The success of the Toyota Corolla year after year and decade after decade proves that American car buyers love Japanese sedans. But Toyota isn’t the only Japanese automaker vying for attention in the subcompact sedan category. The Mazda3 returns for the 2020 year to challenge the 2020 Toyota Corolla.
These two cars have competed ever since the Mazda3 first hit production in 2003. Almost twenty years later, it’s clear that the Mazda3 is a contender, and it will likely keep going for years to follow, offering buyers their unique brand of style and aesthetic. The Corolla keeps looking sportier as the years go by, but is the best-selling sedan just resting on its laurels now? The following chart compares a few highlights of each vehicle so you can make that decision for yourself.
2020 Toyota Corolla |
Versus |
2020 Mazda3 Sedan |
$19,600 | Starting MSRP | $21,500 |
13.2 Gallons | Fuel Tank | 13.2 Gallons |
31 City MPG/38 Highway MPG/34 Combined MPG | Fuel Efficiency | 26 City MPG/35 Highway MPG/30 Combined MPG |
Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) | Transmission | Automatic Transmission |
These two vehicles are both good sedans for daily driving, and each has its advantages, but those advantages seem to pull mostly in the direction of the Corolla. The much lower starting MSRP is a big draw, because people researching these two models already have money on their mind. Not only that, but the fuel efficiency is better with the Corolla. Considering that both vehicles have the same size fuel tank, the more efficient Corolla offers more uninterrupted driving than the Mazda3. Most young drivers who need an inexpensive car will probably not mind driving with a CVT either.