2026 Mazda 3 G25 Astina Hatch review

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The Mazda 3 is a quiet achiever in the small car world.

In a market where SUVs and dual-cab utes dominate the sales charts, small hatchbacks aren’t at the forefront of most people’s minds. Ask a random passerby to name one, and they’ll probably respond with the Toyota Corolla.

That’s a shame, because while the Corolla is an objectively good car and deserves its segment-leading status, there’s a cohort of quality alternatives for buyers who dare to disembark the Toyota train. Among them are the Honda Civic, Hyundai i30, Kia K4, and this: the 2026 Mazda 3 G25 Astina Hatch.

Today, it’s the fourth-best selling affordable small car in Australia – and the flagship Astina has gone into 2026 without any major specification changes but is worth a slight increase of $300 from December 2025.

With that in mind, is the Mazda 3 still worth considering, even in top-spec guise?

How much does the Mazda 3 cost?

Its flagship model is the Astina, pictured with its trim of Mazda 3 at $43,610 before on-road costs. At no extra cost, Mazda provides both hatch and sedan bodies for the hatch & sedan body.

| Model | Price before on-road costs |
| — | — |
| 2026 Mazda 3 G20 Pure | $31,610 |
| 2026 Mazda 3 G20 Evolve | $33,410 |
| 2026 Mazda 3 G20 Touring | $37,410 |
| 2026 Mazda 3 G25 Evolve SP | $37,410 |
| 2026 Mazda 3 G25 GT | $40,410 |
| 2026 Mazda 3 G25 Astina | $43,610 |

The Mazda 3 is Australia’s small car segment, the fourth-best selling model in Australia’s smallest market after the Toyota Corolla, Kia K4 and Hyundai i30.

The Corolla Hybrid hatch tops out at $39,100 before on-roads for the ZR’s counterpart is the GT-Line ($4,790 before off- road) and the K4 Hatch equivalent is a 4-year-old hybrid of the original.

Similarly, the discontinued model of the i30 has been replaced and only dealer stock remains. A leading non-performance hatch variant is the N Line Premium ($4,250 advanced on-roads), or $41,990 drive-away, which is currently under pressure.

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What is the Mazda 3 like on the inside?

The Mazda 3 continues to outdo its competitors by offering an interior level of luxury that is comfortably above the price tag.

This layout of the cabin is logical (apart from the infotainment arrangement) and material choice is generally solid. It is nice to the touch that all of these key touchpoints – the steering wheel, seats and gear selector – are softtouch in places where even higher-end brands often fail to consider.

Mazda added extra padding to the sides of the centre console where your knees are seated, and all armrests have been generously plush. Only the slack of piano-black plastic on the centre console is real, and that was scratched in our low-mileage tester.

Low roofline, high dashboard and black headliner help give a compact feel from the driver’s seat but it would be unfair to call the Mazda 3 cramped up. The cosy feel is more to the premium vibe and instead matches the size of the car once you’re on the move.

But a glance at the distance of infotainment system is on its perch sat above the dashboard won’t be long enough, however, nor will it mean that Mazda still uses its centrally mounted rotary dial instead of touch.

I love this configuration as has been the case in other Mazdas. When it’s not a problem for me to pull up my arm on screen, even though when I am using Apple CarPlay or Android Auto (both of which are wirelessly standard), it is cumbersome.

touchscreen, of course; but the placements on display mean you’ll probably have to lean forward out of the seat to use it. An ergonomic and safety point of view, that’s not exactly the perfect thing to do with ?

The screen itself is 10 inches (10 mm) in length, . The largest on offer is 25 inches across the Mazda 3 range and is the largest in the market. It’s very simple, it’d be a bit of an elegant part of its native graphics look at the end, is sharp resolution and has no visible error to inputs. Even the connectivity niggles I’ve had in Mazda 3s before, even though it seems like they were ironed out.

This is the only screen you’ll see here, part of the instrument cluster where a central digital panel is flanked by two real gauge housings. A few displays on said panel are a little different than what you get in most other new cars, and I like that’s the way you can flick through.

Aside from the placement of screen, cabin ergonomics are generally strong. It’s a good thing to say everything is in hand, and it’s easy to settle into because there has been so much powered adjustment from the supportive seats.

