Mazda3 named carsales Best Small Car for 2021
Upmarket mainstream Japanese hatch and sedan stands above 14 small-car candidatesThe Mazda3 has been crowned carsales’ Best Small Car for 2021, ahead of 13 other candidates and eight other short-listed contenders in the mainstream small-car segment.
As is the case with all carsales Best awards, the trophy applies to the entire model range after a judging process that measured the most comparable premium variants against 100 criteria across five key areas of assessment.
These are safety, technology, comfort and convenience, driving performance and ownership costs.
In this case the Mazda3 G25 Astina topped a classy small-car field that included the new Volkswagen Golf and Skoda Scala, the facelifted Hyundai i30 and Kia Cerato, and the dominant Toyota Corolla.
Released to critical acclaim in 2019, the latest Mazda3 blends sleek design with intuitive, cutting-edge technology and outstanding quality, ergonomics and dynamics.
The Mazda3 triumphed with the most comprehensive list of comfort and convenience features, plus high scores for driving performance including ride, handling and powertrain. Competitive ownership costs and a comprehensive safety suite were icing on the cake for the Mazda3.
Small cars may have been overtaken by utes at the top of Australia’s new-vehicle sales chart, but they still form one of the five most popular sales segments and account for more than 10 per cent of the market.
In a highly competitive sector where all the major auto brands are represented, mainstream small cars still offer a practical mix of accessible pricing, affordable running costs, versatile load space and nimble handling in a relatively compact package with strong aftersales backing.
The small-car segment is loaded with great choices and this was our narrowest Best award victory yet, but the more upmarket new Mazda3 remains among the most popular cars in its class for good reason – and our Best Small Car for 2021.
carsales Best Small Car 2021 contenders:
Ford Focus ST-Line
Honda Civic RS
Hyundai i30 N Line Premium
Kia Cerato GT
Mazda3 G25 Astina
Skoda Scala Signature
Subaru Impreza 2.0i-S
Toyota Corolla ZR
Volkswagen Golf R-Line
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