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Sunday, 18 October 2026
Mazda · Manufacturer announcement ↗

First and Best

“The Mazda3 is a fabulous package overall and a deserving winner of carsales’ Best First Car 2022”

Manufacturer announcement. This is the manufacturer’s announcement. It is separate from DriveAgent’s original reporting. How we source stories

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Mazda NewsPOSTED ON 23/12/2022First and Best AWARD-WINNING MAZDA3 G20 PURE NAMED THE GO-TO CHOICE FOR NEW DRIVERS

“The Mazda3 is a fabulous package overall and a deserving winner of carsales’ Best First Car 2022”

Getting the keys to your first car is a rite of a passage. Not only does it symbolise new-found freedom, independence and the opportunity for endless adventure, it’s often the vehicle we’ll feel most strongly connected to and the subject of future bouts of nostalgic reverie.

And there’s a whole other brief it has to meet or exceed, whether you’re a doting parent choosing the first set of wheels for your children to branch out into the world or a late bloomer getting on the road for the first time with a coveted set of wheels.

It needs to be safe, reliable, fun to drive and technologically advanced, all the while being affordable both to buy and maintain. And with the average age of vehicles across Australia exceeding 10 years, can it give you the same great feeling a decade into the future as it did the day you first sat in it?

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Choosing the right first car is a huge decision, then, and potentially quite a daunting task.

Thankfully the expert team of automotive reviewers at carsales have taken the stress and confusion out of this time-consuming process and whittled down exactly what Aussie first-time new car buyers should be looking for.

Pitted against nine other strong contenders, one of which was the proven Mazda2 hatch, and judged on more than 100 criteria overall, the Mazda3 Pure has taken the overall crown as 2022’s Best First Car.

Commenting on the win, carsales Consumer Editor Nadine Armstrong noted: “Even in the base-grade Pure model, the Mazda3 is a pleasure to drive, with the best balance of ride, handling, performance and refinement across our nine Best First Car contenders.

“The cabin is brimming with high-tech features such as speed sign recognition, digital radio, sat-nav and an 8.8-inch widescreen infotainment system, while the convenience of push-button start, an electric park brake, automatic high beam dipping and rain-sensing windscreen wipers reinforce its clever and easy-to-use nature.”


High praise for a high achiever, and proof that choosing your first Mazda can be just as enjoyable as driving it.

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