2018 Mazda 3 Grand Touring 4-Door

2018 Mazda 3 Grand Touring 4-Door

Test Drive

Written by Marco Carvajal

Photographs by Marco Carvajal

The Mazda 3 Grand Touring 4-Door can be your best friend. Everything seems to be designed and made for the driver’s convenience and safety. As I drive this car from Palm Coast, Florida to Miami, I enjoy the 4 hour highway I-95 by having enough power, comfort and luxury. Great driving response on the acceleration and the pleasure of a beautiful interior and exterior design.

The 2018 Mazda 3 Grand Touring 4-Door is more than just a vehicle. It is your beautiful and reliable companion.

Introduction

2018 Mazda 3 Grand Touring 4-Door

I am excited to drive and test the new Mazda3.  I always have been impressed on how Mazda is able to create beautiful cars that can look “very expensive” but actually have a very low price. I am especially impressed by Mazda’s exterior design.  As a car lover, most Mazdas are great toys with beautiful architecture and design. If looks matter to you then Mazda can be a great choice when buying a car. Many Mazda automobiles are considered value cars, as they give you great value for a low price, but the Mazda3 goes beyond value offering great performance and a killer look.

The Mazda 3 has been around in the compact car segment since 2004, and has become Mazda’s most popular model. Known for its perfect combination of technology, design and driving dynamics, the updated 2018 Mazda 3 Grand Touring 4-Door is a long-awaited release for all Mazda 3 fans.

According to Mazda, the 2018 Mazda 3 Grand Touring 4-Door is more than just a vehicle. It is your beautiful and reliable companion. In 2017, the Mazda 3 was awarded by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety as “Top Safety Pick+”.

The new 2018 Mazda 3 Touring comes with a nice extended list of standard features, which means you will get more technology, better driving performance and a human-centered design for a very reasonable price in my opinion.

Mazda History

Mazda Motor Corporation is a Japanese multinational automotive manufacturer. Mazda cars are known for its quality, and are being sold globally.

It has been found January 30, 1920 in Hiroshima, Japan manufacturing cork and later heavy machinery, and registered as the Toyo Cork Kogyo Co., Ltd.

Later, in 1931, Toyo Cork has started producing cars. Even though it was producing and selling vehicles under Mazda name, formally the company was renamed only in 1984.

In 1970 Mazda has entered the North American market with a success. In 1973 the oil crisis would almost destroy the company, but it was saved by Sumitomo Keiretsu group, Sumitomo Bank.

Since then Mazda got even stronger. It has been building sports cars, creating innovative technologies. As a result, in 1991 its Mazda 787B has won the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and became the first and only Asian car to do so.

Head-turning 2018 Mazda 3 Grand Touring 4-Door enters the U.S. market with elevating design and newly standard features, following the philosophy of Jinba Ittai—harmony between the car and the driver.

Engine & Performance

2018 Mazda 3 Grand Touring 4-Door has a great engine with 2.5L, it is fast and responds very well to acceleration and changes in speeds. It has a good horse power of 184 horses. It is not the strongest engine, but it has enough power that you won’t even use in general.

Some of the mechanical features are:

• Type: SKYACTIV®-G1 2.5L DOHC 4-cylinder with VVT
• Configuration: Front-Wheel Drive (FWD)
• Displacement, cc: 2488
• Engine management system: Advanced Direct Injection
• Horsepower 184hp @ 5700 rpm
• Torque: 185 lb-ft @ 3250 rp

Pricing

2018 Mazda 3 Grand Touring 4-Door

The starting price for this trim will be $24,195. A really great low price for such a beautiful and fast car.

iI is a very rare to find such a user-friendly car which carries a blend of technology, driving and safety for such an accessible price. Your wallet will love the Mazda3.

Exterior

2018 Mazda 3 Grand Touring 4-Door goes along with other Mazda cars, with a beautiful design that would make you think is priced at double of its real price. If you want to impress without spending too much, this car will do the job.

Due to newly standard exterior features, Mazda 3 Grand Touring now looks more imposing than its forerunner.

Some of the exterior features are:

• Halogen headlights
• Automatic on/off headlights
• Daytime Running Lights
• Rain-sensing variable-intermittent windshield wipers
• Body-colored power and heated side mirrors with integrated turn signals
• Bright beltline trim
• Integrated rear-window antenna
• Black matte-finish front grille insert
• Rear decklid spoiler
• 18 x 7.0 inch aluminum alloy with Dark Silver finish
• P215/45 R18 all-season tires

Mazda give us the choice of eight body colors, including Machine Gray Metallic, Sonic Silver Metallic, Eternal Blue Mica, Soul Red Metallic, Deep Crystal Blue Mica, Titanium Flash Mica, Jet Black Mica and Snowflake White Pearl Mica.

Interior

2018 Mazda 3 Grand Touring 4-Door also has very impressive interior, you would love it. Perhaps it could include a few more manual buttons, but in general it has everything you need, including the following features:

• Dual-zone automatic climate control with pollen filter
• Keyless Entry
• Push button start
• Remote fuel door release
• Rear window defogger with timer
• Power door locks with 2-stage unlocking feature
• 6-way power adjustable driver’s seat with manual lumbar adjustment
• Variable heated front seats
• 60/40 split fold-down rear seatback
• Leather-wrapped steering wheel and shifter
• 7″ full-color touch screen display
• AM/FM audio system with 6 speakers
• Bluetooth®9 hands-free phone and audio streaming capability
• MAZDA CONNECT™ Infotainment System
• Analog speedometer and Digital tachometer
• Dual trip odometers
• Trip computer

Safety

The 2018 Mazda 3 Grand Touring 4-Door has most important model safety features.

As a follower of the human-centred philosophy, Mazda 3 has got updated with the standard feature package. To ensure the driver’s safety, the 2018 Mazda 3 Grand Touring 4-Door now comes with a Smart City Brake Support and a rearview camera as standard features. Again you pay a low price but you get premium features without having to pay extra, more value and more premium.

Some of the safety features included are:

• Advanced dual front air bags with passenger weight sensors
• 3-point seat belts for all seating positions
• Anti-lock Brake System with Electronic Brakeforce Distribution & Brake Assist
• Hill Launch Assist
• Advanced Blind Spot Monitoring with Rear Cross Traffic Alert
• Smart City Brake Support
• Rearview camera
• Child-safety rear door locks
• Tire Pressure Monitoring System
• Keyless remote panic button
• Engine-immobilizer antitheft system

Conclusion

the Mazda 3 Grand Touring 4-Door can be your best friend. Everything seems to be designed and made for the driver’s convenience and safety. As I drive this car from Palm Coast, Florida to Miami, I enjoy the 4 hour highway I-95 by having enough power, comfort and luxury. Great driving response on the acceleration and the pleasure of a beautiful interior and exterior design.

If you want to buy a beautiful car that will impress your neighbors the Mazda3 will make it, but without having to spend a budget of 50K plus that you would have to with premium brands. Only 25K and you are done, most important features are standard, so you don’t have to spend more on features that are very important.

It definitely looks more mature and powerful than its predecessor 2017 Mazda 3, and it got an improved driving performance, covered with a stylish exterior. From body construction and engine technology, to the chassis and transmission, Mazda’s innovative, lightweight SKYACTIV Technology offers more performance with more efficiency.

Yes, Mazda Grand Touring 4-Door is more than just a pretty face. It carries the human-centered philosophy. Its i-ACTIVSENSE safety suite is made to protect the driver and the passengers when needed