Our thoughts on the 2017 Mazda3

We enjoyed driving the Soul Red Metallic Mazda3 that has an impressive exterior and interior design. We like the smooth design and safety features of the Mazda3 and feel it is a wonderful everyday vehicle. 

The exterior of the vehicle emphasizes a horizontal plane that gives a greater sense of width. The front grille and signature wing design with the LED headlamps of the Mazda3 create a bolder expression giving a stronger sense of quality and stability. 

The brand symbol and license plate holder are positioned lower on the front grille. The chromed fog lamp bezels with the horizontal layout around the front bumper gives the vehicle a wide-looking stance.

The rear of the hatchback has the same expression as the front to convey an axis running from front to back through the body - a low center of gravity and a wide stance. The aluminum wheels have a straight single-motion design to emphasize the large diameter and brings a bold, taut look to the overall exterior design.

The Mazda3 interior has a driver-oriented cockpit that lends a sense of speed. All the controls in the dash are easily reachable and are conveniently placed. The floor console with the commander controls have a functional layout. The three levels of steering switches are integrated into a single level. 

We like that the full colour higher brightness, definition and contrast in the Active Driving Display and the meters, as it makes it easy for drivers to see. 

The panel extending to the passenger side has a stylish, three-dimensional shape and the inner handle bezel of the door trim features a sharper, smoother design. The front door pocket openings are spacious to accommodate items such as a 1-liter plastic bottle and ice scrapers. 

We like the flaps that are added to the cupholders in the floor console, as it helps prevent drinks from spilling. 

The steering wheel wrapped in genuine leather has a firm, smooth grip. This vehicle has heated steering wheels, which is comfortable for winter driving. The steering wheel heaters turn off automatically after about 30 minutes. There is also a switch next to the seat heater switch to control the steering wheel heaters. 

There are functions such as the electric parking brake (EPB) that results in achieving a higher level of comfort and convenience. The parking brake can be applied or released using the switch on the floor console - pulling the switch applies the parking brake, and pressing either the switch or the accelerator pedal to pull away from a stop automatically releases it.

The Smart City Brake Support (SCBS) system has a camera that expands the operating speed range for detecting pedestrians ahead. The Mazda3 includes the Traffic Sign Recognition system (TSR) that automatically recognizes road signs and informs the driver of their significance. There are also other i-ACTIVSENSE features such as Lane-keep Assist and Advanced Blind Spot Monitoring to keep the driver aware of vehicles approaching from the blind spot areas at the sides and rear.

This vehicle has a city Fuel Economy Ratings (L/100km) of 8.5 and for highway 6.4. There are a total of nine body colours available in Canada: Machine Grey Metallic, Eternal Blue Mica, Sonic Silver Metallic, Soul Red Metallic, Deep Crystal Blue Mica, Titanium Flash Mica, Jet Black Mica, Meteor Grey Mica and Snowflake White Pearl. We like the overall quality of the 2017 Mazda3.

All rights reserved on photographs and written content Createwithmom © 2010 - 2017. Please Ask First Disclosure: For reviews and/or sponsored posts on this site I may have received special perks as part of my affiliation. Please note that all opinions and thoughts expressed are my own.