2019 Mazda3 Sedan Review: Fun, Sporty & Affordable

95

Excellent

2019 Mazda3 Sedan

Overall Impression

Stylish & affordable.
Good safety features.

Pros

Nice Interior

All-Wheel Drive

Driving Dynamics

Cons

Cabin Noise

Small Backseat

AC Needs More Power

The Mazda3 was good before, but it gets upgrades that lift it higher in the compact sedan segment. For 2019, the Mazda3 continues with its already sharp driving dynamics, and gains the 2.5-liter engine as standard equipment across all trims. Mazda has also made all-wheel drive an option this year, a bonus for customers living in cold weather climates who need extra grip. This week, we’ve been driving the 2019 Mazda3 sedan with the Premium Package and all-wheel drive.

Mazda3: What’s New For 2019?

The Mazda 3 is fully redesigned for 2019 and remains the brand’s best-selling vehicle. The aforementioned 2.5-liter engine is standard now, ensuring all models will have plenty of power. Safety systems for 2019 include Smart City Brake Support and Blind Spot Monitoring with Rear Cross-Traffic Alert among others. Trim levels include Select, Preferred, and Premium, along with a Hatchback option.  

Features & Options: Just Enough For The Drive 

The 2019 Mazda3 Premium all-wheel drive ($27,900) comes standard with LED headlights, taillights, and daytime running lights; a rearview camera, push-button start, 60/40-split folding rear seat, and an 8.8-inch central display. Tech treatments include Bluetooth, voice commands, and an eight-speaker audio system with HD radio and two USB ports. 

Other features include 18-inch wheels, automatic headlights and wipers, keyless entry, dual-zone automatic climate control, and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto functionality. Additional safety features on our tester included forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking; a blind-spot monitor with rear cross-traffic alert; adaptive cruise control, a driver attention monitor, automatic high beam control, and lane keeping assist.

The top-trim Premium package adds adaptive headlights, a sunroof, heads-up display, leather upholstery, and paddle shifters for models with the automatic transmission. Total MSRP including destination: $30,930. By comparison, the 2019 Mazda3 starts at $21,000. 

2019 Mazda3 sedan.

Interior Highlights: Clean & Uncluttered 

The new Mazda 3’s interior is clean with mostly quality materials and an overall solid fit and finish. The white interior with bald trim is especially attractive but it could be hard to keep the leather seats clean. This tester came loaded with a power driver’s seat (w/memory) and heated front seats for extra winter comfort. We settled in and found the controller-based interface is one of the best we’ve seen. Everything is uncomplicated in the new sedan, as controls and buttons are easy to see and understand. It doesn’t take long to find and select a function.

We could easily find the perfect driving position and visibility is descent out the front and sides for a compact sedan. The Mazda3 comes with a blind-spot monitor, rear parking sensors, and a rearview camera as standard, making it easier to navigate and detect objects out of your normal view. 

The 3’s roofline has a steep rake, so our passengers this week needed to duck to get into the back. They said rear legroom and headroom was a bit tight as we took a ride to lunch. I had to keep my front seat pushed up more than usual to accommodate their longer legs. Mazda wanted sleeker styling but rear passengers pay the price. Overall, however, we would give the cabin high marks at least up front, and this Premium upgrade comes with features found in more expensive cars. It’s a comfortable place to spend your commute. 

2019 Mazda3 sedan interior layout.

2019 Mazda3: Engine & Fuel Mileage Specs

The 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine produces 186 horsepower and an equal 186 lb-ft. of torque. It comes mated to a six-speed automatic transmission. The engine is standard with Mazda’s G-Vectoring Control Plus, a series of motion control technologies to increase steering response and handling. 

EPA fuel mileage estimates come in at 25/33 city/highway and 28 combined with all-wheel drive. Front-wheel drive models improve to 26/35 city/highway and 30 combined. Our all-wheel drive tester came with cylinder deactivation which helps increase fuel economy. 

