This might be the last regular compact car you can buy with a manual gearbox in this part of the world, and I don't know if Mazda wants you to know this, but I think this might be better than the turbo version. And we all know the story by now. Manual gearboxes are disappearing faster than my patience for Tesla drivers.
Now we know and if you're thinking, and I'm thinking you two shouldn't, I want the 250 horsepower turbo model. And maybe that's the case, but after spending a week with this Mazda three, I've discovered something that's completely changed my perspective. What's it like?
Buckle up, my friends. Let's go for a drive. I'm your host, Brian Max racer lover driving fast fun things.
And on this channel you get reviews for drivers from drivers. Now, it's been a couple of years since we've looked at this Mazda three hatchback with a manual gearbox, and it's definitely long overdue, but always in the back of my mind. We know that Mazda builds and engineers cars for drivers, and this is still got to be enjoyable to drive.
So before we get into what it's like to drive, let's have a look at it in a little more depth. For 2025, there are some meaningful updates. More to keep this current.
More than anything else, there's a heads up display, LED lights, front and rear. Alexa's built in, and now there's wireless phone charging. Under the hood is that 2.
5l naturally aspirated four cylinder makes 191 horsepower at 6100 rpm and 186 pounds of torque at 4000 rpm. The transmission is a six speed manual and it is exclusive to this hatchback. Save the manuals, my friends.
And since this isn't really a hard core model, there is an open diff, not a limited slip diff. Steering's electrically assisted suspension uses Macpherson struts at the front and a torsion beam setup at the rear. Just regular dampers on this one, nothing fancy.
Single piston calipers, front and rear wheels and tires are eighteens. Curb weight of. This Mazda three hatchback with the manual is a little over 3,000 pounds, and weight distribution is 62% front, 38% rear.
But on this channel we know it's not static weight distribution that counts. It's how you use it. For someone who cares enough about their car to watch my channel.
A dash cam isn't just about insurance. It's about protecting your pride and joy. And Volvo seems to get that with this.
A 229 plus. The build quality here is more AMG than Ultima Dual. Sony starves two sensors a proper capacitor instead of just a battery that will fail in summer heat, and mounting hardware that won't look like a Best Buy clearance item on your windshield.
Installation is straightforward enough that you won't need your dealer's master tech. Just mount root, the cables and your recording and two K front and rear. The rear camera runs through a single cable, keeping things clean and unlike cheaper units, this actually looks at home next to your radar detector rather than screaming.
I just bought this after my third fender bender. Did you know that 80% of you are not subscribed? Yes, it's true, 80% of you are not subscribed.
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Lots of great stuff for driving enthusiasts like us, including our very popular line of Save the Manuals merch. Now back to your regularly scheduled episode. The driver interface is really nothing short of perfection.
I really don't have any complaints. I'm seated nice and low in the chassis. The seat is comfortable, it's supportive and not a big fan of leather, but I know a lot of people are.
But nonetheless, this is just fantastic in terms of the way I'm set up here in the car and my interface to the steering wheel and the pedals as well as the shifter. The wheel itself is just the right shape, the right size and encourages you to have your hands at nine in the three. Yes, the steering wheel is heated.
And guess where it's heated? Only in the nine in the three zone. Who knew that your hands are supposed to be at nine and three at the steering wheel, not at ten and two where your high school driver ed instructor told you the steering wheel is the perfect design.
I know it sounds like a weird thing to get excited about, but if you know, you know. And if you don't know, I'm sorry. You've been driving cars with bad steering wheels your whole life as well.
The paddle layout is perfect. I've got a very clear paddle for my left foot when it's not using the clutch pedal, and then the rest of the pedals are laid out perfectly. Heel and toe is no problem whatsoever, and Mazda knows that some of its drivers know how to heal.
And so so you can manipulate both the brake pedal and the throttle at the same time, without the car giving you any kind of warnings. Regardless, pedals are laid out perfectly for that, and if you don't know what heel and toe as well, check out our video on Heel and Toe. If you don't know what it is or want to improve your technique, this is probably the best tutorial on heel and toe on YouTube.
The shifter is an easy reach and yeah, you can shift without a clutch if you need, like I'm doing here, but not a big deal. Gates are clearly defined and really can't complain about it, and the clutch communicates perfectly as well. Very clear bite point.
And if you're new to manuals, that's going to help you improve your technique or just learn from scratch. Every other manufacturer seems to say, well, manuals don't sell. Mazda says, well, hold my perfectly engineered cup holder.
That's exactly the right distance from the shifter, please. Ergonomics are modern. Mazda.
What that means is they are simple and driver centric. They're not overly complicated. Very straightforward.
You got some secondary controls here on the steering wheel. The infotainment controller is here. Not necessarily the biggest fan of how the system works.
