The Mazda 3 comes as a sedan and a hatchback on the new-car list. Every version on that list has a 1,496cc mild hybrid petrol-electric engine. This checklist helps you plan your own test drive. It lists questions to ask, things to try and checks to make afterwards. It does not tell you what the car is like. You decide that on the day.
Before the drive: pick the version
The new-car list read on 10 October 2026 shows five versions. Each list price includes COE as listed that day.
- Mazda 3 Sedan Mild Hybrid 1.5 Classic Plus: S$206,888, as listed on 10 October 2026
- Mazda 3 Sedan Mild Hybrid 1.5 Classic: S$212,200, as listed on 10 October 2026
- Mazda 3 Sedan Mild Hybrid 1.5 Executive: S$212,888, as listed on 10 October 2026
- Mazda 3 Sedan Mild Hybrid 1.5 Luxury: S$217,888, as listed on 10 October 2026
- Mazda 3 Hatchback Mild Hybrid 1.5 Astina: S$221,888, as listed on 10 October 2026
These are not today's prices. Ask the dealer for a current quote in writing.
Questions to answer before you book:
- Which of these versions can you test drive?
- Is the test car the version you plan to buy? If not, what is different?
- What does each version add over the one below it?
- Do you want the sedan or the hatchback? Can you try both on the same day?
- What do you carry most weeks? Bring it along, such as a stroller or a golf bag, and load it into the boot.
Before the drive: COE, warranty and delivery
COE category. The Mazda 3 price page covers the 1.5 M-Hybrid Classic with a 1,496cc engine. It says that version needs a Category A COE if its power is 97kW (130bhp) or less. It needs a Category B COE if its power is more. Ask the dealer which category your chosen version falls under. Ask to see it on the sales agreement. The COE page shows the latest bidding results.
More questions on COE:
- Does the quoted price include COE?
- What happens to the price if the COE premium changes before registration?
- What happens if a bid is not successful?
Warranty. The facts here do not give the warranty terms. Ask the dealer:
- How many years and how many kilometres does the warranty cover?
- Does it cover the hybrid parts and battery? For how long?
- Where must the car be serviced to keep the warranty valid?
Delivery. Ask how long delivery takes. Ask if the date goes into the contract. Ask what happens if delivery is late.
Bring your driving licence. Ask how long the test drive lasts and which route it takes.
On the drive: the expressway
Ask for a route with a stretch of expressway. Set the seat and mirrors before you move off. Then try these:
- Join the expressway from a slip road. Can you check your blind spot with ease?
- Change lanes a few times. Can you see what you need to in the mirrors?
- Listen for road and wind noise. Is it a level you can live with on a daily drive?
- Find the cruise control buttons, if the version has them. Can you work them without looking down for long?
- Keep to the posted speed limits. Signs on the road show them.
On the drive: a tight car park
Many drivers park in HDB multi-storey car parks every day. Ask to drive into one, or into a car park like the one at home or work.
- Drive up and down a spiral ramp. Does the car clear the kerbs on the turn?
- Park nose-in in a narrow lot. Can you judge where the front of the car ends?
- Get out and check the gap for opening the doors.
- Open the boot in the lot. Is there room behind the car to load bags?
On the drive: reversing
- Reverse into a lot with the camera, if fitted. Is the screen clear in a dim car park?
- Ask which versions have parking sensors. Are they on the version you plan to buy?
- Ask whether the side mirrors tilt down in reverse on your version.
- Reverse once with mirrors only. Can you place the car without the camera?
On the drive: lights and wipers for rain
Singapore downpours come fast. Learn the controls before you need them.
- Find the wiper stalk. Try each speed and the auto setting, if there is one.
- On the hatchback, find the rear wiper switch.
- Turn on the headlights. Ask whether they switch on by themselves in the dark or in a tunnel.
- Find the demister and air-con controls. Time how long the windscreen takes to clear.
- Find the hazard light switch. Can you reach it without taking your eyes off the road for long?
On the drive: the mild hybrid system
The new-car list describes every version as petrol-electric. This is a mild hybrid, not a fully electric car. Ask the dealer:
- What does the electric part of the system do?
- Is there a display that shows when it is working?
- Does the engine stop at traffic lights? Can you switch that off?
- Are there any driving mode settings? Try each one on the route.
- Does the hybrid system need any extra servicing?
After the drive: insurance quotes for your version
The Mazda 3 price page shows example premiums for one driver. That driver is aged 40, married, with an office job and 10 years of driving. The car is the 1.5 M-Hybrid Classic, 3 years old, on comprehensive cover. The driver has a 50% no-claim discount and uses an authorised workshop.
For that driver on 25 October 2026:
- The lowest premium was S$730.18. The highest was S$1,845.85.
- 14 insurers gave a price.
- With no NCD, the lowest premium rose to S$1,193.46.
- For a new car registered this year, the lowest premium was S$776.77.
These are examples for that driver. They are not what you will pay. Your own price depends on your age, your driving record, your no-claim discount and the version you choose.
The quote form lists eight Mazda 3 versions. The names do not all match the new-car list. Check which form version matches the car on your sales agreement. Check the engine size too.
When you compare quotes, look at the excess as well as the premium. On the price page, excess runs from S$500 to S$3,000. Read more on car insurance excess. Ask whether a plan uses an authorised or any workshop.
After the drive: road tax
Under LTA's formula, checked on 19 October 2026, a 1,496cc engine costs S$681.90 a year in road tax. That is before any age surcharge. A surcharge starts once a car is over 10 years old. Check the current figure on LTA's OneMotoring site before you sign. The road tax guide explains how it works.
A short list to take along
- Version name, written down from the sales agreement
- COE category for that version, confirmed by the dealer
- Warranty years, kilometres and hybrid battery cover
- Delivery date and what happens if it slips
- Notes from the expressway, car park, reversing and rain checks
- Insurance quotes for your exact version and your own details
- Road tax figure checked on OneMotoring
Car insurance through Shenton Brokers
Before you drive off or renew, get your car insurance through Shenton Brokers. Compare car insurance for the Mazda 3 to see today's prices from every insurer we compare. Or get a quote with your own details.