Compare the2022 Mazda 3VS 2021 Volkswagen Golf

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
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 Golf doesn’t offer knee airbags.

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 Golf 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 Golf doesn’t offer all-wheel drive.

The Mazda 3’s 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. The Golf doesn’t offer a lane departure warning system.

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 Golf 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 Golf doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Mazda 3 and the Golf 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 Golf:

	Mazda 3	Golf
OVERALL STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	89	286
Neck Injury Risk	17%	34%
Neck Stress	214 lbs.	336 lbs.
Neck Compression	27 lbs.	61 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	153	256
Chest Compression	.4 inches	.7 inches
Neck Injury Risk	30%	43%
Neck Stress	191 lbs.	210 lbs.
Neck Compression	20 lbs.	91 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 Golf:

	Mazda 3	Golf
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	112	185
Chest Movement	.9 inches	1.2 inches
Hip Force	239 lbs.	310 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	10 inches	14 inches
HIC	199	274
Spine Acceleration	30 G’s	45 G’s
Hip Force	527 lbs.	674 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 3.3% less likely to roll over than the Golf, 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 Golf 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 Golf. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 5 years or 60,000 miles. Coverage on the Golf ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

The Mazda 3’s corrosion warranty is unlimited miles longer than the Golf’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 Golf’s camshafts. If the Golf’s belt breaks, the engine could be severely damaged when the pistons hit the opened valves.

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 standard 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder produces 8 more horsepower (155 vs. 147) than the Golf’s 1.4 turbo 4-cylinder. The Mazda 3’s optional 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder produces 39 more horsepower (186 vs. 147) and 2 lbs.-ft. more torque (186 vs. 184) than the Golf’s 1.4 turbo 4-cylinder. The Mazda 3’s optional 2.5 turbo 4-cylinder produces 103 more horsepower (250 vs. 147) and 136 lbs.-ft. more torque (320 vs. 184) than the Golf’s 1.4 turbo 4-cylinder.

As tested in Motor Trend the Mazda 3 4 cyl. is faster than the Volkswagen Golf (manual transmissions tested):

	3	Golf
Zero to 60 MPH	6.9 sec	7.7 sec
Quarter Mile	15.2 sec	16.1 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	93 MPH	88.1 MPH

As tested in Motor Trend the Mazda 3 4 cyl. is faster than the Volkswagen Golf (automatics tested):

	3	Golf
Zero to 60 MPH	7.3 sec	7.7 sec
Quarter Mile	15.7 sec	16 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	90.3 MPH	85.6 MPH

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

Both the Mazda 3 and the Golf Auto offer an available automatic start/stop engine feature to stop unnecessary fuel waste and pollution at stop lights and heavy traffic. All Mazda 3s with automatic start/stop have a standard disable switch for the system, so a driver can keep the engine from shutting off when the vehicle stops temporarily.

Transmission

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

Brakes and Stopping

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

	Mazda 3 AWD	Golf
Front Rotors	11.61 inches	11.3 inches

The Mazda 3 stops much shorter than the Golf:

	Mazda 3	Golf
70 to 0 MPH	164 feet	184 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	115 feet	124 feet	Motor Trend

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 Golf (215/45R18 vs. 205/55R16).

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 Golf’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 Golf’s largest wheels are only 16-inches.

Suspension and Handling

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Mazda 3’s wheelbase is 3.7 inches longer than on the Golf (107.3 inches vs. 103.6 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Mazda 3 is .9 inches wider in the front and 2.5 inches wider in the rear than on the Golf.

The Mazda 3 Premium Hatchback AWD handles at .88 G’s, while the Golf pulls only .84 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 Golf TSI (26.7 seconds @ .65 average G’s vs. 27.4 seconds @ .62 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the Mazda 3’s turning circle is 1 foot tighter than the Golf’s (34.8 feet vs. 35.8 feet).

Chassis

As tested by Car and Driver, the interior of the Mazda 3 Premium Hatchback is quieter than the Golf TSI:

	3	Golf
Full-Throttle	74 dB	80 dB
70 MPH Cruising	69 dB	71 dB

Ergonomics

The Mazda 3 Auto offers a remote vehicle starting system, so the vehicle can be started from inside the driver's house. This allows the driver to comfortably warm up the engine before going out to the vehicle. The Golf doesn’t offer a remote starting system.

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 Golf 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 Golf doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The Mazda 3’s power parking brake sets with one touch and releases with one touch or automatically. The Golf has a lever-type parking brake that has to be strenuously raised to engage properly. It has to be lifted up more and a button depressed to release it.

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 Golf can’t use the remote to operate the windows.

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 Golf’s headlights are rated “Poor.”

While driving with high beams on, sensitive light sensors standard on the Mazda 3 detect other vehicles which could be blinded and automatically switch to low beams. The Golf doesn’t offer automatic dimming high beams.

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 Golf doesn’t offer cornering lights.

To shield the driver and front passenger’s vision over a larger portion of the windshield and side windows, the Mazda 3 has standard extendable sun visors. The Golf doesn’t offer extendable visors.

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 Golf’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 Golf 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 Golf doesn’t offer a heated steering wheel.

The Mazda 3 Select/Preferred/Carbon/Premium/Turbo’s standard dual zone air conditioning allows the driver and front passenger to choose two completely different temperatures so people with different temperature preferences won’t have to compromise. This makes both the driver and front passenger as comfortable as possible. The Golf doesn’t offer dual zone air conditioning.

The Mazda 3 Select/Preferred/Carbon/Premium/Turbo’s standard automatic temperature control maintains the temperature you set, automatically controlling fan speed, vents and temperature to maintain a consistent, comfortable environment. The Golf doesn’t offer automatic air conditioning.

To keep a safe, consistent following distance, the Mazda 3 has a standard Radar Cruise Control, which alters the speed of the vehicle without driver intervention. This allows the driver to use cruise control more safely without constantly having to disengage it when approaching slower traffic. The Golf doesn’t offer an adaptive cruise control.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Mazda 3 offers an available wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. The Golf doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

Model Availability

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

Economic Advantages

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Mazda 3 is less expensive to operate than the Golf because it costs $300 less to do the manufacturer’s suggested maintenance for 50,000 miles. Typical repairs cost much less on the Mazda 3 than the Golf, including $182 less for a water pump, $39 less for a muffler, $6 less for front brake pads, $375 less for a starter, $213 less for front struts and $95 less for a timing belt/chain.

Recommendations

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

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

Car and Driver performed a comparison test in its August 2019 issue and they ranked the Mazda 3 Premium Hatchback two places higher than the Volkswagen Golf TSI.

The Mazda 3 outsold the Volkswagen Golf/GTI by almost three to one during the 2021 model year.