Mazda CX-3 2.0 auto 2015 review ~ station of gear

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31 Jul, 2015 10:15am Lawrence Allan

We see if Mazda's sharp CX-3 crossover makes sense with an auto box

Small cars with a sporty character tend to suit manual gearboxes better than automatics, partly because they bring an extra shade of driver involvement. So, given that Mazda’s new 2-based CX-3 is a pretty sporty small SUV, does the presence of a traditional automatic transmission blunt its dynamic edge?

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We’ve driven the six-speed manual CX-3 in petrol and diesel forms, and been impressed with this good-looking, efficient and fun-to-drive package. This is our first UK experience of the auto, a £1,200 extra, tested here in a 118bhp petrol 2.0-litre SE-L Nav model.

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Simplicity is what the CX-3 auto is all about. It has a traditional gearstick and two pedals. That’s it. Steering wheel paddles are nowhere to be seen. It feels odd at first, but you soon get used to it.

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Around town, the auto changes ratios smoothly, slurring low-speed upshifts and reacting quickly enough to sudden throttle stabs. The sharp throttle response of the manual CX-3 is carried over although, as with the manual version, you need to rev the naturally aspirated petrol unit hard, which brings a coarse engine note into the cabin.

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Venture out of the city, and the sporty character of the CX-3 comes more to the fore, even in this auto version.

Performance is pretty sprightly; the auto takes nearly a second longer to get from 0-62mph on paper, but doesn’t feel particularly strangled in the real world.

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Knock the lever over to manual mode and you can push the lever up and down to swap cogs. Unlike some autos it won’t intervene to change for you in manual mode, allowing you to hang on to a lower gear or chase the red line.Sport mode will keep hold of lower gears for brisker progress, although most of the time it just makes the engine noisier.

Impressively for an auto, fuel economy and emissions are virtually identical to the manual version’s. Our example returned 42mpg over mixed town and motorway driving, which isn’t too far from the official claim of 48.7mpg. A CO2 output of 136g/km is about average for the class.

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There are better autos out there (the VW Group’s DSG box springs to mind), but in this class it’s undoubtedly better than the CVT in Honda’s HR-V.

Add to that the CX-3’s blend of style and handling, and it’s a seriously desirable proposition, even with a self-shifter fitted.

There’s no doubt that the CX-3 is better with the slick manual gearbox, because at its core it’s a sporty car to drive. However, if you need an automatic, the £1,200 torque converter unit does its job admirably. There are no financial penalties with the auto box either, which is a bonus. On top of that, the sharp looks and dynamic ability still make the CX-3 a very strong choice in this class.

Model: Mazda CX-3 2.0 SE-L Nav Auto
Price new: £20,795
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl petrol
Power/torque: 118bhp/204Nm

Transmission: Six-speed automatic, front-wheel drive
0-62mph/top speed: 9.9s/116mph
Economy/CO2: 48.7mpg/136g/km
On sale: Now

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