Mazda has added the CX 3 to their website.

For anyone interested. Mazda had finally added the 2016 CX 3 to their home page.

http://www.mazdausa.com/MusaWeb/displayHomepage.action

They're nice cars. My aunt just needed more space, so she bought a fully loaded CX-5.

G_Body_Man wrote: They're nice cars. My aunt just needed more space, so she bought a fully loaded CX-5.

Ya they are a little small but perfect for me. I am very interested and they seem to be getting great reviews.

They would be at the top of my list if you could get a manual. I'm still holding my breath for the new 2 here in the U.S. Love the 3, but it's more car than I need right now and you can option them up to almost $30k.

I sat in one yesterday. Nice, but not a lot of rear seat room. I couldn't sit in the back with the driver's seat set for my height, 5'10". Rear "trunk" space is small. I'd have to use it like my MINI Cooper,keeping the rear seats folded all the time to have room for my hockey bag or golf clubs. Outside it's the right size, but inside it's cramped.

SlickDizzy wrote: They would be at the top of my list if you could get a manual.

I'd need the manual, and Japanese manufacture, in order to buy one.

Frankly, I am not at all trusting of Mexican cars.

Looking at the website, it looks like they just made a taller mazda3 with worse rear headroom. What is this, a juke competitor? I don't see the purpose unless it is to canabalize sales from the 3.

It looks really cool but looks really small on the inside and no manual make me a sad panda. I'd just go and get a manual cx-5.

T.J. wrote: Looking at the website, it looks like they just made a taller mazda3 with worse rear headroom. What is this, a juke competitor? I don't see the purpose unless it is to canabalize sales from the 3.

Actually it is a Juke competitor and a Trax/Encore, MINI Clubman, Honda HR-V and so on. If you need lots of space, have kids, need to tow or just are generally a large person...........maybe not so good. If you are single or an empty nester probably more so. The Mazda 3 is FWD only, the CX 3 FWD or AWD. I agree with other posters that Mazda should have included a manual with the AWD. It's an interesting segment to me, I don't want or need big. Smaller, AWD and more fuel efficient is what I am after. I know I sound like a Mazda commercial but aside from the transmission options they have hit it right on. There may be one in my driveway very soon.

T.J. wrote: Looking at the website, it looks like they just made a taller mazda3 with worse rear headroom. What is this, a juke competitor? I don't see the purpose unless it is to canabalize sales from the 3.

This. Just seems like a 3 that has bigger wheels (so more expensive tires) and worse gas mileage, and worse handling. I really don't understand the compact SUV thing at all. If it has a tiny cargo space and a small backseat, it kind of takes away the "U" in "SUV"....

T.J. wrote: Looking at the website, it looks like they just made a taller mazda3 with worse rear headroom. What is this, a juke competitor? I don't see the purpose unless it is to canabalize sales from the 3.

Bingo. I'll take the hatchback all day.

E36 M3ty thing is....this probably has a tow rating and the 3 doesn't.

irish44j wrote:

T.J. wrote: Looking at the website, it looks like they just made a taller mazda3 with worse rear headroom. What is this, a juke competitor? I don't see the purpose unless it is to canabalize sales from the 3.

This. Just seems like a 3 that has bigger wheels (so more expensive tires) and worse gas mileage, and worse handling. I really don't understand the compact SUV thing at all. If it has a tiny cargo space and a small backseat, it kind of takes away the "U" in "SUV"....

Its for the "Higher and bigger make me safer" masses. Its supposed to be good but the 3 is just as good or better for car people.

If it gains Mazda market share I'm OK with it. Think of it as the Porsche Cayenne supporting the 911. Or the CX3 supporting the MX-5 in this case.

EvanR wrote:

SlickDizzy wrote: They would be at the top of my list if you could get a manual.

I'd need the manual, and Japanese manufacture, in order to buy one. Frankly, I am not at all trusting of Mexican cars.

