2024 Volkswagen Golf GTI vs 2024 Mazda MAZDA3

The 2024 Mazda MAZDA3, despite its last redesign in 2019, maintained a modern and luxurious appearance. Its swooping lines and beautifully scalloped bodywork allowed it to stand confidently alongside luxury vehicles, which was precisely Mazda's intention. The front of the car featured squinting headlights with LED turn signals and stylish round lighting elements that extended along the front fenders. These headlight housings were set back under the car's hood lip, contributing to the vehicle's dramatic and expensive-looking design. The Mazda3 was available in two body styles—sedan and hatchback—with the hatchback being the more visually appealing option. The Turbo Premium Plus trim, priced at $38,210, offered impressive material quality and comparative value, especially when compared to luxury brands like Audi or BMW. The interior was adorned with red leather upholstery, covering the doors and dashboard, and featured a black leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob, creating a beautifully designed and impressively furnished driver's seat.

In contrast, the 2024 Volkswagen Golf GTI, a sporty version of the VW Golf compact hatchback, was only available as a five-door hatch. Its styling was more expressive than its predecessor, with a wide-mouth grille, standard LED headlights, and a light strip on SE and Autobahn models. However, the low placement of these elements gave the car odd proportions when viewed at eye level. The 2024 model introduced a 380 special edition package for manual-transmission models, featuring gloss black 19-inch wheels, a black roof, and mirror caps. The GTI's interior combined classic styling with modern tech, including a digital instrument cluster and a large infotainment screen. The front seats were heavily bolstered with the GTI's signature plaid upholstery, and the steering wheel was reminiscent of a VW Atlas. The GTI's interior was a blend of classic and modern, with some haptic controls that hindered functionality, but overall, it offered a practical and sporty design.

The 2024 Mazda MAZDA3 offered two engine options: a naturally aspirated 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine with 191 horsepower and 186 pound-feet of torque, and a turbocharged 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine with 250 horsepower and 320 pound-feet of torque. The turbo engine was available on the Carbon Turbo and Turbo Premium Plus trims. Front-wheel drive was standard on lower trims, while all-wheel drive was included on higher trims. A six-speed manual transmission was available on the Hatchback S Premium with FWD, while other trims used a six-speed automatic transmission. The turbocharged engine provided a delightful driving experience, with the car handling corners well despite its torsion beam suspension. The steering was tight and precise, with minimal body roll, making it a joy to drive on back roads. Fuel economy varied depending on the drivetrain and engine, with the turbocharged AWD hatchback achieving 23/31/26 mpg.

The 2024 Volkswagen Golf GTI was powered by a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine producing 241 horsepower and 273 pound-feet of torque. It offered a six-speed manual transmission and a DSG seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. The GTI was front-wheel drive, with a standard electronically-controlled limited-slip differential and optional adaptive damping. The driving experience was precise and stable, with the GTI smoothing out rough edges and providing a mature feel. The powertrain response was linear, with no turbo lag, making it an excellent daily driver. The GTI was quiet and comfortable, especially with adaptive dampers, offering a great compromise between performance and everyday usability.

The 2024 Mazda MAZDA3 hatchback offered 20.1 cubic feet of cargo space, expanding to 47.1 cubic feet with the rear seats folded. However, rear passenger space was limited, with tight legroom and headroom. The sedan offered 13.2 cubic feet of trunk space and similarly tight rear quarters. The hatchback's design created a massive blind spot at the C-pillar, affecting rearward visibility.

The 2024 Volkswagen Golf GTI provided 19.9 cubic feet of cargo space, expanding to 34.5 cubic feet with the rear seats folded. While it offered slightly more second-row headroom than competitors, front-seat legroom was comparable, and rear-seat passengers felt more squeezed. The GTI came with standard heated front seats, automatic climate control, and ambient lighting. SE and Autobahn models added features like a sunroof, leather upholstery, and a 12-way power driver's seat. However, haptic controls for temperature and audio volume hindered functionality, making them difficult to use while driving.

The 2024 Mazda MAZDA3 featured a rotary controller for its infotainment system, which Mazda argued was safer than a touchscreen. The system included an 8.8-inch display on most trims, with a 10.25-inch screen on top trims. The larger screen offered touchscreen functionality only with Android Auto or Apple CarPlay. Standard features included wireless CarPlay and Android Auto on higher trims, a wireless charging pad, and a Bose stereo system.

The 2024 Volkswagen Golf GTI came with an 8.25-inch touchscreen on the base trim, with a 10-inch screen on SE and Autobahn models. Standard features included wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, wireless device charging, and a six-speaker audio system. SE and Autobahn models added a nine-speaker Harman Kardon audio system, voice control, and SiriusXM with 360L satellite radio. The 10.25-inch Digital Cockpit Pro digital instrument cluster was standard on all GTI models, offering four configurations. However, the instrument cluster was not very good at conveying information, with a small fuel gauge and reliance on the touchscreen for navigation.

The 2024 Mazda MAZDA3 received five stars from the NHTSA and was named a 2024 Top Safety Pick+ by the IIHS. Standard safety features included automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, lane-departure warning, and lane-keeping assist. The Turbo Premium Plus trim added Cruising and Traffic Support, an evolution of Traffic Jam Assist.

The 2024 Volkswagen Golf GTI received top "Good" scores in some IIHS tests, but headlights received "Acceptable" and "Marginal" ratings. Standard safety features included forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, adaptive cruise control, and lane-keep assist. The GTI also featured Intelligent Crash Response and Emergency Assist on DSG-equipped models. Additional features included park distance control, park assist, automatic high beams, and traffic sign recognition.