Compare the2023 Honda HR-VVS 2021 Mazda CX-3

For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Honda HR-V have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision. The Mazda CX-3 doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the HR-V are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The CX-3 doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The Honda HR-V 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 CX-3 doesn’t offer knee airbags.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The HR-V EX-L has standard Low Speed Braking Control that uses rear sensors to monitor and automatically apply the brakes to prevent a rear collision. The CX-3 doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

The HR-V EX-L has standard Parking Sensors to help warn the driver about vehicles, pedestrians or other obstacles behind or in front of their vehicle. The CX-3 doesn’t offer a front parking aid.

The HR-V’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 CX-3 doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the HR-V and the CX-3 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, 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, available all wheel drive, blind spot warning systems and rear cross-path warning.

Honda pays for scheduled maintenance on the HR-V for 2 years and 24,000 miles. Honda will pay for oil changes, lubrication and any other required maintenance. Mazda doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the CX-3.

There are almost 2 times as many Honda dealers as there are Mazda dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the HR-V’s warranty.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2021 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Honda vehicles are better in initial quality than Mazda vehicles. With 13 fewer problems per 100 vehicles, JD Power ranks Honda higher than Mazda.

The HR-V’s 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder produces 10 more horsepower (158 vs. 148) than the CX-3’s 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder.

The HR-V has 2.1 gallons more fuel capacity than the CX-3 AWD’s standard fuel tank (14 vs. 11.9 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups. The HR-V has 1.3 gallons more fuel capacity than the CX-3 FWD’s standard fuel tank (14 vs. 12.7 gallons).

The HR-V has a standard cap-less fueling system. The fuel filler is automatically opened when the fuel nozzle is inserted and automatically closed when it’s removed. This eliminates the need to unscrew and replace the cap and it reduces fuel evaporation, which causes pollution. The CX-3 doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

The HR-V has a standard continuously variable transmission (CVT). With no “steps” between gears, it can keep the engine at the most efficient speed for fuel economy, or keep it at its peak horsepower indefinitely for maximum acceleration. The CX-3 doesn’t offer a CVT.

For better stopping power the HR-V’s brake rotors are larger than those on the CX-3:

For better traction, the HR-V Sport’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the CX-3 (225/55R18 vs. 215/60R16).

The HR-V Sport’s tires provide better handling because they have a lower 55 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the CX-3’s 60 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the HR-V has standard 17-inch wheels. Only 16-inch wheels are available on the CX-3. The HR-V Sport has standard 18-inch wheels.

For superior ride and handling, the Honda HR-V has fully independent front and rear suspensions. An independent suspension allows the wheels to follow the road at the best angle for gripping the pavement, without compromising ride comfort. The Mazda CX-3 has a rear torsion beam axle, with a semi-independent rear suspension.

The HR-V has standard front and rear stabilizer bars, which help keep the HR-V flat and controlled during cornering. The CX-3’s suspension doesn’t offer a rear stabilizer bar.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the HR-V’s wheelbase is 3.3 inches longer than on the CX-3 (104.5 inches vs. 101.2 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the HR-V is 2.6 inches wider in the front and 3.3 inches wider in the rear than on the CX-3.

For greater off-road capability the HR-V LX/EX-L has a greater minimum ground clearance than the CX-3 (7 vs. 6.1 inches), allowing the HR-V to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The HR-V Sport’s minimum ground clearance is 1.2 inches higher than on the CX-3 (7.3 vs. 6.1 inches).

The HR-V uses computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The CX-3 doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

The HR-V has 11.1 cubic feet more passenger volume than the CX-3 (98.7 vs. 87.6).

The HR-V has 1 inch more front headroom, .2 inches more front legroom, 1.7 inches more front hip room, 3.1 inches more front shoulder room, .8 inches more rear headroom, 2.7 inches more rear legroom and 4.8 inches more rear shoulder room than the CX-3.

The HR-V has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the CX-3 with its rear seat up (24.4 vs. 17.8 cubic feet). The HR-V has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the CX-3 with its rear seat folded (55.1 vs. 42.7 cubic feet).

The HR-V Sport/EX-L has a standard 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 climate system will also automatically heat or cool the interior. The CX-3 doesn’t offer a remote starting system.

The HR-V Sport/EX-L’s front power windows open fully with one touch of the switches, and the driver’s window also automatically closes, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The CX-3’s passenger windows don’t open or close automatically.

On a hot day the HR-V’s driver can lower all the windows from a distance using the keyless remote. The driver of the CX-3 can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The HR-V Sport/EX-L’s standard outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. The CX-3 doesn’t offer heated side mirrors.

The HR-V Sport/EX-L has standard heated front seats, which keep the driver and front passenger extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated seats aren’t available in the CX-3.

The HR-V EX-L’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 CX-3 doesn’t offer dual zone air conditioning.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Honda HR-V EX-L has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) for the front seat. The CX-3 doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

The Honda HR-V outsold the Mazda CX-3 by almost 20 to one during the 2021 model year.