggest that a car this well-sorted, which responds so immediately and faithfully to its driver’s inputs, reinforcing their confidence in its abilities, is one of the best-kept secrets among family transport which will sate those of an enthusiastic bent. Naturally, Mazda would wish it was far more widely known about, but that’s another story.

What is particularly telling is that even for those moving to the 3 Saloon from an over-assisted rival which feels comparatively anaesthetised to pilot, it won’t feel overstimulating. Quite the opposite, in fact — you will almost immediately assimilate yourself to the Mazda’s sensations and wonder why all cars aren’t like this.

Sure, some consumers regard family cars as an appliance to convey them from Point A to B and back again. You pays your money, you takes your choice and all that. Yet, having a greater awareness of what the car’s up to, delivered intuitively through your entire body, not only makes each journey more enjoyable, it’s also safer.

Such are the 3 Saloon’s levels of grip that you have to push very hard into a tight corner before its front tyres squeal ‘enough’, causing it to push out wider than your intended trajectory. But because you have a greater awareness of what’s going on, you can deal with it faster and regain the Mazda’s equilibrium sooner. In slippery conditions, that could make a world of difference.

All of this might hint at the 3 Saloon being very firm-riding to ensure its other handling traits are pin-sharp. Let us dispel that right now — yes, it’s firmer than many cars of this type, but not remotely uncomfortable as the damping does a fine job of rounding-off the sharpest of asphalt ruts.

If cosseting compliance and maximised ride comfort are what you seek, take a gander at the Citroen C4 X — just don’t expect it to hold a candle to the Mazda in its other regards.

Only one engine is available for the current Mazda 3 Saloon line-up, although that’s been the case for the vast majority of the time since its 2019 debut.

Initially the decision buyers faced was to go for the diesel 1.8-litre 116PS Skyactiv-D or the petrol 2.0-litre Skyactiv-X with 180PS. The former disappeared from price lists within months while the latter continued until 2021 when it was upgraded to become the e-Skyactiv X.

Without delving too deeply into the mechanics of it, the 3 Saloon’s e-Skyactiv X engine combines characteristics of both a conventional petrol and a diesel, tackled with combining performance and fuel efficiency.

In fairness to the Mazda, it makes a decent fist of it, yet it’s clear from newer approaches that a plug-in hybrid melds those requirements even more successfully. It’s telling that outside of the 3 Saloon and hatchback ranges, only the closely related Mazda CX-30 has the e-Skyactiv X engine, while larger models, such as the Mazda CX-60, offer a choice of diesel or petrol-PHEV motors.

Since that 2021 upgrade, the 2.0-litre e-Skyactiv X engine produces 186PS and 240Nm of torque. On paper they sound more than ample for decent progress, but it requires plenty of work with the transmissions to get the most out of it.

Why so? Mazda is generally anti-turbocharging its petrol engines, going against the grain compared with almost every other car manufacturer. Without a performance-enhancing turbo getting everything going at a higher rate much sooner, you will find yourself changing gears more often than you have in a while, but this is far from a chore.

There’s much enjoyment to be derived from the six-speed manual transmission, with a deliciously precise shift action to its stubby lever, which feels entirely appropriate to its heightened levels of driver engagement. Alternatively, the six-speed automatic is quick to respond and perhaps a better choice if your drives frequently involve plenty of stop-start urban driving.

While the e-Skyactiv X engine lacks a turbocharger, it does feature a small supercharger to force more air into it for efficiency rather than performance purposes. There’s also a 24-volt mild hybrid assistance, but this is best thought of as an amplified stop-start system rather than one capable of running on electric power alone for a handful of miles.

Whichever gearbox you choose, the Mazda 3 Saloon e-Skyactiv X will top out at 134mph, but in accelerative terms from a standstill it’s the manual with is fractionally the quicker. Opt to shift gears yourself and the 0-62mph benchmark is done and dusted in 8.1 seconds, while the smooth automatic does the job in 8.5.

Adequately brisk rather than scintillatingly quick, then.

