The 2026 Mazda3 Turbo Premium Plus is a compact sedan that doesn’t act like one. Its cabin, power and everyday tech all punch above what the badge suggests, and bad weather doesn’t rattle it. It does come with a couple of catches worth knowing about, especially if you’re shopping on a budget or hauling a lot of gear.
PRO: Premium Plus
This trim comes with leather seats, a Bose 12 speaker system and a 10.25 inch display with wireless CarPlay and Android Auto. It feels more like a small luxury sedan than a compact, and you won’t often find that kind of cabin at this price.
PRO: Strong Powerplant
The 2.5 liter turbo makes up to 250 hp and 320 pound feet of torque on premium fuel. That’s a lot of power for a compact sedan, and it pulls hard enough that merging and passing never feel like a chore.
PRO: Simple Infotainment System
The infotainment system in the 2026 Mazda3 keeps things refreshingly simple, with a clean menu layout and a physical control knob that lets you navigate without poking at the screen or taking your eyes off the road. Once you spend a day with it, tasks like jumping between Apple CarPlay, audio, and navigation feel quick and natural instead of buried in layers of menus.
PRO: Standard All-wheel-drive
All wheel drive comes standard on the Turbo Premium Plus. If you deal with wet or snowy roads, that extra grip makes the car feel confident and planted when the weather turns bad.
CON: Only Way to Turbo
The Mazda3 was last redesigned in 2019, and Mazda cut the Carbon Turbo trim for 2026. That leaves the Turbo Premium Plus as the only way to get the turbo, with no cheaper path in.
CON: Limited Trunk Space
The sedan’s trunk holds 13.2 cubic feet, which is about average for the class. The Mazda3 hatchback offers 20.1 cubic feet, so if cargo space matters to you, that version is worth a look.
