Mazda 3 Saloon

FIRST DRIVE How does new three-box car compare to hatch?

James Brodie

James_Brodie@dennis.co.uk @jimmybrods Running costs 50.4mpg (official) £65 fill-up SMALL saloons play second fiddle to more popular hatchbacks and SUVs in new-car showrooms. But the brand-new Mazda 3 is still available as a traditional three-box model, designed to rival the Mercedes A-Class and Audi A3 saloons. Although the Mazda is cheaper than the German cars, it has more upmarket appeal than home-grown rivals like the Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla – both of which are on offer as hatchbacks and saloons. Only the bonnet and windscreen are retained from the 3 hatchback; every other panel is new. The roofline is taller, and while the wheelbase is the same, the Saloon’s bodywork is 200mm longer overall. That extra length is mainly in the rear overhang. The boot has grown from 351 to…

You're reading a preview of

Auto Express (Digital) - 1 Issue, 1601

DiscountMags is a licensed distributor (not a publisher) of the above content and Publication through Zinio LLC. Accordingly, we have no editorial control over the Publications. Any opinions, advice, statements, services, offers or other information or content expressed or made available by third parties, including those made in Publications offered on our website, are those of the respective author(s) or publisher(s) and not of DiscountMags. DiscountMags does not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, truthfulness, or usefulness of all or any portion of any publication or any services or offers made by third parties, nor will we be liable for any loss or damage caused by your reliance on information contained in any Publication, or your use of services offered, or your acceptance of any offers made through the Service or the Publications. For content removal requests, please contact Zinio.