Due to the Mazda 3 Saloon’s Euro NCAP crash-test taking place in 2019, subsequent alterations to the test procedure to inject it with further rigour mean that older results have expired. Given the model’s age, it’s unlikely to be re-tested to the latest standards.

This isn’t to remotely infer that the Mazda is remotely unsafe, merely that as technology improves and the average safety standards increase, older models are likely to fall short of the newest standards.

Nevertheless, it still achieved a five-star rating in 2019 with an exceptionally high 98% score in the adult occupant protection category. The 87% rating for child occupants, 81% for vulnerable road users and 73% for its safety assist systems aren’t to be sniffed at, either.

Among the standard safety aids fitted to the Mazda 3 Saloon are a driver attention monitor, blind-spot monitoring, lane-departure warning and adaptive cruise control incorporating a stop and go function for automatic models.

All Mazda 3 Saloons with the e-Skyactiv X engine are rated to tow braked trailer loads of up to 1300kg. That’s a relatively modest maximum so check that’s viable for you before signing on the dotted line if you planned to haul a hefty caravan.

Although the 4660mm long Mazda 3 Saloon is 200mm greater from bumper-to-bumper than its hatchback sibling, its identical 2725mm wheelbase ensures none of its extra length is to the benefit of its passengers.

This is unlikely to be an issue for those sat in the front of the 3 Saloon where there’s ample space for heads and limbs, with supportive, comfortable seats offering a wide range of adjustment. That includes commendably close to the floor lowest position which feels entirely in keeping with the Mazda’s handling credentials.

Determining a pleasing driving position is made all the easier with plenty of reach and angle positioning potential of the great-to-hold steering wheel, while outward visibility is good, particularly rearwards thanks to the 3 Saloon having more slender roof pillars and deeper windows than the hatchback.

Rear seat space is less impressive than up front, with taller passengers struggling for knee room when sat behind someone of the same height. Scalloping out the front seatbacks has helped, but it doesn’t eradicate the problem of sitting with your knees high and subsequently missing out on under-thigh support.

Headroom in the back is marginally more advantageous in the 3 Saloon thanks to it being 5mm taller overall than the hatchback, but that won’t stop those aforementioned taller occupants brushing their scalps against the headlining. At least the increased glass area over the hatchback ensures it feels a little airier in the back.

While there are three seatbelts for the 3 Saloon’s rear bench seat, the central position is less comfortable. Its cushion and seatback — the latter containing a fold-down armrest — stand proud of the more accommodating outer positions, while the raised hump in the floor requires their feet to vie for space either side of it. Isofix child seat-mounting points can be found in the outer positions.

In-car storage for odds and ends is acceptable rather than impressive, with the usual fare of front and rear door bins, a glovebox, two cupholders in both the front centre console and the rear armrest, a wireless smartphone charging pad, a lidded cubby beneath the front armrest, a sunglasses holder in the roof and a seatback pocket on the passenger side only. That seems like unnecessary meanness to not install one on the back of the driver’s seat.

By having a bootlid rather than a tailgate (the rear window also lifts up with the latter) the Mazda 3 Saloon’s luggage space aperture is consequently smaller than the hatchback’s, although it’s far gapier than other compact four-door cars of the past.

Pop it open to reveal 450 litres of space, some 120 litres more than in the 3 hatchback of the same specification loaded to its removable luggage cover. Expanding the 3 Saloon’s load-carrying potential are its 60/40-split rear seatbacks, boosting the volume to 1138 litres when loaded to the ceiling, which is a 116-litre advantage over the hatchback version.

When folded forwards, they lie almost horizontally but even more usefully there’s no unhelpful step between their plane and the level of the boot floor, making it that bit easier to slide longer, heavier loads straight through. The hole which is opened by folding the seats down remains height-limited, so bulkier items may need to be transported using some other means.

The Mazda’s seats-up capacity compares favourably with several of its competitors — Audi’s A3 Saloon provides up to 425 litres of space, while the BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe offers 360-430 litres depending on which version you choose.

