Instrumented Test
Accounting for nearly two-thirds of Mazda’s U.S. sales, the 3 is vital to the company’s health. Despite being the old man in its ultracompetitive set, the 3 offers a quality interior and a very athletic chassis, helping to overcome whatever marketplace hurdles its demented-clown face may have placed in its path. Still cursed with that circus mug, this 3’s midcycle changes are only barely noticeable inside or out. But there are significant updates here nevertheless, as Mazda chases after efficiency-minded buyers with its new Skyactiv engine and transmissions.
Slotting between the aged, less powerful 2.0-liter and the thirsty 2.5-liter naturally aspirated fours, the new 2.0-liter Skyactiv engine produces 155 horsepower and 148 pound-feet of torque. Of greater note: The Skyactiv sedan is rated at the magical 40-mpg-highway mark—28 in the city—when paired with the new six-speed Skyactiv automatic; increases of 7 and 4 mpg, respectively, from last year’s 2.0 with a five-speed auto. Also wearing the Skyactiv branding is a standard six-speed manual that has been reworked into a smaller and lighter package. It features slightly shorter throws and reduced internal friction but forfeits 1 mpg in both cycles to the automatic. It still achieves a lofty 27 mpg city/39 mpg highway rating, though, up from 25/33 with a five-speed manual in 2011.
While others are off-ladling engine displacement and adding turbochargers, active aero, or other costly technologies in the name of fuel economy, Mazda achieves its big mpg number with a 30-percent reduction in internal friction versus the base 2.0-liter’s and a high 12.0:1 compression ratio (a lower drag coefficient doesn’t hurt, either). Paired with direct injection, Mazda has combated the typical knock in high-compression engines through the use of special pistons. (Future iterations of the engine will increase compression to 13.0:1 and incorporate a 4-2-1 exhaust header to further improve the combustion process.)
As the structure of the Skyactiv-equipped 3 is slightly lighter and stiffer than that of its siblings, with revised underbody bracing and additional spot welds, the miserly 3 exacts no dynamic tolls. The steering is still precise and communicative, the brakes stay great, the chassis remains supremely confident, and the crisp-shifting manual—a gearbox we didn’t think could improve—has gotten better. Acceleration is swifter than that of other fuel-economy specials such as the turbocharged Chevrolet Cruze Eco and the lighter Hyundai Elantra, with our manual test car reaching 60 mph in 7.9 seconds and the automatic 0.4 second behind. And even though we love to dent the floorboard, we managed a respectable 29 mpg in mixed driving with both manual and automatic test cars.
The 3 i’s midline Touring trim unlocks the Skyactiv powertrain. It starts at $19,495 for the manual sedan, plus another $850 for the auto. With this efficient and fun-to-drive package, Mazda gets its 3 back in good shape. Maybe that’s why it’s still smiling.
