52 used Mazda 3 cars for sale

The Mazda3 is a compact family car that performs well and provides everyday practicality for family life. Launched in 2003, the Mazda3 introduced a unique design to the family car market with its sleek, low-slung aesthetic while also ensuring it delivered good performance with larger engines in comparison to rivals such as the Volkswagen Golf, Ford Focus and Vauxhall Astra.

Mazda3 updates and facelifts

The Mk3 model was launched in 2014. It received a facelift in 2017, which saw the introduction of a subtle design refresh as well as upgrades to interior materials. The Mk4 arrived in 2020, bringing with it a new design that made the Mazda3 look sportier, as well as new interior and driver assistance features. It was also in 2020 that it won the World Car Design of the Year award.

The Mazda3 can comfortably fit the whole family with plenty of room for luggage. Available in petrol or diesel engines, trims on the Mazda3 can also come well equipped with safety features and technology. The trims available on a used Mazda3 are the SE-L, SE-Lux, Sport, GT Sport and GT Sport Tech.

Practicality and style of the car

Both the Mk3 and Mk4 offer a decent sized boot. The Mk3 Mazda3 has a 340-litre boot which can be expanded to 1,360 litres by folding the rear seats down. The Mk4 Mazda3 has a slightly reduced sized boot of 334 litres. This can be expanded to about 1,022-litres by folding down the rear seats, which is still roomy. The slight reduction in boot space is because of design changes between the Mk3 and Mk4, which saw the Mk4’s width reduce by 28mm.

The boot’s wide opening allows for items, such as suitcases or the weekly shop, to be effortlessly loaded inside and the deep interior means items can be stored securely in the back, preventing luggage from falling out when the boot is opened after driving.

In the back, the Mazda3 has two ISOFIX mounting points on the two outer rear seats.

With its maximum braked towing capacity of up to 1,300kg, this compact car is capable of towing a small caravan or trailer.

Running costs

Running costs for a used Mazda3 are relatively low compared to rivals, such as the VW Golf and SEAT Leon. Falling in the lower insurance groups between 13 to 24, and with road tax costing up to £180, it is relatively affordable to insure and run. With most engines available on a Mazda offering good fuel economy, you may see running costs lower than those of other similar family cars.

How a used Mazda3 drives

A range of petrol and diesel engines are available for used Mazda3 cars, providing a powerful and smooth ride.

For petrol engines, there is a 118bhp 2.0-litre and Mazda’s 163bhp 2.0-litre SkyActiv-G. Mazda’s 2.0 e-SkyActiv-G petrol engine and e-SkyActiv-X 2.0-litre supercharged petrol engine deliver between 120 to 183bhp. Both engines also have 24V mild-hybrid assistance, helping them accelerate faster, with a peak torque of between 213Nm to 240Nm and a combined fuel economy of 40.9 to 56.5mpg. Petrol engines are available with either a manual or automatic transmission.

In terms of diesel engines, the 114bhp, 1.8-litre SkyActiv-D diesel engine offers 270Nm of torque and has a fuel economy of between 49.6 to 56.5mpg. The 1.8-litre diesel engines in a used Mazda3 can go from 0 to 62 mph in 10.3 seconds. There is also a 2.2-litre SkyActiv-D diesel engine that can output 148bhp and deliver 58mpg and, in iterations after 2016, a 104bhp 1.5-litre diesel engine is also available.

The 1.8-litre diesel engine is available on used Mazda3 cars in either manual or automatic transmission versions.

Engines and Official MPG

Please refer to the table below for a comprehensive list of engines and their official mpg figures.

2014 - 2019

Engine	Official NEDC MPG
1.5	55.4 mpg
1.5 D	64.2–74.3 mpg
2	55.4 mpg
2.0 120	55.4 mpg
2.0 120 Automatic	50.4 mpg
2.0 165	48.7 mpg
2.0 Automatic	50.4 mpg
2.2 D	68.9–72.4 mpg
2.2 D Automatic	58.9 mpg

2019 - onwards

Engine	Official WLTP MPG
1.8d	56.5 mpg
1.8d Automatic	50.4 mpg
2.0 122	45.6 mpg
2.0 122 Automatic	43.5–45.6 mpg
2.0 SKYACTIV-G 122	51.4 mpg
2.0 SKYACTIV-G 122 Automatic	47.1 mpg
2.0 SKYACTIV-X 180	51.4 mpg
2.0 SKYACTIV-X 180 Automatic	45.6 mpg
2.0 SKYACTIV-X 180 Automatic AWD	40.9 mpg
2.0 SKYACTIV-X 180 AWD	45.6 mpg
2.0 SKYACTIV-X 186	54.3 mpg
2.0 SKYACTIV-X 186 Automatic	47.1 mpg

Features you can expect in a Mazda3

A used Mazda3 comes with a suite of technology and features that are designed for practicality with plenty of smartphone connectivity options and clever storage spaces. There are also plenty of safety features to keep the whole family safe when driving.