Mercedes latest CLA in hybrid guise will swallow 405 litres of cargo, while the BYD Seal 6 is more generous — notwithstanding that it’s 180mm longer than the Mazda, its 491-litre boot is usefully more capacious. It’s not the largest here, though — that honour goes to the Citroen C4 X thanks to its 510-litre boot.

With its high-grade material choices and first-rate build quality, the Mazda 3 Saloon continues the Japanese brand’s well-earned reputation for fine interiors.

Everything feels substantial and well-engineered, from the trim panels on the doors to the buttons on the steering wheel. Sure, you will find some harder plastics in the lower reaches of the cabin that are less of a tactile delight, but overall for what’s essentially a mainstream car, it could easily pass muster in something from an upmarket brand.

There were no early signs of fixtures rattling having worked their way loose, although it’s regretful that in more recent years Mazda has deleted the option of a light-coloured alternative colour scheme for the 3 Saloon’s interior. As a result, everything’s black or close to it, with no interior ambient lighting to relieve it.

Given the world in which we live where car interiors are dominated by enormous touchscreens with precious few physical buttons, switches and knobs in sight, the Mazda 3 Saloon’s dashboard is a welcome antidote.

From the direction signposted by both the Mazda 6e and the CX-6e SUV, the interiors of which are reminiscent of your local I-Max, if the 3 Saloon is succeeded, it’s replacement will follow suit. Enjoy this while you can.

Newer 3 Saloons use a 10.25-inch multimedia display screen in place of the 8.8-inch version, sat atop the dashboard. It’s a sharp-looking, letterbox-like screen, but sufficiently deep for all of the contents it displays to be easily readable.

Rather than a touchscreen, your conduit with its functions is a rotary knob and accompanying buttons on the centre console aft of the gearlever. Known as the Multimedia Commander, it’s similar to the outgoing iteration of BMW’s iDrive system and proves to by a cinch to use while driving, with integrated ‘clicks’ as you turn the knob which marry with the on-screen menu choices.

Although there is an integrated navigation system, it’s likely most owners will take advantage of the wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity and use one of the incorporated mapping apps.

As the latest Mazda 3 Saloons only come in Exclusive-Line specification, the standard audio array is a 12-speaker Bose surround sound package. It’s a punchy system that should keep audiophiles happy — just treat it to some music now and again instead of podcasts.

Physical buttons, switches and knobs are all appropriately grouped and so effortless to use while keeping your eyes on the road, all operating with a satisfying action. Automotive scholars of the future will write papers bemoaning their passing with the advent of the touchscreen age.

Similarly, the 3 Saloon’s part-analogue instrumentation with a 7.0-inch central display which convincingly mimics the physical gauges either side of it, could risk looking old hat when most rivals are now fitted with display screens only for such information. Yet, they don’t, doubtless helped by their classy clarity and lack of superfluous detailing.

As today’s Mazda 3 Saloon line-up comprises of one engine, a solitary high-ish trim level and two gearboxes, it’s not a difficult range to get your head around.

Prices start at £30,880 for the 3 Saloon e-Skyactiv X 186PS Exclusive-Line with a manual transmission, with the automatic alternative being a sizeable step up to £32,680.

Those prices are the same as for the equivalent derivatives in the Mazda 3 hatchback range, which overall spreads from £25,280 to £35,080.

Of the 3 Saloon’s rivals it’s the car with four rings on its grille that serves-up the widest assortment of variations. Cheapest of the Audi A3 Saloon range is the Sport 116PS TFSI at £30,830 stretching up to £71,610 for the RS3 Saloon Carbon Vorsprung 400PS TFSI quattro S tronic. At least reading its name out aloud gives you plenty of time to ponder its cost.

To get behind the wheel of the BMW 220 M Sport Gran Coupe be prepared to shell-out £36,555 with the flagship M235 xDrive Gran Sport weighing in at £46,600.

Only available as a plug-in hybrid, the larger BYD Seal 6 DM-i is priced between £34,015 and £37,015, while over at Mercedes the CLA starts at £38,700 for a 180 Sport and escalates to £53,400 if you choose the 220 4Matic AMG Line Premium Plus.

