Best First Car for 2022 announced

The Mazda3 has today been named carsales’ Best First Car for 2022.

Whether you’ve just finished school or are late bloomer looking for your first set of new wheels, Mazda’s small car is an attractive, safe, affordable and practical five-door hatchback that’s perfect for first-time new-car buyers of all kinds.

The Mazda3 came up trumps following a comprehensive judging process that saw nine shortlisted candidates – chosen from the light and small car segments – put through their paces.

Using data from RedBook.com.au, all Best First Car contenders were tested against more than 100 criteria across five main areas of assessment: safety, technology, comfort and convenience, driving performance and ownership costs.

“The Mazda3 is a fabulous package overall and a deserving winner of carsales’ Best First Car for 2022,” said carsales Consumer Editor, Nadine Armstrong.

“It’s very strong on safety, and was a clear leader in three of our five major categories – technology, comfort and convenience, and all-round driving performance.

“Even in the base-grade Pure model, the Mazda3 is a pleasure to drive, with the best balance of ride, handling, performance and refinement across our nine Best First Car contenders.

“The cabin is brimming with high-tech features such as speed sign recognition, digital radio, sat-nav and an 8.8-inch widescreen infotainment system, while the convenience of push-button start, an electric park brake, automatic high beam dipping and rain-sensing windscreen wipers reinforce its clever and easy-to-use nature.

“Our judges also rate it as the best-looking car in the field,” added Armstrong.

To be eligible for carsales’ 2022 Best First Car Award, current models were price-capped at $30,000 (before on-road costs) and fitted with an automatic transmission.

They were also required to have high safety credentials and high-level safety equipment including a maximum five-star ANCAP rating, autonomous emergency braking and a rear-view camera.

The Best Cars program at carsales covers all the major categories in Australia, from small cars and hot hatches to dual-cab utes, commercial vans, electric vehicles and, not least of all, SUVs – small, mid-size, family and 4x4 off-roaders.

We also determine the Best Used Cars across all key vehicle segments.

The automotive landscape is changing fast, but compact hatchbacks remain the focus for carsales’ Best First Car by virtue of their relatively low purchase price, versatile layout, easy manoeuvrability and low running costs.

Best First Car 2022 contenders:
Hyundai i30 Active
Kia Cerato S
Kia Rio S
Mazda2 Pure
Mazda3 Pure
Subaru Impreza 2.0i-L
Suzuki Swift GL S Plus
Toyota Corolla Ascent Sport
Toyota Yaris Ascent Sport