2014 Mazda 3 Breaks Cover

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jetcityhelix

Sooo...as the enthusiastic owner of a first gen 2007 Mazdaspeed 3, who was disappointed of the look of the second gen 'speed 3 but likes the look of this third iteration...what's the word on a 2014 'speed 3? Is a lighter, stiffer, better-looking Mazdaspeed 3 in the pipeline?

stovt001_

Fantastic, I'll take a 2.0L stick with no options. Should be a lovely little commuter.

jmnyc1177

Glad to see they went back to the style of itnerior from last generations. That bulbous center stack from the current generation was awful. This interior looks much more refined.

duck87

There's a ton of front overhang, but overall looks pretty good. Most important is the performance of the aforementioned MS3!

fortstring

Wow, that certainly looks better than the new Corolla. Do want. Maybe Mazda6's & Mazda3's will eat the market share of the traditional family/compact makers.

jpbran

"ask any auto enthusiast which compact hatchback they'd buy and the Mazda 3 would be the inevitable answer."

Inevitable? Actually, I'd say the GTI is right up there.

gloss

The GTI is a performance variant, though. This compares to the Golf.

tp660

Did they have to bring the grille down so low? Don't get me wrong, I think it looks great all around and definitely much better than the current generation 3. But unfortunately, I live in a area where front license plates are mandatory and it looks like I would have to mount it on the grille which is going to look stupid. It's too bad they did not keep this in mind when designing it as this is pretty much a deal breaker for me and I'm sure others will feel the same.

darthbimmer

I've been a fan of the handling Mazda offers within the compact commuter class since the Protege of the 1990s. This iteration of the 3 has handsome sheet metal and a classier looking dash than the current generation. The gaping front end is a bit out of proportion. Reduce the height by 1/4 to 1/3 and it would look awesome. I will be interested to see the numbers on the 2.5 engine.... Is it updated with the Skyactiv treatment? It'd be nice to have a "More power!" choice over the base 2.0 that doesn't involve a major step backward in refinement and fuel economy.

agentorange

@duck87 Long overhang for crash test numbers? @tp660 Good catch. It is going to look weird with a plate on the front. @darthbimmer Maybe they can fit the proper Skyactiv exhaust manifold in this new car. That should pick up the performance.

wdrauch

From what I can tell from the pics, it looks great inside and out .... this coming from the former owner of a Protege5 and Audi A3 and current owner of a Focus ST. I love hot hatches, which seems to put me in a definite minority in the U.S.!

emajor

"For years now, ask any auto enthusiast which compact hatchback they'd buy and the Mazda 3 would be the inevitable answer" BS. That's the rote autojournalist answer, but the Golf and GTI have been highly regarded for some time as well. I really like what I'm seeing in this new 3, though. The powertrains and interior look fantastic, the sheetmetal is no longer an embarrassment. I do hope they addressed the poor rear legroom, though, all the new width in the world won't make that backseat more habitable without it.

oldmansi

This car is looking sharp since they dumped that stupid bozo grin from the grill. Also, with less weight and the 2.5 engine this should make a reasonably quick car. Add to that the already good handling characteristics of the 3 this should be a winner for Mazda. Looking forward to test driving one of these with a 6 speed manual. This could be my next vehicle purchase.

unclebrud

Gorgeous....This is a spot-on redesign and a proper sequel to the '07 3S I have. I will be replacing my '12 Mk3 Focus with a 3 hatch. The only other serious contender (for me) is the Golf/GTI Mk.7.

When will the new 3 sedan be intro'd?

robs249_

I love it!!!!! Now where is the better looking and selling sedan???

cotak

No word on a mazdaspeed 3? As the owner of a 2010 example I am interested to see how this new 3 works.

From the info so far it looks like they have evolved it to become a better car over all. Which is great news. My car as it stands checked most of boxes on my requirements list. But i'd be the first to admit there are some badly thought out aspects such as the tiny nav system with bad maps support.

While maybe due to the new little one in my life my next car will have to be something with more room (or maybe not as wife's looking into a SUV for herself). I would still be interested to see what Mazda has in store in the future. Maybe finally the speed 3 will get the AWD it really needs to make use of all it's power? Or maybe like the 6 there simply will no longer be a model with extra power on tap. But that would be sad, cause that would mean the only option for a fun to drive small 4 door would be the even less refined subaru? Or the hit and miss fit and finish of the Focus ST?

ks55

Now if Mazda is really smart they will offer the same (upcoming) 2.2 liter 4cylinder diesel ( with 300 ft/lbs of torque) and 42+mpg. This engine is to soon be offered in the new 14 Mazda 6 as well. I believe they will be . Offer it in a sport version 4 door sedan ( not a fan of the hatch ) and I would get this. The 6 is too big for my needs.