There are plenty of standard-fitting physical buttons as well, too, for example, . It is noted that most are on the centre console or climate panel, but there are also a fair few on steering wheel (all of which are strong and clearly legible).

A good size to hold is the fact that we think it has a narrow spokes and quality finish, with its old-school thin rim and large diameter of the tiller’s nice little bit. There’s almost everything about this interior that is nice, and it’ll be a good place to spend time.

A good way to store up front is also storage of a . There is a sliding lid to the central storage box so you can open the USB-C ports inside without fully opening it, and there are two cupholders ahead of the gear selector and bottle holders in the door cards.

Mazda 3’s rear doors are almost 90 degree open and there is a fair amount of space to climb up in. Its thick C-pillars, high beltline and dark headliner make the second row feel very closed-in (but not at all claustrophobic), but it also makes privacy so that semi-luxury vibe is supported by its sense of privacy.

I still had no problems with headroom or legroom at 173cm tall but a little more cramped for taller people, though it was not too much to be the case of s. Despite its larger size than the sedan, the hatchback’s roof begins to slope down at the rear and may limit headroom for taller people.

A fair toe room under the front seats is there, but a driveline hoist splits the floor between the two sides of the seat and it’s just enough to be in one place. The rear of the centre console is equipped with dual air vents, but it has just been a fold-down armrest and one seatback map pocket; only other facilities are.

It is standard for you to have three top-tether and two ISOFIX anchor points for child seats, as well as small bottle holders in the doors of a door.

Compared to its competitors, the boot of the Mazda 3 Hatch seems slightly compromised as is most likely on paper (at least in print). Due to the car’s odd rear-end proportions, its opening looks like an odd size too, with a 295 litres of quoted capacity smaller than that of the Hyundai i30 (395L) and Kia K4 (438L), hatches by both sides.

Practically speaking, it’s a practical size that’ll be easy to live with in real life. It is a load floor that sits very low, like the entry lip and while you’ll have to lean over to put things carefully, it opens up plenty of room for larger suitcases.

All that, and a space-saver spare is still included across the range.

| Dimensions | Mazda 3 Hatch |
| — | — |
| Length | 4460mm |
| Width | 1795mm |
| Height | 1435mm |
| Wheelbase | 2725mm |
| Cargo capacity | 295L |

To see how the Mazda 3 stacks up against the competition, use our
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What’s under the bonnet?

It’s a 2-year to power the Mazda 3 G25. A 5-litre non-turbo four-cylinder petrol engine, which produces 139kW of power and 252Nm of torque, is also produced by 4-litres. Six-speed automatic transmission sends drive to the front wheels.

| Specifications | Mazda 3 G25 |
| — | — |
| Engine | 2.5L 4cyl non-turbo |
| Power | 139kW |
| Torque | 252Nm |
| Transmission | 6-speed auto |
| Drive type | Front-wheel drive |
| Kerb weight | 1429kg |
| Fuel economy (claimed) | 6.6L/100km |
| Fuel economy (as tested) | 6.8L/100km |
| Fuel tank capacity | 51L |
| Fuel requirement | 91-octane regular unleaded |
| CO2 emissions | 154g/km |
| Emissions standard | Euro 5 |
| Braked tow capacity | 1200kg |

In contrast, a 2-year-old is fitted with G20 variants. 0-litre non-turbo four that produces 114kW and 200Nm. That six-speed auto and front drive configuration is still maintained by it, according to .

The G25 was our week with a highway commuting, city driving and higher-speed country driving. But that mixed-up climates led to a recorded fuel economy almost identical to the one of Mazda’s claims.

To see how the Mazda 3 stacks up against the competition, use our
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How does the Mazda 3 drive?

This is far morepronounced with the beefier 2 The Mazda 3 bolsters its luxurious interior with an undoubted sporty driving character. Bonnet-mounted 5-litre engine under the bonnet, .

While it’s not a powerhouse, its significance boost is felt on the 2 ‘It has no way to be an important step forward. Paraphrasing 0-litre alternative. Then it’s still going to be a fireball, high-RPM low when cold and just like shouting when you lay into the throttle – that is because it has the ability to make better use of the noise.

The best powertrain for this app is the we can say,’ he said. This is a way of not breaking the bank (if you don’t spend too much time in the city) and quick enough to keep you entertained without trying to set the world on fire.

