Mazda announces pricing, fuel economy of 2014 Mazda 3

Remember the Mazda Mazda 3 (according to the DMV forms) that we drove a few weeks ago? Yeah! You want one? Maybe! How much? Well, read on, friend!

(Hey, we're just as curious as you.)

Consider your curiosity satiated. The journey into the Mazda 3 starts at $16,945 for a sedan with a 2.0-liter Skyactiv engine, whose base trim is the i SV. That comes with a 6-speed manual; stepping up to the automatic will cost you $17,995. Both models represent an increase of $245 over the base pricing of the current 2013 models.

The i Sport is the next trim up, and the sedan is $18,445 while hatchback lovers will pay an extra $500. Want an automatic on that too? (You might not, as we thoroughly enjoyed the 6-speed action.) That'll cost you $1,050. The Sport nets you steering wheel controls, Bluetooth, cruise control, a tachometer, and a 60/40 split folding rear seat, de rigueur for the hatchback experience.

Next up is the Touring, which starts at $19,595 -- and the hatchback and automatic are the same price leap as above. That trim gets you keyless entry, blindspot monitoring (with Cross Traffic Alert), different 16-inch wheels, and the Sybaritic luxury of a leather-wrapped shift knob, e-brake handle and steering wheel. Want more stuff than that? A Touring package is available only on this trim for 2.0-equipped models, which nets you Mazda's Commander knob for controlling navigation, satellite radio, Internet radio connectivity through Pandora and Stitcher, dual-zone climate control, voice commands, not one but two USB ports, and a place to stash your sunglasses.

Lastly, a Grand Touring model adds a power driver's seat, faux leather, a moonroof, and heated seats at $22,745. Again, the hatchback is $500 more. Again, the automatic is $1,050 more. There may be a pattern here, but we don't see it.

Mazda
A $500 difference separates these guys.

That's it for the 2.0-liter i. What about the 184-hp Skyactiv 2.5 s model? Mazda kept it simple here, with just two trims: Touring and Grand Touring, and just one transmission. For now, anyway.

The s Touring starts at $24,595 for the sedan. The hatchback is $500 more. This model comes with 18-inch aluminum wheels, the trick heads-up display, paddle shifters, and a Daylighter-worthy array of lighting: bixenon headlights, halogen fog lights, LED taillights and daytime running lights. It also comes standard with all the stuff available on the i's Touring package.

On top of that, the Grand Touring trim starts at $25,995 (and the hatch, again, is $500 more) with automatically swiveling headlights, rain-sensing wipers, seats rendered in actual leather, and an automatically dimming mirror in case you're followed by another Mazda 3 s with its bixenon headlights. Not enough? Grand Touring models can be optioned with the Touring Technology package, for $1,600: i-ELOOP regenerative engine braking, active grille shutters, High Beam Control to dim the lights at night at oncoming traffic, a lane departure warning system and Smart City Brake Support, which will slow the car down if the radar-based system detects something ahead.

Therefore, the most expensive Mazda 3 you can build will be $28,095.

Fuel economy figures break down thusly. All figures are EPA City/Highway/Combined, with many figures currently estimated by Mazda and not yet formally tested.

Hatchback, 2.0-liter with manual: 29/40/33

Hatchback, 2.0-liter with automatic: 30/40/33

Sedan, 2.0-liter with manual: 29/41 (estimated)

Sedan, 2.0-liter with automatic: 30/41 (estimated)

Hatchback, 2.5-liter: 29/37 (estimated)

Hatchback, 2.5-liter with i-ELOOP: 29/39 (estimated)

Sedan, 2.5-liter: 28/39 (estimated)

Sedan, 2.5-liter with i-ELOOP: 29/40 (estimated)

For now, you can only get the automatic transmission in the 2.5-liter engine -- but as we confirmed, there will be a manual coming, because "we are Mazda, we think driving is supposed to be fun," said a PR person. Of course. Just not now. Why the wait, Mazda?

But also, it shouldn't be a surprise that the larger engine gets a manual, eschewing almost industry-wide convention in the face of declining take rates and production costs -- because, the PR person explained, "historically the percentage of s [bigger engine] trim sales that are manual have been larger than the percentage of i [smaller engine] trim sales that are manual. In other words, the buyer of the more powerful engine is more inclined to purchase a manual than the buyer of the 2.0L engine is."

So there you have it. Get a 2.5-liter with a manual, if you have to get a Mazda 3, and join the club.

By Blake Z. Rong