Compare the2025 Mazda 3VS 2025 Kia Seltos

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Suspension and Handling
Ergonomics
Model Availability
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 Kia Seltos 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 Seltos 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 Seltos doesn’t offer a whiplash protection 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 Seltos only offers a rear monitor and rear parking sensors that beep or flash a light. That doesn’t help with obstacles to the front or sides.

The Mazda 3 has a standard blind spot warning system that uses sensors to alert the driver to objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them. Only the Seltos S/EX/X-Line/SX offers a blind spot warning system.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Mazda 3 has standard Rear Cross Traffic Alert and Rear Cross Traffic Braking on the Turbo Premium Plus automatically engages the brakes to help avoid a collision. Only the Seltos S/EX/X-Line/SX offers Rear Cross-Traffic Collision Warning.

Both the Mazda 3 and the Seltos 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, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras, driver alert monitors and available all wheel drive.

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 Kia Seltos:

	Mazda 3	Seltos
OVERALL STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	89	129
Neck Injury Risk	17%	24%
Neck Stress	214 lbs.	237 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	205/212 lbs.	460/429 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	153	405
Chest Compression	.4 inches	.6 inches
Neck Injury Risk	30%	41%
Neck Compression	20 lbs.	171 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 Kia Seltos:

	Mazda 3	Seltos
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Chest Movement	.9 inches	1.2 inches
Hip Force	239 lbs.	428 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Hip Force	620 lbs.	754 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	10 inches	13 inches
HIC	199	225
Spine Acceleration	30 G’s	33 G’s

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 5% to 6.8% less likely to roll over than the Seltos, which received a four-star rating.

The Mazda 3 has achieved the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s (IIHS) highest rating of “Top Safety Pick Plus” for the 2024 model year. This distinction is based on its exceptional performance in IIHS’ rigorous battery of safety tests. Specifically, it earned a “Good” rating in the latest, more stringent moderate overlap front crash test, a “Good” result in the updated side impact test, and a “Good” score in the revised pedestrian crash prevention test. The Seltos has not yet been fully evaluated by the IIHS for 2024.

Warranty

The Mazda 3’s 5 year corrosion warranty has no mileage limitations, but the corrosion warranty on the Seltos runs out after 100,000 miles.

Reliability

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 21 points higher than the Seltos.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Mazda vehicles are more reliable than Kia vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Mazda above average in long-term dependability. With 5 more problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, Kia is rated lower.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2024 Auto Issue reports that Mazda vehicles are more reliable than Kia vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Mazda 3 places higher in reliability than Kia.

Engine

The Mazda 3’s standard 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder produces 45 more horsepower (191 vs. 146) and 54 lbs.-ft. more torque (186 vs. 132) than the Seltos’ standard 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder. The Mazda 3’s optional 2.5 turbo 4-cylinder produces 55 more horsepower (250 vs. 195) and 125 lbs.-ft. more torque (320 vs. 195) than the Seltos X-Line/SX’s standard 1.6 turbo 4-cylinder.

As tested in Consumer Reports the Mazda 3 4 cyl. is faster than the Kia Seltos 4 cyl. (automatics tested):

	3	Seltos
Zero to 30 MPH	3 sec	3.6 sec
Zero to 60 MPH	7.7 sec	9 sec
45 to 65 MPH Passing	4.6 sec	5.5 sec
Quarter Mile	16.1 sec	17.1 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	91 MPH	84 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 Seltos doesn’t offer a system that can shut down part of the engine.

Transmission

The Mazda 3 offers a manual transmission for better acceleration, control and sportiness. The Seltos doesn’t offer a manual transmission.

Brakes and Stopping

In an emergency stopping situation, many drivers don’t press the brakes with enough force to stop the vehicle in the shortest distance. The Mazda 3 has a standard Brake Assist to detect emergency braking situations (by how hard and how quickly the brake pedal is pressed) and then automatically apply maximum braking immediately in order to help prevent a collision. The Seltos doesn’t offer a brake assist feature.

The Mazda 3 stops shorter than the Seltos:

	Mazda 3	Seltos
60 to 0 MPH	115 feet	122 feet	Motor Trend

Suspension and Handling

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Mazda 3’s wheelbase is 3.8 inches longer than on the Seltos (107.3 inches vs. 103.5 inches).

The Mazda 3 Carbon Edition Sedan handles at .86 G’s, while the Seltos S pulls only .77 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

Ergonomics

When two different drivers share the Mazda 3 Preferred/Carbon/Premium, 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 Seltos doesn’t offer a memory system.

The Mazda 3 Premium 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 Seltos 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 Seltos 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.

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 Seltos’ standard power window switches have to be held the entire time to close them fully. Only its driver’s window opens automatically.

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 Seltos can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The Mazda 3 has standard Push Button Start that allows you to start the engine without removing the key from the pocket or purse. Only the Seltos S/EX/X-Line/SX offers a Smart Key.

The Mazda 3’s power window, power lock, power mirror and cruise control switches are lit from behind, making them plainly visible and easier to operate at night. The Seltos’ passenger power window and power mirror switches are unlit, making them difficult to find at night and operate safely.

The Mazda 3 Select/Preferred/Carbon/Premium’s standard wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically according to the amount of rainfall on the windshield. The Seltos’ manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

The Mazda 3’s LED headlights produce a whiter, brighter light (up to 3x) using five times less power than the Seltos’ standard projector halogen headlights and light instantly. LED lights also last over twenty times longer than halogen.

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

When the Mazda 3 Preferred/Carbon/Premium 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 Seltos’ 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 Seltos offers an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

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

The Mazda 3 Select Sport/Preferred/Carbon/Premium’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 Seltos doesn’t offer dual zone air conditioning.

Model Availability

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

Recommendations

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

	Mazda 3	Seltos
Consumer Reports® Recommends	Top Pick	TRUE
Car Book “Best Bet”	TRUE	n/a