Interior

The Mazda3’s sleek, minimalist dashboard continues through both the Mk3 and Mk4. It boasts a selection of intuitive technology, meeting the modern-day need for smart features.

The driving experience also mirrors the comfort of the interior. With composed and controlled, yet responsive handling, driving a Mazda3 is a joy with a good amount of road grip.

A Mazda3 also features many storage spaces throughout the vehicle, making the car a practical choice for families. Thanks to its door bins, kids’ devices or water bottles can be neatly stowed to keep the cabin free of clutter. In the front, there is a sizable glovebox, an easy access cubby located between the two front seats and a non-slip tray in front of the centre console to store glasses or smartphones.

Technology

These can include a 7-inch colour touchscreen display on the Mk3, and an 8.8-inch colour touchscreen display on the Mk4 with Mazda Connect infotainment, which allows you to connect your phone to the car to access your music library and for hands-free calling. This is controlled by a rotary dial on the centre console and displays information with high quality graphics. These features help to make the infotainment system easy to use, keeping the driver focused on the road. Some trim levels also come with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto to help connect your smartphone easily to the car for music and contacts.

Other features can include sat nav, climate control, voice control, stereo system and a head-up display, giving the driver a clear view of the speedometer, fuel gauge, and rev counter.

With a sportier look than most family cars, the Mazda3 offers a comfortable ride with quality finishes throughout the cabin. There is a good amount of legroom and headroom for those in the back for comfort on long journeys. In the Mk4, the design of the Mazda3 has been slightly altered to help to reduce road and wind noise in the cabin, making long motorway journeys even quieter and more comfortable.

Safety

Earning a five-star rating from Euro NCAP, the Mazda3 scores very highly when it comes to safety features and performance.

The Mazda3 also did extremely well in occupant protection tests, scoring a near-perfect 98% for adult occupant protection and 87% for child occupant protection. This puts it on a par with its close competitors, the Volkswagen Golf and Ford Focus, and leagues ahead of its other rival, the Vauxhall Astra, which only scored 80% and 82% in adult and child occupant protection tests respectively.

Some Mazda3s can include safety technology such as autonomous emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, hill-start assist and lane-keep assist with lane departure warning, so you can always maintain control. Your used Mazda3 can also come with front and rear parking sensors for getting into those tight spaces.

Your Mazda3 may also include a Driver Attention Alert system that detects any signs of fatigue or decreased attentiveness in the driver, encouraging them to take a rest and reducing the risk of an accident. Mazda has thought clearly about the driver both in terms of how the car is designed and how it is to drive, and for the safety of occupants as well as the car itself.

Trims available on the Mazda3

Mazda3 SE-L

The SE-L is the entry-level trim. It comes with a generous suite of features and equipment, such as 16-inch alloy wheels, automatic LED headlights, rear parking sensors, automatic wipers and radar cruise control. This trim also features a 7-inch infotainment display with DAB radio as well as Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone connectivity.

Mazda3 SE-L Lux

This trim adds a reversing camera, front parking sensors and dual-zone automatic air conditioning. And with heated front seats, extra comfort and luxury is provided especially in the winter months.

Mazda3 Sport Lux

The Sport trim add some practical features such as rain-sensing front wipers, lane-keep assist and sat nav. This trim has larger 18-inch alloy wheels.

Mazda3 GT Sport

The GT Sport brings even more convenience features to the Mazda3. Along with leather upholstery, this trim comes with an electrically adjustable driver's seat and heated steering wheel, making the Mazda3 even more of a pleasure to drive. This trim also upgrades the audio to a BOSE sound system for even better sound quality.

Mazda3 GT Sport Tech

The range-topping GT Sport Tech trim adds even more technology to the Mazda3, including front cross-traffic alert, rear emergency braking to help you avoid backing into things and a 360-degree parking camera to help you to manoeuvre around any obstructions when parking in tight spaces.

Whether you’re looking to finance a Mazda3 or purchase one, we have a wide range of used Mazda3 cars available to buy online safely with Click & Collect and home delivery options available.

Search our stock of used Mazda3 cars for sale.