[Frank]

We are starting to have the very first reviews trickle in on the 2015 Mazda CX-3, and as they come out we are getting a better picture of what the strengths and weaknesses are of the vehicle. Here I've gathered together what reviewers are saying about the CX-3 so far -- the good and the bad. Although I will say that there is far more good things to be said than bad at the moment.

The Good

The first thing that anyone will notice about the CX-3 is that it is a great looking vehicle. Its C-pillar reminds of the Evoque, and that is meant in a good way. Mazda describes the headlights as being inspired by a tiger that is about to pounce. The styling is both interesting and youthful, yet accessible.

The CX-3 also gets good marks when it comes to driving. The CX-3 uses a 2.0-lire petrol engine which sets it apart from its competitors that use smaller engines generally. It makes 109kW of power at 6000rpm and 192Nm of torque at 2800rpm. The diesel engine gets 77kW at 4000rpm but a greater 270Nm between 1600rom and 2500rpm. It is worth noting that the petrol version has a sport mode while the diesel version does not.

The infotainment system also is worth mentioning. It is described as the "class benchmark for integration of phone, nav and apps connectivity. The system will likely be an option and not standard on the base CX-3 model.

The Bad

One thing that is clear with the CX-3 is that styling has been prioritized over cargo space. The CX-3 has a shallow trunk with just 264 litres of volume. This compares to 350 litres for the Trax. A similar issue is raised when considering the rear leg room. Backseat passengers do not have ample amounts of leg room, that is for sure. Head room is also affected by the slanted roofline.

The other main criticism is of some of the interior materials used with the CX-3. At a price of $22k (in Australia) some of the materials do not feel premium enough. Mainly these materials are hard black plastic.

Feel free to add to list from you r own experience or other reviews that come out.

 

[CXIII]

Many good things with the CX-3 that I think some might be able to over look the smaller rear storage space as long as it isn't too much of an issue, but then again this IS an CUV....compact.

 

[raider]

Styling with the CX-3 was on point.
Mazda really killed it here with their Kodo design language.

How they progress with design going forward will be interesting once this goes through a mid-cycle refresh.

 

[Volta]

I'll have to take a look at the materials used in the interior. I feel like you can only judge for sure if you see them in person, but even if they were slightly sub-par in quality I think that the CX-3 has so much going for it that it could easily be overlooked.

 

[Oldboy]

Black plastic can be ugly but it is mixed in with some much nicer materials so I don't think it will be a big deal. Compared to its competitors the CX3 still has a very nice design.

 

[CXIII]

i think for the most part people wont care
the interior already looks good and that's more than enough to keep me happy

 

[Oldboy]

I think that when a car comes out and its really nice, its reviewers jobs to find some things to criticize it. When you read a review where the criticisms are pretty minor, I think that it is safe to say that you've found yourself a nice car.

 

[Volta]

Anybody know if this material criticism is common throughout the Mazda lineup?

 

[okhick]

I subscribe to a number of auto enthusiast publications ;Road &Track, Motor Trend, Car and Driver , Automobile.

For the most part, All the recent models, 3 ,6, CX-5, get lauded for their interior style and quality. In a few instances, excessive use of hard plastic was mentioned, but they followed up by saying it was visually well disguised. My appraisal of my own CX-5 concurs with that. I expect much the same from the CX-3

 

[Oldboy]

"Visually well disguised"... I suppose if you are going to use that black plastic that is the way that you would want to do it.