Mazda CX-3 2020 review: Maxx Sport FWD

There are five grades in the Mazda CX-3 range and the Maxx Sport sits a rung above the entry-point into that line-up with a list price of $24,650. That’s for the front-wheel drive version with an automatic transmission, so if you want all-wheel drive you’ll pay another $4K.

If your CX-3 is going to spend the vast majority of its time performing urban duties, the front-wheel drive version (as tested) is the way to go. 

The Maxx Sport doesn’t sit very high in the range, but don’t worry, it has plenty of features. Besides, by stepping up to higher grade you’ll start paying quite a lot of money for pretty much the same car and get stuff you really don’t need.

If you’re going to spend $5K more, you may as well buy the larger CX-30 SUV and get more car for your money.

Coming standard are auto headlights, rain sensing wipers, a leather steering wheel and gear knob, climate control, sat nav, Bluetooth connectivity, a 7.0-inch touch screen, a digital radio, a six-speaker stereo and fabric seats. There’s also some great advanced safety tech you can read about below.

Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are missing here, but you can expect them to be added to the CX-3 in late 2020.

If you’re looking for a model comparison, also check out the Honda HR-V VTi and the Hyundai Kona Go, for about the same money.

Okay, I reckon the editor of CarsGuide enjoys seeing me test little cars because I’m built like Big Bird and I’m kind of the worst case scenario test for cabin space, you know – if I fit into it, then pretty much anyone will.

Well, even though I’m 1.9m (6'3") tall, with a 2.0m wingspan,  and the CX-3 is only just over 1.7m wide it doesn’t feel like I’m sitting in one of those rides outside a shopping centre when I’m driving. Nope, up front the space is good, with plenty of elbow-, leg-, and headroom.

The front the space is good, with plenty of elbow-, leg-, and headroom.

It’s the back seats which are tight. I can’t sit behind my driving position. And to prove it’s not just because I have 110cm long legs (yes, I measured them), my wife had to move her front passenger seat all the way forward to accommodate my five-year-old son in his car seat behind her.

The back seat space is tight.

Okay, he’s pretty lanky, too. But trust me, the CX-3 is much better suited to somebody who’s not going to have people in the back all the time.

If you’re thinking about using the CX-3 as an Uber or a ride share car you’ll be unlikely to get many five-star ratings from your cramped clients.

The boot is tiny at 264 litres.

They’ll also have to leave their luggage at home because the boot is tiny at 264 litres. I tried to fit the CarsGuide pram in, but I almost had to tie a red rag to it because it was hanging out the back - take a look at the images.

The CarsGuide pram didn't quite fit in the boot.

On the bright side, the CX-3 is a hatch and that means you can fold those rear seats down, take out the cargo cover and you’ve got way more cargo capacity.

Still we managed to fit our week’s shopping in there and it was just big enough to get our scooters in for trips to the park.

Cabin storage is good, though, with four cupholders (two in the rear and two up front), decent-sized bottle holders in the doors, a map pocket on the back of the front passenger seat and a hidey hole in front of the shifter.

The centre console storage area has a clever design that lets you change the space inside, although, because it’s not fully covered I was a bit hesitant to leave valuables in there. Living in the city, cars are broken into if you leave a $2 coin in plain view.

Back seat passengers will feel like they’ve been forgotten again, with the lack of air vents there, and they won’t find a USB port either (the only USB port is in the front).

Urban folks like me who want wireless charging will be disappointed. The USB ports aren’t the new Type C ones either, and that meant I had to hunt around for an old cable to plug in my iPhone 11.

There’s only one engine in the Mazda CX-3 range – the 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol and it makes 110kW/195Nm.

Some bigger cars have engines which make less grunt and the larger Mazda3 has the same 2.0-litre, so for a small car the CX-3 has more than enough mumbo.

The CX-3 Maxx Sport has a 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol and it makes 110kW/195Nm.

The transmission is a six-speed auto, a real automatic, not a CVT or a DSG, so there’s no roll-back on hills and good acceleration without any drone.

The engine/transmission combo in the CX-3 is a great one. The only issue is, you’ll have to shovel it more fuel than you think. Read about that below.

Mazda says if you were to stick to just urban driving the front-wheel drive CX-3  should use 7.7L/100km. That’s pretty thirsty for a little car and in my own testing, just driving around town, the trip computer was always hovering around the mid-sevens.

Over a combination of open and urban roads Mazda says fuel economy is better at 6.3L/100km. I did a 25km stint on the motorway after a week of urban driving and that dropped the average fuel consumption from the mid-sevens to 6.0L/100km.

People will honk at you. The wing mirrors will take getting used to. There are no front parking sensors and the reversing camera picture isn’t great. But apart from those things, the CX-3 Maxx Sport is great to drive in the city.

The wing mirrors will take getting used to.

Great because the engine is gruntier than it needs to be, and the transmission is smooth in slow traffic, the combination delivering good acceleration when you need to move quickly.

Then there’s the dynamics. The CX-3 is nimble and has good body control, and nobody in my family complained about the ride comfort (and they do, if it’s not good).

Steering is excellent. You’ll feel connected, and the turning circle isn’t bad at 10.6m. Finally, the car's small size makes it easy to park, dodge and weave in the concrete jungle I call home.

The CX-3 is nimble and has good body control.

Now about the honking. The CX-3 is a little car and it’s odd how other motorists treat small car drivers.

The last time somebody honked at me in the big off-roader I was testing was… never. As for the CX-3, the last time was 10 minutes ago, out the front of my house, while stationery. I kid you not.

The good news is, you’re in an SUV and not something as small as a Mazda2. So, not only does that give you a slightly elevated ride height, but there’s still somebody smaller that you can honk at.

The wing mirrors are a Mazda thing. You’ll notice when you use them that the reflection seems magnified, like Hubble Space telescope magnified. I’m not a fan, but it’s not unsafe and I became more used to it over the week.

The lack of front parking sensors isn’t a biggie with a car this small, but the CX-3 does have quite a long beak and I it was hard sometimes to tell where it ended when parking.

And last, the reversing camera. The picture isn’t great, and I found it almost useless. Luckily, parking sensors are better for maneuvering into a space. Plus, there’s AEB that works while reversing and rear cross traffic alert.

Seriously if you actually reverse into something in the CX-3, you’ve probably achieved the impossible.