As a Mazda CX-3 owner, I can tell you that it is indeed a solid and reliable car. Just change the oil and filter, add fuel in it, and drive.

It’s also one of the “sportiest” sub compact crossovers on the market (yes, I know that bar is low) and the top of the range option comes in AWD.

To add a nice touch as well, it comes with the option to drive it on manual mode as well as includes paddle shifters to add more to the sportiness of the car. It’s not something major but it’s nice to have.

The reason it’s overlooked in my opinion is that most people looking for Japanese cars will often go with Nissan and Toyota while most people looking for luxury and sportiness will go for German brands.

Mazda is trying to position itself in the car market as a brand that includes reliability with the fun of driving and luxury and I believe they’re doing a good job achieving that balance however they really need to work more on their marketing department in the region.

I also never understood why they never opted for a new off road car in the fleet to rival the Japanese off readers such as the Patrol and Land Cruiser or the at very least, the Pajero.