Like so many other automakers, Mazda has heavily shifted its lineup toward SUVs in recent years, discontinuing its mid-sized Mazda6 sedan back in 2022, and then bolstering its crossover SUV offerings with new models like the CX-50 and CX-90. In fact, looking at the company’s current North American market lineup, only two Mazdas aren’t CX-badged SUVs. One is the iconic MX-5 Miata sports car, and the other is the venerable Mazda3 compact, offered in both hatchback and sedan form.

Along with being the only sedan body style that Mazda sells, the Mazda3 is also the brand’s cheapest model, with a starting MSRP after destination fees of just under $26,000. Having first hit the market for the 2019 model year, the current Mazda3 is certainly showing its age, but our review of the 2026 Mazda3 sedan suggests that feeling old doesn’t have to be a bad thing. 

The compact sedan class, though, is an ultra-competitive one, and while there are absolutely things to like about the Mazda3, many of its similarly priced competitors have gotten the edge over it — outgunning the aging Mazda3 in areas like fuel efficiency, interior space, and available tech features. Below, we’ve rounded up five compact sedans that are rated higher than the Mazda3, according to trusted industry and consumer sources like Edmunds and JD Power.

The Mazda3 doesn’t just face stiff competition from its larger, Japanese rivals. Korean automakers have been making huge gains in this segment, and the Hyundai Elantra is continuing to win over buyers and reviewers alike. The Elantra takes the sedan class seriously, with a diverse lineup of trims ranging from value-focused, fuel-sipping base models to the hard-edged Elantra N performance sedan. 

Unlike the Mazda3, the Elantra is offered with a hybrid powertrain option, and outlets like Edmunds say this is the version to get, placing the Elantra Hybrid as its second-highest-rated compact sedan overall. In those same rankings, the Mazda3 is quite far back, at ninth overall within the segment. JD Power’s rankings of small sedans also have the Hyundai coming in several spots higher than the Mazda. 

While it may not be fast or luxurious, our review of the 2025 Elantra Hybrid found its combination of efficiency and practicality very impressive. Value is another big draw to the Elantra, with the base SE version starting just under $24,000 –  or about $2,000 cheaper than a base Mazda3 sedan.  Even in its pricier hybrid form, where it delivers an incredible 54 MPG combined fuel economy rating, the Elantra’s $26,695 MSRP is nearly the same as the base Mazda3. 

Like the Mazda3, the sedan version of the 2026 Toyota Corolla is another entry in the compact sedan segment that’s getting a little old, with the current version having been introduced back in the 2020 model year. Compared directly, the Corolla shows a very different side of the small sedan approach, with the Toyota’s focus being on comfort and fuel efficiency, and the Mazda’s on driving dynamics and a more upscale feel. 

Boosting the Corolla’s efficiency is the availability of a hybrid powertrain not offered in the Mazda3, and our review of the Corolla Hybrid, found that while the car was neither powerful nor exciting to drive, it delivered an easy 47 MPG in real-world driving. The most fuel-efficient Mazda3 sedan, meanwhile, is rated at just 30 MPG combined. In the Edmunds rankings of the best compact sedans, the standard Corolla finishes one spot ahead of the Mazda3, while the Corolla Hybrid finishes two spots ahead. JD Power also has the Corolla ranked a couple of spots above the Mazda on its list of the best small sedans.

The Toyota Corolla is due for a redesign soon, which will likely bring more power and more efficiency to the table. If it goes the way of the latest Camry and RAV4, the new Corolla may come exclusively with a hybrid powertrain, and depending on what Mazda does with the Mazda3, the ratings gap between these two Japanese sedans could widen further. 

As with Mazda, Volkswagen has largely shifted its American lineup away from small cars and sedans and toward SUVs. However, like the Mazda3, the venerable Volkswagen Jetta sedan continues to represent the entry point into the VW brand. The Jetta is one of the older models in the segment, with this generation arriving back in 2019, but Volkswagen has done a commendable job of updating the car over the last several years. 

Even given its age, the Jetta is still ranked ahead of the Mazda3 by both Edmunds, and JD Power, with the car’s good interior space and solid, German driving dynamics helping it belie both its age and its entry-level price point. With the Mazda also known for its driving dynamics, these two models likely get cross-shopped by many buyers looking for something more than just a cheap commuter car in the small sedan class.

Volkswagen offers the Jetta in a few different trims, including the performance-focused GLI model, which compares nicely against the Mazda3’s more powerful turbocharged variants. The base Jetta, though, is powered by a 1.5-liter turbo engine, which at just 158 hp is outgunned by the Mazda3’s 186 hp 2.5-liter base engine. However, even when powered with a more modest engine, the Jetta is aging gracefully, and still manages to punch above its weight. 

In recent years, the Nissan Sentra has been seen as a bit of a backmarker in the compact sedan class, but the redesigned 2026 Sentra shows that Nissan is not giving up on it. The 2026 Sentra’s sleeker, more modern look has given the car a lot more curb appeal; its interior is very modern, and it also comes in with a sub-$24,000 base price, undercutting the Mazda3 by about $2,000. 

While the freshly redesigned Nissan is cheaper and makes the Mazda look outdated in some ways, the Mazda3’s base engine is still significantly more powerful than the Sentra’s 149-hp 2.0-liter, which is the only engine offered. Driving purists may also appreciate the Mazda’s traditional six-speed automatic transmission compared to the Sentra, which uses a CVT. Meanwhile, the Mazda3’s available all-wheel drive is another thing that distinguishes it from both the Sentra and many of its compact sedan competitors. 

Nissan’s updates haven’t been quite enough to jump the Sentra to the top of the class, with reviewers pointing out its underpowered engine and its lack of a hybrid option, but the car is much improved. The 2026 Sentra finishes ahead of the Mazda3 in both the Edmunds and the JD Power overall rankings of small sedans. 

When it comes to the compact car segment, the Honda Civic has long been a perennial favorite, and that doesn’t show any signs of changing. As with the Mazda3, you can get the Civic as a sedan or a hatchback, but unlike the Mazda, the Civic is offered with both traditional gasoline and hybrid powertrains. For 2025 and newer Civics, the addition of the hybrid option takes an already good car and turns it into a standout. 

The 2026 Honda Civic Hybrid is about as good as a small car gets, delivering a mix of fantastic fuel economy, great practicality, and surprisingly good driving performance. Compared to the Mazda3, the Civic not only has a larger, more practical interior, but the 200-hp hybrid version gets 49 MPG combined while delivering the kind of acceleration that was once only found in sport sedans and hot hatchbacks.

Not surprisingly, the Honda Civic finishes at or near the top in both the Edmunds and JD Power small sedan rankings, and it’s also ranked as the best small car by Consumer Reports. For those in places with snowy or wet climates, the one area where the Mazda3 might edge out the Honda would be with the availability of all-wheel drive, which the Civic doesn’t offer on any of its trims.