Just love working with it on Apple CarPlay on a day to day basis. All of the ergonomics first level, second level, third level, all very simple, very straightforward. No learning curve and there's nothing here to distract you.
Speaking of not being distracting, this interior is fantastic. It is minimalist. It is clean.
There is nothing unusual about it. And in fact, it's very attractive, especially for a car at this price point. And back to the seat for just a second.
I'm actually very comfortable. The driver's seat is powered. There's a minimal amount of adjustment.
There's some adjustment, the steering column as well. Pretty much anybody can get comfortable behind the wheel of this Mazda three, but really happy with the seat. Even over longer distances.
It is exceptionally comfortable and modestly supportive in the corners as well. It's just a fantastic all around scene. Again, I do love some really cool cloth upholstery here.
Not a big fan of leather, but I know a lot of you are in terms of spaciousness, lots of room in this front row for you and a passenger. Decent amount of storage as well. And then we get into the second row and I can just fit behind myself in the seating position.
It's not a situation where there is an abundance of space, but it is just kind of okay, decent amount of room under the hatch as well. And overall this would work for me on a day to day basis for all of the things that I do throwing bicycles in this thing, golf clubs, snowboards, whatever the case is, this can accommodate everything I live with on a day to day basis. One.
not a rocket ship. But that's okay. That's not what this car is about.
I think this is about this driveline, a naturally aspirated four cylinder that runs smoothly and then is mated to a very satisfying six speed manual gearbox. The manual transmission in this car is like finding out. One of my philosophy prompts was actually a rocket scientist.
It doesn't make sense on paper, but it makes everything about this car cooler. While we're sitting here, I should mention there is an auto hold function that holds the car in position when you're stopped, but the downside is you got to turn it on every single time you start your Mazda three. We aren't talking about an abundance of power and torque.
We're asking to get to the ground. And keep in mind this does have an open diff at the front. Not a limited slip though I do think it could benefit from a but because we're talking about a little bit of horsepower and torque, we're really not overtaxing those front tires anyways.
It's only in extreme conditions, like when it's wet and when you've got the steering wheel turned in asking for a lot of acceleration, do you get a little bit of wheelspin from time to time? But on the other hand, there's not a lot of torque steer here. I don't remember if I've experienced any during this test and that is a great thing.
What that means is that Mazda has dialed in some decent suspension geometry to compensate for an open diff, and it leaves us with a car that behaves a little bit more naturally and intuitively. I think the highlight of the drivetrain is the manual. The manual is set up perfectly.
Like I said earlier, the pedals are spaced perfectly and I can heel and toe no problem whatsoever. The clutch has got a very clear bite point, so no issues there. The gates of this shifter are very clearly defined.
There is a decent amount of half to the shifter as well. It's not overly late, although they could have dialed in a little bit more weight to the actuation of this gearbox, but I just love the way the shifter works. Again, gates are clearly defined, and then on top of that, healing toe is a breeze.
Yes, we didn't talk about this earlier, but I do have to mention that it is so easy with this car, and I think that they've done that deliberately. It's like they know that people who know how a heel and toe are going to drive this car because it's so intuitive, very easy to blip the throttle on this one. And then the way the clutch works, the way the brake pedal works, it all works in harmony to make heel and toe downshifts a breeze.
Why are naturally aspirated engines better for manual transmission? Well, linear power delivery, immediate throttle response. No lag, no waiting, no turbo surge.
Just pure direct connection between your right foot and the engine. It's like the difference between streaming music and vinyl. Sure, the numbers might be better with modern technology, but somehow the old way just feels right.
And while you can short shift this gearbox, it's actually more enjoyable to hang on to the gears a little bit longer because it is a naturally aspirated motor and peak power way up near the top of the rev range of this motor, and it's quite happy to operate up over 6000 rpm. Just great. I love this drivetrain, love the way it works.
Heel and toe? No problem. I know some of you out there just thinking of ways to turbocharge this thing, but that's the wrong idea.
It's kind of like pouring Red bull on top of some 18 year old scotch. It's like telling the entire world your daddy didn't raise your right. Where this Mazda all comes together is in its dynamics, in terms of its handling and the way you can just throw this through the corners.
It's an absolute blast. And we are going to talk a little bit about the elephant in the room for some people. And it's the torsion beam at the rear.
And if you think the torsion beam setup in this Mazda three is bad, it tells me two things. One, you don't know what you're talking about, and two, you've never driven a Mazda three. And if you want to talk about it, well, fight me in the comments.
I'll see you there. The suspension just works here and you can tell they have carefully tuned this. You've got a compliant ride.
It's not overly stiff. It's still very comfortable for you and your passengers, even over our nasty road surfaces here in this part of the world. No problem whatsoever.
No real crash through either and does. Right? Relatively quiet, but the suspension just kind of works.
