MAZDA 3

Who needs a big SUV when you can have a right-sized compact hatch?

- RACHEL BURGESS

MILEAGE 1526

WHY WE'RE RUNNING IT To find out if Mazda's against-the-grain hatch is delightfully different or just outdated

Having spent the past few months in sizeable cars such as the Volkswagen Tayron and BMW iX, I wondered how I'd adapt to the smaller Mazda 3, not least because I’m still settling into my new house and frequently have larger items to take to the house or the tip.

A case in point is a large parasol I needed to transport on a baking hot day. It’s so large it almost outsizes my garden, yet I needn't have worried. It fitted into the 3 easily. I didn’t even remove the parcel shelf or put the back seats down, such was my desire to get back to the air-con in the sweltering heat.