Thanks to DriveShop for providing me with the Mazda 3, complimentary for one week. All opinions expressed here are my own. 

Travel to Charleston in the 2016 Mazda 3

Road tripping is actually one of my favorite things to do. I love to pack up the car, and drive to a destination. It’s a fun time for my family to see sites along the way, and just enjoy one another’s company. We’re a family of 5, so most would think when we take road trips we’ll need a large car like a minivan or a crossover vehicle. Nope! We fit quite comfortably in the Mazda 3 when we drove to Charleston, SC a few weeks ago. 

The Mazda 3 might be a compact car, but it’s big on functionality. My kids are pretty tall and they still had ample leg room in the back seat for a comfortable drive. 

The Mazda 3 has a large amount of trunk space as well. I was able to fit all of our luggage with room to spare. 

One of the best features of the new Mazda 3 is the gas mileage! It gets an impressive 41 miles per gallon on the highway. We made it all the way to Charleston before we had to fill up again. 

The Mazda 3 really drives more like a sports car than a compact vehicle. It handles the turns and curves on the road great. It happened to be very windy the days we drove it, so I felt some swaying across the highway but other than that we had a smooth drive. 

The Mazda 3 has some pretty cool standard features like: 

Push button start & Remote Keyless Entry

Rearview Camera

MAZDA CONNECT Infotainment System

12 Volt Power Outlet

Rain Sensing Windshield Wipers

Blind Spot Monitoring

Rear Cross Traffic Alert

Pollen season was in full effect when I tested out the Mazda 3. Everything was covered in green including the car. An additional feature I was really grateful for was the pollen filter on the air conditioner. It kept all of the green stuff outside, so that we could ride comfortably inside. 

Overall the 2016 Mazda 3 was a fun car to drive, and my family of five enjoyed our road trip to Charleston with no complaints. For full specs, features, and to find a Mazda dealer near you, head to MazdaUSA.com!

Ashley