Best Used Small SUV for 2023

The 2016 Mazda CX-3 Akari has snagged a convincing win in the small SUV category of carsales Best Used Cars for 2023, proudly presented by Bingle.

Overshadowed by the Honda HR-V in last year’s running and not even earning an ‘honourable mention’, the Mazda has gone from zero to hero – mainly by virtue of the judges’ sentiments, but also matching the HR-V for best overall RedBook rating in the category.

New-car buyers back in 2016 agreed too, with the CX-3 topping the sales charts in small SUVs that year, narrowly beating the Mitsubishi ASX – 18,334 sales for the CX-3 versus 18,126 for the ASX, according to industry VFACTS figures.

At the time, the Mazda CX-3 offered an entry-level manual model that undercut most of its rivals on price, but for Best Used Cars in 2023, RedBook and the panel of expert judges have based their analysis on the flagship model in the range: the CX-3 Akari with turbo-diesel engine, six-speed automatic and all-wheel drive.

This was the same powertrain installed in the Mazda CX-3 that carsales staff drove across the Simpson Desert – and returned to tell the tale. Those who had previously dismissed the CX-3 as little more than a high-riding Mazda2 were forced to sit up and take stock of their preconceptions.

But buyers won’t be choosing the CX-3 for its unexpected off-road prowess.

What they want is a small, fuel-efficient SUV that is sturdy and dependable, offering good value for money, respectable comfort and a safety rating of five stars from ANCAP.

The range-topping Akari model is not short of goodies, featuring as standard blind spot monitoring, lane departure warning, LED headlights, leather upholstery, satellite navigation and 18-inch alloy wheels.

In 2016, the new price of this CX-3 variant was $37,690 plus on-road costs, and buyers will still pay $27,250 for a used example, according to RedBook’s research.

If there’s one problem facing buyers of the CX-3 Akari diesel in the used-car market, it’s tracking one down. Mazda Australia anticipated that just three per cent of CX-3 sales would comprise diesels, and the flagship trim level narrows that availability further still.

The Mazda CX-3 Akari diesel AWD accrued a RedBook score of 42.5 points – level-pegging with the HR-V on that measure, but soaring ahead of the Honda with a judges’ score of 43 points for a total of 85.5 out of 100.

Presciently, carsales managing editor Marton Pettendy forecast that the CX-3 would be a sales winner for Mazda, when he drove the baby SUV months out from the car’s local launch.

“Notwithstanding its small boot and noisy cabin, we expect the CX-3's winning style, performance, dynamics and efficiency to be a smash-hit with SUV-mad Australians,” Pettendy wrote at the time.

“No, even in the face of 18 current rivals and up to eight new competitors next year, we see no reason why the CX-3 won't become Australia's top-selling small SUV.

“In fact, the only problems Mazda Australia might face are lost sales of the Mazda2 and 3, and a lack of CX-3 supplies.”

You can read more of that first-drive review here.

“Hard to fault, they do everything so well. Maybe just a little boring,” adds carsales used-car buying expert Cliff Chambers.

“If you’re after a real SUV feel, you’re going to have to step up to a larger offering from Mazda. But if you’re hunting personality rather than practicality, the CX-3 has plenty,” says carsales consumer editor Nadine Armstrong.

In the small SUV segment, the CX-3 has provided a stylish alternative to the Honda HR-V and Mitsubishi ASX, and also encapsulates Mazda’s long-standing ‘Zoom-Zoom’ philosophy of design flair and driving enjoyment.

Factor in the low operating costs, safety and comfort, and the Mazda CX-3 rates as a deserving winner in its category of carsales Best Used Cars for 2023, proudly presented by Bingle.

Related: Buying a used Mazda CX-3 (2015-20)

Honourable mentions:

The Subaru XV scored 42.4 points from RedBook and 39 points from the judges for a total of 81.4
RedBook value: $30,150

“Forester’s little brother is the complete package except for high performance” – Marton Pettendy, carsales managing editor

“Dependable Subaru mechanicals in a compact, safe and user-friendly design” – Ross Booth, RedBook data services director

The top-shelf Nissan QASHQAI TL scored 39.9 points from RedBook and 40 points from the judges for a total of 79.9
RedBook value: $24,800

“Perhaps it’s a bit ho-hum, but it does the job competently” – Bruce Newton, carsales senior journalist

“Powered by the frugal but surprisingly strong 1.6-litre diesel, the QASHQAI is a likeable SUV that’s sportier than its larger X-TRAIL stablemate” – Ken Gratton, former carsales technical editor

What makes a car eligible for carsales Best Used Cars?
• Less than six years old
• Standard side curtain airbags
• Standard Bluetooth
• Standard electronic stability control (mandated for 2014)
• Standard reversing camera for SUVs

How did RedBook weight the categories for scoring?
• 10 per cent for resale value
• 10 per cent for ANCAP rating
• 20 per cent for cost of ownership
• 5 per cent for service intervals
• 5 per cent for number of days for vehicle to sell