text: 2021 Mazda CX-3 Review | Pricing, Trims & Photos - TrueCar
  Handsome style inside and out; Nimble and enjoyable to drive; Excellent fuel economy; Standard safety technology
  Limited cabin and cargo space; Engine could have more power
  With its sporty handling and premium style, the Mazda CX-3 delivers an enjoyable driving experience in a small and fuel-efficient package. It comes nicely equipped for $21,000 with active safety tech, automatic LED headlights, and Apple CarPlay/Android Auto. The elegant cabin gives pricier SUVs a run for their money while remaining user-friendly. Top rivals have more rear-seat space and optional amenities, but few can match this Mazda's appeal.
  Mazda SUVs have grown in popularity in recent years, thanks to their sporty driving dynamics and near-luxury interiors. The smallest SUV in the brand's lineup, the Mazda CX-3, delivers these likable traits in an economical size. Available in one trim, the CX-3 comes nicely equipped with comfort features and safety technology. Some rivals provide more optional extras, and Mazda's own CX-30 has more horsepower and cabin space for a little price bump, but the CX-3 still delivers one of the best values in its class.
  The Mazda CX-3 is unchanged for 2021
  2021 Mazda CX-3 Trim Comparison
  CX-3 Sport Starting Market Average is unequipped
  CX-3 Sport Blind Spot System is standard
  CX-3 Sport Lane Keep Assist is standard
  CX-3 Sport Moonroof is unequipped
  CX-3 Sport Front Heated Seats is unequipped
  CX-3 Sport Cruise Control is standard
  CX-3 Sport Climate Control is standard
  CX-3 Sport Proximity Keyless Entry is standard
  CX-3 Sport Bluetooth is standard
  CX-3 Sport Bluetooth Streaming Audio is standard
  CX-3 Sport Apple CarPlay is standard
  CX-3 Sport Android Auto is standard
  Mazda offers the CX-3 in just one trim, Sport, which comes understandably well-equipped. Pricing starts around $21,000, including disc brakes, 16-inch alloy wheels, and a compact spare tire. It has driver-assistance technology to help avoid collisions, like automatic emergency braking and lane-departure warning. There is also adaptive cruise control that can bring the vehicle to a complete stop in traffic, returning to the driver's preset speed once traffic clears.
  The body is adorned in LED lighting, with automatic headlights and high beams. Rain-sensing front wipers help in bad weather, and the rear windshield gets its own intermittent wiper.
  Inside the cabin, passengers get black cloth seats, a 7.0-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, a split-folding rear seat, keyless entry/ignition, climate control, a six-speaker AM/FM audio system, Bluetooth, and front USB ports.
  There are three options for the CX-3: All-wheel-drive ($1,400), a frameless auto-dimming rearview mirror with a garage door opener ($325), and rear parking sensors ($500).
  Mazda's 2.0-liter inline four-cylinder engine provides more than adequate power for the CX-3. The motor is quick, sporty, and even fun to drive linked to a six-speed automatic transmission with manual-shift ability. Front-wheel-drive is standard, though all-wheel-drive's added grip and handling prowess is available for just $1,400 more.
  The CX-3 offers the best fuel economy of any Mazda SUV, approaching the superb efficiency of the Mazda3 sedan. The EPA estimates the subcompact SUV should return 29 mpg in the city and 34 mpg on the highway. The all-wheel variant still returns 27/32 mpg despite carrying almost 150 lbs of additional equipment.
  2021 Mazda CX-3 Exterior Photos
  Few SUV manufacturers do cabin styling quite like Mazda. Even the brand's entry-level model, the CX-3, feels premium. It comes with similar features to competitors, but those amenities are arranged more stylishly. The dashboard layout is sleek, with few buttons cluttering the appeal. Dual turbine-style air vents and a 7.0-inch touchscreen are virtually the only things one sees. All of the cabin's most-touched accents on the doors and elsewhere are covered in high-quality materials.
  Residing below the dashboard are three large knobs for managing the interior climate. The automatic transmission just behind them includes a manual-shift mode, accompanied on the console by an electronic parking brake switch and infotainment controller. Along with that hefty controller and touching the screen, the driver can also operate the system from the steering wheel. This multifunctional approach makes the CX-3 exceptionally easy to live with.
  Mazda gives premium automakers a run for their money in cabin styling, but the CX-3's interior space lags more modern vehicles, including the slightly larger Mazda CX-30 subcompact SUV. While those in the front seats have plenty of room and good outward visibility of the road ahead, those sitting in the back don't have a ton of legroom -- just 35.1 inches. This makes the rear seats okay for kids and shorter adults, but tall passengers may not fit comfortably.
  Cargo space is suitable for a subcompact SUV at 17.8 cubic feet, but it's no match for top rivals offering 25-30 cubic feet. Mazda makes sure drivers can fit bulkier items in the CX-3 with the split-folding back seats; flipping those down expands cargo capacity to a generous 42.7 cubes.