2014 Mazda3 2.0L Hatchback officially rated at 40 mpg highway

Thu, 11 Jul 2013

The Environmental Protection Agency has spoken, and these are the miles per gallon numbers it has officially bestowed on the 2014 five-door Mazda3 hatchback with the SkyActiv-G 2.0-liter engine: 29 city, 40 highway, 33 combined when fitted with the six-speed manual; 30 city, 40 highway and 33 combined when equipped with the six-speed automatic.

Those numbers exactly match the fuel economy targets that Mazda had set for the car when optioned with the 2.0-liter Skyactiv-G with 155 horsepower and 150 pound-feet of torque. For comparison to other cars in the segment, the EPA numbers for the 2013 Honda Civic sedan are 28 city, 39 highway, 32 combined when its 140-hp, 1.8-liter four-cylinder is paired with the five-speed automatic. The Hyundai Elantra GT gets 27 city, 37 highway and 30 combined according to the EPA when its 148-hp, 1.8-liter four-cylinder is paired with either a six-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission. The numbers for the 2014 Ford Focus aren't out yet.

While we wait on the EPA to confirm the numbers for the rest of the Mazda3 range, we've got to say that things keep looking better and better for this little hatch. If you'd like to start taking bets, here are Mazda's targets for the rest of the Mazda3 line-up:

Hatch

2.5L 6AT: 28/37
2.5L 6AT i-Eloop: 29/39

Sedan

2.0L 6MT: 29/41
2.0L 6AT: 30/41
2.5L 6AT: 28/39
2.5L 6AT i-Eloop: 29/40

That 2.5-liter SkyActiv-G gets 184 hp and 185 lb-ft of torque, the capacitor-equipped i-Eloop system meant to help buyers who choose that engine get a few more mpg.

By Jonathon Ramsey