2026 Mazda 3 review: the little (compact) car that could (and did)

It’s not easy to make a small to midsize SUV that feels like a sports car. Porsche probably does it the best with the Macan, but who’s got the money for that?

The next best thing in my opinion, is the Mazda 3.

Yeah, that’s right. I said what I said. I very much consider the compact Mazda 3 to be a proper SUV competitor for anyone looking for a car that is as sporty as it is versatile.

It kinda looks like an SUV. It has practical as most any of them are. And boy is it ever fun to drive.

F U Porsche! Except if you want to give me one of course. Please contact me if you need to know where to deliver it.

Scott Leazenby driving a 2026 Mazda 3 with a red interior — Who cares if I inadvertently cut someone off a few minutes ago due to the horrible blind spots in this thing? I’m having fun!

My full review of the 2026 Mazda 3 AWD

Like pretty much every other car that I’ve reviewed over the past few years, this was a rental car. I picked it up from the Fort Lauderdale Airport (FLL) in South Florida and spent nearly a full week with it. Long story short: I felt a little sad when I had to give it back.

First impressions

Life is good when you reserve a compact car and end up with a Mazda 3. It had been a while since I’ve driven one of these things, and I was very much looking forward to reuniting with an old friend.

Gray 2026 Mazda 3 — Welcome to the year 2026 (where even small cars are SUV-shaped).

Gray 2026 Mazda 3 rear 3/4 view — Honestly? It kinda looks like a turd. The good kind! You know, the ones that are tapered at both ends.

This particular car featured the base 2.5 L four-cylinder engine and all-wheel-drive. And how did they know that I’m a sucker for black wheels? And OMG that red interior. Scandalous!

Scott sitting in a Gray 2026 Mazda 3 — If you didn’t know, this is my “dayum!” face (“dayum” as in “I am quite pleased with my selected mode of transportation, thank you very much”).

Styling and design

The 2026 Mazda 3 is not what I consider to be a drop dead gorgeous car. But it ain’t ugly either. Its proportions are very SUV like, with a long roofline that extends all the way to the back.

Gray 2026 Mazda 3 with black wheels side view — The dark gray exterior (with black wheels and red interior) is a good lookin’ spec for the 2026 Mazda 3. I very much approve of this.

Gray 2026 Mazda 3 with black wheels low rear 3/4 view — I wouldn’t necessarily refer to this spec as “hot boi”, but it’s getting close. Put some deep dish 19’s on it (with a larger diameter exhaust tip), and you’d be right there.

There aren’t many exterior design details that stand out to me as being clever or unique. The overall design is very subtle and clean. The most important thing is that I didn’t feel as self-conscious driving it around as I did as the scooped-and-sliced 2024 Hyundai Elantra.

Gray 2026 Mazda 3 with black wheels front 3/4 view — The best way to describe the overall shape of the 2026 Mazda 3 is to say that it’s an SUV that got left out in the sun a bit too long. It looks a little melty from some angles IMHO.

Gray 2026 Mazda 3 front overhang — My biggest gripe about the styling and design? That front overhang, man. I haven’t seen a nose this long since Pinocchio’s third lie.

2026 Mazda 3 headlights and turn signals — *“I did NOT have sexual relations with…”* (Oops, wrong liar)

Gray 2026 Mazda body styling and design — The other gripe that I have is more amusing than it is annoying. In the right light, the side of the Mazda 3 looks like it got backed into (presumably by another Mazda 3 driver who couldn’t see when backing up because of the blind spots).

Interior

The interior of the 2026 Mazda 3 is something you’re either going to love or hate. I’m willing to bet that most people will love it upon first glance, and the hate (for anyone who feels it) will creep in once they slip into the driver seat. This is a very small car, and you’ll be quickly reminded of it as you get settled in.

Personally, it felt just right to me. I’m 5 foot 10 (average weight) and I didn’t feel overly cramped. But I could definitely understand how tight this interior would feel to anyone over 6 feet tall. Especially for those with wide hips.

2026 Mazda 3 red interior with black accents (looking forward showing the dashboard and steering wheel) — Everything I loved about the 2017 Mazda 3 is still very much intact here in the 2026 version. This interior legit looks (and feels) like a sports car.

2026 Mazda 3 dashboard and steering wheel — The red isn’t too far over the top. Unlike the certain liar that I mentioned earlier, it’s fairly obvious that the interior designers of the Mazda 3 had some restraint.

2026 Mazda 3 interior showing center console — It’s not all sunshine and roses however. There’s not a lot of room in this interior, and I can pretty much guarantee that you WILL hate this car if you’re over 6 feet tall.

