NE Motor Press - 2016 Mazda CX-3 Best All-Weather Subcompact Crossover

At this year’s annual New England Motor Press Association (NEMPA) Winter Cars of the Year awards ceremony, Mazda’s 2016 CX-3 was named the Best All-Weather Subcompact Crossover. We also threw the designation SUV in there for those that think a car like the CX-3 has anything to do with SUVs. Call it what you will, this little Mazda is for many the all-wheel drive version of the Mazda3.

Mazda combines all-wheel drive with many up-scale features in the CX-3. The CX-3’s available forward collision prevention system is something buyers won’t find on competitor’s vehicles in this class. The CX-3 isn’t just about safety and amenities either. Car and Driver tested the CX-3 against its competitors for performance, and it came out on top in that regard as well.

During our full week of testing of the CX-3 here at Torque News, we found the CX-3 to be a worthy competitor to the Audi A3. Like the Mazda3, the CX-3 competes very well with the offerings from premium brands like Audi and Mercedes-Benz.

Last fall, Torque News went off the reservation a bit and flung the CX-3 around a racetrack. Not to see how well it performed as a racecar, but to see how it responded in emergency maneuvers. We found it was stable, predictable, and well designed.

Video courtesy of NEMPA and Wheels TV