Newbie looking for info
 

We need a lot more information to be of any help. How do you determine similar? What are your priorities? Why do you need a turbo? What are you looking for in a car?

Mazda 6 GT with the 2.5t is similar to the 3 in a lot of ways and has a turbo.

The Mazda 3 with the 2.5 should be quicker than the older 3 if you did not have the larger engine.

The MINI Cooper S is about the same size and has a turbo. Drive is similar. Looks, practicality, reliability are not.

BMW 2 series and Audi A3 have turbos and are similar in a lot of ways.

Beyond that, you may be asking the wrong people. We like our Mazdas here and most don't think much about the competition, and certainly don't think enough to recommend one over a Mazda.

Turbos have been added by a lot of the other manufacturers to reduce the size of their engines to achieve the same power more efficiently. Mazda has gone a different direction by making their non-turbo engines more efficient. They have recently come out with turbos in an effort to produce more power for their more expensive trim levels in their larger SUVs and the 2018 Mazda 6.

The Mazda 3 is the perfect car for someone who enjoys driving and doesn't need a big car. The Mazda 6 is slightly larger. In other countries, Mazda offers a Mazda 2 which is smaller than the Mazda 3. The Mazda 2 is currently sold in the US as a Toyota Yaris Sedan, In 2017 it was the Toyota Yaris iA. In 2016 it was the Scion iA. The iA is a great, but underpowered, car that is pure Mazda with the exception of the badges. I am told that even the badges have Mazda printed on the back. (I have a Scion iA for the kids and we love it.) The Miata is better than ever if you don't have much to bring with you and you want the perfect driving convertible.

At some point in the next 6 months, Mazda will be coming out with a new Mazda 3. All new, but to me, the sedan looks nearly identical to the current car. It should be available with All Wheel Drive and later a new technology engine that should be more powerful and more efficient.

I encourage you to go to a dealer and look at everything they offer. You should also search the internet for information on the 2019 Mazda 3 to decide if it is worth waiting for.

I don't know of anything to avoid when buying a new Mazda with the exception of the red paint. Risk averse people would also be wise to wait a year or two before buying the optional engine to come out in the Mazda 3 in 6 months or so. No known problems with the engine, however, it is so new that it may be wise to wait and see how reliable it is before buying one.

Good luck.

Jmckean - Do you have any update for us? Did you get to drive the new AWD 3?

As mentioned in the response last year to this thread, Mazda does not currently offer a turbo in the Mazda3. The Mazda6 does have one but that is a slightly larger car. Mazda has gone with larger non-turbo engines while other brands went with turbos and smaller engines. I think the Mazda approach will be more reliable in the long run. There are higher performance models of other brands that Mazda does not attempt to match like the Civic SI and R, Subaru WRX and STI and so on. I believe all of those have CVT or manual transmissions that I would prefer to avoid.

I could see going for a higher performance car, but I do not see any advantage of a "similar" car with a turbo.

What are you looking for.

Mazdaspeedforums has some good build threads on this chassis, lots of turbo build threads and ideas :) I had a friend do one a while back and will look for his build thread link!