Mazda and Toyota both have immensely successful vehicles in the crossover lineup (the CX-5 and the RAV4, respectively). However, some people prefer a smaller vehicle and a smaller price tag. Enter today’s competitors.
Here’s our head-to-head comparison of the 2020 Mazda CX-3 Sport and the 2020 Toyota C-HR LE. At around $22,000 each, one vehicle offers way more than the other. Take a look.
2020 Mazda CX-3 Sport |
vs |
2020 Toyota C-HR LE |
$22,040 |
MSRP |
$21,295 |
2.0L 4-cyl |
Engine |
2.0L 4-cyl |
148 hp / 146 lb-ft |
Horsepower / Torque |
144 hp / 139 lb-ft |
6-speed auto |
Transmission |
CVT |
AWD |
Drivetrain |
FWD |
27/32/29 |
Fuel Economy |
27/31/29 |
The 2020 CX-3 comes with the fuel-efficient 2.0-liter Skyactiv-G four-cylinder engine. That engine is paired with the smooth-shifting six-speed automatic found in all other Mazda models. The CX-3 comes standard with FWD, but i-ACTIV AWD is available. It’s spritely and nimble, even with the AWD. By comparison, the C-HR is a mess. The four-cylinder in the C-HR drones endlessly with no oomph. This is partly due to the reluctant CVT that never seems to find the right gear ratio. On top of that, the C-HR has no AWD variant; it’s a FWD vehicle only. And if that wasn’t enough, the C-HR gets worse gas mileage than the CX-3 AWD model.
For the 2020 model year, Mazda reduced the CX-3 back to a single trim, the Sport. However, instead of cutting out entire features, Mazda made them standard. While the C-HR and CX-3 match each other’s infotainment systems with similar-size touchscreens and standard Apple CarPlay and Android integration, it’s in the safety suite where the CX-3 wins decisively. The 2020 CX-3 has forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking and pedestrian detection, blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert, adaptive cruise control, adaptive headlights with automatic high beams, lane departure warning, rain-sensing wipers, a heads-up display, and a rearview camera. Not even the top-tier C-HR Limited trim has all of those features.
Want to learn more about the 2020 CX-3? Give Capistrano Mazda a call.