MAZDA3 Vehicle Overview

The 2012 Mazda3 ushers in some exterior and interior revisions but is most notable for introducing new high-efficiency technologies marketed under the SKYACTIV® name, including an optional engine claimed to earn the car as much as 40 mpg on the highway. Like in the 2011 model year, the 2012 Mazda3 is available as a sedan and a four-door hatchback.

• Sky-high 13:1 compression ratio harnesses more energy from fuel
• 4-2-1 exhaust system fights engine knock and improves performance
• Innovative piston cavity improves combustion efficiency
• Advanced direct injection system stabilizes combustion
• Weight and friction reductions enhance efficiency

Introduction

The long-running automotive horsepower war might finally be grinding to a halt with a stalemate, at least in the compact car segment. Replacing power output one-upmanship is a new, much greener conflict over fuel economy. Among compacts, 40 mpg is the new target, one that the Mazda 3 has fallen woefully short of in the past. Not anymore.

For 2012, the Mazda 3 sedan and hatchback are available with Mazda's new "SKYACTIV®" powertrain components: a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine paired to either a new six-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission. Mazda's engineers essentially went through the internal combustion engine with a fine-toothed comb, looking at the myriad inherent inefficiencies and devising clever solutions to address them. The result is a power plant that can hit that magic 40 mpg without "tricks" like low-rolling-resistance tires or transmission programming that upshifts the car into top gear at the earliest opportunity.

Nor has the rise in fuel economy come at the expense of power. The new SKYACTIV® engine, which slots between the carryover 2.0-liter and 2.5-liter four-cylinder engines, boasts more power than the Hyundai Elantra and Chevy Cruze Eco -- two cars that also hit the 40 mpg threshold.

This new engine complements the 2012 Mazda 3's other existing strengths, including sharp handling, a stylish interior and an available hatchback body style.

Body Styles, Trim Levels, and Options

The 2012 Mazda 3 is available in four-door sedan and hatchback body styles. Both are available in 3i and 3s trims that are further broken into subtrims. The high-performance Mazdaspeed 3 is reviewed separately.

The 3i SV and Sport trims are available only on the sedan. The SV comes sparsely equipped with 16-inch steel wheels, power mirrors, power windows, a height-adjustable driver seat, a tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel, a 60/40 split-folding rear seat and a four-speaker sound system with a CD player, auxiliary audio jack and steering wheel controls. The Sport adds air-conditioning, power locks, keyless entry and an outside temperature display.

The rest of the Mazda 3 trims are available on both the sedan and hatchback. The 3i Touring adds to the Sport equipment the SKYACTIV®-G engine, 16-inch alloy wheels, cruise control, a leather-wrapped steering wheel and shifter, a rear-seat center armrest, a trip computer, Bluetooth (phone and audio streaming) and a six-speaker sound system. The Touring can be had with a package that includes a sunroof and a 10-speaker Bose surround-sound audio system. Those items are standard on the 3i Grand Touring, which also gets heated mirrors, an eight-way power driver seat, heated front seats, leather upholstery, a sliding front center armrest, a color trip computer and a compact navigation system.

The 3s Touring adds on a more powerful four-cylinder engine, 17-inch alloy wheels, upgraded brakes, foglamps, LED taillights, a deck lid spoiler (sedan), keyless ignition/entry, sport seats and dual-zone automatic climate control. However, it reverts back to a manual driver seat and cloth upholstery, while the sunroof and navigation system are options. The 3s Grand Touring includes those items.

The Tech package available on both 3i and 3s Grand Touring trims adds a blind-spot warning system, adaptive bi-xenon headlights, automatic wipers and satellite radio (optional separately on all trims).

Powertrains and Performance

With the addition of SKYACTIV®, the Mazda3 now offers three engines. The base is a 2.0-liter four-cylinder known as MZR, which produces 148 horsepower and teams with a five-speed manual or five-speed automatic for EPA-estimated mileage of 25/33 mpg city/highway and 24/33 mpg, respectively.

The standard engine in the hatchback and in sedans of the Sport trim level and higher is a 167-hp, 2.5-liter four-cylinder that works with a six-speed manual or five-speed automatic for EPA-estimated mileage of 20/28 mpg or 22/29 mpg, respectively.

Available with either body style, the SKYACTIV® 2.0-liter direct-injection four-cylinder produces 155 hp, about 5 percent more than the base 2.0-liter and 10 percent more torque. The sedan gets an estimated 27/39 mpg with a SKYACTIV® six-speed manual or 28/40 mpg with a six-speed SKYACTIV® automatic. Because of different aerodynamics, the hatchback gets an estimated 27/38 mpg or 28/38 mpg when equipped with the SKYACTIV® engine and associated manual or automatic transmissions, respectively.

Safety

Every 2012 Mazda 3 comes standard with antilock disc brakes, stability and traction control, brake assist, front side airbags and side curtain airbags. A blind spot warning system is optional on the Grand Touring trims.

In government crash testing, the 2012 Mazda 3 received an overall frontal crash score of five out of five stars. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety gave the 3 the highest rating of "Good" in the frontal-offset, side-impact and roof strength tests.

Interior Design and Special Features

Interior changes for 2012 include silver trim on the finer touch points, such as knobs and vent pulls. The gauge markings are now backlit, day or night. The dashboard LCDs are white rather than red, though the Mazdaspeed3 version features red gauge backlighting. SKYACTIV® logos appear in locations such as on the shift knob. The fabric seat upholstery on both lower and higher trim levels has different patterns.

Even the lowest trim levels feature soft-touch surfaces, while Grand Touring models offer enough luxury and convenience equipment to keep pace with other so-called premium compact cars.