Car Deal of the Day: Sleek ‘n’ sporty Mazda 3 hatch at just £173 a month
Mazda’s high-quality family hatch might cost less than you expect with low initial payment and monthly fee
- Great looks and class-leading interior style
- 2.5-litre engine promises 47.9mpg
- 5,000 miles a year for £173 a month
The current Mazda 3 has been around since 2019. Six years is good going for a model with no significant changes, but there’s one thing that Mazda simply hasn’t needed to touch: the styling. This has to be one of the better-looking family hatchbacks on sale, doesn’t it?
Style doesn’t come at a high price either with this deal from Motorlet Mazda Leasing via the Auto Express Find a Car service. For a relatively modest downpayment of £2,353.07, and then £173.19 per month as part of a 24-month deal, you can get hold of a Mazda 3 2.5 e-Skyactiv in Prime-Line trim.
There’s a lot to parse in there, so let’s break it down. Firstly, the “2.5” might come as a surprise in a class where it’s not unusual to find a 1.0-litre engine, but Mazda’s long been a proponent of the idea of “right-sizing”, where you design an engine not to pass a laboratory fuel consumption test, but to perform out on the road, where it matters. Official economy of 47.9mpg then doesn’t sound spectacular in this day and age, but there’s a good chance you’ll actually hit it - unlike in some rivals that make bolder claims.
138bhp also doesn’t sound a lot for a 2.5-litre engine, but relatively low power from a relatively large capacity tends to mean an engine that isn’t very highly stressed, unlike those one-litre cars boosted to the moon with turbocharging. So there’s a good chance it’ll be reliable too – not that you’ll necessarily have to call on that attribute during a two-year lease.
Prime-Line trim is the entry-level grade so just like the power output and economy figures, its 16-inch wheels are fairly low-key, but the 3’s curvy styling makes them work anyway. Likewise, you get fabric rather than leather interior trim, but the Mazda’s cabin is stylish and high-quality enough to make you question the logic of paying loads extra on an Audi, BMW or Mercedes.
The lease deal only gets you 5,000 miles per year, but as ever, we reckon you’d be able to sweet-talk your way to more. And even if you don’t, it’ll look pretty good sitting on the driveway.
The Car Deal of the Day selections we make are taken from our own Auto Express Find a Car deals service, which includes the best current offers from car dealers and leasing companies around the UK. Terms and conditions apply, while prices and offers are subject to change and limited availability. If this deal expires, you can find more top Mazda 3 leasing deals from leading providers on our Mazda 3 deals hub page…
Check out the Mazda 3 Car Deal of the Day or take a look at our previous Car Deal of the Day here...