And that's what Mazda does. They design their suspensions to work just like they do in the MX five. And that's very much the case here with this Mazda three.
And you know when you need to turn the steering wheel, downshift the couple of gears come off the brake back on the throttle. No problem whatsoever. Just perfectly at home in the corners.
Yes, the Mazda three shines in the corners. So here we are. We've found some corners and it's just so natural and intuitive here.
It's an extension of me as the driver does exact what I want. I'm throwing it here through this corner, putting down power. Another great thing about this car is there is no sport mode.
Sport mode is you as the driver and absolutely love that. Anyway, down to second gear, a little off camber here and that might induce a little understeer. No problem at all.
Road surface is nasty here, but the suspension soaking it all up. Suspension does a great job with body and wheel control for a standard set of dampers. They've done a great job here.
That's what I really dig about this car. The suspension is set up for drivers like us, so it is satisfying to drive and it really works together in harmony as a completely resolved package. It's one of those satisfying compact cars that you can buy today.
Oh squirrel, don't do it. See the steering so responsive we can dodge squirrels just love this car in the corners. Absolutely a joy.
Where else are you going to get anything like this at this price point? I don't think there's anything quite like this available on the market today. How do you spec yours?
Well, thankfully this is an easy question to answer, but for starters, this one's finished in the right color. This is soul Crystal Red metallic, which is my favorite paint on every single Mazda. What you are looking at is the Mazda three hatchback 2.
5 as premium in the US or the sport GT. It is available with this manual gearbox, thankfully. Save the manuals, my friends in the US base price is $3,650, plus 5.
95 for the soul Crystal Red metallic paint, making the as tested price $31,245. In Canada, base price is $34,450, plus 5. 95 for the soul Crystal Red metallic paint for a total as tested of $35,045.
And these prices are before freight, local taxes and incentives. And yes, this sole crystal red paint is extra and it's kind of like charging extra for putting diamonds on an engagement ring just included. We all know that's the color everyone wants anyway.
Anybody who actually takes the time to look at the soul Crystal Red metallic paint in person is always astonished because it is stunning on this car. And sure, they do charge extra for it, which I don't think is necessary, but it's a complete contrast to some of the competitors who look like they got their paint jobs from Walmart. But in this case, it's like Mazda stole the paint from Ferrari, did this wonderful paint job and just forgot to tell anybody.
As I said, sparking yours is a very easy question to answer and as far as I'm concerned, get it just like Oh. with this Mazda three, I've learned it's not about horsepower numbers, it's about balance. This is 200 pounds lighter than the turbo all wheel drive model.
And all of that matters. You see, the thing is, throttle response is immediate. There's no lag, there's no waiting, just pure linear power delivery that lets you place this car exactly where you want it without the extra weight over the front turn into sharper steering feels more alive in your hands.
And because you're working with a naturally aspirated engine, you can hold gears longer, play in the upper rev range, and actually use all the gears instead of short shifting like you would with a turbo motor. As we've known for a long time, Mazda builds cars for drivers, and they've given us perfectly spaced pedals a shifter that drops into gear with the right amount of precision and a clutch that communicates exactly where the bite point is. In the turbo Mazda three, you're always aware of all the technology that's working around you turbocharging all wheel drive, and that fantastic automatic.
But it's not like this manual here. It's just you three pedals and one of the most balanced front wheel drive chassis in any modern compact car. That's what driving satisfaction is all about.
It's how the car works with you as the driver. And in this case, mass is given this particular model, some of the luxuries of the turbo model, like the Bose sound system, which I really enjoy, and the leather seats that a lot of people enjoy, I enjoy a little bit less so as well. Some updated LED headlamps and tail lamps keeping it very modern.
And Mazda's given this hatchback something that the turbo doesn't have, and that's a way to enjoy the Mazda three as a driver in a way that you can't quite match with the turbo all wheel drive model. It's just a little bit more satisfying to drive in all the right ways. You know what the craziest part is?
In ten years, we're all going to be driving electric pods that look like washing machines, and some guy is going to be sitting in his garage with this Mazda and grinning like he's got the last bottle of water in the desert, and he'll be right. You know who's missed the boat here on a driver centric compact car with a manual? It's the Europeans.
They should have been here first, but then they'd probably want to charge you 50 grand for materials like this. And they wouldn't even give you a manual gearbox. Thanks for hanging out with me today and having a look at this 2025 Mazda three hatchback with the six speed manual gearbox.
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Links below. Lots of great stuff for driving enthusiasts like us, including a very popular line up. Save the Manuals merch.
Thanks again for watching. We'll see you again next time. And remember, cars don't understeer by themselves.
Not even Mazda threes. And since you've hung around this long, and I've alluded to a lot of the similarities between this Mazda three and the Mk5, well, here's a link to our latest MX five video. I hope you enjoy it.
See you again next time.