Driving Dynamics: Sporty & Stable 

Getting underway revealed a sporty ride and the dynamics from Mazda we’ve come to expect. The ride is comfortable, even at highway speeds, and the seats are supportive. Driving in the mountains west of Denver gave us the opportunity to push the sedan hard in the curves. The driving characteristics of the 2019 Mazda3 did not disappoint us either. The handling is crisp, and the steering offers up a light but engaging feel thanks to the G-Vectoring technology. However, with Denver’s temperatures in the high 90s this week, we cranked up the A/C but felt the climate control needed more power to sufficiently cool the cabin.

The 2.5-liter powerplant is naturally-aspirated and is eager to deliver from the onset, but it really gets going from the middle of the rev range. We had no problem merging onto the highway even with heavy traffic. We did notice quite a bit of road noise at higher speeds, despite Mazda saying they included additional sound insulation for 2019. In the city, we needed to make a U-turn and the Mazda3 has a quick-turning radius, making it easy to navigate parking lots and busy streets. But when the road gets curvy is when the fun begins in this sedan! The transmission even offers a sport mode which makes the car more responsive in the curves. 

The 2019 Mazda3 is especially fun to drive on curvy roads.

Related: 2019 Mazda3: Two flavors and plenty of extras.

Driving Dynamics: Confident Cruiser

The 2019 Mazda3 will give a driver confidence as the car feels safe at higher speeds. We liked the 2.5-liter’s power, of course, but it feels stable as the suspension and transmission pair well with the larger engine. We didn’t test it through snow or over ice, but the available all-wheel drive gave the sedan more stability on the dirt roads we drove.

Conclusion: Definitely One To Consider 

For those looking for an upscale, affordable, fuel-efficient, fun-to-drive, small sedan or hatchback, the 2019 Mazda3 should be on your shopping list. It’s especially attractive now with the all-wheel drive option and new engine.

Denis Flierl has invested over 25 years in the automotive industry in a variety of roles. All of his firsthand reviews are archived on our test drives page. Follow Denis on Twitter: @CarReviewGuy

2019 Mazda3 Sedan Gallery

Photos: Mazda North American Operations.

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2020 Chevy Corvette Stingray: The Right Drivetrain, Right Where It Should Be

• The 2020 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray is the first mid-engine Vette in history. 
• With an LT2 Small Block V8, the new Stingray is the fastest entry-level Vette ever. 
• Prior to its on-sale date, the performance car will embark on a cross-country tour. 

The 2020 Chevy Corvette Stingray is a quantum leap ahead for Corvettes. By putting the complete drivetrain right in the middle, many, many performance benefits follow. And they all flow from the engine itself, what GM calls “The jewel in the center.” Sitting right there in the middle of everything, just like it should, is Chevy’s next-generation, naturally-aspirated 6.2-liter Small Block V8, dubbed the LT2. It cranks out 495 horsepower and 470 lb-ft. of torque, the most horsepower and torque for any entry-level Corvette.

2020 Chevy Corvette Stingray: The Jewel In The Center

From a powertrain engineering standpoint, perhaps the greatest improvement is found in the lubrication and ventilation system of all places. For the first time ever, the base Stingray gets an engine-mounted dry sump oil system, and three scavenge pumps. Scavenge pumps are usually located at the engine’s lowest point, and GM says the pumps will keep oil volume high in the interest of performance. This is GM’s everso nice way of saying the engine won’t starve itself for oil under high G loads and blow up like a grenade. If you don’t have to worry about the engine slopping all its oil over to one side, that means you can maximize the car’s foundation in order to improve overall performance.

In essence, by mounting the mill down low, the center of gravity drops, but handling capabilities increase.

It’s The Little Things

Naturally, Chevy shows off the engine through a 3.2mm glass panel on the rear hatch. In addition to being a nice bit of flash, the panel features a cantilevered trailing edge which extracts heat from the engine compartment. The exhaust system’s wires and manifold, routing fasteners, coolant hoses, all the tubes, and even the bolts were built with appearance in mind. The engine’s components were given as careful consideration as the exterior, and even the heat shields are textured just so. There’s a brand-new block and vent system and the centerline of the crankshaft sits an inch lower to the ground, where it mates with the transaxle for better handling.

Oh, and the valve covers are red.

Oil cooler capacity increases by 25 percent on the 2020 Chevy Corvette Stingray versus the prior generation. Photo: Chevrolet.

