Monterey Peninsula Mazda Shoppers Get A First Look At The New 2019 Mazda3

The 2019 Mazda3 4-Door is a new version of the compact sedan that's been in production now since 2003. As well as checking all the usual small car boxes of being affordable and economical to run, the Mazda3 differs from the compact car crowd by offering the option of all-wheel drive as well as the standard front-drive format. Let's take a look at what we can expect when the new 2019 Mazda3 4-Door lands at dealerships like the Monterey Peninsula Mazda dealer.

Mazda hasn't yet revealed full details of its 2019 Mazda3 lineup to the public. However, as Mazda trim levels are reasonably similar across its entire model range it's probably fair to assume the 2019 trim levels you'll see soon at dealers like the Monterey area Mazda dealer won’t be too far away from the 2018 model. We should therefore expect the range to start again with a Mazda3 Sport and then go up to a Touring and a top-of-the-line Grand Touring. The recently released 2019 Mazda CX-5 has now added a new Signature top trim level, so that might not be entirely out of the question at some point for the Mazda3.

This superb little car is a truly global model for Mazda, which is why when it was unveiled at the Los Angeles Auto Show late last year it was announced there would be as many as five engines. The version we’ll get here in the United States will offer two of them. At launch the available engine will be a new version of the naturally aspirated 2.5-liter four-cylinder. The updated powerplant will feature cylinder deactivation so it can run on just two cylinders when appropriate to maximize fuel economy. It will also be a little more powerful than the 2018 version as it will develop 186 horsepower and 186 lb-ft of torque. A further engine option will be unveiled later which is expected to be a new-generation Skyactiv-X unit. There will again be both manual and automatic transmissions available, and it's expected both can be paired with the available all-wheel drive system.

On the outside the new 2019 Mazda3 4-Door isn't staggeringly different from the previous model, but the manufacturer has done just enough to update the car and keep it achingly contemporary. The four door sedan is a much bigger seller than the five-door hatch, so it makes sense for the designers to be relatively conservative with the changes. There's been a nip here and a tuck there, but nothing too drastic as the Mazda3 was already one of the most attractive cars in its class anyway. Why mess with a winning formula, after all?

Fuel economy is always one of the big reasons for opting for a compact car, and the 2019 Mazda3 4-Door won’t let anyone down in that direction. It's already known the launch model with the 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine and front-wheel drive will be rated at 27 mpg in the city, 36 mpg on the highway and 30 mpg combined.* The extra weight added and the additional power required for the all-wheel drive system is likely to reduce those numbers a little, but not by a significant amount.

* All vehicle mileage based on 2019 EPA mileage estimates. Use for comparison purposes only. Do not compare to models before 2008. Your actual mileage will vary, depending on how you drive and maintain your vehicle.