Can a Mazda 3 tow a caravan?
By
Elaine Knight
In this article, we will answer the following question: Can a Mazda 3 tow a caravan? You will read a full review about the Mazda 3, including engine, performance and what we don’t like about this car.
Can a Mazda 3 tow a caravan?
Mazda 3 does a great job in towing a caravan. With a 2.2 litre engine, 280lb-ft of torque and a maximum towing capacity of 1400 kg, Mazda 3 could be among the best cars for towing a caravan or a trailer.
The suspension works precisely and maintains excellent contact with the ground, and the direction is neutral, without any artificial feedback. The steering wheel simply places the car exactly where you want to put it.
Mazda 3 Towing Capacity
| Year | Towing Capacity From | Towing Capacity To | |
| 2021 | 1200kg | 1200kg | |
| 2020 | 1200kg | 1200kg | |
| 2019 | 1200kg | 1200kg | |
| 2018 | 1200kg | 1200kg | |
| 2017 | 1200kg | 1200kg | |
| 2016 | 1200kg | 1400kg | |
| 2015 | 1200kg | 1400kg | |
| 2014 | 900kg | 1400kg | |
| 2013 | 900kg | 1200kg | |
| 2012 | 900kg | 900kg | |
| 2011 | 900kg | 900kg | |
| 2010 | 900kg | 900kg | |
| 2009 | 900kg | 900kg | |
| 2008 | 900kg | 900kg | |
| 2007 | 900kg | 900kg | |
| 2006 | 900kg | 900kg | |
| 2005 | 900kg | 900kg | |
| 2004 | 900kg | 900kg |
Mazda 3: A complete review
It rarely happens that a small and independent car manufacturer launches a car that will break the mouth of the fair. Still, through a lot of work, Mazda manages to market a new generation Mazda3 that squeezes the best of the simplicity of current technologies and combines with contemporary principles of car construction, such as weight reduction.
This new generation of Mazda3, the third created so far, has a very sporty, harmonious design and inspires good quality through the precise way it combines all the sophisticated lines that highlight its silhouette.
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The Interior of a Mazda 3
Inside, the story is repeated and feels a bit of BMW inspiration. It is about the multimedia tablet (MZD Connect) placed on the board and about the rotary knob for its control, which brings a lot with iDrive from BMW.
As soon as you get in the car, you instantly notice two things. The first is that the Mazda3 is very quiet and, the second, the ergonomics of the driving position is very, very good. All orders come in handy.
The derailleur’s position is correct; the steering wheel falls very well in the hands, the central armrest is good, and the armrest on the front of the door. Mazda3 can also have a head-up display, designed on a small piece of plastic in the driver’s field of vision (as in some Peugeot models).
Head-Up Display for the Mazda 3: In short, as a driver, you have an extraordinarily good driving position in a compact volume car. Inside, you can feel almost as good as in a BMW 1 Series or a Lexus CT200h.
The pedals are very carefully studied, as a position. The feet are in a natural position, and your soles can easily operate any of the three (or two automatic) pedals. For acceleration, Mazda opted for a pedal with floor mounting, as they have premium cars and as did the Volkswagen Golf – the best-selling model in Europe – until the seventh generation.
But in the 7th generation, the Germans stingy and put a suspended pedal, like any high-volume car. So here is what Mazda uses some good ergonomic recipes, but others have given up.
Mazda 3 – What we don’t like
But not all things are great with the new Mazda 3. The offer of engines is discouraging.
This car only comes with naturally aspirated petrol engines and Mazda says it has no plans to launch any small petrol turbo like Ford (1.0 EcoBoost), Volkswagen (1.2 TSI and 1.4 TSI) or Renault (1.2 TCe).
So, if you want a new Mazda3 on petrol, you can choose between a 1.5-litre engine with 100 hp and a 2-litre engine, naturally aspirated, available in power versions of 120 hp and 165 hp. Yes, you read that right, 2.0 petrol, 120 hp.
As a diesel engine, Mazda offers only one, 2.2-liter turbo, 150 hp, and says that in the near future a slightly smaller diesel will be available.
So you have to choose a Mazda 3 with a 120 hp petrol engine or with a 165 hp petrol engine. The latter variant reaches 100 km / h in 8.2 seconds and can only have a six-speed manual transmission.
Gear shift assistance electronics are completely missing, so you’ll often find yourself tugging (more or less) at the car when shifting gears, especially when it comes to downshifts.
At the 120 hp version, with 16-inch wheels (205/60), we are impressed by the finesse and quietness of the suspension. If optically the rims did not look undersized, this would be the option I would choose.
Also, the engine is incredibly quiet and economical, especially if you think it’s 2 litres. On almost 40 kilometres travelled we can have a mixed consumption of 6.5 litres / 100 km, driven mainly on the highway.
It is worth noting the differences between the on-board instruments in the same car. The 120 hp version has a speed indicator in the central dial, and the speed is displayed electronically on the left dial.
More on Mazda 3
The 165 hp version, with 18-inch wheels (215/45), is significantly sportier, but equally noisier and less refined. The consumption per almost 100 km travelled on the highway and mountain roads was 7.8 litres / 100 km.
So, consumption is not “scary” I would say they are really reasonable, but the problem arises when we talk about the annual tax. Who is willing to pay a little more for these, Mazda 3 is a car with simple engines, which theoretically have no death. But even the small 1.0-1.4-litre turbos didn’t show that they would give up too quickly.
The 165 hp version has a tachometer in the central dial, and the speed is indicated electronically in the 16:20 area.
Returning to the perfect parts of the Mazda3, it seems to me to consider what the Japanese engineers managed to do with the suspension and steering of this car.
The suspension works precisely and maintains excellent contact with the ground, and the direction is neutral, without any artificial feedback. The steering wheel simply places the muzzle of the car exactly where you want to put it.
For those wondering what suspensions Mazda 3 has for the rear wheels, the answer is: independent, multilink. So you can only find better ones at Porsche.
Conclusions
In conclusion, the Mazda 3 impresses with a very good manufacturing quality, pleasant to the touch materials, impeccable ergonomics and the wonderful way it is driven. Prices are between 15,000 and 28,000 dollars including VAT.
That being said, it’s clear that the new Mazda 3 is an interesting proposition, but it’s a few hundred cubic centimetres away from being a perfect car.
What do you think? Please let us know if you have any comments or questions about the content.
FAQ on Can a Mazda 3 tow a caravan?
Can a Mazda cx3 tow a caravan?
A Mazda CX-3 has a maximum towing capacity of 900 kilograms, which makes it able to pull a small and lightweight caravan.
How much is a tow bar for a Mazda 3?
The price for a tow bar for a Mazda 3 can vary from $350 for a Mazda 3 Sedan (2003-2013) to $735 for the newer models (2013-2019).
How much can a Mazda CX 5 tow?
A Mazda CX-5 has a maximum towing capacity of 900 kilograms (2000 pounds), which makes it able to pull a small and lightweight caravan.
Can a Mazda 5 tow a trailer?
A Mazda 5 can tow a lightweight trailer. As long as you are careful and the trailer’s weight doesn’t exceed 85% of the car’s kerb weight, you should be able to tow with a Mazda 5.
References
- Mazda 3 – Practical Caravan
- Practical Caravan’s Mazda 3 tow car review – YouTube
- Mazda – Towing Capacity & Weight Limit Information