Yeah, that sketches me out, too. I dunno about third world build quality. Conjures up fears of mid-80's GM DGAF-ness.

Pfft. No diesel!

I worked with a lot of Mexican auto workers over the last decade of my career and I wouldn't be the least bit concerned about a vehicle coming from a Mexican assembly plant.

The CUV segment is really big. Way bigger than hatchbacks. More people will cross shop this with the HRV and the Juke than the 3. I would argue that CUV customers and hatchback customers aren't (generally) the same people at all.

IIRC, it's actually a tall 2, but yes it's meant to be in the same segment as the Juke et al.

irish44j wrote:

T.J. wrote: Looking at the website, it looks like they just made a taller mazda3 with worse rear headroom. What is this, a juke competitor? I don't see the purpose unless it is to canabalize sales from the 3.

This. Just seems like a 3 that has bigger wheels (so more expensive tires) and worse gas mileage, and worse handling. I really don't understand the compact SUV thing at all. If it has a tiny cargo space and a small backseat, it kind of takes away the "U" in "SUV"....

Also, towing capacity = 0lbs.

Yeah, the 3 has more cargo space with the seat up. at 54 cu.ft. with the seats folded down, it not that impressive there either.

Basically, some people want to sit up high or just think SUV/CUVs are "cooler". Those people FAR outnumber the people that will buy a small wagon, and they'll pay more for it also :(

FWIW, it's only 2 inches taller than the Mazda 2 and has a 2" wider track width. With a manual it wouldn't surprise me to see one outperform a 2 on a road course. Smaller tires (its tires are 3"+ taller) and some mild lowering would probably get it down good enough to be pretty effective. Its closer to meeting SCCA rollover rules than many new compact cars are.

The new 2 is coming here, but unfortunately only as a Scion. As much as I hate Scion as a brand I'll consider one if my 2 needs replacement, because I know what's underneath.

I'll just have to source some sweet JDM badging for it.

If the vaporware that is the Skyactiv D ever found its way into this, it will be top of my list.

People want CUVs. They've been hot almost as long as new drivers have been alive.

I went through all these rational discussions with SWMBO when it was new car time a few years ago, and we landed on a CX-5. It is the smallest vehicle a budding nuclear family can get by with. I acknowledge there are more rational choices, but 'want' outweighs 'need' in most new car purchasing decisions.

The CX-5 (and presumably the CX-3) are fun to drive for CUVs. People are going to buy a bunch of them. Bonus points for being at the required eye-level to see around/through the rest of the CUVs and minivans while commuting.

All that aside, my E46 sedan has just as much passenger room and a bigger trunk floor. Tall items in the cargo area is the only place the CX-5 has a practical edge over a small sedan.

Tyler H wrote: People want CUVs. They've been hot almost as long as new drivers have been alive.

I don't disagree with you there, but that is the part that confuses me. Their popularity only serves to lower my perception of the average american consumer. I'm not saying that a CX-3 is not a nice car. I'm saying I just don't understand why it exists.

In reply to mazdeuce:

I had to google to find out what an HRV was. Didn't know that was a thing.

T.J. wrote:

Tyler H wrote: People want CUVs. They've been hot almost as long as new drivers have been alive.

I don't disagree with you there, but that is the part that confuses me. Their popularity only serves to lower my perception of the average american consumer. I'm not saying that a CX-3 is not a nice car. I'm saying I just don't understand why it exists.

It exists because chicks dig em. And I'm glad, because ours is a '14 model and has 70k miles on it. It returns an average 28.5mpg on regular versus the 17mpg on midgrade+ of the Highlander it replaced.

You have to remove rationality from your perspective and then it makes sense. These will outsell MX-5s 10:1.

I think I'm changing my stance on this. I like it. To put this in perspective again... this thing is the same height as a Honda Fit. It has the same amount of cargo space. Its slightly wider, which I view as a good thing. It has more power, and likely better chassis dynamics.

It has a ton People on here rave about the Fit all the time, why so much hate for this?