Choice is always a good thing, and I think when it comes to the Mazda3 range, it is also a big contributor to why this continues to be a car of choice with Australian buyers.
The Mazda3 range has no less than 26 models in the line-up.
Prices range from $20,490 for the 2.0-litre petrol Mazda3 Neo manual right through to a little over double that at $41,290 for the top-of-the-range 2.2-litre turbo diesel auto Mazda3 XD Astina hatch .
Having only discovered the extent of that range choice after I had returned my tested Mazda3 actually has me, somewhat embarrassingly, questioning just which of the 26 models I was over the course of a couple of weeks.
A recap of the features grabbing my attention, and my experiences in running the Mazda3 over that time has narrowed the field down for me.
The process of elimination kicks off with the little “SP25” badge on the neat back hatch – taking the possibilities down to one dozen.
The next most obvious determining factor was a feature it has been a while since I last had the experience, and enjoyment, of using.
The five-speed manual shifter halves the possibilities and while I could tell instantly it was drinking petrol and not diesel, I did confirm that a couple of times at the pumps having enjoyed plenty of fuel-efficient driving at a consumption rate of 6.5lt/100km.
The fact it was petrol driven also doesn’t reduce the field of possibilities, the only diesel models on offer being the range topping XD Astinas.
A five-star ANCAP safety rating also doesn’t help with my dilemma as all Mazda3 models meet this benchmark.
All petrol models also get rear parking sensors and all models across the range, aside from those XD Astina turbo diesels, also come in hatch and five-door sedan (offered at equal prices). It is that type of consistency which does not help when you’ve enjoyed driving a car so much that you forget to check the finer details!
While narrowing in on our test model, the specs that matter include a 2.5-litre 4-cylinder petrol engine producing 138kW and 250Nm.
It has 18 inch alloy wheels, dual-zone climate control, proximity keys, auto headlights and wipers.
It is what it didn’t have which helps reduce the field – it didn’t have the leather seat trim, power adjustable front seats with heaters, heads up display, overhead sunglasses storage, auto dimming rear-view mirror, daytime running lights, Xenon headlights with active beams, LED taillights, heated rear-view mirrors, illuminated mirrors in the sunvisors and nine-speaker Bose audio which can be found in the SP25 GT models (which also, no doubt, come with a “GT” on the badge)
Down to a 50:50 chance of getting it right and accurately quoting the price for our test model.
I looked to the safety features detected (thankfully not required during my trouble-free test) to make my final call on the test model driven.
While carrying that 5-Star ANCAP rating regardless, my model didn’t have the factory-fitted Safety Pack which adds blind spot monitoring, rear cross traffic alert and AEB.
So, what did I actually drive and how much would it cost me?
It was a Mazda3 SP25 manual carrying a price tag of $25,190…. I think!
Now I’ve sorted that out, what did I think? Well I can certainly see why so many Australians are making Mazda3 their choice.
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