• Good economy across the range
• 2.0-litre Sport has stop-start tech
• 2.2-litre diesel is quick and frugal

The Mazda3 hatchback running costs are pretty impressive. It’s efficient, and the larger engines are unstressed, returning impressive economy on longer runs. The 2.2-litre diesel isn’t Euro 6 (you’ll want the third generation Mazda 3 for that), but if emissions-based charging isn’t a concern it’s a great car to cover long distances while using minimal fuel.

Most models of Mazda3 will achieve over 40mpg unless used extensively in congestion and heavy traffic for short distances, where the 1.6-litre diesel (as long as it’s given regular long runs to clear the DPF) and 2.0-litre petrol Sport may have the edge – the latter, thanks to the fuel-saving stop-start tech.

Mazda3 maintenance and reliability

• Mazda dealers provide good service
• Older cars should be easy to maintain with local garages
• 1.6-litre diesel has weakest reputation

A used Mazda3 should give you few problems, based on the owners’ reviews and feedback in forums and user groups. Mazda’s cars are generally reliable, helped by a high-quality main dealer network, and this version of the Mazda3 shares many components with the first generation model – so it’s a proven recipe.

Parts are not particularly expensive, and main dealers may still offer newer examples reasonable fixed-price servicing – but independent garages should have few issues looking after the familiar underpinnings and robust petrol engines.

The 1.6-litre diesel is less trustworthy, but a proactive approach to maintenance and watching out for issues before they become problems will pay off. We’d avoid anything that smells heavily of diesel, has reached 100,000 miles without evidence of DPF replacement, or makes any clutch noises or juddering.