The Mazda 3 Hatch: A Mixed Bag of Features and Flaws

As we've had the opportunity to put some miles on the Mazda 3 hatch, it's time to dive into some quick updates and observations. One feature that stands out is the convenience and practicality of the hatchback design. In a hypothetical fight, you could simply throw your enemies into the back of this vehicle, as it would cut them in half with ease. However, I must note that I've experienced this feature firsthand, albeit unintentionally, and it's not as appealing as it sounds.

The hatch's tray is like a razor blade, as evidenced by my own encounters with it. I've managed to cut my head, hand, and even the webbing on my fingers due to its sharp edges. This makes it a disaster in real-life situations, especially when running into other vehicles at high speeds. Furthermore, the release button for opening the hatch is inconveniently located, taking up space that could be used for the rearview camera. This has led to me getting fingerprints all over the camera, causing the display to become blurry at night.

However, one aspect of the Mazda 3 hatch that's been a pleasant surprise is its cargo space. It's indeed a lot of room for cargo, considering it's part of the class. Unfortunately, there is a notable lack of occupancy space in the back seat, particularly for larger individuals. This limitation can make it difficult to accommodate multiple passengers, especially when trying to fit them comfortably.

When it comes to fuel efficiency, I was initially worried due to my previous experiences with other cars. However, the 2L engine has proven to be quite efficient, providing an impressive 37 miles per gallon over seven or eight fill-ups. Mazda's attention to detail is indeed a strength of their models, as evidenced by features like ergonomic thumb placement on the steering wheel. The little indentations are designed specifically for high-performance driving enthusiasts, allowing their thumbs to fit perfectly onto the wheel.

The Soul Red Metallic paint job has become a new fixture in Mazda's lineup and can be found on various models, including the MX-5, CX-5, and 3. It looks great in sunlight, but I've noticed that it does have its share of orange peel. Additionally, the piano gloss plastic trim and black accents are a nice touch, although they do require more maintenance than other colors. The concern with these dark features is that they can attract dust and dirt easily, which can be frustrating to clean.

Moving on to interior quality, I've been pleased with what I've experienced so far. However, one minor annoyance has become apparent: the armrest creaks whenever I put my arm on it after about 2,000 miles. This plastic is prone to cracking and making an unpleasant noise. On a more positive note, the ride of the Mazda 3 hatch is extremely firm yet sporty, providing a responsive driving experience even with eco tires. The steering remains responsive in choppy pavement, but there are some minor issues with suspension clunk coming from the front end.

Finally, I've encountered a few issues with the infotainment system, such as freezing up occasionally. Fortunately, these problems have been minimal and haven't significantly impacted my driving experience. Overall, I'm pleased with the Mazda 3 hatch and would recommend it to those in the market for a hatchback.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: ennow that we have some miles on the Mazda 3 hatch let's just go over some quick updates now most of us like the convenience and practicality of the hatchback design let me tell you if you have some enemies uh all and you get in a fight all you have to do is just throw them right into the back of this thing cuz this will cut them right in half this tray is like a razor blade I you not I've cut my head on it I've cut my hand and I've cut the webbing on my fingers and I've bled for at least 2 minutes straight this thing is a disaster I dare you to run into it full speed the other thing is is you're like hey I want to open up the hatch real quick let's just grab right underneath here oh the release button's not in the center of the trunk or the hatch no it's not it's actually offset to the right because the stupid rear view camera takes up the whole thing and when you start grabbing around of course you're going to get fingerprints all over the camera so then at night uh it's really blurry one of the things we didn't talk about in the original review is the wealth of cargo space this is a lot of cargo space for the class the thing where it kind of skimps is the occupancy space especially back in the back seat if you're a bigger dude or a bigger woman or whatever you're not going to fit a lot of people in here especially with this seat back uh there's not a lot of leg space but really if it's just you and a couple people it's going to be a comfortable experience so let's be fair usually when you get a new car you have no idea what you're getting for fuel efficiency or fuel economy uh so I was worried going in with this the 2 L is great I get 37 miles to the gallon over the course of seven or eight fill-ups now I'm very pleased with that Mazda says a lot of their new models are about detail work well 99% of the drivers would never notice this and I didn't even notice it when I first started driving but the ergonomics the thumb placement on your steering wheel they have indentations here which is is if you've come from high performance or track driving you'll realize why these little IND indentations are here and your thumbs rust perfectly on them uh and that's some little detail work I really appreciate this Soul Red Metallic is now a new fixture in Mazda's lineup you're going to see it on the new MX5 the CX-5 the 3 this is a great color in sunlight is it the best paint ever no it's got a lot of orange peel but this is a really good option I'd like to see more colors Sim similar to this or a different color tone now I happen to like the piano gloss plastic the black accents in the car I think it looks good the problem with it is is when you're doing some cocaine or you're itching your dandruff all of that's going to get in the nooks and crannies and all this black and it's always going to look dirty so I have to carry this microfiber sponge to keep it clean and this also prevents the scratching the little micro scratches on the black uh that's an annoyance I'll be honest so what about interior quality and rattles and and Shakes and all that crap well so far at 5,000 Mi I don't have too much the one thing that does piss me off is this armrest has started to Creek now after about 2,000 miles you can hear that whenever I put my arm on it the plastic is creaking and whatever you know it is what it is is it annoying yes one of my favorite things about this car honestly is after driving it is the ride is extremely firm well not extremely firm it's firm and sporty feeling it's very responsive even with the e e tires the Eco tires give up really quick but they're for efficiency when you're on a smooth Road the steering is still responsive when you're in choppy and total pavement the car doesn't crash over bumps like some of the competitors with torsion beam rear suspension like the fiesta is just overly firm the veloc ride quality blows on hard pavement and cars like the fit I mean they're responsive but you just don't have the refined Ride Like the Mazda 3 gives you but with that said I do have plenty of suspension clunk coming from the front end and I've yet to have that checked out but it is annoying other than that you know I've had some problems with the infotainment system freezing up a couple times but nothing major and I use USB sticks Bluetooth audio and calling features XM pretty much everything on it it's not a huge deal it's not a big big problem for me other than that uh so far so good I would have to say I'm pretty pleased overall and uh I still contend that this is a good option if you're looking for a hatchback oh\n"