Price
Winner: 2018 Mazda CX-3
The base Mazda CX-3 Sport in front-wheel drive format costs $20,110 before factoring in options. Standard equipment on the entry-level CX-3 includes safety features like a rearview camera and low-speed automatic emergency braking, along with convenience items like a 7-inch touch-screen infotainment system with Bluetooth and six speakers. Adding all-wheel drive costs $1,250 on any of the three available trim levels: Sport, Touring, and Grand Touring. The Sport trim offers the best balance of value and available features.
Meanwhile, the CX-5 Sport has a starting price of $24,150. Adding optional all-wheel drive pushes the price upward by $1,300. Standard features on the CX-5 include a wealth of safety equipment, such as blind spot monitoring, rear cross traffic alert, and low-speed automatic braking.
When it comes to saving money, the less-expensive CX-3 is the winner for SUV buyers on a budget.
Reliability
Winner: Tie
The Mazda CX-3 and CX-5 have identical predicted reliability scores (2.5 out of five) from J.D. Power. This is slightly below the industry average. The CX-3 and CX-5 come with a three-year/36,000-mile basic warranty and five-year/60,000-mile powertrain warranty. Since the warranties and predicted reliability figures are absolutely even, we have to call this one a tie.
Cargo Space
Winner: 2018 Mazda CX-5
There is no doubt about it, the Mazda CX-5 is the much better choice when it comes to cargo space. The CX-5 offers about 31 cubic feet of space behind the second-row seats. Fold these down and the total cargo volume grows to almost 60 cubic feet.
In the CX-3, cargo room behind the second row is a meager 12.4 cubic feet in volume. This improves to 44 cubic feet when you fold down the rear seat, but that also turns the CX-3 into a two-seater.
Cargo room is a serious bugbear in the CX-3, which means the CX-5 wins this category by a landslide.
Interior Quality
Winner: 2018 Mazda CX-3
The Mazda CX-3 and CX-5 offer cabins that have an upscale look and feel to them. For mainstream SUVs, these Mazdas deliver premium materials and a design that feels a cut above many direct rivals. While the bigger CX-5 holds an obvious edge when it comes to space for people and cargo, the advantage narrows considerably when comparing interior quality. In fact, because the CX-3 carries a lower starting price and still offers such an impressive interior, we give it the narrowest win in this category.
Safety
Winner: 2018 Mazda CX-5
The Mazda CX-5 comes with a long list of standard safety equipment. For the 2018 model year, this includes blind spot monitoring, rear cross traffic alert, a rearview camera, and low-speed automatic braking. Other available safety features include full-speed automatic emergency braking, lane keep assist, lane departure warning, forward collision warning, adaptive cruise control, and a head-up display with traffic sign recognition. This explains why the 2018 CX-5 earned Top Safety Pick+ status, the highest safety rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).
The 2018 CX-3 is also a safe choice among SUVs, scoring a Top Safety Pick rating from the IIHS.
The CX-5’s slightly better IIHS score gives it the win in terms of safety.
Seat Comfort
Winner: 2018 Mazda CX-5
The CX-5 is the bigger vehicle, and this pays off when it comes to comfort and interior space. Both Mazdas come with attractive cabins, but the larger proportions of the CX-5 pay off in more available room, especially for rear seat occupants. In the CX-5, there are 39.6 inches of rear legroom, versus 35 inches in the CX-3. The front seats in either the CX-3 or CX-5 are comfortable for long drives, or the drudgery of a daily commute.
The CX-5 wins by providing a few extra inches of passenger space, especially for anyone seated in the second row.
Car Seats
Winner: Tie
When it comes to the ease of using the LATCH car-seat anchors, the CX-3 and CX-5 both score an Acceptable rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Except for the fact the lower anchors are set a little deep in the seat cushion, the IIHS found no major issues when installing car seats in the back of the CX-5. The same holds true with the CX-3. We had no problems with the LATCH anchors in the smaller Mazda’s rear seat.
While we like to pick a clear winner for each category, this one has to be called a tie.
Acceleration
Winner: 2018 Mazda CX-5
When it comes to acceleration, these two Mazda SUVs offer solid performance for everyday driving. With this in mind, the 187-horsepower four-cylinder in the CX-5 has a slight performance edge over the 146-horsepower four-cylinder you’ll find in the smaller and lighter CX-3. Both come fitted to a smooth-shifting automatic transmission, which makes the most out of the available power. We noted the CX-3 motor can get noisy when pressed hard, so this makes giving the performance win to the CX-5 even more clear cut.
Interior Technology
Winner: 2018 Mazda CX-5
Let’s start with bad news that applies to both Mazda SUVs. Neither the Mazda CX-3 nor the CX-5 offer Apple CarPlay or Android Auto compatibility, not even as an option. This increasingly popular feature seems a strange oversight by Mazda, especially considering the CX-3 and CX-5 can be ordered with plenty of other tech touches.
