AutoGuide 2014 Car of the Year Award Winner - 2014 Mazda3

Diversity was the name of the game this year as our five finalists represent five different market segments and hail from three different continents. As a recap, the compact 2014 Mazda3, the mid-size 2014 Mazda6, the full-size 2014 Chevrolet Impala, the luxurious Cadillac CTS and the segment busting Mercedes-Benz CLA all made the cut into the final five. But there can only be one winner.

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[Emrit]

Mazda absolutely nailed it. I might buy one soon

[Native]

Congrats Mazda 3!!! I'm hoping to have you in my driveway anytime soon.

[sanjayduff]

Jandj Godwin, as for value, the mazda 3 wins because of the OVERALL package! Note this includes all latest safety features, excellent fuel economy, precise steering, very powerful for its segment (B segment/civic segment in malaysia) and most importantly (though some people discard this feature), it looks I don't know about you but I care about how my ride looks from the outside as well as inside, so the looks of the vw golf, and ford (focus?) just doesn't cut it for me. They look 2 decades old from the outside. As for Kias, all those cars don't possess refined handling and engine, and have bad fuel consumption. So they should not even come in the picture.

[motormusique]

Congratulations, Mazda.  Well deserved!

[trailgnomeadventures]

How did the Mercedes even make the lineup, you said several bad things about it. The fact that it represents a new segment means nothing if the example they provide is WORSE THAN AN ACCORD IN VALUE AND USABILITY.

[멍멍이건개소리가아니]

I bought 2014 mazda 3 hatchback S touring.
So far, it's is the best car I've ever driven. I've driven several cars but this one has nimble handling, quick acceleration, fuel efficient, and outstanding styling. Not to mention those useful HUD, Boss sound, and Navi.

[darvelbidenisapuppet]

Finally bought my Mazda3 S Touring after comparing to the Acura ILX and Elantra GT with the 2.0. I recommend extensive drives befor desiding what you like best. For me it ended up being the Mazda with the 2.5 ltr. The paddle shifters work great and the MPG is as advertised unlike many of the other brands I tested.

[YeOlePotato]

Do you think you could review the 2014 GMC Acadia?

[stefanborjesson]

Jandj mazda 3 made it into the top 7 in car of the year among European motor journalists.

[neohideo]

I agree, Mazda 3 is great! I'm European and I would buy Mazda 3 rather than VW or somethin'.

[aardvarkansaw]

my new leased 2014 MAZDA 3i 4 door does not seem to be getting the mpg I expected--the cars computer is always indicating less the 24mpg and cars computers tend to be optimistic.

[brokenrobot]

What were the differences between the 3 and the 6 that gave it the win?  

[Sergio-rvei]

Why the Mazda 3 instead of the cadillac or the impala

[RanulfoKnox]

Good choice. Mazda3 is not perfect, but which car is? And for that money you get a lot more :) i really hope mazda launches a luxury brand a la Lexus coz its driving dynamics are second to none.

[svtcarboy]

Should have picked the Mazda6.  Overall a better offering with fewer flaws.

[rxpharmacy]

jandj Godwin you're full of it man lol. You need to learn what other factors affect cabin noise besides "insulation". There is a specific reason why the mazda3 is noisy at high speeds. And it's not what you said. And the ride quality being stiff? That's called suspension. It was just a judgement call by mazda to go with a stiff setup. It has nothing to do with quality. And the "frame" and body panels feeling thin? It's not a tin can as you said. Quit exaggerating. But note that it is the lightest of the 3 cars. That weight saving had to come from somewhere right? Look pal, I like the focus and the gti. To a point that if someone told me they like it better than the mazda I would just think, yeah I'm not surprised because it could go either way. But don't provide erroneous reasons.

[Bmwxfan]

of course they chose the mazda 3 looks only of course -_-

[marcolivierhetu]

I only partially agree with this award. I test drove the Mazda3, and owning a Ford Focus, I found the driving dynamics a lot different. The Mazda has next to no road feedback, has less power, and we feel there is a lot of electronics doing the job for us. I prefered the interior design of the Mazda3 over the Focus though. MyFordTouch is way superior to whatever the infotainment system of the Mazda3 is (plus that it looks like an iPad unexpectedly glued on the dash).

On head to heads, it didn't consistently come as the winner by a good margin. Saying that the Mazda3 is a statement industry wise is at best exaggerated though.

On the other hand, the Cadillac CTS is clearly a statement industry wise, as it pretty much ate in one bite whatever competition reviewers threw in front of it. I didn't read a single review who even argued that it was a close call in any head to head. It handles better, performs better, arguably looks better, etc.

Car of the Year should be like you guys said to the statement of the industry. The Mazda3 isn't close to fitting that definition.

[MikeBarnett]

Interestingly, my comparison for my next car is between the Mazda3 iTouring (5 door) and the Chevy Sonic RS hatchback. Both look to offer real world sporty handling, decent mileage, and the ability to suck up the crappy roads in my area.  The Mazda is more attractive, but the Sonic is built in America, which is, I admit, a plus to me.  O course, my third choice is to simply keep my Pacifica, and wait to see if the Elio ever makes it to production...!

[sanjayduff]

Come on guys. Did you really think the winner would be any other than one of the 2 mazdas? The 3 won because of better value, thats all. Can't wait for its launch herw in malaysia in jan 2014!!!