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Mazda 3 BM, the official "I won't do it a second time" car. It seems that the Japanese almost understood how it is with marketing and with Europe and so they came up with the Mazda 3 BM, the best hatchback of its time.

The first generation Mazda 3 came as a logical continuation of the old 323, a fun car for hoonigans who want to have fun but don't have the money for it because all they can afford are vending coffees somewhere in a parking lot because everyone blew their 23 pounds last week on KYB shock absorbers #jdm #nfs #drift #fwd #vtec #yolo #vape #live #laugh #love #golf4 #samsung #chav #wrestling.

Then the Mazda 3 BL came and ruined the whole thing, being a cheaper and worse version of the Focus and in this way Mazda shot themselves in the foot. So they had to come with the Mazda 3 BM and solve the problem.

What does the new Mazda 3 BM bring?

• Do you need anything else besides it's looks? Mazda 3 BM as a car is just another hatchack from just another manufacturer. But the Mazda 3 BM saloon is a mini Mazda 6 GJ. It's as if Salma Hayek and Sofia Boutella were mud wrestling, and Sofia Vergara dressed as Darth Vader was commenting on the match, and the soundtrack was covered by Twisted Sister while doing a Aerosmith tribute. That's how good the Mazda 3 saloon is.


• After that, there remains the Japanese reliability that we have become accustomed to from father to son. More than that, Mazda have stubbornly embraced the new technology and are the last of the Mohicans that still offer naturally aspirated gasoline engines that have relevant power output. Of course, there are other manufacturers that offer naturally aspirated engines but most come with a maximum of 80 horsepower, but the Mazda 3 BM is the only compact on the market that comes with an arse kicking 165 horsepower 2.0 litre petrol. Yes, it is behind the turbocharged petrols in terms of raw power, but it is far ahead of them in terms of reliability.
  

And then why isn't Europe full of Mazda 3 saloons?

Because the Japanese have almost understood this car in Europe. The biggest no-no is the price. A brand new Mazda 3 BM saloon back in it's day cost more than a Skoda Octavia, VW Golf, Megane IV sedan (in fact, a Megane IV sedan in top ZEN trim level is 300 pounds cheaper than a barebones Mazda 3 BM), Toyota Corolla sedan, Ford Focus IV, Vauxhall Astra K and any other compact that is not Audi A3, BMW Series 1, Mercedes A Class, Honda Civic or Lexus CT. And we are not talking about hundreds of pounds in distance, we're talking thousands. With a price far above the competition in a segment where the price often dictates the purchase, it is easy to see why the Mazda 3 BM is addressed only to those who really want a Mazda. For the average buyer, the Mazda 3 BM makes little financial sense. In other words, nothing new at Mazda's marketing department. Mazda 3 BM - the official car "You want it, you buy it - good; You don't buy it - just as good." The thinking of the Mazda people is fascinating.

Mazda 3 BM Engines

Petrol

• 1.5 SkyActiv-G F-P5 of 100 horsepower – Out with the old and legendary MZR and welcome SkyActiv-G. An engine that has so far carried its torch with dignity and that has proven to be a reliable engine, even if at 100 horsepower it is not very sporty. As with MZR, somewhere late in life it will start drinking oil, but until then it is still there.


• 1.6 MZR ZM-DE of 105 horsepower - However this engine was kept around in Thailand I think? Not as fuel efficient as the SkyActiv-G that replaced it, but it's a decent engine nonetheless.


• 2.0 SkyActiv-G PE-VPS of 120, 150, 155 and 165 horsepower – Rather than buying the 120 horsepower engine, buy the 1.5 one and put the rest of the money into other options. The 165 horsepower version however is wheeled porn and promises to replace the old 2.0 MZR with dignity.


• 2.5 SkyActiv-G PY-VPS of 184 horsepower - As it went with the old Mazda 3, the North Americans and the Australians get the most fun engine, because in those parts of the world there is no replacement for displacement. Normally reserved for the CX-5, the 2.5 SkyActiv-G is one reliable lump, prone to the occasional spark plug and ignition coil, but that's about it. 

Diesel

2.2 SkyActiv-D SH-VPTS of 150 and 173 horsepower – You would have thought that the Japanese learned how to make a decent diesel after 20 years of Europe. And you would be wrong.You would think that it would at least solve the current issues. And you would be wrong. The 2.2 diesel has the same problem of oil contamination with diesel as before (we discussed more in the article about the Mazda 6 GH), but at least here you have safety systems that warn you at the slightest deviation so you can keep the problem at bay and without checking the oil level at every traffic light stop. No, it's not that the oil level decreases, but increases. No, this engine doesn't magically produce oil, it just pulls diesel up its nose.

Mazda 3 BM Reliability Issues

• Besides the fact that it is the second most expensive compact on the market after the Honda Civic, you don't even get a spare wheel. All you get is a repair kit, a poster with Hulk Hogan and a prepaid simcard with which to call the towing company to recover you.


• The keyless go system works with only one key. If you started the car with one key and left and came back with the secondary key, the computer will not start the car until you return with the first key. Even if both keys belong to the car. Why? Because Mazda. Much like a toilet, it's just one person at a time.

Mazda 3 BM Verdict

If it weren't so expensive, I would put it in the top of my favorite cars. But with prices like this, the Mazda 3 BM remains just a curiosity of the automotive world, a curiosity that only those who are truly passionate and determined to buy their Mazda will buy. Otherwise, it still remains a car far from the average buyer's mind, leaving this role to the Mazda 2 and Mazda CX-3, cars that sell like hot cakes. Why don't they want to sell the Mazda 3? Are they afraid of the customers who will buy their cars right off the assembly line?

Which engine do I recommend? If you keep paying so much money, at least do it in style and go for the 165 horsepower Mazda 3 BM 2.0 SkyActiv-G. Or the 2.5 petrol, if it's available in your country, you lucky ba-