Compare the2022 Mazda 3VS 2022 Honda Civic

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 Civic doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

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

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 Civic only offers a rear monitor and front and rear parking sensors that beep or flash a light. That doesn’t help with obstacles to the sides.

The Mazda 3 has standard E911 Automatic Emergency Notification, which uses a global positioning satellite (GPS) receiver and a cellular system to send emergency personnel to the scene if any airbags deploy. The Civic doesn’t offer a GPS response system, only a navigation computer with no live response for emergencies, so if you’re involved in an accident and you’re incapacitated help may not come as quickly.

Both the Mazda 3 and the Civic have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee 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, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras, driver alert monitors, available blind spot warning systems and rear cross-path warning.

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 Honda vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Mazda 14th in reliability. With 24 more problems per 100 vehicles, Honda is ranked 27th.

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

The Mazda 3 has more powerful engines than the Civic:

As tested in Motor Trend the Mazda 3 is faster than the Civic EX/EX-L/Touring 1.5 turbo 4-cylinder (automatics tested):

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 Civic doesn’t offer a system that can shut down part of the engine.

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Mazda 3 higher (7 out of 10) than the Honda Civic (3 to 7). This means the Mazda 3 produces up to 24.5 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Civic every 15,000 miles.

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

The Mazda 3 stops much shorter than the Civic:

The Mazda 3 Premium Hatchback AWD handles at .88 G’s, while the Civic Touring Sedan pulls only .83 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Mazda 3 Premium Sedan executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.2 seconds quicker than the Civic Sport Sedan (26.7 seconds @ .65 average G’s vs. 27.9 seconds @ .6 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the Mazda 3’s turning circle is 1.3 feet tighter than the Civic LX/EX/EX-L’s (34.8 feet vs. 36.1 feet). The Mazda 3’s turning circle is 3.3 feet tighter than the Civic Sport/Touring’s (34.8 feet vs. 38.1 feet).

The Mazda 3 Sedan is 3.4 inches shorter than the Civic Sedan, making the Mazda 3 easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

As tested by Car and Driver while under full throttle, the interior of the Mazda 3 Premium Hatchback is quieter than the Civic Touring Sedan (74 vs. 78 dB).

The Mazda 3 Sedan has .3 inches more front hip room, .1 inches more rear headroom and 2 inches more rear hip room than the Civic Hatchback.

The Mazda 3’s standard folding rear seats are split to accommodate bulky cargo. The Civic LX Sedan/Sport Sedan’s standard single piece folding rear seat is not as flexible; long cargo and a passenger can’t share the rear seat.

When two different drivers share the Mazda 3 Preferred/Carbon/Premium/Turbo, the memory seats and mirrors make it convenient for both. Each keyless remote activates different, customized memories for the driver’s seat position and outside mirror angle. The Civic doesn’t offer a memory system.

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 Civic doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The Mazda 3’s front and rear power windows all open or close fully with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The Civic’s rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to open or close them fully.

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 Civic LX/Sport’s standard fixed intermittent wipers only have one fixed delay setting, so the driver will have to manually switch them between slow and intermittent.

To help drivers see further while navigating curves, the Mazda 3 Premium/Turbo/Carbon Hatchback has standard adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle. The Civic doesn’t offer cornering lights.

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 Civic’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 Civic offers an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

On extremely cold winter days, the Mazda 3 Turbo’s standard heated steering wheel provides comfort, allowing the driver to steer safely and comfortably before the car heater warms up. The Civic doesn’t offer a heated steering wheel.

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