Not only does the Mazda3 blur the line between practical transportation and entry-level luxury, but it is reasonably fuel-efficient and is an Insurance Institute for Highway Safety 2025 Top Safety Pick+, the agency’s most prestigious award for occupant protection. With outstanding performance in braking and handling tests and a well-earned reputation for reliability, the 3 is also consistently named one of the best cars for teen drivers by the safety hawks at IIHS and the consumer advocates at Consumer Reports. In fact, two generations of the Mazda3 made the latest such list.
The current-generation compact sedan and hatchback are getting a little long in the tooth, but with such a strong resume, not much is changing for the 2026 model year. The only updates are the addition of two more speakers in the base sound system and the retirement of the Carbon Turbo trim level. The 2026 Mazda3 starts at $25,785 (all prices include $1,235 destination charge).
Related: Which New Cars Have Manual Transmissions?
Release Date and Pricing
The 2026 Mazda3 hatchback is on sale now, and the sedan will arrive at dealers later this summer. Full line pricing is as follows:
Mazda3 Sedan
- 2.5 S: $25,785
- 2.5 S Select Sport: $26,675
- 2.5 S Preferred: $28,325
- 2.5 S Carbon Edition: $31,445
- 2.5 Turbo Premium Plus: $37,975
Mazda3 Hatchback
- 2.5 S: $26,785
- 2.5 S Select Sport: $27,975
- 2.5 S Preferred: $29,675
- 2.5 S Carbon Edition: $33,190
- 2.5 S Premium: $32,685
- 2.5 Turbo Premium Plus: $39,125
Trim Levels
With the exception of the hatchback-only 2.5 S Premium, every Mazda3 trim level is available in both the sedan and hatchback body styles. The two are identically equipped, but the hatch is between $1,000 and $1,745 more expensive, depending on trim level.
The base 2.5 S rides on 16-inch wheels and features LED exterior lighting, push-button start, keyless entry, eight speakers and an 8.8-inch infotainment screen. Bucking convention, the 3’s system is controlled by a knob rather than touch, but it does include Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Mazda’s i-Activsense safety suite is standard on every 2026 Mazda3 and includes forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, lane-centering steering, lane departure warning, blind spot monitors, rear cross-traffic alert, a driver attention monitor and automatic high beams.
The 2.5 S Select Sport upgrades to black 18-inch wheels and adds rain-sensing wipers, dual-zone automatic climate control, synthetic leather upholstery and Alexa Built-In for voice control of audio and climate functions.
Buyers who step up to the 2.5 S Preferred get a different finish on their 18-inch wheels, a moonroof, a power-adjustable driver’s seat and heated front seats.
Only offered in a blue-gray hue Mazda calls Polymetal Gray with a red leather interior and all-wheel drive, the Carbon Edition also features black exterior accents (including the wheels), wireless phone charging, and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
Available exclusively on the hatchback, the 2.5 S Premium is the only way to get a manual transmission in the Mazda3. It also gets adaptive headlights that turn with the steering wheel, leather upholstery, navigation, a 12-speaker Bose sound system, a head-up display and road-sign recognition. The 2.5 S Premium also adds road-sign recognition.
As its name suggests, the 2.5 Turbo Premium Plus is fitted with a turbocharged engine. The most powerful and most luxurious Mazda3, it also features a heated steering wheel, paddle shifters and a 10.25-inch infotainment display with touchscreen functionality when using Apple CarPlay or Android Auto. The Turbo Premium Plus includes a 360-degree camera system, front and rear parking sensors, and automatic braking in reverse.
Read More About the Mazda3:
- Mazda Announces Carbon Turbo Trim for 2024 Mazda3, CX-30, CX-5
- Mazda’s Turbo 2.5-Liter 4-Cylinder: Great or Not So Great? Depends on the Car
- What Are the Best Used Cars for $10,000?
- 2021 Mazda3 Turbo: More Appealing, Still Niche
- Research the Mazda3
Powertrain Specs and MPG
The Mazda3 is powered by a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine or a turbocharged version of the same engine.
- 2.5 S, 2.5 S Select Sport, 2.5 S Preferred, 2.5 S Carbon Edition: 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine; 186 horsepower and 186 pounds-feet of torque; six-speed automatic transmission; front-wheel drive or AWD (Carbon Edition)
- 2.5 S Premium: 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine; 186 horsepower and 186 pounds-feet of torque; six-speed manual transmission; FWD
- 2.5 Turbo Premium Plus: Turbocharged 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine; 250 hp and 320 pounds-feet of torque (premium fuel) or 227 hp and 310 pounds-feet (regular fuel); six-speed automatic transmission; AWD
Official EPA ratings for the 2026 models are not yet available. For 2025, the FWD Mazda3 sedan returned an EPA-estimated 27/37/31 mpg city/highway/combined. With the naturally aspirated 2.5-liter, the AWD sedan is rated at 26/35/30 mpg, while the turbocharged AWD four-door returned 23/32/27 mpg. Mazda says the 2026 hatchback’s fuel economy with the base engine is 26/34/29 mpg with FWD or 25/34/28 mpg with AWD or the manual transmission; with the turbo, the hatchback is rated at 23/31/26 mpg.
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