Compare the2022 Mazda 3VS 2022 Volkswagen Jetta

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Ergonomics
Model Availability
Economic Advantages
Recommendations

Safety

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The Mazda 3 has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags helps prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Jetta doesn’t offer knee airbags.

The Mazda 3 has standard Whiplash Reducing Headrests, which use a specially designed headrest to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the Whiplash Reducing Headrests system moves the headrests forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. The Jetta doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The Mazda 3 Turbo Premium Plus has standard Smart Brake Support that uses rear sensors to monitor and automatically apply the brakes to prevent a rear collision. The Jetta doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

The Mazda 3 offers all-wheel drive to maximize traction under poor conditions, especially in ice and snow. The Jetta doesn’t offer all-wheel drive.

The Mazda 3’s standard lane departure warning system alerts a temporarily inattentive driver when the vehicle begins to leave its lane and gently nudges the vehicle back towards its lane. A lane departure warning system costs extra on the Jetta.

The Mazda 3 Turbo Premium Plus has a standard 360-Degree Monitor to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The Jetta only offers a rear monitor.

The Mazda 3’s driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The Jetta doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Mazda 3 and the Jetta have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, front wheel drive, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, rearview cameras, available blind spot warning systems and rear cross-path warning.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Mazda 3 is safer than the Volkswagen Jetta:

	Mazda 3	Jetta
OVERALL STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	89	247
Neck Injury Risk	17%	31.7%
Neck Stress	214 lbs.	354 lbs.
Neck Compression	27 lbs.	58 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	153	315
Chest Compression	.4 inches	.7 inches
Neck Injury Risk	30%	41.6%
Neck Compression	20 lbs.	141 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Mazda 3 is safer than the Volkswagen Jetta:

	Mazda 3	Jetta
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Chest Movement	.9 inches	.9 inches
Hip Force	239 lbs.	317 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	10 inches	13 inches
HIC	199	239
Spine Acceleration	30 G’s	38 G’s
Hip Force	527 lbs.	627 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

Instrumented handling tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and analysis of its dimensions indicate that the Mazda 3, with its five-star roll-over rating, is 3% less likely to roll over than the Jetta, which received a four-star rating.

For its top level performance in IIHS driver and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, side impact, roof strength and head restraint tests, its standard vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention system, its standard vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention system, and its standard headlight’s “Good” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Mazda 3 its highest rating: “Top Pick Plus” for 2021, a rating granted to only 74 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Jetta last would have qualified as only a standard “Top Pick” in 2017.

Warranty

Mazda’s powertrain warranty covers the 3 1 year and 10,000 miles longer than Volkswagen covers the Jetta. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 5 years or 60,000 miles. Coverage on the Jetta ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

The Mazda 3’s corrosion warranty is unlimited miles longer than the Jetta’s (unlimited vs. 100,000 miles).

Reliability

A hardened steel chain, with no maintenance needs, drives the camshafts in the Mazda 3’s engine. A rubber cam drive belt that needs periodic replacement drives the Jetta’s camshafts. If the Jetta’s belt breaks, the engine could be severely damaged when the pistons hit the opened valves.

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the Mazda 3’s reliability 45 points higher than the Jetta.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2021 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Mazda vehicles are better in initial quality than Volkswagen vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Mazda 23rd in initial quality. With 36 more problems per 100 vehicles, Volkswagen is ranked 30th.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2021 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Mazda vehicles are more reliable than Volkswagen vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Mazda 14th in reliability. With 42 more problems per 100 vehicles, Volkswagen is ranked 28th.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Mazda vehicles are more reliable than Volkswagen vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Mazda first in reliability. Volkswagen is ranked 24th.

Engine

The Mazda 3’s optional 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder produces 28 more horsepower (186 vs. 158) and 2 lbs.-ft. more torque (186 vs. 184) than the Jetta’s 1.5 turbo 4-cylinder. The Mazda 3’s optional 2.5 turbo 4-cylinder produces 92 more horsepower (250 vs. 158) and 136 lbs.-ft. more torque (320 vs. 184) than the Jetta’s 1.5 turbo 4-cylinder.

