2024 Toyota Prius vs 2024 Mazda MAZDA3

The 2024 Mazda MAZDA3, despite its last redesign in 2019, maintained a modern and luxurious appearance. Its swooping lines and scalloped bodywork gave it a sophisticated look, comparable to luxury vehicles. The front featured squinting headlights with LED turn signals and stylish round lighting elements, adding to its dramatic and expensive-looking design. Available in sedan and hatchback body styles, the hatchback was favored for its better looks and more usable storage space. The Turbo Premium Plus trim, priced at $38,210, impressed with its material quality and value, especially when compared to luxury brands like Audi or BMW. The interior, adorned with red leather, offered a premium feel, with leather trimmings on the doors and dashboard, and a black leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob.

In contrast, the 2024 Toyota Prius retained its familiar wedge-shaped profile but introduced distinctive styling with aerodynamically optimized bodywork. The Prius XLE and Limited trims stood out with attractive 19-inch aluminum wheels. Inside, the Prius maintained its quirky nature, with instrumentation moved in front of the driver. However, the digital panel's placement near the windshield could be obstructed depending on seating position. The interior featured hard plastic, leading to creaks and a flimsy feel, though it might prove durable. The Prius continued in LE, XLE, and Limited trims, with prices ranging from $27,950 to $34,965. Our XLE test vehicle, priced at $35,532, included options like a 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system and a glass roof.

The 2024 Mazda MAZDA3 offered two engine options. The standard engine for all "S" trims was a naturally aspirated 2.5-liter four-cylinder, delivering 191 horsepower and 186 pound-feet of torque. The Carbon Turbo and Turbo Premium Plus trims featured a turbocharged 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine, producing 250 horsepower and 320 pound-feet of torque. 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. The Turbo Premium Plus test vehicle, with its turbo engine, offered impressive performance in various driving scenarios. Fuel economy varied, with the turbocharged powertrain achieving 23/32/27 mpg for the sedan and 23/31/26 for the hatchback. The Mazda3 excelled in handling, with tight and precise steering, minimal body roll, and a stiff suspension that appealed to enthusiastic drivers.

The 2024 Toyota Prius, following its redesign, received a power boost, with a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine paired with an 83-kilowatt electric motor and a lithium-ion battery pack. The hybrid system produced 194 horsepower with FWD and 196 hp with AWD. The Prius LE was the most fuel-efficient, achieving 57 mpg combined (54 mpg with AWD). The XLE and Limited trims offered 52 mpg (49 mpg with AWD). The Prius Prime plug-in hybrid variant provided 40 to 45 miles of electric driving. Our test car averaged 48.3 mpg on a mountainous route. The Prius's handling improved, with energetic acceleration and enhanced driving enjoyment. However, the steering felt artificial, and the CVT could be noisy during hard acceleration. The ride lacked smoothness on rough roads, and visibility was hindered by the windshield pillars and small windows.

The 2024 Mazda MAZDA3, while visually appealing, was not the most practical compact car. The hatchback offered 20.1 cubic feet of cargo space, competitive with some rivals but less than the Honda Civic Hatchback. Total cargo space reached 47.1 cubic feet. Rear passenger space was limited, with tight legroom and headroom, making it uncomfortable for taller adults. The sedan provided only 13.2 cubic feet of trunk space and similarly cramped rear quarters. The hatchback's design created significant blind spots, affecting rearward visibility.

The 2024 Toyota Prius, with its dramatic exterior styling, had a snug interior compared to previous generations. The driver's seat was comfortable, but the windshield and gauges felt distant. The 7-inch display panel was too small and cluttered, with the steering wheel potentially blocking part of it. The rear seats felt cramped but were comfortable for two passengers. Storage space was adequate, with a wireless smartphone charging slot. The Prius XLE and Limited offered 20.3 cubic feet of cargo space (23.8 cubic feet for the LE). However, the cargo cover limited space, and removing it blocked the hatchback's window. An optional digital rearview mirror provided a panoramic view when the cargo hold was full.

The 2024 Mazda MAZDA3 featured a rotary controller for its infotainment system, a hallmark of Mazda's technology. While it required some adjustment, it was safer than a touchscreen, allowing drivers to manage it by feel. The system included an 8.8-inch display on most trims, with a new 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, a wireless charging pad, and Mazda Connect with Wi-Fi, remote services, navigation, and roadside assistance. The Bose stereo in higher trims provided good sound quality.

The 2024 Toyota Prius had a 7-inch digital instrumentation panel, criticized for being too small and cluttered. The Toyota Audio Multimedia infotainment system featured an 8-inch or 12.3-inch touchscreen, with Bluetooth, wireless Apple CarPlay, wireless Android Auto, SiriusXM, and various connected services. Wi-Fi Connect, Service Connect, and Safety Connect offered trial subscriptions. Drive Connect, available on LE and XLE, provided cloud-based navigation and digital assistant services. The Limited trim had an eight-speaker JBL sound system, which was bass-heavy but left room for improvement. The Prius Limited also offered a 360-degree camera system and semi-autonomous parking assistance.

The 2024 Mazda MAZDA3 received five stars from the NHTSA and was named a 2024 Top Safety Pick+ by the IIHS. It came with standard safety features like automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, lane-departure warning, and lane-keeping assist. Adaptive Cruise Control with stop-and-go was included, with the Turbo Premium Plus trim adding Cruising and Traffic Support for enhanced traffic management.

The 2024 Toyota Prius featured Toyota Safety Sense 3.0 (TSS 3.0) and blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert. TSS 3.0 included adaptive cruise control, forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assist, automatic high-beam headlights, and road sign recognition. Proactive Driving Assist (PDA) provided subtle steering and braking assistance. The Prius's adaptive cruise control and lane-centering assistance worked well, though it occasionally braked too hard in heavy traffic. The Prius earned five-star ratings from the NHTSA, except for a four-star rating in rollover resistance, and was named a Top Safety Pick+ by the IIHS.