2018 Mazda CX3 Long Term Test - After 3 years ownership, is it any good?

[@Ninja1971]

Nice review thank you, is there wear on the steering wheel, I’ve seen that on a lot of Mazda’s and wonder if it’s a weak spot. Makes it look tired which is a shame.

[@MostlyAboutDriving]

Hi Simon, yeah, it's very od. Within the first year the steering wheel leather started to peel. We spoke to the dealer and they had no idea why. Clearly a common issue though as they just offered to replace it straight away. Generally the material quality is a bit sub-par, to be honest, which is a shame as the design of the car is attractive and it drives well.

[@Themawechsel]

I own my CX3 for 3 years now and the steering wheel looks still like new.

[@MostlyAboutDriving]

@@Themawechsel When we spoke to the dealer they said they'd had a few with the same issue, and not just the CX3 but the 2 and the 3 as well. Maybe a bad batch of leather?

[@CCL1218-s8z]

Mine is half leather and it is still good after 9 years

[@benwillys2137]

I'm glad someone finally highlighted about the quality of material Mazda uses on the steering, gear and handbrakes. I still feel It's not up to the standard.

[@Del213]

Good review. What is keen driver? Just someone who likes driving and does it a lot as opposed to someone who doesn’t like driving and does it a lot or does like driving but doesn’t do it a lot or doesn’t like driving and doesn’t do it a lot?

[@fixanddrive]

No issues at all? Mine had the steering column and the front McPherson bearings replaced in the first two years.

[@MostlyAboutDriving]

Yikes! That's not good! No, we had no mechanical issues at all. Just the usual rubbish material/paint quality.

[@JohnDoe-md2sb]

Interesting vid. Do you still have it? Has it been reliable...no important repairs to report? Thanks again for the review. 😊👍

[@MostlyAboutDriving]

No longer own it, but it was entirely reliable. No issues or breakdowns at all.

[@garytaylor9474]

Hi what was it like on fuel mpg

[@MostlyAboutDriving]

@@garytaylor9474 IIRC, it was doing a regular combined 40-41mpg. Would drop into the 30s if it was just around town or I was pressing on. Would occasionally get into the mid-upper 40s when just motorway cruising.

[@miscellaneouslyric]

Nice video i put Yokohama geolandars on my 2.0 dynamic, the same tyres that come with Subaru Forrester .She handles beautifully .

[@Themawechsel]

Nice review. I own mine for 3 years now. What bugs me the most in the interior is the quality. The whole side panel moves when you close or open the window. No backlit knobs for the windows, cheap reading lights, laggy infotainment. Beside that, the noise insulation is poor in my opinion. Still, a great and reliable car to drive

[@MostlyAboutDriving]

Never had an issue with the noise insulation, but the infotainment is really quite laggy.

[@joanofarc708]

Hi is it reliable, is it petrol or diesel

[@MostlyAboutDriving]

@@joanofarc708 Mine was the NA 2-litre petrol. Very reliable,we had it nearly 4 years and it never let us down.

[@jbm0866]

In what universe are 215 width tires considered "wide" or "over-tired"?😂 I realize the CX-3 is small, but all Mazda cars seem "under-tired" to my eyes. Having said that, I've always thought the CX-3 was one of the best looking cars Mazda makes, but quite pointless when the 3 exists and actually has more cargo space with the rear seats folded. Just a year model later even the all wheel drive was added to the 3 making it even more attractive vs the CX-3...especially since (at least in the U.S.) the CX-3 with AWD was more expensive than a base 2019 Mazda 3 with AWD added.

[@derekfleming3095]

There is a 4WD version

[@panaoutsios1990]

I like the car but is the same height as demio Only if you live in a place that rain often

[@augustinmarginean]

If you are a keen driver but need a crossover for reasons , buy a ..Ford Puma ST !

[@MostlyAboutDriving]

That's a good shout too - the Puma ST is a cracking little thing. Although, having driven both, I think the CX3 handles better. And I persoanly prefer the looks too. But the ST certainly drives very well and pulls nicely.

[@Landfill-703]

All that talk of salt, on a Mazda, known for horrendous underbody rust😱 Have you looked recently ?

[@MostlyAboutDriving]

No longer own the car, but it was spotless underneath when it went. But I always pressure wash and protect the underside of my cars.

[@paulbaddiley7326]

My cx3 battery dies constantly, suspect parasitic battery drain, wear on the steering wheel!

[@Landfill-703]

Could be failing alternator, I’m assuming it’s got one.

[@mobill93]

Haha "shut up and sit down"