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2025 Car Mileage with the Best Gas MileageHead-to-Head: Mazda3 vs Toyota Corolla
The Mazda3 and the Toyota Corolla are two of the very best compact cars on sale today so we’re pitting them head to head.
Two Excellent Compact Cars
The Toyota Corolla and Mazda3 are two of the very best compact cars on sale today. They offer various performance, interior qualities, and fuel economy figures. Both are available as hatchbacks or sedans. They also start at just over $21,000 which means that they’re accessible to just about anyone searching for a new car. Today, we’re going to test them against one another to figure out which really is the most appealing. We’ll compare specs, driving performance, interior comfort, and more to find a winner. Then, we’ll tell you which one we’d buy if it were our money on the line.
Specs
To kick things off let’s look at the 2024 Toyota Corolla, one of the best-selling cars in the history of the world. It starts at $21,900 and can cost as much as $75,000 or more depending on markups of its most ferocious model, the GR Corolla. Technically, it has a maximum MSRP of $49,000. Across that span, buyers will find 11 different trims, three engines to choose from, and front or all-wheel drive.
The base engine is a four-cylinder that makes 169 hp and gets 32 mpg in the city and 41 on the highway. Above that is a hybrid powertrain that makes just 134 hp but gets up to 53 mpg in the city and 46 on the highway. Finally, a turbocharged three-cylinder is also available with full-time all-wheel drive and no less than 300 hp. It achieves just 21 mpg in the city and 28 on the highway though.
Then there’s the 2024 Mazda3, which starts at $22,550 and has a top MSRP of $34,000. That’s a much smaller range and as such, there are only two engine choices. The first is a naturally aspirated 2.5-liter four-cylinder with 191 hp. It gets up to 28 mpg in the city and 37 on the highway. That’s a bit below what the Corolla can muster but the extra power is a benefit that we’ll discuss soon.
Next is a turbocharged version of the same engine that makes 250 hp and gets 23 mpg in the city and 31 on the highway. Both come standard with a six-speed automatic gearbox but a manual is also available on the hatchback version. Front-wheel drive is standard on the non-turbo engine but all-wheel drive is also available. Notably, going for AWD removes the ability to pair it with a manual gearbox.
Driving and Performance
Few cars on the road have the driving performance span that the Corolla does. In our initial review of the car, we really dogged it hard for its tepid drivetrain. The four-cylinder gas-only engine is disappointing and slow. Mating it to a CVT like Toyota did makes it even less engaging. The hybrid is somehow even more frustrating as it makes just 134 hp. Still, it must be said that the Corolla handles fine for a car with so little gusto. The pedals and steering wheel provide ample feedback too.
The GR Corolla is so dramatically better that we really feel like it should’ve had a different name. Toyota added some 300 extra welds to the frame of it to make sure that it could handle the extra stress of its 300 hp engine and rally-inspired AWD drivetrain. It’s only available with a stick shift too so if you can’t drive one, it’s time to learn.
On the street and the track the GR Corolla proves itself a fabulous enthusiast’s car. Sure, the Honda Civic Type R is technically faster but on dirt this Toyota would take the win. That’s thanks in large part to an AWD system that can lock in 70 percent of its power to the rear wheels. Forget FWD-biased AWD. This is the way every company should do it.
The Mazda finds a much more pleasing balance across the entire lineup. The chassis is dynamic and responsive regardless of engine choice. The base 2.5-liter engine might be the most practical of every car here. It gets solid fuel efficiency scores and at the same time never feels weak or out of place on the highway. We especially like the snappy handling that both versions of the Mazda 3 deliver.
The turbocharged engine is delightfully playful too. With considerably more torque, 320 lb-ft, than any of the Corolla offerings, it’s an engaging and fun little runabout. The biggest letdown though is the inability to pair the turbo engine with a manual gearbox. Even then though we’re not sure that the Mazda3 would keep up with the excellent GR Corolla. At the same time, it’s worth noting that it’s far better to drive than any non-GR Corolla.
Comfort and Interior
If there’s one big blemish that most buyers will spot in the Corolla it’s the relatively down-market interior. The cabin can be a bit noisy across the lineup and the materials aren’t anything special to write home about. Most surfaces are grey or black plastic. There aren’t nearly as many storage cubbies as one might want either.
