Why I would choose the Mazda 3 over the BMW 1 Series: Opinion

The BMW 1 Series is the most popular car the brand sells in the UK. It shifted nearly 24,500 of these posh hatchbacks in 2024, and it was recently completely revamped to further broaden its appeal.

The design has been updated, it has a new interior and the range of engines has been changed as well. I got the chance to drive the new one series at something called SMMT test day – which is essentially an event where most of the brands selling cars in the UK get together and let us journalists take their latest and greatest models for a drive.

I jumped in the new 1 Series and set off without really looking around the car, and I loved the way this thing drives. It was only the 1.5-litre petrol, but the engine is smooth and powerful enough, and it’s comfortable over bumps.

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Get out onto a twisty road and the 1 Series really shines amongst its key competitors, because it’s great fun to chuck it through some corners. The steering is responsive and nicely weighted, and it’s just more fun to drive quickly than something like a Volkswagen Golf.

So having thoroughly enjoyed my drive in the new 1 Series, I returned to BMW’s stand and had a poke around the car. First impressions of the cabin are good, with plenty of posh-feeling materials and solid build quality.

However, I was a bit disappointed with some of the plastics lower down. The door cards are made from some really hard and scratchy plastic, and there’s a tray under the central screen which almost feels pre-production.

I don’t love the fact that BMW has done away with physical climate control buttons either, and it’s also got rid of the manual gearbox option.

It was at this point I looked over and saw the Mazda stand, which had a shiny red Mazda 3 parked outside. It’s a car which I’ve always admired. While it’s been around for almost seven years now, I still think it looks great. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but having beheld the new 1 Series I’m not fond of the slightly buck-toothed front end or the bulbous rear lights.

The Mazda 3 just looks sleeker and more modern to my eye, despite being the older car. Having wandered over and jumped behind the wheel, I was delighted to find three pedals. Automatics are great for bumbling around town, but I still prefer the sense of involvement you get from a manual.

I also much prefer the Mazda’s interior, and it proves that you don’t have to delete all the buttons to make a cabin look contemporary. It still has physical knobs for the climate control and a rotary dial for the infotainment system, and it’s a lovely place to spend time.The BMW does feel ever so slightly more solid, but the Mazda’s material quality is better. Everything feels premium, and the brushed stainless steel elements are a nice touch. Sitting in the 1 Series feels like you’re in a German techno bar, while the Mazda 3 is more like a Japanese zen garden.

Out on the road it’s great, too. The Mazda may not be quite as pin-sharp to drive as the BMW, but it’s still good fun to chuck around. The six-speed manual is also a joy to use, and the seating position is spot-on.

The only thing letting the side down is the engine, because the 2.5-litre unit in the Mazda isn’t as good as the BMW’s 1.5-litre lump. It just feels a bit flat when you put your foot down, and you really have to rev it out to get the best from it – at which point you’ll watch your mpg plummet.

The BMW is slightly more spacious in the rear seats as well – the Mazda’s sloping roofline robs a fair amount of headroom. However, the Mazda 3 does have 50 litres more boot space than the 1 Series at 351 litres.

As a single man living alone, rear seat space doesn’t really concern me – and it is for this reason that I would buy the Mazda 3 over the BMW 1 Series. I much prefer the way it looks, it has an interior which is both easier to use and more premium-feeling and it’s very nearly as good to drive as the BMW.

You can also get a range-topping Takumi model for around £31,475 (or £29,000 when you buy though Carwow), making it a few thousand pounds cheaper than the BMW.

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