In 2008 the Mazda 3 was completely redesigned and each year since it gets better and better. The 2013 Mazda 3 Grand Touring is no exception. It’s received a bit of a face lift since 2012 but it’s still retained it’s sporty design – including it’s awesome moon roof. Well we call it a sunroof here in Florida, and it was open the whole way on our trip to Miami before we left on our cruise.
The Mazda 3 not only gets you there in style it entertains you on the way. It comes with It’s so much fun to drive and I’m not just talking about the easy handling. With is AM/FM stereo, CD/MP3 player, aux jack and two 12 volt audio input jacks mean you can listen to virtually anything, on any device and even charge it while you play. With two kids under 10 this is an essential. We can charge both iPads with the car chargers and still listen to Pandora on my Droid DNA! As a side note: it’s also nice that we have a cup holder for everyone. We really enjoyed the fact that we could listen to Sirius radio on the Alligator Alley. You can never pick up a station when you are smack in the middle, so it makes the trip go by easier with tunes.
What’s nice about Mazda is that everything is at a drivers fingertips. The leather wrapped steering wheel has audio and cruise controls. But it also features the bluetooth controls too – perfect for hands free calling. Keeping with the sporty exterior the Mazda 3 also features a multi-info display. It’s full of handy information like trip computer, fuel economy, average vehicle speed and distance to empty!
Speaking of the exterior I was surprised to find out the Mazda 3 is a 4 cylinder. It isn’t pokey and that’s due to Mazda’s SkyActiv Technology. According to Mazda the SkyActiv Technology allows “A bigger power stroke to capture more of the expansion that happens when fuel is burned, meaning you harness a greater amount of energy from the fuel.” Basically it means the Grand Touring gets excellent fuel economy, but doesn’t feel like a 4 cylinder.
For a price tag of $24,445 you get a 4 Door, 5 Passenger with 38MPG City and 40MPG Highway. The Mazda3 Grand Touring packs a great punch, and you get all of the extras for an awesome price.