Fuel Economy and Range

An engine control system that can shut down some of the engine’s cylinders helps improve the Mazda 3 AWD non-turbo’s fuel efficiency. The Jetta doesn’t offer a system that can shut down part of the engine.

Transmission

The Mazda 3 comes standard with an automatic transmission, for driver comfort, especially in the city. Automatic costs extra on the Jetta.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the Mazda 3 AWD’s front brake rotors are larger than those on the Jetta:

	Mazda 3 AWD	Jetta
Front Rotors	11.61 inches	11.3 inches

The Mazda 3 stops much shorter than the Jetta:

	Mazda 3	Jetta
70 to 0 MPH	164 feet	191 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	125 feet	135 feet	Consumer Reports
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	134 feet	138 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Mazda 3 Hatchback/Select/Preferred/Premium/Turbo’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Jetta (215/45R18 vs. 205/60R16).

The Mazda 3 Hatchback/Select/Preferred/Premium/Turbo’s tires provide better handling because they have a lower 45 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Jetta R-Line/SEL Premium’s 55 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Mazda 3 Hatchback/Select/Preferred/Premium/Turbo has standard 18-inch wheels. The Jetta’s largest wheels are only 17-inches.

Suspension and Handling

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Mazda 3’s wheelbase is 1.6 inches longer than on the Jetta (107.3 inches vs. 105.7 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Mazda 3 is 1 inch wider in the front and 1.8 inches wider in the rear than on the Jetta.

The Mazda 3 Premium Hatchback AWD handles at .88 G’s, while the Jetta pulls only .82 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Mazda 3 Premium Sedan executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the Jetta SEL (26.7 seconds @ .65 average G’s vs. 27.6 seconds @ .62 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the Mazda 3’s turning circle is 1.9 feet tighter than the Jetta’s (34.8 feet vs. 36.7 feet).

Chassis

The Mazda 3 Sedan is 10.9 inches shorter than the Jetta, making the Mazda 3 easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

Passenger Space

The Mazda 3 Sedan has 1.2 inches more front legroom and 1.6 inches more front hip room than the Jetta.

Ergonomics

The Mazda 3 Premium/Turbo has a standard heads-up display that projects speed, warning and navigation instruction readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The Jetta doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

On a hot day the Mazda 3’s driver can lower all the windows from a distance using the keyless remote. The driver of the Jetta can’t use the remote to operate the windows.

The Mazda 3’s rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The Jetta’s standard manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) conducts detailed tests on headlights for their range both straight ahead and in curves and to be certain they don’t exceed acceptable amounts of glare to oncoming drivers. The Mazda 3’s headlights were rated “Good” to “Acceptable” by the IIHS, while the Jetta’s headlights are rated “Marginal” to “Poor.”

When the Mazda 3 Preferred/Carbon/Premium/Turbo is put in reverse, both rearview mirrors tilt from their original position. This gives the driver a better view of the curb during parallel parking maneuvers. Shifting out of reverse puts the mirrors into their original positions. The Jetta’s mirrors don’t automatically adjust for backing.

The Mazda 3’s optional rear and side view mirrors have an automatic dimming feature. These mirrors can be set to automatically darken quickly when headlights shine on them, keeping following vehicles from blinding or distracting the driver. The Jetta offers an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

Model Availability

The Mazda 3 comes in sedan and four door hatchback bodystyles; the Volkswagen Jetta isn’t available as a four door hatchback.

Economic Advantages

Insurance will cost less for the Mazda 3 owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the Mazda 3 will cost $580 less than the Jetta over a five-year period.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Mazda 3 is less expensive to operate than the Jetta because it costs $127 less to do the manufacturer’s suggested maintenance for 50,000 miles. Typical repairs cost much less on the Mazda 3 than the Jetta, including $405 less for a water pump, $307 less for a muffler, $357 less for a starter, $157 less for fuel injection, $202 less for front struts, $144 less for a timing belt/chain and $21 less for a power steering pump.

Recommendations

The Mazda 3 has won recognition from these important consumer publications:

	Mazda 3	Jetta
Consumer Reports® Recommends	TRUE	FALSE
Car Book “Best Bet”	TRUE	FALSE

Car and Driver performed a comparison test in its October 2021 issue and they ranked the Mazda 3 Premium Sedan AWD higher than the Volkswagen Jetta SEL.