2016 Mazda CX-3 and Honda HR-V Have Nearly Identical Prices

Mazda announced the prices of its new 2016 CX-3 subcompact crossover line today. The all-new Mazda is about three months behind Honda’s HR-V in the rollout of this new line. The interesting thing we took note of is that the CX-3 prices seem to be very similar to the equivalent Honda HR-V. For example, the new two-wheel drive (2WD) base Honda HR-V starts at $ 19,115. The new 2016 Mazda CX-3 2WD base model is priced at $ 19,960. Yes, the Honda is slightly less expensive, but at the top of the line, the all-wheel drive Honda HR-V EX-L Navi is priced at $26,720. The Mazda CX-3 AWD Grand Touring (which includes Navi) is priced at $26,240.

In the middle of the range, where much of the sales volume is found, the 2016 Honda HR-V EX AWD is priced at $24,095. A 2016 Mazda CX-3 AWD Touring with the Touring Tech package is priced at $24,620. At this trim level, both cars offer a moonroof and backup camera. The CX-3 includes rear-cross traffic alerts and blind spot monitoring, options not found on the Honda. Considering the content, the vehicles have prices that are almost identical.

One other observation we have made is that the new Sub-compact HR-V and CX-3 do leave room between their top models and those of the larger CR-V, CX-5 and other competitors. For example, we tested the new 2015 Honda CR-V AWD Touring this spring, and its price was $33,600. Our Escape Titanium AWD had a price of $36,065, and our VW Tiguan SEL AWD had a price of $$34,455.

Automakers are thrilled that sales of their compact crossovers are growing as fast as they can build the cute ‘utes. Every major automaker now has both mainstream and premium compact crossovers in the size range of the Mazda CX-5 and Honda CR-V. For some, these vehicles are just a little larger and a little more expensive than the customers’ ideal, so automakers are now launching smaller versions. Based on our initial research our prediction is that both the Honda HR-V and Mazda CX-3 will be big hits for both automakers.