I partnered with DriveShop to test drive the 2018 Mazda CX-3 SUV for a week in order to write this review. All opinions are my own.

If you are in the market for a compact crossover SUV for yourself, or your high school or college student, zoom zoom over to your local Mazda dealership and give this fun, stylish, zippy Mazda CX 3 a test drive.

Today I’m taking a break from cooking to bring you this fun test drive. We test drove this Mazda CX 3 around town and in the Texas Hill Country. Don’t worry, I’ll be back to cooking and sharing one of my favorite recipes for the next post.

This Mazda CX-3 was a fun car to test drive. It is quite the stylish compact crossover with its clean lines and space-age look.

While it might be compact, it is powerful enough to zip on the freeway with no problem. It also hugs the curves in the road and can easily turn on a dime into any tight parking space.

I was pleasantly surprised to discover that this compact SUV drives like a sports car. I was not expecting that. However, it made me want to keep driving and find some fun, curvy roads to drive!  I really enjoyed driving this sporty little crossover through the Texas Hill Country.

Even the exterior mirrors are stylish! How often do you see that?

One thing is certain, where ever you drive your Mazda CX-3, you will be driving in style.

I loved the 18″ Allow wheels. They make this SUV look way more stylish.

The interior of the Mazda CX-3 is just as stylish as the exterior with its leather seats and leather-trimmed steering wheel, gear-shift knob, and brake handle. I love that the front seats are heated! That came in very handy during this test drive.

I appreciate the advanced keyless entry system and push-button start so I don’t have to go digging through my purse to find my keys to open the car door.

The front-seat had plenty of leg room for me. Heck, the guy that drove the car to me is well over 6 feet tall. I found the seat pretty comfortable.

Here comes the fun part! Getting behind the wheel of the Mazda CX 3 feels so awesome.

The dashboard is laid out very well with everything easy to find. I didn’t have the problem of trying to figure out where all the features were. It all seemed very intuitive.

It had all the features I would expect in a more expensive car, like the Mazda navigation, BOSE® sound system, Bluetooth hands-free phone, touch-screen display, back up camera, and many many more.

The moonroof makes this SUV even more fun to drive. I love that it lets in more light and just makes the drive more relaxing for me.

Adults in the front!

Kids in the back!

While this is a fun, sporty compact SUV, there is not a lot of legroom in the backseat. It is probably fine for small kids. For us, it wasn’t an issue because it was only the two of us and we didn’t use the back seat.

However, if you need adult-sized leg room, I recommend checking out my review of this SUV’s big sister, the Mazda CX 5 as it is bigger and has more legroom.

To me, the cargo space is adequate. However, again if you need more cargo space then you may want to check out the Mazda CX 5.

Even though this vehicle is sporty, it also has all kinds of safety features, like the rearview camera, Blind Spot Monitoring with Rear Cross Traffic Alert, Smart City Brake Support, Smart Break Support, lane departure warning, high beam control, and an Engine immobilizer anti-theft system!

In addition, the Mazda CX 3 gets 29 miles per gallon in the city and 34 miles per gallon on the highway.

Overall, if you are looking for a safe, fuel-efficient, stylish compact crossover SUV with a fun, sporty ride, then you will love the Mazda CX 3.

I think it is great for young drivers, even first-time drivers with all the safety features.

If you are buying for your college student, this would probably be a vehicle that both the parents and college student would love because it has safety features, fuel-efficiency, and a competitive price for Mom and Dad and it is a fun, sporty car to drive for Junior.