Family car review: Mazda 3 Hatchback

Let’s take a moment and admire the sheer beauty of this family hatch back, the Mazda 3. With its sporty looks and technology laden interior you could be forgiven for thinking that it might not make an obvious practical family car. Dig a little deeper though and you will find that many of the conveniences that parents demand from a family car feature heavily in Mazda’s 3, as do some excellent safety features.

Inside the 3 feels like a premium car, of a similar level of quality to the Volkswagen Golf. The controls feel soft and solid, and busy Mums will love the connectivity and communication features on board and the large touch screen on the dash top. Once your smart phone is connected to the Bluetooth you can operate your phone with the easy-to-use joystick, including making calls, playing music from your play lists or youtube, while you can also use your use your phone internet package to access facebook, twitter and your emails, so working Mum’s can get their jobs done on the move, freeing up precious minutes to spend with the family later.

Two tall teens (or adults) along with a smaller child will be comfortable in the rear, and despite the roof of the car not being particularly high, someone six feet tall will fit without feeling cramped. The rear seats are particularly comfortable, and are high enough off the ground to allow passengers rest their legs comfortably. Our car was fitted with privacy glass (this darkens the rear windows) which blocks the full effect of daylight getting into the rear. Great for sleeping babies, but the back of the car can feel dark, so you may prefer your 3 without this feature.

We drove the ridiculously powerful, quiet and smooth 2.2 litre diesel version – it is well suited to drivers who spend most of their time outside the city – let’s just say the Dads will love it! Mums on the school run will find the 1.5 litre petrol version, which starts at €21,595 is perfect for nipping in and out of traffic around schools, shops, and on the commute to work. It still has enough power for safe acceleration when you load up the family for a longer drive. Whichever version you choose, you will be paying no more than €200 per year in road tax – can’t argue with that. Around the city the petrol version will do roughly 400 miles on €50 petrol, depending of course on your regular routes.

The starting price of €21,595 for the Mazda 3 is a little more expensive than some other similarly sized cars, but when you compare the features which are standard against the likes of the Honda Civic and Volkswagen Golf it is better value than both – all models come with four electric windows, alloy wheels, USB connectivity and air con, while all but the base model have a city emergency braking system included in the price. Is this the coolest looking car we have tested here at Mummypages? That would be a yes.

Is there loads of storage space?

At 380 litres the boot is of similar size to other hatch backs and will take a double buggy no problem. By flipping the seats down you can create a flat loading bay which will take bikes, keyboards, or other large equipment that your child’s schedule demands. In the front there is a large glove box, a centre arm rest box which we managed to fit a large camera into, and door bins with fitted cup holders. €122 will buy you a fitted ‘boot organiser’ with your new Mazda 3 which divides your boot into flexible compartments to stop things in the boot rolling around and getting damaged. Your smart phone will also fit on the tray inside the centre console storage box, where the charging point and USB and SD connectivity points are also located. Mazda will supply a slick looking removable roof box for €400 if you need more space

Is it baby friendly?

With a baby seat fitted to each of the ISOFIX child seat mounts in the rear there will still be room for a smaller child in the middle. While the low roof line means you may have to crouch while strapping a baby in, there are no issues lifting a full size baby seat into the back as the door openings are excellent. Mazda also has lots of thoughtful baby and toddler equipment on the options list, including a manufacturer approved child seat and ipad headrest holders to keep your child entertained while you concentrate on the road.

Is parking easy?

We found some hatch backs easier to park than the 3. It’s gorgeous exterior styling means that the rear window offers limited visibility, although there are large wing mirrors which go some way towards compensating. The bonnet is quite long too. Overall though the 3 is not a long car, so once you get your bearings you should find it manageable in even tight car parks. The top two trim levels come with parking sensors, but if you buy one of the lower two grades you will be parking the 3 without assistance.

What about safety?

Mums considering the Mazda 3 will be glad to know that it boasts class leading safety features and crash test results. A five star Euro NCap safety rating including a 93% adult protection and 86% child protection score put it at the top of its class, and indeed those scores are more impressive than quite a few larger cars. All 3’s are fitted with city emergency braking, which detects if an impact is likely and intervenes to slow the car. We tested it – it definitely works! Front, side and curtain air bags are standard across the range, and should you brake hard your hazard lights automatically come on to warn other drivers of a possible emergency.