2021 Mazda3 Turbo: Part athlete, part dancer, part Audi, part gem

Mazda added a 2.5-liter turbo engine to the 2021 Mazda3 sedan and hatchback. The turbo can deliver as much as 250 hp — 64 hp more than the 2.5-liter nonturbo installed in 2020 models. Here is a collection of Mazda3 turbo reviews from the automotive media.

"The engine is the big news, but it's the transmission that determines the 3's character. A six-speed automatic borrowed from Mazda's bigger crossovers and the 6 sedan, it's smooth and smart but takes its time shifting. In automatic mode, a full-throttle 1-2 upshift feels like it takes as long as it would in an early automated manual, but this is a modern planetary auto. Our acceleration runs were quickest while upshifting on our own just north of 5000 rpm, which keeps the engine in the meat of the power before running out of steam at the top on the tachometer. A dual-clutch transmission — or, dare to dream, a manual — would totally change the car's personality. But you hit the street with the transmission you've got not the one you want, and the relaxed transmission is in sync with the rest of the car's tuning. The 3 2.5 Turbo wants to be an Audi but not an S3. Maybe more like an A7."

— Ezra Dyer, Car and Driver

"It doesn't matter if you're merging and passing on the highway or flicking the nose into a corner on some back road, the turbocharged engine has turned the 3 into a legitimate athlete, dancing on its toes, always at the ready."

— Kristen Lee, Business Insider

"The Turbo vs. GTI has the potential of a great rivalry. They are similarly understated, yet offer meaningful differences.

"It's the Turbo's ferocious-yet-civilized performance that makes it the GTI's peer. It achieves this by stuffing its engine bay with the same turbocharged 2.5-liter inline-4 found in the Mazda6. It's a gem. Spitting out 250 horsepower (with 93-octane fuel — 228 on regular gas) and 320 pound-feet of torque, the turbo-4 is a match for the VW's 228-horse (on 93 fuel) 285-torque turbo-4. The two even sound the same with low, pitbull growls."

— Henry Payne, The Detroit News

"The throttle feels like an extension of my right foot, not with overwhelming immediate response, but with progressive, natural response. The car doesn't jump off the line from a stoplight, but reacts with more maturity and is as strong as my inputs require.

"Mazda isn't quoting a 0-60 mph time, but it's probably around 6.0 seconds, which is about the same as the beloved MazdaSpeed3. I detect a touch of coarseness, and Mazda uses the speakers to enhance some of the engine sound, but this engine has none of the internal combustion fracas of that old hot hatch.

"The turbo-4 is as responsive on the highway as it is in traffic. It cruises along largely undetected, then responds with all due vigor when I ask for passing power. The 6-speed automatic transmission matches the engine, staying in the background until crisp, smooth downshifts are needed."

— Kirk Bell, Motor Authority

"And there's nothing at all wrong with the way the 2021 Mazda 3 2.5 Turbo AWD drives. I loved the non-turbo Mazda 3 AWD, and the turbo version is even better. The power is great and even the engine note is good — a deep woh-woh-woh at lower revs, the kind of sound you might expect from the offspring of an Audi V-8 and a Subaru Boxer — and it transitions to a traditional four-cylinder snarl at high revs. (When asked, Mazda was cagey about how much of the sound was artificial. My guess is that the low-rpm thrum is electronically generated.)"

— Aaron Gold, Automobile

"Having driven several thousand miles in the naturally aspirated Mazda3, I was eager to see how those changes impacted the overall performance. Rounding a corner onto my favorite highway onramp, I gave the Mazda a hearty right foot. In practice, the Turbo absolutely feels faster than the NA car, and it builds speed from a much lower point in the rev range thanks to the hearty torque figure. After a few moderate acceleration runs, the 2.5 felt less like an enthusiast engine and more like a helpful appliance. I was left shrugging my shoulders, like someone who won a few bucks on a scratch-off ticket — it's not what I wanted, but I'll take it.

"I place most of the blame on the six-speed automatic, which lacks the vigor and responsiveness like you'd find in the GLI's dual-clutch. Mazda said it stuck with a six-speed gearbox instead of the now-commonplace eight and nine-speed units because fewer gears means less time shifting, and that means higher driving engagement. However, the Mazda3's unit doesn't add to the overall experience in any positive way."

— Clint Simone, Motor1.com