Mazda3 G25 Astina 2020 Review

After spending a week in the range-topping 2020 Mazda3 G25 Astina hatch, it is a very capable machine with one of the most premium cabins in this class.

The $37,590 price is for the six-speed automatic (the manual is $1000 less) but the drive-away price, based on my location near the city of Perth, is $42,531.

For that sort of coin you get a number of luxury-level features such as a sunroof, adaptive LED headlights, a driver fatigue monitor, autonomous emergency braking in forward and reverse gears, front and rear parking sensors with a 360-degree view monitor, 18-inch alloy wheels, and a rather curvaceous exterior design.

A heated steering wheel and a 12-speaker BOSE sound system are fitted and both work well, and conveniences such as dual-zone climate control and an auto-dimming drivers-side mirror are nice touches.

The heated and power-adjustable leather front seats can be ordered in black, white or burgundy.

With a chic exterior design (the Mazda3 won the 2020 World Car Design of the Year award) and an interior fit-out to match, the Mazda 3 is a car that owners will be proud to show off.

During a week-long 650km drive in Western Australia, the shapely Japanese hatch revealed only a couple of issues, such as the small boot volume and some Apple CarPlay niggles.

Other standard equipment (on all Mazda 3 model grades) includes an 8.8-inch widescreen infotainment display (with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto), radar cruise control with traffic sign (speed limit) recognition, rear parking sensors and camera, a head-up display, digital radio, digital instrument display, active lane keep assist and push-button engine start.

But make no mistake, Mazda has upped the ante with this generation of Mazda3.

Six-speed manual gearboxes are available but about nine out of every 10 Astina buyers will choose the six-speed automatic transmission.

The only downer when it comes to standard equipment is the space-saver spare wheel under the boot floor. Given how cramped the boot already is, a full-size spare wheel would eat into even more cargo space.

The 295 litres of boot space is enough to fit a couple of boogie boards, or a big grocery shop, or two large suitcases. Like the last few Jason Bourne movies, it's best described as decent, but below average in its class.

However, it should be noted that the top-selling car in this class, the Toyota Corolla, has an even smaller 217-litre boot.

Boot space clearly is no longer a deal-breaker for most hatch buyers, it seems.

In terms of passenger space, both the front and rear seats are roomy, although headroom gets a little tight for taller people in the back. The back seats have air vents and cup holders, but no USB recharging ports – an important consideration for ferrying device-addicted children around.

The Mazda3 also has provisions for roof rack mounting points.

Similar to many Mazda models, the 2020 Mazda 3 G25 Astina hatch boasts an excellent array of safety features, including seven airbags (which includes a driver's knee airbag) along with high and low-speed autonomous emergency braking (AEB) with pedestrian detection.

The AEB even works while reversing the car, a rare feature in the small car segment.

Adaptive cruise control makes longer freeway drives effortless by automatically accelerating and braking the vehicle to maintain a safe distance from other vehicles.

The lane keep assistance system is best described as brash. At first, it vibrates the steering wheel if you meander out of the lane. If you continue to stray, it flashes up warnings on the digital instrument panel and gently steers the car back into the lane.

The 2020 Mazda3 G25 Astina hatch is no SUV, so doesn’t have that SUV-style commanding view of the road ahead, and the curvaceous concept car-inspired design makes rearward vision average.

However, the blind spot detection system is excellent, flashing a small signal on the left or right side of the head-up display to tell you if there's another vehicle close by.

Other nice touches are the LED “angel” lights at the front and rear that book-end the flowing bodywork and look spectacular.

This particular model with its Polymetal grey metallic (a $495 option) and black wheels looks pretty flash in my opinion.

An electronic parking brake with auto-hold function comes in handy at traffic lights, and automatically dipping high-beam headlights are effective most of the time.

Two not so flash aspects I noted were a lack of ventilated front seats – they are offered in some considerably cheaper Korean cars – and that the infotainment touchscreen system is disabled while the Mazda3 is moving.

The touchscreen infotainment system itself looks incredible. It is well integrated into the dash and appears more like a work of art than a tablet slapped onto the dashboard.

It works well with an intuitive menu system, but navigating Apple CarPlay using a rotary dial is annoying and time-consuming while on the move.

Covering around 650km in a week of driving the flagship 2020 Mazda3 G25 Astina, there's not a lot to complain about.

Overall fuel use was 6.2L/100km at the end of the test, with around 80 per cent freeway driving. This is good considering the Mazda's official combined freeway and city driving claim is 6.5L/100km.

The engine revs cleanly to 6500rpm, but at 100km/h in sixth gear the engine is ticking over at just 1900rpm, helping with decent fuel economy.

The 2.5-litre naturally aspirated four-cylinder petrol engine (139kW/252Nm) pairs up very nicely to the six-speed automatic transmission.

The auto gearbox is generally very smooth but can also be decisive. Steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters and a sport mode add extra control – they’re welcome, because this Mazda3 can be a lot of fun on a challenging, snaking road.

Unlike the strong-selling Toyota Corolla Hybrid, the Mazda 3’s powertrain won’t leave you floundering when you need to overtake traffic on the freeway or on country roads.

As a long-distance cruiser the 2020 Mazda 3 G25 Astina hatch does a great job. The seats are really comfortable with supportive cushion and squab.

After a three-hour drive down the West Australian coast from Perth to Dunsborough, there were none of the lower back aches that less-supportive seats can generate.

The front seats power adjust in eight directions, are heated, and feature lumbar adjustments.

High-quality materials and good levels of tactility make spending time in the Mazda3 pleasant.

Leather trim covers the seats, steering wheel and door inserts, and soft touch dash plastics lend the car an upmarket feel.

Indeed, every press of a button from the automatic windows to the side mirrors and especially steering wheel and heating/cooling controls, feels great.

Even the indicator click is slightly muted and a little posh. It's a lovely experience.

Recent comparisons have shown the Toyota Corolla has closed the gap (and possible even overtaken the Mazda3) in terms of driving dynamics, but I don’t think anyone is going to be disappointed with how this glamorous hatch behaves when driving through corners at higher speeds.

The suspension is nicely sorted and while it has an energetic personality, it's still a comfortable cruiser.

The current-generation Mazda3 is an appealing car and the range-topping (for now) 2020 Mazda3 G25 Astina hatch is the best of breed. It's a very pleasant vehicle to drive, thanks to improved refinement levels, a quieter cabin and one of the most luxurious interior fit outs in its class.

The Mazda3’s boot could be bigger, but in terms of the drive experience and cabin luxuries it's almost unmatched in this class. Only the Volkswagen Golf can rival it for fit and finish.

And therein lies the problem for the Mazda3 – cost.

The cheapest Mazda3 ($25,990) went up in price by $4500 compared with the previous model from 2019, making the cheapest Mazda3 more expensive than the cheapest Volkswagen Golf ($25,390).

Together with a contraction of the new car market, the devastating bushfires, coronavirus and the surging popularity of SUVs and utes, the Mazda3 is a long way from its number-one selling status in Australia during 2011 and 2012.

In fact, it has dropped out of the top 10 altogether.

Perhaps all of that is part of Mazda’s plan: a shift from ubiquitous to you’ll want one as long as you’re willing to pay for it.

How much does the 2020 Mazda3 G25 Astina hatchback cost?
Price: $38,590 (plus on-road costs)
Available: Now
Engine: 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol
Output: 139kW/252Nm
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Fuel: 6.5L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 152g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety Rating: Five-star ANCAP (2019 Year)