In the CX-3, there is a 7-inch touch screen, which can also be controlled using a control knob located on the center console. This same layout is used in the CX-5, with the end result being a slightly confusing interface. It’s not bad, but some simple controls require too much scrolling and too many menus.
Both the CX-3 and CX-5 offer an available Bose audio system, though to get navigation in the CX-3, you have to choose the top Grand Touring trim. The CX-5 wins by offering a wider selection of tech.
Fuel Economy
Winner: 2018 Mazda CX-3
Since both Mazda SUVs come with only one choice of engine and transmission, it’s simple to make direct comparisons when it comes to their overall fuel efficiency.
In front-wheel drive format, the CX-3 returns 29 mpg in city driving and 34 mpg on the highway. Adding all-wheel drive drops these numbers slightly to 27 mpg in the city and 31 mpg on the highway.
The CX-5, when equipped in front-wheel drive, returns 25 mpg in city driving and 31 mpg on the highway. Adding all-wheel drive drops both numbers by exactly 1 mpg in city and highway driving.
The numbers don’t lie; the Mazda CX-3 scores the easy win for fuel economy.
Ride and Handling
Winner: 2018 Mazda CX-5
Mazda SUVs have a reputation for having excellent handling and spirited driving dynamics. That’s the case with both the CX-3 and CX-5. These two SUVs deliver a more engaging driving experience than just about any rival. The handling is direct and encourages you to have fun behind the wheel, which isn’t something that can be said about many SUVs. Ride comfort isn’t sacrificed with either model but, when compared to its direct rivals, the CX-5 isn’t quite as comfortable as some alternatives. The smaller CX-3 manages a slightly more ideal balance of quick steering and a refined ride. Both Mazdas are fun; the CX-3 is just a slightly better all-around performer.
The Winner Is ...
2018 Mazda CX-5
The Mazda CX-3 is a great choice if you want a safe, budget-friendly, and entertaining SUV – and you can live without lots of cargo room. The lack of cargo space is the most serious demerit in the CX-3’s otherwise sterling resume. It’s more fuel efficient than its big brother, the CX-5, and also carries a starting price that’s thousands of dollars les.
Yet, it’s the CX-5 that emerges as the winner here. It’s roomy inside, with lots more space for cargo, and is still highly economical and equally enjoyable to drive. If you think choosing a family SUV means settling for something that’s dull to drive, the CX-5 (and the CX-3) help prove that theory wrong.
More Shopping Tools From U.S. News & World Report
If you’re ready to shop for a Mazda CX-3 or CX-5, check out our Mazda deals page. If you’re looking for a different SUV, pay a visit to our best lease and financing deals pages.
When you’re finally ready to buy, use the U.S. News Best Price Program. On average, shoppers who use this program save more than $3,106 off their new vehicle purchase.
2018 Mazda CX-3 vs. 2018 Mazda CX-5: Head to Head
- Price - Winner: 2018 Mazda CX-3
- Reliability - Winner: Tie
- Cargo Space - Winner: 2018 Mazda CX-5
- Interior Quality - Winner: 2018 Mazda CX-3
- Safety - Winner: 2018 Mazda CX-5
- Seat Comfort - Winner: 2018 Mazda CX-5
- Car Seats - Winner: Tie
- Acceleration - Winner: 2018 Mazda CX-5
- Interior Technology - Winner: 2018 Mazda CX-5
- Fuel Economy - Winner: 2018 Mazda CX-3
- Ride and Handling - Winner: 2018 Mazda CX-5
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Which Mazda SUV Is Best for You?
Mazda has a great habit of making even its most practical cars and SUVs fun to drive, especially when the road gets twisty. You don’t normally expect sports-car-like handling in a family-friendly SUV, but it’s here in both the 2018 Mazda CX-3 and CX-5. These Mazda SUVs combine excellent driving dynamics with the higher ride height, available all-wheel drive, and cargo versatility people want when buying or leasing a brand-new SUV.
The five-passenger CX-3 is the smaller of the two and, ultimately, it offers a touch less space inside for passengers and cargo. The smaller proportions of the CX-3 could be an advantage for city-dwellers, or anyone who lives where space for parking is at a premium. It also carries a lower base price, and stretches more miles from a gallon of gas, courtesy of its peppy and frugal four-cylinder engine.
The CX-5 is not what we’d call a fuel hog, of course. Despite its larger proportions, the CX-5 is only a few mpgs shy of the CX-3’s fuel economy figures. While it offers two rows of seats, like the CX-3, the CX-5 offers a much larger cargo area and more stretch-out space for passengers in the second row. When it comes to safety scores and other important SUV buying factors, these two Mazdas start to run neck-and-neck.
Which is the better SUV? This one was extremely close but, in the end, a clear winner emerges from within the Mazda SUV family tree.
Keep in mind that the scores mentioned in this slideshow are subject to change as we update our reviews with the latest expert opinions and data.