Mazda 3 is too low, I don't like stepping down to get out of a car. I like the CX3. So I did a search on cars.com and see that there are plenty of FWD in the US but they are not in California. Doesn't make sense since we don't have inclement weather here.One reason is it doesn't look as good as the cx 3 and it's not even close.The 3 is nice looking but the cx3 and 3 are entirely two different cars.
I wanted the cx3 and did not have a interest in the 3 for whatever reason..
I would get a FWD CX-3 over the shitty 3 any day.Why a CX3 over a Mazda 3 hatch in this case? I like my CX3, but I bought it for the AWD. The 3 hatch gives better cargo room for less money in this case.
It makes sense to me, I don't care about the other departments like more cargo. I'm a single man, not a mother lol. The CX-3 is hands down a better looking car, the 3 is ugly and has an interior from 20 years ago.If you're talking about looks, yes, the CX3 wins hands down. But in nearly every other department, the 3 wins. It has the same engine, but is lighter so it's peppier and gets better fuel economy. It has better cargo room. More usable rear seats. The CX3 is great, but when you do FWD model, it really doesn't make sense to buy the CX3 over the 3.
I saw pictures of the 2017 3, the exterior still looks too weird to me, especially the hatchback version. Interior though is so much better than the current ones. I'm glad they've finally updated that 1990's looking interior. Hopefully the 2018 CX-3 sees a similar interior update.The 3 and CX3 have nearly identical ground clearance so if the seating position is the factor, adjust the 3's to compensate some of the perceived difference. The revised center console of the 17 Mazda3 would actually be enough to sway me if I were in the FWD market and torn between the two.
I expect that will be the case, bringing the CX3 in line with their latest updates and enhancements. Doing away with the manual parking brake creates a lot of space to rework the console. And the color HUD is much nicer.Hopefully the 2018 CX-3 sees a similar interior update.
To each there own but I have the FWD and I did not even consider the 3.If there was not a cx3 I would have bought the Subaru Crosstrek.I agree with Slev there on if you are wanting a FWD hatch I would go straight for the 3. You can get more cargo room, better rear seating space, bigger engine, manual trans if your so incline, better gas mileage, and better center console everything. A s GT 3 is roughly $1k+ than a GT CX3 FWD. To be honest you may want to sway yourself to the 3 just because of the better benefits than the CX3 overall since you don't need the AWD which in my opinion is the biggest selling point of the CX3.
I fold the back seats down for my dogs and lay a heavy blanket over the back area to protect it from wear and tear from the dogs.I looked at both the 3 and the CX-3. Try closing the hatch on the 3, then go over and close the hatch on the CX-3. They are different experiences.
With the Mazda 3, I closed the hatch and it felt kind of light and not terribly sturdy. It didn't feel like it would stand up to anyone rear-ending you at low speeds.
When I shut the hatch on the CX-3, however, I felt a heavier, more satisfying THWUMP. It felt like there was going to be something substantial between me and the tailgating masses.
It just felt tougher. My dogs will be in the back seat when I finally get one. I like the feeling that there's something a bit more solid between them and whoever's driving behind us.