2025 Mazda3 AWD Turbo: A Hot Hatch in Disguise?

With forced induction, all-wheel drive, and a host of features, the 2025 Mazda3 AWD Turbo Premium Plus is a fun and sensible ride.

The term “hot hatchback” usually draws thoughts of the ferocious Toyota GR Corolla, the legendary pedigree of the Volkswagen Golf GTI and Golf R, or, if you ignore the shape of the body, the Honda Civic Type R. What happens, though, when a brand most iconic for its super-handling roadsters and design-forward economy cars drops some hot hatch attributes into its stylish everyday car? You get the 2025 Mazda3 AWD Turbo hatchback.

I want to stress that Mazda does not advertise the Mazda3 as a hot hatchback. However, this subtle and stylish hatch comes with more horsepower than a 2025 Golf GTI, with 250 on 93 octane. Additionally, it has more torque than a WRX, GR Corolla, and even the Golf R at an astonishing 320 pound-feet. Combine all of that with the fact that it’s, in my humble opinion, one of the best-looking cars on sale today, and we might just have an under-appreciated “sleeper” of a hot hatch on our hands.

Plenty of Punch and Surprising Handling Characteristics

Omitting the hotly debated one-foot rollout, Car and Driver’s testing netted a zero to 60 MPH sprint in 5.9 seconds. Sure, it’s not mind-blowing acceleration. It does, however, put it within half a second of the Golf GTI and Civic Type R, give or take a few. It has a bit of down-low turbo lag, but once it picks up, it really gets going.

Admittedly, driving around town revealed a bit of a weak spot for the Mazda3. That is its six-speed automatic transmission. In normal driving conditions, it almost seems unsure of what gear it wants to be in at times. That’s not uncommon for a traditional automatic transmission in comparison to a dual-clutch, but it was a bit off-putting. Combine that with the lack of independent rear suspension, and my hopes weren’t super high for handling characteristics.

My assumptions were wrong, though. After bombing down my favorite windy mountain road, I am happy to admit that I was wrong. With traction control off, the transmission lets you take more command over shift points via the column-mounted paddle shifters (when TC is on, it’ll still shift for you). With its grippy tires and torquey punch, it happily ate up corners and powered out in a way that I grossly underestimated. Sure, there’s a little left on the table in comparison to your more “traditional” hot hatchbacks, but when taking into consideration that the Mazda3 is supposed to be more well-rounded, its sharp responsiveness and grip is more than satisfactory.

Top Notch Touches and Detail

With the fun-driving side of things out of the way, let’s talk about practicality. This is where the Mazda3 AWD Turbo models really blur the lines between a hot hatch and a comfortable daily. With standard features like leather-trimmed seats, a power driver’s seat with lumbar support and memory, Bose premium sound, wireless charging, and lane-keep assist with departure warnings, it’s well-equipped right out of the box. Adding the Premium Plus package, like this car, brings extras like 360-degree cameras, radar cruise control, smart braking, a heated steering wheel, and the aforementioned paddle shifters.

Inside, there’s no sense of cheapness you find in a lot of economy cars. In fact, it’s more akin to a luxury car. All the interior components are wrapped in quality materials, and the ride is fairly quiet. Furthermore, the cargo space, even with the rear seats up, is more than plentiful. If you don’t have back seat passengers and fold those rear seats flat, there’s almost more room than folks would know what to do with short of needing a truck bed in their lives.

Potent Power, Pleasantries, and Price Point

The big elephant in the room, then, is the price. As tested, this model comes with a whopping MSRP of $38,720. That’s only a few hundred dollars short of the entry-level GR Corolla price point. That said, the 2025 Mazda3 AWD Turbo models, for that price, offer a lot in terms of practicality and comfort in comparison to the GR Corolla. Moreover, it comes in, even with all these bells and whistles, around $10,000 cheaper than a Golf R or Civic Type R.

Ultimately, its price aligns quite well with its values. It perfectly divides the line of a fun and sporty weekend dream machine for windy roads and an everyday grocery-getter with the cargo space to move between apartments without too much stress. It only makes sense that its price would be right up the middle, too. If we could get this trim and body style with a manual transmission, it would be an industry disruptor beyond comprehension.

Photos: Shane Harris