A good push in the back is given by plants that plant the loud pedal, moving the car along at a speed which puts just feels right and put simply. But it’s all about making an overtake or getting yourself out of trouble, a bonus is that the G25 does not feel as tight like TheG20.

But if you like a fun drive, what does the Mazda 3 do that can make you amazed at how good it is. Often we praise the Corolla for its good chassis engineering and the solid handling package that works, there’s no reason why this Mazda shouldn’t be applauded like it does in an auto.

The speed at which the Mazda 3 can be tipped into corners is truly impressive, and we noticed complaints from the ‘tyres long before the body showed any indication of wanting to tip over’.

Combined that with the supportive seats and well-weighted steering, you have a hatch which is more than capable of holding its own in the twisties? While Mazda has clearly followed through on its sporty ‘Zoom-Zomb’ marketing here, there is no hotter version to realise the full potential of the chassis as it does for its donor vehicle GR Corolla.

When you’re driving in normal car, you will notice the suspension is firmer side. While it isn’t incredibly hard, that’s probably more taut than a K4 or – an underlined sport-minded intent.

We also have a louder road noise on the 18-inch tyres of our press car than in lower-end models but once again, it’s still alive. It’s a hatch that is easy to live with but has plenty in reserve when you ask for the Mazda 3 That’s what it always seems like, according to its repeated theme.

However, there are downsides to and one of the most important is the transmission. It has no polish like a fairly traditional six-speed torque-converter auto and is characterised by rough shifts and some difficulty crawling in traffic.

It is generally indecisive, as shifts can sometimes be delayed. This caveat here is that its default priority is efficiency and therefore works with its longer ratios to keep the engine frugal, but it sharpens right up under high load or in Sport mode.

The idle stop/start system is a bit clunky, and can be an odd paradox to justify the transmission’s lazy behaviour. Whenever we got in heavy traffic, we turned it off and that’s what we did to .

One of the other is a small gripe, visibility The thick C-pillars make more blind spots than you get in some competitors. For this, every grade is a standard for all grades (including blind-spot monitoring), although you may still feel ‘closed in when checking whether you’re about to enter someone’s lane.

Mazda 3 G25 Evolve SP

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Luckily, that blind-spot system is just one of the components of a well-calibrated suite of safety equipment. The car was a very easy way to hop in and drive without any further thought, as none of the 3’s driver-assistance gear annoyed us over this week.

A beep or a bong, when there’s – it’ll tell you the car is upset about. The blind-spot monitoring system, for example, will automatically show if there is something with you via the head-up display and gives the driver a clear picture of his surroundings.

The adaptive cruise system is also a good, reliable and effective approach when it comes to traffic and following lanes adaptations; the passive lane-keeping and driver attention monitoring systems only pipe up in case there’s – or even if there was.

The cherry on top of the Astina’s astinate is a powerful, well-balanced audio system that sounds great at all volumes and does not cut through the road and engine noise.

To see how the Mazda 3 stacks up against the competition, use our
comparison tool

What do you get?

The Mazda 3 is available in six trim levels locally, with Astina at the top.

2026 Mazda 3 G20 Pure equipment highlights:

• 16-inch silver alloy wheels
• Automatic LED headlights
• Automatic high-beam
• Power exterior mirrors – auto folding
• Leather-wrapped gear shifter, steering wheel
• Black cloth upholstery
• 7.0-inch instrument cluster screen
• 8.8-inch Mazda Connect display
• Wired Apple CarPlay, Android Auto
• 8-speaker audio
• DAB+ digital radio
• Satellite navigation
• USB-C input and charging port
• Mazda Connected Services

• MyMazda app compatibility
• Vehicle locator
• Geofencing function
• Flash lights
• Curfew notifications
• Remote locking
• Vehicle health report
• Vehicle status report
• Vehicle tracking assistance
• SOS call

• Keyless start
• Air-conditioning

G20 Evolve adds:

• 18-inch metallic grey alloy wheels
• Auto-dimming interior rear-view mirror
• Paddle shifters
• Rear centre fold-down armrest
• Overhead sunglasses storage box
• Wireless Apple CarPlay
• Wireless Android Auto
• Wireless phone charger
• Dual-zone climate control
• Rear air vents

G20 Touring adds:

• Driver mirror – auto dimming
• Exterior mirrors – heating function
• Exterior mirrors – reverse tilt-down function
• Exterior mirrors – position memory
• Black leather upholstery
• 10-way power driver seat incl. lumbar, memory
• Vanity mirrors with illumination
• Vision Pack