That said, the seats are comfortable and supportive and we especially appreciate the rear-seat legroom in the sedan. The actual build quality is above average too with tight uniform panel gaps and switchgear that feels tight and appropriately responsive. The upper trim levels do benefit from faux leather upholstery or touches of alcantara on the GR variants. An eight-speaker JBL sound system is available on non-GR models too.
Here’s where the Mazda starts to pull ahead. The interior of any Mazda3 feels very premium if not somewhat luxurious compared to the Corolla. There are still plastics and hard surfaces but there are more soft touch surfaces than in the Toyota. On top of that, Mazda features better switchgear, more supportive seats, and a more timeless dashboard design. The high-end feel of the Mazda3 translates to the rear seats quite well too.
Sadly, the rear seat comfort can leave some folks wanting more. There isn’t as much headroom or legroom back there as in the Corolla. In addition, the heavily sloping roofline can make it harder to see when backing up or manually checking a blind spot. Storage in the trunk isn’t a major win for either car though as each offers about 13 cubic feet of cargo room.
Trims and Features
The Corolla kicks off with the LE which gets the normal four-cylinder engine along with front-wheel drive. Standard features include LED DRLs, heated side mirrors, automatic climate control, a 4.2-inch digital driver information display, an 8-inch infotainment system, Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, six speakers, and 16-inch wheels.
Next is the Hybrid LE which adds the hybrid engine, LED headlights, and four USB power ports.
SE Hatchback – This base hatchback trim also has 16-inch wheels, LED exterior lighting, two USB power ports, and a 60/40-split-folding rear seat.
SE – Those who select the sedan get a rear spoiler, a JBL sound system, 18-inch wheels, a smart key system, and a sport mesh black grille.
Hybrid SE – As the name indicates, this version adds the hybrid engine.
Hybrid XLE – This trim gets the hybrid engine along with 16-inch wheels, a moonroof, heated front seats, a power-adjustable front seat, a 7-inch digital gauge cluster, and a leather-wrapped steering wheel.
XSE Hatchback – This is the most luxurious hatchback available and it comes with 18-inch wheels, the JBL sound system, dual-zone automatic climate control, faux leather upholstery, a wireless charging pad, heated front seats, blind-spot warning, and rear cross-traffic alert.
XSE – The sedan version of the XSE gets the same options as the hatchback.
GR Core – This is the base version of the GR family and it comes with the three-cylinder turbo engine, Michelin Pilot Sport 4 tires, a triple exhaust, a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster, aluminum sport pedals, and bigger brakes.
GR Circuit – The Circuit adds limited-slip differentials to the Corolla along with a functional hood scoop, a forged carbon fiber roof, red-painted calipers, a JBL sound system, and a leather shift knob.
GR Morizo – Only 200 of these exist in America so they’re incredibly rare. They come with a rear-seat delete, two speakers total, 20 lb-ft of torque extra, Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires, and an Alcantara-wrapped steering wheel.
Mazda offers the Mazda3 in seven different trims kicking off with the 2.5 S. It gets 16-inch wheels, LED headlights, an eight-speaker audio system, an 8.8-inch infotainment system, Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, and cloth upholstery.
2.5 S Select – This trim adds 18-inch wheels, dual-zone climate control, blind-spot monitoring, faux leather upholstery, and remote start.
2.5 S Preferred – The Preferred trim gets a sunroof, a power-adjustable driver’s seat, and adds heating to both front seats.
2.5 S Carbon Edition – This trim is basically a Preferred but with black wheels, black mirrors, gray paint, red leather upholstery, and a 12-speaker Bose sound system.
2.5 S Premium – This is the most luxurious non-turbo version of the Mazda3. It has 18-inch wheels, upgraded exterior lighting including adaptive headlights, a heads-up display, leather upholstery, paddle shifters, and an integrated navigation system.
2.5 Turbo – This trim combines the turbo engine with the features of the Premium trim level.
2.5 Turbo Premium Plus – This trim adds parking sensors, a spoiler, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, a surround-view camera system, lane-keep assist, rear automatic braking, and a universal garage door opener.
The Verdict
Trim for trim the Mazda3 offers more for the money than the Corolla which is saying something because both are good. Despite costing a bit more at times, we’d go for the Mazda as it’s more enjoyable to drive every day. Of course, it’s worth noting that the Mazda3 doesn’t have a trim that comes anywhere close to matching the GR Corolla on any level so if you have the cash to splash and you prefer an engaging ride over one that’s focused on fuel economy it’s the one to have. On top of that, the normally aspirated Mazda3 gets great fuel economy so it’s still worthy of the win