2020 Chevy Corvette Stingray: Transmission Tech

The new mid-engine layout dictates a full-blown transaxle setup, mounted directly to the engine itself. This would be Chevy’s first eight speed dual-clutch transmission, one they say provides lightning-fast shifts and excellent power transfer. This transmission, unique to the new Stingray, was designed in-house with TREMEC. There’s a trick, double-paddle de-clutch feature that allows you to disconnect the clutch by holding both paddles for more manual control. At the moment, I’m not sure why I’d want to do that, but give me some time with the car and I’ll come up with a reason. And sorry folks, no manual transmission!

The new small block V8 has a torque curve optimized for the DCT’s capabilities. The DCT is set up with a very low first gear for better launch, and the close-ratio of gears two through six keep the engine near the power peak. The top two cogs, seventh and eighth, are tall for the sake of fuel economy. I wonder which can go the farthest on a tank of gas, the new Vette, a Ferrari 488 or a Porsche 911?

Drive Modes

Controlling all of the goings on within the engine and transaxle are six driver-selectable modes (up from four in the C7). Each allow you to tweak the feel of your Corvette to your personal liking. Just like before, Weather, Tour, Sport, and Track modes are still there, along with two new modes. MyMode, a configurable setting for your preferred style, and Z Mode. Z Mode (named after the Z06, ZR1, and Z51 packages) activates through the “Z” button on the steering wheel (no, really). Z Mode takes the MyMode configurations one step further, allowing you to adjust the engine and transmission as well. GM didn’t really elaborate beyond that.

The 2020 Chevy Corvette Stingray’s transmission does not have a mechanical interface between the shift lever and the transmission. The Corvette’s electric shifter incorporates two pull toggles for Reverse and Drive and push buttons for Park, Neutral, and Low/Manual. Photo: Chevrolet.

Digital Platforms & Premium Stereos

The 2020 Chevy Corvette Stingray benefits from GM’s new digital vehicle platform. The electronic architecture minimizes wiring and allows for faster signal transmission between the Vette’s on-board systems and touchscreens. The platform also offers over-the-air updates and enhanced cybersecurity measures. Ugh! Now we have to worry about cybersecurity in our Vettes, Ugh! Still, the electric architecture supports things like the Corvette’s infotainment system with Bluetooth, Near Field Communication, wireless charging, and voice recognition among other features.

The Performance Data Recorder, a Corvette favorite, now has a higher-resolution camera. In case you are not familiar with it, the Performance Data Recorder captures both circuit and point-to-point road course data. It can be set to auto-record, like a dash cam, that starts every time the Vette is running. The feature is a lot of fun if you are taking your Vette to the track.

On the inside, there are driver and passenger memory settings for the seats; the steering wheel is heated and a tire fill alert warns you when the tires reach maximum pressure. You have a choice of two new Bose audio systems: a standard 10-speaker system and an available, 14-speaker Performance Series system. We recommend the latter.

The 2020 Chevy Corvette Stingray is loaded with features, but none seem extraneous or there for their own sake. We are definitely coming to the party for that engine, but the tech and connectivity updates don’t hurt either.

2020 Chevy Corvette Stingray interior layout. Photo: Chevrolet.

Corvette Visualizer

Production of the 2020 Chevy Corvette Stingray begins at Bowling Green Assembly later this year. Additional pricing and packaging information will be available closer to launch. When it hits the market, the new Stingray will come in 12 exterior colors; offer six interior color themes and seat belt colors, with two optional stitching packages. If you simply cannot wait, a new digital tool, the Corvette Visualizer, lets you design your dream mid-engine Vette in vivid detail.

Nationwide Tour

The 2020 Chevy Corvette Stingray will embark on a cross-country dealership tour leading up to its on-sale date. Corvette specialists, along with the vehicle and numerous other displays, will stop at over 125 dealerships nationwide, as well as major consumer events.

Tony Borroz has spent his entire life racing antique and sports cars. He is the author of Bricks & Bones: The Endearing Legacy and Nitty-Gritty Phenomenon of The Indy 500, available in paperback or Kindle format. Follow his work on Twitter: @TonyBorroz. 

2020 Chevy Corvette Stingray Gallery

Photos & Source: Chevrolet.

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