Review

The Mazda CX-3 was named best compact SUV at the 2016 Fleet News Awards and compact it is: rear leg room is a restrictive 888mm, which is pretty similar to the Mazda 2 and some way behind key crossover rivals. Also the boot is quite small at 350 litres (although average for the sector).

Having previously driven the Seat Alhambra, the Mazda feels like a toy car in comparison and my kids constantly kicking the back of my seat by accident is fast becoming a frustration.

I also find the driving position cramped and no matter how many adjustments I make to the seat and steering wheel position I just can’t quite get comfortable. If you frequently transport rear seat passengers or luggage, then the bigger CX-5 would be a more suitable alternative.

With winter upon us the heated front seats are a welcome addition. But on a particularly frosty morning I noticed ice on the inside of the windscreen (see below) which perhaps points to a seal failure?

On my first long journey the sat-nav proved a little laggy, making roundabouts in particular more challenging as the screen could not keep up with the car’s actual road position. Perhaps this was a one-off glitch but worth keeping an eye on.

Luke Neal

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Rivals

Specs

Manufacturer Mazda
Model CX-3
Specification CX-3 SUV 1.5d SKYACTIV 105 DPF SS €6 SE-L Nav 6Spd 15MY
Model Year 0.00
Annual VED (Road tax) £0
BIK List Price £21,200
CO2 105g/km
BIK Percentage 23%
Insurance Group N/A
CC N/A
Fuel Type Diesel
Vehicle Type SUV and Crossover
Luggage capacity (Seats up) 5litres

Running Costs

70.6 MPG
105g/km CO2
£0 VED
P11D £21,200
Insurance group N/A
Fuel Type Diesel
Cost per mile 65.78ppm
Fuel 7.20ppm
Depreciation 56.80ppm
Service maintenance and repair 1.78ppm

Info at a glance

  • P11D Price
    £21,200
  • MPG
    70.6
  • CO2 Emissions
    105g/km
  • BIK %
    23%
  • Running cost
    3 Year 60k : N/A 4 Year 80k : N/A
  • Fuel Type
    Diesel