2020 Volkswagen Passat vs 2019 Mazda MAZDA3

The 2019 Mazda MAZDA3 was one of the best-looking cars on the market, despite not being a sports or luxury car. Mazda designers created a dramatic design that captured attention, putting the industry on notice. The Mazda3 came as both a sedan and a hatchback, with the latter showcasing the designers' skills. The hatchback featured a clean rear quarter panel, a sharply raked rear window, and sports-car-like taillights, making it a head-turner.

Inside, the Mazda3's interior was equally impressive. The cupholders were positioned forward of the shifter, creating a dramatic look, though potentially prone to spills. The interior boasted clean, uncluttered spaces and seamlessly integrated technology, rivaling luxury cars like the Lexus IS. The driver and front passenger sat low and leaned back, with controls enveloping the driver, including a naturally positioned controller dial for the 8.8-inch MazdaConnect infotainment system. The Premium trims offered leather seats, a power moonroof, a head-up display, and adaptive headlights, with the manual transmission available only in these trims.

The 2020 Volkswagen Passat resembled its predecessors from 2012 to 2019 and the redesigned VW Jetta. However, the interior saw a revamped dashboard with a 6.3-inch touchscreen infotainment screen, lacking the latest VW technology. The Passat featured cheap, glossy plastic, but it was easy to clean. The car was designed to be easy on the eyes, easy to use, and easy to drive, with a focus on simplicity.

Volkswagen offered the 2020 Passat in four trims: S, SE, R-Line, and SEL. The base Passat S was priced at $22,995, while the top-of-the-line SEL was $31,095. The SE trim, priced at $25,845, offered a blend of value and equipment. The sporty-looking R-Line, priced at $28,645, featured extra-cost Aurora Red paint and remote engine start, totaling $30,206 with the destination charge.

The 2019 Mazda MAZDA3 featured a 2.5-liter 4-cylinder engine producing 186 horsepower, paired with either a 6-speed manual or automatic transmission. The power was sent to the front wheels or the newly available all-wheel drive (AWD), which was only available with the automatic transmission. The SkyActiv-G engine provided responsive acceleration, athletic handling, and responsive brakes, making it a great commuter car with the potential for driving enthusiasts to unlock its full potential.

The most efficient version of the Mazda3 was the front-wheel-drive (FWD) automatic sedan with the Premium package, returning 27 mpg city, 36 highway, and 30 combined. The least efficient version was the AWD hatchback, returning 24/32/27. The sedan with AWD returned 25/33/28, while the hatchback with FWD and a manual transmission returned 25/35/29. Both the sedan and hatchback with FWD and the automatic (non-Premium) returned 26/35/30. During a week of combined city and highway driving, the test model observed a fuel economy of 28.2 mpg.

The 2020 Volkswagen Passat was equipped with a turbocharged 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine, producing 174 horsepower and 206 pound-feet of torque. The engine did not require premium gas and was paired with a 6-speed automatic transmission powering the front wheels. The Passat's powertrain was simple, with a Sport transmission setting and steering-wheel-mounted paddle shifters.

The Passat's engine torque allowed it to get up to speed without much effort, though the transmission occasionally upshifted eagerly to maximize fuel economy. Selecting Sport mode solved this issue. The test model averaged 26 mpg, just one short of the EPA's 27-mpg rating in combined driving. The Passat's steering was light and effortless, with impressive roll control and commendable grip from the R-Line's 19-inch wheels and tires. However, the suspension tuning was too stiff over sharp bumps and too soft over rises and dips, resulting in a busy ride.

The 2019 Mazda MAZDA3 sedan offered 13.2 cubic feet of trunk space, while the hatchback provided 20.1 cubic feet behind the rear seats and 47.1 cubic feet with the rear seat folded. The hatchback's cargo space was serviceable for the class, but the Kia Soul offered more with 61 cubic feet. The Mazda3's low and leaned-back seating position was reminiscent of a sports car, benefiting front-seat passengers but making the second row tight, especially for taller individuals.

The center console featured a deep tray ahead of the cupholders and a center bin between the driver and front passenger. However, the center armrest/console cover design was criticized for requiring a slide-back motion before lifting. While the Mazda3 excelled in many areas, other brands like Subaru or Kia might offer better solutions for carrying gear over the car's lifetime.

The 2020 Volkswagen Passat was designed for Americans, offering a spacious interior with wide comfortable seats, big door openings, and ample room for five people. The car featured sizable cupholders, plenty of storage bins and trays, and excellent outward visibility. Cloth upholstery was standard in the Passat S, while the SE and R-Line had V-Tex leatherette seats, and the SEL trim offered genuine leather sport seats. Heated seats were available for cold weather, and rear air conditioning vents helped passengers stay cool in hot weather.

The Passat's trunk space measured 15.9 cubic feet, with a flat load floor for maximum utility. The trunk could easily fit full-size suitcases and compact folding strollers. The key fob allowed for remote trunk opening, and grips on both inner sides of the lid made it easy to close. The Passat's size and utility made it a practical choice, with the only reasons to opt for an SUV being all-wheel drive, big-box cargo capability, or a third-row seat.

The 2019 Mazda MAZDA3 featured an 8.8-inch screen running the latest MazdaConnect infotainment system, with crisp graphics, Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto. However, the system was completely remote-controlled, with no touch functionality. This design choice was based on Mazda's claim that touchscreens were less safe than rotary dial controls. The test model included a head-up display with terrific graphics and a fully digital center panel in the instrument cluster, controlled by a button on the steering wheel.

The 2020 Volkswagen Passat lacked the latest infotainment system and Digital Cockpit instrumentation technologies, featuring a 6.3-inch touchscreen display. However, it included App Connect with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, HD and SiriusXM satellite radio, a CD player, and Bluetooth. The SEL trim added navigation and a Fender premium sound system. The Passat's infotainment system was simple, with buttons and knobs, reminiscent of older designs. The test model also had optional remote engine start, and the SEL trim offered a parking steering-assist system.

The 2019 Mazda MAZDA3's base hatchback trim came standard with Mazda's i-Activsense, a comprehensive suite of driver-assistance features including automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, blind-spot monitoring, adaptive cruise control, and driver-attention alerts. However, these features were not standard on the base sedan trim, requiring the Select Sedan trim for many of them. The hatchback's large C-pillars created significant blind spots, and the auto-engage system for the parking brake was not intuitive, requiring a series of operations to bypass.

The 2020 Volkswagen Passat included forward-collision warning with pedestrian detection, automatic emergency braking, blind-spot warning, and rear cross-traffic warning as standard features. An automatic post-collision braking system was also standard, reducing the potential for injury in secondary collisions. The Passat SE added adaptive cruise control and lane-keeping assist, while the SEL trim included parking assist sensors and adaptive headlights. The Passat earned the top rating of Good in crash-test assessments by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).