BMW325ti (E46) | PH fleet

It’s no secret that I love Mazdas. One day me shall I own an RX-8, as financially disastrous as it turns out to be, and I think the MX-5 is one of the best new cars money can buy. And I had a 3, if only for a while. Ultimately, it turned out to be a bit too ordinary for a car that doesn’t need to be used every day, but I’ve always admired Mazda’s commitment to doing things its own way.

The latest 3 is the perfect example of this, eschewing the current trend of small turbos and plug-in hybrids for Mazda’s Spark Controlled Compression Ignition. It is a 2.0-litre naturally aspirated engine with an incredibly high (for petrol) compression ratio of 15.0:1, meaning it can operate as both a conventional combustion engine and a compression ignition engine, i.e. as a diesel.

According to Mazda, SPCCI “combines the fuel efficiency of a diesel with the power and drivability of a gasoline engine,” which was intriguing enough in itself. With a peak power of 186bhp (just 6bhp less than the BMW) ever mustered and a standard manual gearbox, I was keen to see how rare groove hatches had developed since the ’00s. Obviously the BMW has the extra displacement, cylinders and rear-wheel drive, so it’s hardly a direct comparison, but it was good enough for me to have another naturally aspirated, manual family car.

After spending a lot of time in similar hatchbacks like the Golf and Civic, the Mazda feels so much more stylish and refined. In a world of cluttered interiors, the 3s seem really high quality and intuitive to use. Mazda being Mazda, the driver’s dials are a model of clarity, while the relationship between the steering wheel and gear lever is left untouched in some sports cars. Disabling the speed limit warning and keeping to the lane doesn’t require any interaction with the central screen, which makes the 3 an excellent choice almost on its own.

While I’m not suggesting that a new four-cylinder can rival an old six-cylinder in terms of charisma, there’s a lot to like about the Mazda 2.0-liter. Not least from an efficiency point of view, officially this is a 50mpg car, less than 130g/km, an absolute world away from what was achieved by naturally aspirated engines not so long ago. It means that over 40mpg is easily achievable, yet with all the joy of a naturally aspirated engine: it responds perfectly to the throttle, so working the six-speed manual is a pleasure, and actually doesn’t sound bad at all by 2025 standards. It doesn’t scream all the way to the limiter or trudge with huge amounts of torque (unsurprisingly the BMW shows it off a bit here), but the Skyactiv-X is satisfying to use in a way that a small turbo just isn’t.

That is indeed the whole car, with a wonderful weight and resistance to all the controls that you rarely find in the average family hatch. Jinba Ittai isn’t just for the MX-5, it seems. Compared to the old Compact, everything inevitably feels quite light, but the Mazda avoids the modern pitfall of feeling overly synthetic or assisted. It may take a bit more effort than is the norm nowadays, think of speeds and gears, but it is really fun to do. No matter how hard you try, the lighter old car is faster – while it uses so much more fuel, it’s like there’s a hole in the tank.

That’s all without taking into account the biggest advantage I think the 3 has over the alternatives, especially my bad old 3 Series: it looks fantastic. An elegant, distinctive piece of hatchback design, when so many people are now overdoing it; Rarely has the Compact looked worse than when parked next to the Mazda. If my old 3 had looked as good and gone too, I might not have sold it…

In short, a twenty-year-old BMW doesn’t look much like a brand new Mazda – who would have thought that? But having the 3 reminded us that, even in the modest hatch, there’s little that can match the pleasure of a (very smart) naturally aspirated engine and manual gearbox. Being in such a handsome, well-built car means the Mazda has left a very positive impression, a welcome reminder that the obvious options aren’t always the best. That’s what I always say to those who ask why I bought the ugliest 3 Series…

Auto: BMW 325ti Compact (E46)
Run by: Matt Vogel
Purchase price: £2,999
On fleet since: July 2024
Mileage: 160,055
Last month at a glance: 3 is the magic number