Should you buy one?

Taken in isolation, there’s a lot to recommend about the Mazda 3 Saloon. It’s good to drive, we like the way it looks and it has a desirable and equipment-packed interior. But in reality, it’s no more useful than the hatchback it’s based on – and it’s more expensive than a bells-and-whistles Takumi spec hatchback 3 while offering less kit. We can’t really see why you’d bother spending the extra.

The Saloon’s boot is its bugbear – larger but less flexible than its sibling. The single engine choice is limiting, too, but at least you’re likely to get good fuel economy out of it. The lovely manual gearbox and enjoyable handling make this Mazda fun when you need to get a move on, but that’s no different to the hatchback, either.

So unless you really want a small saloon car – in which case, the 3 certainly makes a good case for itself, even versus the supposedly more premium Audi A3 Saloon – we’d suggest going for the hatchback. And if you’re looking at hatchbacks there’s an enormous number of rivals to choose from, including the recently refreshed Volkswagen Golf.

What we like

It’s refreshingly old-school to drive, with a sweet manual gearbox and exellently weighted steering. Its interior is a highlight with plush materials and comfortable seats. There’s lots of eqiupment included in the sole trim level, including plenty of safety systems. The clever SkyActiv X engine technology delivers impressive real-world fuel economy.

What we don’t like

The engine needs to be worked hard to feel lively. The boot is less practical than the hatchback it’s based on thanks to the awkward opening. There’s now only one trim level.