Mazda has made a big effort to improve economy and emissions in its new 3, and nowhere is this more evident than in the 109PS 1.6-litre diesel version.
The five-door hatch ducks below the critical 121g/km BIK mark, emitting 119g/km of CO2. That qualifies it for the 13% BIK band, five percentage points lower than the outgoing equivalent 1.6, which emits 128g/km. Economy is up 3.9mpg to 62.8mpg.
KwikCarcost predicts the 3 will cost 35.5ppm to run, which is cheaper than the Peugeot 308 (38.0ppm), Ford Focus (39.7ppm), and Vauxhall Astra Ecoflex (40.6ppm). That’s largely down to an impressive 39.3% residual value figure.
On the road, the 1.6 engine could do with a few more PS, but once it gets going there is enough power for comfortable overtaking, while inside everything is well assembled – which makes the 3 a good all-round package.
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