Mazda CX-3 (2015-2020) review - Reliability and safety

Mazda has an excellent reputation for reliability and is a consistently strong performer in Driver Power. Its ninth-place finish in the 2015 survey was well ahead of premium brands like Audi and Mercedes. And while its dealers didn’t finish as well in the same poll, the network still outperformed these two.

Other cars from Mazda have finished surprisingly low down the Driver Power list in the past – older versions of the 3 compact family car and 6 large family car tumbled down the table, for example, making it seem as though owners were more critical in 2015 than they had been in previous years. Yet at the same time, more modern models performed much, much better, so the omens are good for the CX-3, which shares technology with this latest generation of cars.

Warranty

All new Mazdas come with a standard three-year/60,000-mile warranty, which looks rather average in these days of five and seven-year cover from some manufacturers. But buyers can pay extra to extend that beyond three years under a warranty insurance package. This is offered with three levels: Essential, Elite and Complete. Included as standard are a three-year surface corrosion warranty and a 12-year anti-perforation warranty. 

Servicing

Service intervals are set at every 12,500 miles or once a year for the CX-3. To help buyers budget for maintenance, Mazda offers a fixed-price servicing plan that covers the first three years and 37,500 miles of servicing. Prices are tailored for each model, but start from around £500. There’s also a Pay Monthly plan that allows you to spread the cost of servicing over the entire year, as well as a monthly plan that covers the cost of the third, fourth and fifth scheduled check-ups.