I had a love / hate relationship with the entertainment system . On one hand, I highly appreciated the rock solid wireless Apple CarPlay performance. It worked perfectly. On the other hand, I found the display screen to be laughably small. Come on Mazda! It’s 2026 fer cryin’ out loud.

2026 Mazda 3 infotainment screen size — There are two ways to hate the infotainment screen: you can either be annoyed by it’s asymmetrical shape (and how it triggers your OCD), OR you could simply be irritated by how small it is. Your choice.

If for whatever reason you’re not easily annoyed, this knob on the center console (which is the only way to interact with the infotainment screen) might tip you over the edge. The lack of touchscreen interactivity means that you ain’t doin’ shit without it.

2026 Mazda 3 back seats — If my backpack had hands, it would be ~~throwing gang signs~~ giving us a massive thumbs up in appreciation of how spacious the rear seats are.

2026 Mazda 3 back seats with flip down armrest featuring cupholders — OK, I will admit that rear seat headroom and legroom is a bit compromised due to the aggressive roofline, but dammit if those seats aren’t gorgeous. Don’t you know? The color red cancels out discomfort!

2026 Mazda 3 open hatch showing rear storage space — Wanna know a secret? “Zoom Zoom” isn’t the only Mazda tagline these days. “Gobble Gobble” is often used to reference how large the rear storage compartment is. It’s true. Trust me bro.

2026 Mazda 3 center console storage space

2026 Mazda 3 interior door side panel with switches for power locks and mirrors

Engine and drivetrain

This particular Mazda 3 featured the standard SKYACTIV-G 2.5 L 4 cylinder engine that produces 191 hp and 186 pound feet of torque. It was decently quick, but not quite as “Zoom Zoom” as Mazda claims it to be.

2026 Mazda 3 with the hood open showing it's 2.5 L SKYACTIV-G engine — 2.5 liters of rectum ripping performance! Sort of (but not really).

You’re not going to win any races in this thing, but you will be able to merge onto the highway with a respectable amount of urgency.

2026 Mazda 3 2.5L SKYACTIV-G engine — If ripping rectums is what you like (not like *that*), I highly recommend stepping up to the turbocharged version of this engine. That one produces 250hp, which would be much appreciated in a sporty car like this IMHO.

The transmission is a 6 speed automatic connected to an all-wheel-drive drivetrain. Like most modern all-wheel-drive cars that I drive, I couldn’t even tell that it was AWD. I suppose it would’ve been apparent if I bogged it hard into a gator infested Florida swamp or something, but I didn’t have time for that sort of thing.

Driving impressions

Mazda does a really good job of producing relatively benign cars that are fun to drive. The 2026 Mazda 3 very much qualifies as fun IMHO, with responsive steering and a semi-tight chassis / suspension setup. It feels planted(ish) in the corners. It’s agile at high speeds. Most importantly, the driving position is perfect.

Driving a 2026 Mazda 3 POV — Not that I recommend doing this, but if you close your eyes while driving this thing, you’d never know that you weren’t driving a fun little sports car. It’s deceivingly fun.

2026 Mazda 3 blind spots — Speaking of being oblivious to the world, outward visibility (especially to the back) is dangerously bad in the Mazda 3. You *will* piss off other drivers as you inadvertently merge into them.

Gas mileage

For some reason or another I was expecting slightly better gas mileage. Don’t forget me wrong. 24.5 MPG is nothing to scoff at. It’s just that this is a little car, and I wasn’t driving like a total asshole, so…yeah.

Speedometer showing MPG in the 2026 Mazda 3 — **Pro tip:** *“But I’m getting 24.6 mpg!”* is a really good thing to say to the driver you just inadvertently merged into as you desperately attempt lower his or her blood pressure. Ain’t nobody can be mad about gas mileage like that.

2026 Mazda 3 filling up with gas at the gas station — If it weren’t for those massive D pillars (resulting in massive blind spots), I would love this little Mazda enough to give it the best (Shell V-Power NITRO+). But nope. Airport gas station 87 it is.

Pros and cons

The Mazda 3 represents a perfect combination of sportiness and practicality. It can be a fun little sports car OR a cargo hauling family truckster (on the same drive even). It’s versatile, fairly decently good looking, and mostly reliable. I’m a fan.

Pros

The driving position is darn near perfect.
It’s almost as much fun to drive as my 2004 350 Z was.
Build quality is excellent. I’ve been in luxury cars that weren’t as tight as this.

Cons

There are fewer things I hate in life more than Mazda 3 rear 3/4 blind spots. It’s bad (the bad kind of bad).
The interior will feel cramped if you’re a person of size.
Yeah, it’s a hatchback, but there are limit limits to its cargo capacity. This is not the car for you if you’ve got a lot of stuff to haul.

2026 Mazda 3 review: the little (compact) car that could (and did)