Words by Scott Newman. Images by Nathan Jacobs

Twenty years! Hasn’t that just zoom-zoomed by? The Mazda3 launched into the Australian market in 2004 amid a period of revitalisation for the brand, with new models arriving thick and fast.

There was a rotary-powered sports car back in showrooms with the groundbreaking RX-8, but while the rest of the passenger car range was relatively familiar, a variety of hatchbacks and a mid-size sedan/wagon, they had foreshortened names.

Iconic Aussie nameplates like 121, 323 and 626 became 2, 3 and 6 respectively, the new nomenclature a deliberate move to let customers know it was the start of the next era for Mazda, while still paying tribute to that which had become before.

 

 

It was a move that was highly successful: 39,152 sales in 2002 became 66,520 in 2005, which became 84,777 in 2010 and 103,886 in 2012. Mazda has averaged around 100,000 sales ever since, firmly establishing it as one of Australia’s favourite car brands and the groundwork for this upward trajectory was laid in the early-21^st century.

On face value not much changed with Mazda’s small hatchback. The 323 was a front-wheel drive five-door with petrol four-cylinder engines and the option of a manual or automatic gearbox.

The new 3 was exactly the same, but the revised name signified a more premium positioning. Entry cost to the range increased only fractionally ($700) but you received a bigger car with greater performance and more equipment.

 

 

Greg Byrne’s 2007 Neo manual opened the range with a $20,990 (plus on-road costs) price tag, though Greg has added a set of alloys for a bit of extra visual pizzazz. The first owner also ticked the $2330 Power & Safety Pack, which included side airbags for the front and curtain airbags across both rows, traction and stability control, power windows and mirrors, partial body coloured mirrors and a 12v aux outlet.

This is on top of remote central locking, air conditioning, driver and passenger airbags, air-conditioning, a CD/MP3 player and four-speaker stereo. Twelve colours were available – Greg’s is Galaxy Grey – and a three-year/unlimited kilometre warranty provided peace of mind.

A new 2.0-litre four-cylinder drastically improved performance with 108kW/182Nm, not just more than the previous 323’s 92kW/163Nm, but a handy increase over the

98kW/174Nm produced by the SP20 sports model! A five-speed manual was standard, the four-speed auto an extra $2000.

 

 

Greg's Neo – well, his granddaughter’s technically – has a few exterior bumps and scrapes, as you’d expect for a car that’s spent 17 years battling for supermarket car spaces, but the interior presents like it has one-tenth the kilometres.

This is a testament to both the build quality and the care taken by its owners. Having never driven a first-generation Mazda3, Greg kindly provides the keys to allow for a comparison with the latest model.

Finding a comfortable driving position is easy thanks to the reach- and height-adjustable steering wheel and the clutch is light. A blip of the throttle and we’re underway. This is great! It’s always dangerous approaching older cars with expectations; as they say, father time is undefeated, but the first-generation 3 remains a delight to drive.

 

 

The engine is zingy and responsive, the gearshift is slick, the steering nicely weighted and accurate, the ride is compliant and there’s plenty of room in both the back seat and the boot. If we didn’t have a photoshoot to complete, I’d pull over and see how much a tidy one would cost me (<$10,000 is the answer).

Funnily enough, Greg, who’s been piloting the latest 2024 Mazda3 G25 Astina in my stead, is having similar thoughts, wondering if it might not be time to upgrade.

With the latest Astina wearing a price tag of less than $44,000 (plus on-road costs) price tag, you might think the 3 range has gotten a fair bit more expensive over time, but this couldn’t be further from the truth. In real terms, accounting for inflation, a similarly range-topping 2004-spec SP23 auto would be around $54,000 in today’s money, while at the other end of the range $21,000 is now more than $33,000, whereas today’s G20 Pure opens the range at just over $31,000 (plus on-road costs).

This is especially the case when you consider it’s packed with features that would’ve seemed like science fiction in a concept car back in 2004, let alone a small hatchback: a 10.25-inch touchscreen with wireless smartphone mirroring (‘what on earth is a smartphone?’, asks 2004), a head-up display, wireless phone charging and tyre pressure monitoring.

Then there’s technology that was only just entering the automotive sphere in the most cutting-edge limousines two decades ago: adaptive cruise control, heated seats and steering wheel, satellite navigation, keyless entry and start, auto lights and wipers, a 12-speaker stereo and more.

Safety has also evolved dramatically in 20 years. While the first-generation 3 offered commendable protection for its time, the latest generation offers not only front, side and curtain airbags for the front occupants, but one for the driver’s knee and curtains for rear passengers, too.

 

 

This is in addition to active safety technology that couldn’t have been imagined in 2004, such as autonomous emergency braking, speed sign recognition, intelligent speed assist, lane-keep assist, blind-spot monitoring, front and rear cross-traffic alert and a 360-degree camera.

Despite this added complexity, Mazda now offers a five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty with five years’ roadside assistance on all new vehicles, while service intervals have increased from six months/10,000km to 12 months/15,000km.

Under the bonnet there’s further evidence of Mazda’s progression. The new 3’s 2.5-litre four-cylinder Skyactiv engine not only produces far more power and torque than the older Neo (139kW/252Nm vs 108kW/182Nm) but does so using much less fuel.

 

 

 

(139kW/252Nm vs 115kW/203Nm) but does so using much less fuel.

Whereas the older car claimed 9.0L/100km on the combined cycle, advancements in combustion engine technology like cylinder deactivation and stop-start allow the G25 Astina to claim just 6.6L/100km.

This is partly because the 3 has bucked the industry trend of continually expanding in size. The latest model is actually 25mm shorter in length and 30mm lower than its ancestor, though an extra 40mm of width and 85mm of wheelbase increase interior space.

Perhaps the strongest link between the two cars is their enthusiasm for driving. These are not cars for mere transportation, but are instead intent on putting a broad smile on the driver’s face.

Like the Neo's 2.0-litre, the G25 Astina’s naturally-aspirated engine is responsive and, while its larger capacity gives it greater lowdown urge, it still progressively grows in strength as the needle winds its way around the tachometer.

 

 

Speaking of strengths, arguably the most impressive – and almost certainly the most underrated – attribute of the latest Mazda3 is its handling. It has an appetite for corners akin to that of a hungry teenager raiding the pantry after a long day at school.

For a car without an overtly sporting focus, it’s incredibly talented when the driver’s eyes begin to focus and the road ignores the way the crow flies at every opportunity. And yet, activate the adaptive cruise control, call up your favourite music and all is calm when you just need to get home.

SUVs make up the bulk of Mazda’s sales in 2024, but they stand on the back of the 3, which did the heavy lifting for much of the last two decades. Australian tastes may change, but practicality, value for money and driving enjoyment will never go out of fashion. Here’s to the next 20 years.