Used 2014 Mazda 3 for sale 

The 2014 Mazda 3 comes in 6-trim configurations - 3i SV, 3i Sport, 3i Touring, 3i Grand Touring, 3s Touring, and 3s Grand Touring. The 3i trims come with a small 2.0-liter engine and the 3s trims come with a much bigger 2.5-liter engine, all the power goes to the front wheels. 

On the interior, there are many options for customization and to increase your levels of comfort. While the lower trims are mostly bare-bones with hardly any features, as you go up the trim ladder, plenty of creature comforts and technology is added to the mix. 

While sunroof is only offered as standard on the top-end 3s Grand Touring trim, it is available as an optional add-on from the 3i Touring trim onwards. The 3s Grand Touring trim also gets segment-first active safety driver with the optional Technology package that adds adaptive cruise control, Forward collision mitigation & warning, lane departure warning, and automatic high beams. 

We would recommend buying the 3i Touring trim which comes with sports front seats 16-inch alloy wheels driver assistance and safety systems along with this it also has the 3i SV and 3i Sport trims features with the optional package to add an infotainment system. 

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The 2014 Mazda 3 sedan is powered by a 2-liter inline-4 engine which makes 155 hp and 150 foot-pounds of torque. This engine is paired to a six-speed automatic transmission and comes with the option of a six-speed manual transmission both directing all the power to the front wheels. 

The 3S trims get a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine which makes 184 hp and 185 foot-pounds of torque. This engine is only paired to an automatic transmission and is front-wheel-drive. Mazda also offers an optional i-ELOOP system that offers regenerative braking to improve efficiency. 

The base does the 0-60 sprint in 8.5 seconds and does the standing quarter-mile and 16.6 seconds with the manual transmission. Opting for the automatic slows it down by about a second while the larger 2.5L mill does the same in around 7.5 seconds. Top speed is rated at around 130 MPH for both powertrains. 

The most powerful of the above cars are the Mazda 3 sedan while only the Subaru Impreza offers AWD as standard, others don't even have it as an option. The Corolla is painstakingly slow while the Civic is about half a second slower than the Mazda. Impreza is the most expensive one here due to its standard AWD drivetrain while the Corolla and 3 are the more affordable ones. 

The 2014 Mazda 3 is rated for 29 MPG in the city, 41 MPG on the highways, and 33 MPG combined for the manual. The automatic returns slightly better figures of 30/41/34 MPG while the 2.5L engine is rated for 28/39/32 MPG in city/highway/combined respectively, as per the EPA.  

The i-ELOOP regenerative braking system adds active grille shutters with the more powerful 2.5L engine that helps it achieve higher efficiency. The 13.2-gallon fuel tank capacity remains standard across all trims and aids in offering up to 450 miles of maximum range.

Not only is the Mazda 3 the most frugal of the lot, but it also offers the longest driving range. Both the Corolla and Civic also offer an identical gas tank capacity as that of the Mazda but is marginally less fuel-efficient which reduces its overall range. The Impreza struggles in this regard with the standard AWD drivetrain consuming more fuel, and the larger fuel tank brings its range only on par with the Honda and Toyota.  

The interior of the 2014 Mazda 3 can accommodate 5 passengers on the interior comfortably. The interior features manually adjustable seats on the base trim. As you go higher up in the trims front sports seats (manually adjustable) and 6/8-way power-adjustable seats are standard on the higher trims. For added comfort, the power-adjustable seats also have a heating function on higher trims.

The interior upholstery is cloth and you will also see premium cloth on the trims as well. The 3i and 3s model’s Grand Touring feature leatherette and leather upholstery respectively. There is also a dual-zone automatic on higher models while Mazda offers two upholstery color options. The Mazda 3 has a trunk space of 12 cu-ft and can be expanded by folding down the rear seats. 

In the front row and the rear room and the legroom of all the cars is similar to each other just an inch or two is the difference between them. The Corolla offers the most spacious cabin in the segment with abundant rear-seat legroom and a trunk on par with Mazda. The Impreza and Civic offers similar interior and cargo space as Mazda 3. 

The base trim of the Mazda 3 comes with a radio and a four-speaker sound system. 

There's also a USB port and an auxiliary audio input. The 3i Sport adds a CD player to the base offering The 3i Touring has the availability of a 7-inch touchscreen display with voice controls, a navigation system, and 9 speaker Bose sound system along with satellite radio and Pandora Internet radio all as part as a package. This package is standard on the trims higher than this. 

• Heated sports front seats
• Power driver seats
• Leather upholstery
• SiriusXM satellite radio & Pandora internet radio
• 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system w/Navigation
• 9-speaker Bose sound system
• Voice controls

The exterior of the 2014 Mazda 3 is simple yet sophisticated. Clean lines define the car yet it has enough curves to make it look good. There's also a big grill on the front which has the Mazda badge just like the rest of the Mazda lineup. The exterior has the features of 16-inch steel wheels on the base, these can be upgraded to 16-inch alloy wheels which come on the 3i Touring trim.

There are also wheels options available, but the 3S trims get 18-inch alloy wheels as standard. There is also an optional sunroof for all trims and only the top 3s Grand Touring trim getting it as standard. Mazda offers 8 paint color options to choose from to match the personal preferences and tastes of the buyers. 

The exterior dimensions of the above cars are similar to each other. This can even be seen on the wheelbase. The Corolla is the longest one in this segment and yet is pretty light in weight. The Honda Civic is the lightest one here while Mazda offers the highest ride height here. Mazda also looks the most enticing on the streets while the Impreza has a sporty rally car-like look. 

The NHTSA has given the new 2014 Mazda 3 a perfect 5-star safety rating which is the best score a car can be given by the NHTSA. The IIHS has given the sedan good scores in all its tests and it has also been awarded the 2014 'Top Safety Pick+' in the small car/4 door sedan category. Mazda offers a lot of safety features in the 3 as standard while the driver aids remain as an option add-on, some of these safety features are:

• Blindspot monitoring system 
• Rear cross-traffic alert 
• Rearview camera
• Lane departure warning system 
• Forward collision warning 
• Mazda smart city brake support

2014 Mazda 3 vs 2014 Toyota Corolla

Priced similarly, the 2014 Corolla struggles badly in the performance department. It also doesn't match up to the driving dynamics and fuel economy figures of Mazda. That said, it aces the Mazda 3 in terms of cabin space. Though the 3 sedan offers a more premium cabin quality, the Corolla offers a more spacious rear seat. Therefore, unless you need to have that back seat comfort, Mazda 3 is the way to go. 

2014 Mazda 3 vs 2014 Subaru Impreza

Subaru Impreza offers similar performance figures as that of the Mazda, and it also has standard AWD which aids in offering better traction in adverse weather conditions. Although it gets a higher price tag and has lower MPG ratings, the Impreza offers a similar cabin & trunk space as that of Mazda. Though Subaru is more expensive, it is the one that offers more value to buyers. 

2014 Mazda 3 vs 2014 Honda Civic

Honda charges a premium for the Civic and though it offers a fun driving experience it is no match to the performance from Mazda. It is also not as quick nor is as frugal as the Mazda 3 and both offer a similar cabin & trunk space. Though Honda is more reliable and has better resale value, Mazda offers a better overall package. 

The 2014 Mazda 3 is a good sedan offering many features across its trims and even a good set of optional extras. The interior is stylish yet it is comfortable and also comes with a lot of technology. As a bonus, the Mazda 3 has excellent safety ratings and this leads us to conclude that the Mazda 3 is a good car to buy.