Compare the2023 Mazda 3VS 2023 Toyota Corolla Hatchback

Safety
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Brakes and Stopping
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Ergonomics
Economic Advantages
Recommendations

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Mazda 3 have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The Toyota Corolla Hatchback doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

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 Corolla Hatchback doesn’t offer a front passenger side knee airbag.

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 use rear sensors to monitor for objects to the rear and automatically apply the brakes to prevent a collision. The Corolla Hatchback 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 Corolla Hatchback 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 Corolla Hatchback only offers a rear monitor.

Both the Mazda 3 and the Corolla Hatchback have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front and rear side-impact airbags, driver knee 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, driver alert monitors, 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 Toyota Corolla Hatchback:

	Mazda 3	Corolla Hatchback
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	89	187
Neck Injury Risk	17%	27%
Neck Stress	214 lbs.	243 lbs.
Neck Compression	27 lbs.	50 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	205/212 lbs.	330/310 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	153	356
Chest Compression	.4 inches	.6 inches
Neck Compression	20 lbs.	86 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	178/201 lbs.	301/156 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 Toyota Corolla Hatchback:

	Mazda 3	Corolla Hatchback
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Chest Movement	.9 inches	.9 inches
Hip Force	239 lbs.	330 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	10 inches	12 inches
HIC	199	239
Spine Acceleration	30 G’s	32 G’s
Hip Force	527 lbs.	623 lbs.

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

Side impacts caused 23% of all road fatalities in 2018, down from 29% in 2003, when the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety introduced its side barrier test. In order to continue improving vehicle safety, the IIHS has started using a more severe side impact test: 37 MPH (up from 31 MPH), with a 4180-pound barrier (up from 3300 pounds). The results of this newly developed test demonstrates that the Mazda 3 Sedan is safer than the Corolla Hatchback:

	3	Corolla Hatchback
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Structure	ACCEPTABLE	ACCEPTABLE
	Driver Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Neck Compression	89 lbs.	134 lbs.
Torso	ACCEPTABLE	ACCEPTABLE
Pelvis	ACCEPTABLE	MARGINAL
Pelvis Force	1004 lbs.	1339 lbs.
Head Protection	GOOD	GOOD
	Passenger Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Neck Compression	22 lbs.	89 lbs.
Torso	GOOD	GOOD
Shoulder Deflection	.87 in	1.38 in
Shoulder Force	268 lbs.	312 lbs.
Torso Max Deflection	.87 in	1.1 in
Pelvis	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Pelvis Force	335 lbs.	1026 lbs.
Head Protection	GOOD	GOOD

Engine

The Mazda 3’s standard 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder produces 22 more horsepower (191 vs. 169) and 35 lbs.-ft. more torque (186 vs. 151) than the Corolla Hatchback’s 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder. The Mazda 3’s optional 2.5 turbo 4-cylinder produces 81 more horsepower (250 vs. 169) and 169 lbs.-ft. more torque (320 vs. 151) than the Corolla Hatchback’s 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder.

As tested in Motor Trend the Mazda 3 4 cyl. is faster than the Toyota Corolla Hatchback (manual transmissions tested):

	3	Corolla Hatchback
Zero to 60 MPH	6.9 sec	7.4 sec
Quarter Mile	15.2 sec	15.8 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	93 MPH	88.4 MPH

As tested in Motor Trend the Mazda 3 4 cyl. is faster than the Toyota Corolla Hatchback (automatics tested):

	3	Corolla Hatchback
Zero to 60 MPH	7.3 sec	8.6 sec
Quarter Mile	15.7 sec	16.5 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	90.3 MPH	85.9 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

An engine control system that can shut down some of the engine’s cylinders helps improve the Mazda 3 (except Turbo)’s fuel efficiency. The Corolla Hatchback doesn’t offer a system that can shut down part of the engine.

In heavy traffic or at stoplights the Mazda 3 offers an optional system to automatically turn off the engine when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. The engine is automatically restarted when the driver gets ready to move again. If the conditions warrant or the driver wishes, the system can be manually disabled at any time for the duration of a trip. The Corolla Hatchback doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

Brakes and Stopping

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

	Mazda 3 AWD	Corolla Hatchback
Front Rotors	11.61 inches	11.5 inches

The Mazda 3 stops much shorter than the Corolla Hatchback:

	Mazda 3	Corolla Hatchback
70 to 0 MPH	164 feet	175 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	115 feet	135 feet	Motor Trend

Suspension and Handling

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Mazda 3’s wheelbase is 3.4 inches longer than on the Corolla Hatchback (107.3 inches vs. 103.9 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Mazda 3 is 1.4 inches wider in the front and 1.4 inches wider in the rear than on the Corolla Hatchback.

The Mazda 3 Premium Hatchback AWD handles at .88 G’s, while the Corolla Hatchback XSE 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 1.4 seconds quicker than the Corolla Hatchback XSE (26.7 seconds @ .65 average G’s vs. 28.1 seconds @ .59 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the Mazda 3’s turning circle is 2.6 feet tighter than the Corolla Hatchback’s (34.8 feet vs. 37.4 feet).

Chassis

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

	3	Corolla Hatchback
Full-Throttle	74 dB	85 dB
70 MPH Cruising	69 dB	71 dB

Passenger Space

The Mazda 3 Sedan has 8.2 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Corolla Hatchback (92.8 vs. 84.6).

The Mazda 3 Sedan has .3 inches more front legroom, .7 inches more front hip room, 1.8 inches more front shoulder room, 5.2 inches more rear legroom and 5.4 inches more rear hip room than the Corolla Hatchback.

Cargo Capacity

To make loading and unloading groceries and cargo easier, especially for short adults, the Mazda 3 Turbo Hatchback has a standard power trunk, which opens and closes automatically by pressing a button. The Corolla Hatchback doesn’t offer a power liftgate.

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 Corolla Hatchback 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 Corolla Hatchback 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 Corolla Hatchback doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

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 Corolla Hatchback’s manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

To help drivers see further while navigating curves, the Mazda 3 Premium/Turbo has standard adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle. The Corolla Hatchback 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 Corolla Hatchback’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 Corolla Hatchback doesn’t offer the luxury of automatic dimming mirrors.

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 Corolla Hatchback doesn’t offer a heated steering wheel.

Economic Advantages

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Mazda 3 is less expensive to operate than the Corolla Hatchback because typical repairs cost less on the Mazda 3 than the Corolla Hatchback, including $148 less for a starter, $28 less for fuel injection, $125 less for front struts and $185 less for a timing belt/chain.

Recommendations

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

	Mazda 3	Corolla Hatchback
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 three places higher than the Toyota Corolla Hatchback XSE.