No major changes are coming to Mazda's sporty yet sophisticated 3 sedan and hatchback, as far as the mechanicals are concerned, but there are some new options addressing some of the compact's shortcomings for 2022. Mazda also stated that these 2022 models will begin to appear in their dealer showrooms this winter.
The highlights of the 2022 Mazda 3 are a new package and two new paint options. The first is 2.5 S Carbon Edition, which slots in between the Preferred and Premium packages. The package itself isn't new for Mazda, but it is new to the 3. It comes with the 2.5 liter turbocharged Skyactiv-G I-4 engine with the six-speed automatic transmission and front-wheel drive. Polymetal Gray Metallic paint covers the body, and is set off by gloss black wheels, door mirrors (which are heated), and the "shark fin" roof antenna. A red leather interior and much of the Preferred package's options plus a Bose 12-speaker sound system with aluminum speaker grilles and a three-month trial of SiriusXM satellite radio. The sedan version will sell for $27,415 while the hatchback goes for $28,415.
The first new paint option is the Platinum Quartz Metallic and will be a standard (i.e., no-extra-cost) paint option for the 2.5 S Select and above Mazda 3s. The second new paint option, for an additional $395, is the Carbon Edition's new Polymetal Gray Metallic premium paint, which you can only get as a premium option on the 2.5 Turbo and 2.5 Turbo Premium Plus packages.
The cost of the 2022 Mazda 3 has gone up in not only its base pricing, but also its delivery fee. In 2021, the delivery fee ranged from $920 to $945; 2022 sees a single price of $1,015 for delivery. The MSRPs have also increased by between $300 for the base sedan-the Mazda 3 2.0-to $650 for the top-of-the-line Mazda 3 2.5 Turbo Premium Plus hatchback. This puts the total price increase from $1,315 to $1,675 over the 2021 models. Here's how the trim levels shake out:
The front-wheel-drive 3 2.0 is the entry floor for the 2022 Mazda 3 family. As such, it is basically optioned with a 2.0 liter Skyactiv-G I-4 engine with a six-speed auto but does offer Mazda's G-Vectoring Control Plus. It will also come with safety features such as radar cruise control, automated emergency braking, lane departure warning with lane-keep assist, driver attention alert, and high beam control.
If you have the MyMazda app, you will also get three years of Mazda Connected Services for free along with three months or 2 GB (whichever comes first) of WiFi hotspot service. This most basic Mazda 3 is priced from $21,815.
The next level up is the 2.5 S, which is available as either a sedan or hatchback with a larger 2.5 liter Skyactiv-G I-4 engine. Essentially, it is the 2.0 with a bigger engine and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration. The bigger engine adds $950 to the sedan's MSRP (the 2.5 S sedan is priced at $22,765) while the additional door adds another $1,950 (the 2.5 S hatch is priced at $23,765).
In addition to the new Platinum Quartz Metallic paint available on the 2.5 S Select trim, Mazda has added blind-spot monitoring, keyless entry, dual-zone automatic climate control, a rear armrest with cup holders, and door mirror turn signals on top of what the S comes with. Other upgrades include black leatherette seats, leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob, and 18 inch wheels in gray for the hatch and silver for the sedan. The sedan comes in at $24,115 while the hatch is $25,115.
Having already detailed the new Carbon Edition, we'll jump to the Mazda 3 2.5 S Premium. This trim gets a six-speed manual transmission on the front-wheel-drive hatchback while the six-speed auto is available for both the sedan and hatch whether they have front-drive or all-wheel drive. The manual hatch is also the same price as the front-drive automatic model ($29,365) while the sedan is $28,365. If you want AWD, it's a $1,400 markup on either bodystyle.
The 2.5 S Premium is an upscaling of the 2.5 S Select, adding a Bose 12-speaker audio system with aluminum speaker grilles, three months of SiriusXM, a full-color Active Driving Display HUD, Mazda Navigation, Adaptive front lights, and a "shark fin" antenna. The automatic transmissions come with paddle shifters, while every Premium model gets leather seats in either black or red, 18-inch wheels (black finish for the hatch and a bright finish for the sedan), and LED illumination in the headlights and tail lights.
According to Mazda, this is the must-have 3 for driving enthusiasts. We've mentioned in our review of the 2021 model that, while it's a fun driver, it's certainly no replacement for the last turbocharged 3, the beloved Mazdaspeed 3, which in its day was somewhat akin to today's Honda Civic Type R. The Mazda 3 Turbo instead is a more refined and mature compact that reaches into Audi A3 or Mercedes A-Class territory. Again, the running gear remains the same with its 250-hp, 320-lb-ft Skyactiv-G 2.5 liter turbo I-4 engine, at least on 93 octane. On 87 octane, expect power to drop to 227 hp and 310 lb-ft of torque, which is still impressive considering the drop in detonation prevention in the fuel.
Again, the 2.5 Turbo is a step up from the 2.5 S AWD, and includes the i-Activ AWD system as standard along with a set of 18-inch wheels in gloss black and a gloss black treatment for the door mirrors and grille. It also gets larger tailpipes and a "Turbo" badge so people behind you know you're in the hotter Mazda 3. It also comes with windshield wiper de-icing but, unfortunately, only the auto transmission is available. At least there are paddle shifters behind the leather-wrapped steering wheel. You also get black or beige leatherette seats and a frameless auto-dimming rearview mirror and chrome trim around the starter button and glove box latch. This "enthusiast level" Mazda 3 comes in at $31,565 for the sedan and $32,565 for the hatch.
In addition to the standard parts in the 2.5 Turbo package, the 2.5 Turbo Premium Plus adds "refined styling" according to Mazda. This amounts to even more gloss black accents, including for the lip spoiler on the sedan and the rear roof spoiler and air dam on the hatchback. It also gets leather seats in either black or red for the hatch or black or white in the sedan.
Added safety features include Rear Direction Base Safety with Smart Brake Support-Reverse and Rear Cross-Traffic Braking, Traffic Sign Recognition, and a head-up display. You'll also get convenience items like Traffic Jam Assist, 360 View Monitor (parking cameras) with front and rear parking sensors, and a Homelink garage door transmitter added to the auto-dim frameless interior rearview mirror. All of those options add $2,550 to the 2.5 Turbo sedan price ($34,115) and $2,850 to the hatch ($35,415).