• Surround-view camera
• 10.25-inch Mazda Connect display
• Cruising & Traffic Support
• Driver monitoring
• Front cross-traffic alert

• Keyless entry

G20 Touring

G25 Evolve SP adds (over G20 Evolve):

• 18-inch metallic black alloy wheels
• Driver mirror – auto dimming
• Exterior mirrors – reverse tilt-down function
• Exterior mirrors – position memory
• Exterior mirrors in black
• 10-way power driver seat incl. lumbar, memory
• Keyless entry

G25 GT adds (over G25 Evolve SP):

• 18-inch metallic grey alloy wheels
• Heated side mirrors
• Heated front seats
• Heated steering wheel
• Black leather upholstery

G25 Astina adds:

• 18-inch gloss black alloy wheels
• 12-speaker Bose sound system
• Power sunroof
• Optional burgundy leather upholstery

To see how the Mazda 3 stacks up against the competition, use our
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Is the Mazda 3 safe?

The Mazda 3’s five-star ANCAP safety rating from 2019 has now expired, which means 2026 models are currently unrated.

Standard safety features include:

• 7 airbags, incl:

• Front
• Front-side
• Curtain
• Driver’s knee

• Adaptive cruise control with stop/go
• Autonomous emergency braking (forward, reverse)
• Blind-spot monitoring
• Lane departure warning
• Lane-keep assist
• Rear cross-traffic alert
• Rear parking sensors
• Reversing camera
• SOS emergency call
• Traffic sign recognition
• Tyre pressure monitoring

Vision Package* adds:

• Cruising & Traffic Support
• Driver monitoring
• Front cross-traffic alert
• Front parking sensors
• Surround-view camera

* $2000 on G20 Pure, G20 Evolve

To see how the Mazda 3 stacks up against the competition, use our
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How much does the Mazda 3 cost to run?

Mazda Australia supports its range with a five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty. If the Mazda 3 comes first, it is 12 months or 15,000km to service.

| Servicing and Warranty | Mazda 3 G25 |
| — | — |
| Warranty | 5 years, unlimited kilometres |
| Roadside assistance | 5 years |
| Service intervals | 12 months or 15,000km |
| Capped-price servicing | 7 years |
| Average annual service cost | $471.14 |
| Total capped-price service cost | $3298 |

Mazda’s individual service costs are detailed below:

| Service | Price |
| — | — |
| 12 months, 15,000km | $362 |
| 24 months, 30,000km | $566 |
| 36 months, 45,000km | $438 |
| 48 months, 60,000km | $566 |
| 60 months, 75,000km | $362 |
| 72 months, 90,000km | $642 |
| 84 months, 105,000km | $362 |

A seven-year service for the Kia K4 is $3877 as compared to rivals, and variants fitted with the 1’s model cost versions of the car. Turbocharged engine 6-litre, naturally aspirated 2 litres and 6 liter turbo-powered. The cost of maintaining 0-litre cars is $3407. It is still cheaper to service the non-N Hyundai i30 hatch, with $3177 over seven years.

Toyota details five years of capped-price servicing for the Corolla Hybrid, which costs $1325 in total.

To see how the Mazda 3 stacks up against the competition, use our
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childcareman.xyz’s Take on the Mazda 3 G25 Astina Hatch

The Mazda 3 remains a sensible choice, and it’s arguably at its best with the 2.5-litre engine under the bonnet.

At The same time, the 2 . The G25 gives that little extra kick the smaller engine doesn’t have, 0-litre is solid, it does so much more than a can. That lets that car shine; it’s a good handling skill, which is easier to exploit when you have. powerplant and can make you up to speed confidently.

There is the premium interior and well-equipped safety equipment, all of which makes this car a simple but fun daily driver. Nevertheless, maintenance and running cost of many competitors are higher than that of most rivals (mostly because the engine is more expensive to run with it) and lack of hybrid tech.

This may be the same thing as a transmission and idle stop/start system (which is only true flaws on an otherwise fun driving experience) with some fine-tuning.

The best-spec Astina is nice, but if you can live without the Bose sound system and sunroof, then save a few grand and go for Evolve SP or GT – both of which maintain the peppier G25 mill.

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