What Are the Best Years for the Mazda CX3? (Expert Weighs In)

Ever since the Mazda CX-3 was released in 2014, people have enjoyed driving this subcompact SUV. However, people want to purchase the best car that they can. What are the best years for the Mazda CX-3?

The best years for the Mazda CX-3 are 2016-2018 and 2020-2021. The Mazda CX-3 is known for being a car with few problems, but they have an average reliability rating. However, each year of the Mazda CX-3 has a high safety rating from the NHTSA. The Mazda CX-3 seats up to 5 people.

Now that you know what the best years for the Mazda CX-3 are, you are likely wondering what features this car has and what problems people have had with it. Keep reading to find out what they are.

What Are the Best Years for the Mazda CX-3?

2016-2018 and 2020-2021 are the best years for the Mazda CX-3. Basically, any year except for the 2019 Mazda CX-3 is a good option as it has a really low-reliability rating: only 2.5 out of 5 stars. (Source)

This subcompact SUV can seat up to 5 people at once. Some of them can tow up to 2,400 pounds, but not all years can and some have a different towing capacity, so double-check what it is before you attach a trailer to your Mazda CX-3.

The Mazda CX-3 uses front-wheel drive or 4-wheel drive. It comes in a manual or automatic transmission, so you can pick the type of transmission that you want.

There are three trim levels for the Mazda CX-3: the Sport, Touring, and the Grand Touring.

2016 Mazda CX-3

• MPG: Up to 29 in the city / 35 on the highway
• Cargo volume: 10.1 to 12.4 ft³, 42.3 to 44.5 ft³ with seat area
• Horsepower: 146 Hp
• Overall NHTSA Safety Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

The 2016 Mazda CX-3 received a reliability rating of 3 out of 5 stars from J.D. Power. (Source)

2017 Mazda CX-3

• MPG: Up to 29 in the city / 34 on the highway
• Horsepower: 146 Hp
• Cargo volume: 10.1 to 12.4 ft³, 42.3 to 44.5 ft³ with seat area
• Overall NHTSA Safety Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

The 2017 Mazda CX-3 received a reliability rating from J.D. Power of 3 out of 5 stars. (Source)

2018 Mazda CX-3

• MPG: Up to 29 in the city / 34 on the highway
• Horsepower: 146 Hp
• Cargo volume: 10.1 to 12.4 ft³, 42.3 to 44.5 ft³ with seat area
• Overall NHTSA Safety Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

The 2018 Mazda CX-3 received a 3 out of 5-star reliability from J.D. Power. (Source)

2020 Mazda CX-3

• MSRP: From $20,640
• MPG: Up to 29 city / 34 highway
• Horsepower: 148 hp
• Cargo volume: 17.8 ft³, 42.7 ft³ with seat area
• Overall NHTSA Safety Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

The 2020 Mazda CX-3 received a 4.8 out of 5-star reliability rating from consumers. (Source)

2021 Mazda CX-3

• MSRP: From $20,790
• MPG: Up to 29 in the city / 34 on the highway
• Horsepower: 148 hp
• Cargo volume: 17.8 ft³, 42.7 ft³ with seat area
• Overall NHTSA Safety Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

The 2021 Mazda CX-3 received a predicted reliability rating of 72 out of 100 from J.D. Power, which is about average and is similar to the reliability scores for previous years of the Mazda CX-3. (Source)

What Issues Typically Occur on the Mazda CX-3?

The Mazda CX-3 seems to be a great car, but sometimes great cars break, especially if they are used every day. The Mazda CX-3 commonly has one issue: the air conditioning system.

After about 2-3 years, the air conditioning system in the Mazda CX-3 breaks. It can be repaired, but it costs quite a bit to do so. Luckily for Mazda CX-3 owners, there seems to be an extended warranty on the air conditioning system, so you may not have to pay to have the air conditioning fixed. (Source)

Other than the air conditioning system breaking, the Mazda CX-3 seems to have no mechanical issues. However, the back seats are snug when it comes to legroom, and tall adults may have to hunch over because there is very little headroom in the back.

Mazda CX-3 Features

The Mazda CX-3 has many features that will ensure that you will enjoy driving this vehicle. It is slightly behind the times when it comes to technology, but the technology that it does have works well and is easy to use. This Mazda model is easy and fun to drive, so you may not even need to use the technology that is included.

The features that are listed here are based on the features that the Mazda CX-3 has, and previous years of this vehicle may not have these exact features.

The Mazda CX-3 is luxurious and made of quality materials. The seats are covered in cloth, but you can choose to have fake or real leather seats rather than the cloth.

The Mazda CX-3 has many features included in its infotainment system. These features include:

• 7 inch touchscreen
• Bluetooth connectivity
• Apple CarPlay
• Android Auto
• Voice recognition
• USB charging port
• 6 speakers

The Mazda CX-3 has a fabulous overall safety rating from the NHTSA, and the following safety features helped it receive those ratings and will help prevent a car accident while you are driving it.

Mazda CX-3 Safety Features

• Automatic Emergency Braking
• Day and Night Pedestrian Detection
• Forward Collision Warning
• Blind Spot Monitoring
• Rear Cross Traffic Alert
• Lane Departure Warning
• Automatic High-beam Headlights
• Adaptive LED Headlights
• Rearview Camera
• Rain-sensing Windshield Wipers
• Head-up Display
• Stop-and-go Adaptive Cruise Control

The Mazda CX-3 is a great car that people enjoy driving. The back seats are slightly cramped because of the lack of legroom and headroom, but children likely won’t have an issue with the amount of leg and headroom. It may have average reliability scores from J.D. Power, but customers haven’t had any issues and give it a high-reliability rating. Over time that may change, but people enjoy driving 2016-2018 and 2020-2021 Mazda CX-3s.