Cheapest of the compact four-door saloon genre is the Citroen C4 X Hybrid — just £25,915 will net you the least expensive Plus model while the gussied-up Max is a very reasonable £27,805.

Despite this generation of Mazda 3 Saloon being on sale since 2019, its niche appeal results in few being available on the used car market. Consequently, the small number available ensures used prices remain surprisingly strong — don’t be surprised to see good order examples of the earliest ones being advertised at upwards of £12,000, while the hatchback can be picked up for £8,000.

If outright practicality isn’t a major consideration, one advantage of choosing the Mazda 3 Saloon over the hatchback is its marginally superior fuel efficiency, courtesy of being both slightly lighter and more aerodynamic.

Today’s sole engine choice is the e-Skyactiv X 2.0-litre petrol which, without getting bogged down in the technicalities, Mazda suggests offers diesel-like economy. Official WLTP Combined cycle figures for the manual suggest 51.4mpg and 46.3mpg if you opt for the automatic. For reference, the equivalent hatchback claims 50.4mpg and 45.6mpg respectively.

We achieved 45mpg with the manual over a wide range of road speeds on test without trying to drive with fuel-saving being front of mind.

For a few months when this-generation Mazda 3 Saloon went on sale it was also available with a 1.8-litre Skyactiv-D diesel engine choice. You will struggle to find a used one and even if you did, think very carefully about whether you could live with its modest 116PS power output in the chase for its official 58.9mpg best.

All versions of today’s Mazda 3 Saloon are comfortably below the £40,000 threshold to trigger the Expensive Car Supplement on top of your annual VED car tax bill, so no hassle there.

As the 3 Saloon’s modest fuel efficiency advantage over the hatch translates into lower CO2 emissions — 123g/km versus 126g/km with a manual gearbox — it falls into the 30% rather than 31% band for Benefit-in-Kind (BiK) taxation, as paid by company car drivers.

For a 20% rate payer that equates to a £60 annual saving at 2025/26 rates, but at a time when all fully electric cars are placed in the 3% band, a user choose opting for a non-plug-in car is a sight rarer than the Mazda 3 Saloon itself.

Mazda’s warranty package is one of the most comprehensive available on a new car purchase, providing six years or 100,000 miles of cover for additional peace of mind. 

There is one specification grade available for the current Mazda 3 Saloon line-up — Exclusive-Line. 

This is effectively second-highest in the trim level hierarchy as demonstrated by the alternative 3 hatchback bodystyle which progresses from Prime-Line through Centre-Line, Homura, Exclusive-Line and is topped by Takumi.

Standard features for the Mazda 3 Saloon Exclusive-Line include:

• 18-inch Bright Silver alloy wheels
• Chrome-look accents surround the front grille and within the lower front bumper
• Automatic LED headlights, front daytime-running lights and tail lights
• Automatic adaptive main beam function
• Automatic windscreen wipers
• Keyless entry and exit
• Dark-tinted rear privacy glass
• Electric tilt and slide glass sunroof
• Electrically adjustable, folding and heated door mirrors with auto-dimming glass on the driver’s side and
• body-coloured housings
• Front and rear parking sensors
• Reversing camera
• 7.0-inch colour display within instrument binnacle
• Head-up display system
• 10.25-inch multimedia display screen operated with the Multimedia Commander
• AM, FM and DAB radio
• Integrated navigation system
• Alexa in-car voice assistant
• Bluetooth device connectivity
• Wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay smartphone connectivity
• 12-speaker Bose surround sound system
• Wireless smartphone charging pad
• 2x USB-C sockets
• Heated, manually adjustable front seats
• Premium Dark Grey cloth seat upholstery
• Leather-wrapped steering wheel with paddle gear-shifters on automatic models
• Leather-wrapped gear lever
• Dual-zone climate controlled air conditioning
• Frameless, auto-dimming interior rear-view mirror
• Adaptive cruise control
• Electronic parking brake with auto-hold